Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

1934

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant-colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, SS-Infanterie-Regiment „Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler“ (mot.)

Awarded on:

September 25th, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 25th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)

Unit:

Kdr, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 8 (motorisiert)

Awarded on:

October 21st, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Standartenführer (Colonel)

Unit:

Führer, 1. SS-Infanterie-Brigade (motorisiert)

Awarded on:

January 6th, 1944

Trabandt's Knight's Cross recommendation reads as follows...

“At 21:00 on the 21.09.1943 the Brigade received a new assignment. Minus one Regiment, it was to move out of the area NE of Smolensk, drive through the city towards the southeast and eventually arrive in Dolgomostje. There it would make contact with the 35. Infanterie-Division.

From that position the Brigade (consisting of one Regiment) was to be an Armee reserve.

At 06:30 on the 22.09.1943 SS-Standartenführer Trabandt arrived at the command post of the 35. Infanterie-Division (located in Sswiridinowo), and from there he was briefed on the situation by the divisional Ia. The enemy had advanced westwards across the railroad on both sides of Cholm, encircled Grenadier-Regiment 11 (located in Cholm itself) and occupied Lichatschewo and Rossnowo. At the present moment they were attacking further westwards in order to reach the Rosslawl—Smolensk road. Simultaneously, strong enemy forces were striking northwards along both sides of the railroad from the direction of Cholm (see Sketch 1).

A cohesive friendly frontline no longer existed south of Arefino. At first the Brigade had no additional orders, and remained as an Armee reserve.

After the Regiment had arrived, SS-Standartenführer Trabandt decided to take initiative given the severity of the situation. Thus, without orders from above, he moved out southwards from Panskoje at 09:00. Advancing along both sides of the railroad in the direction of Cholm, his aim was to relieve Grenadier-Regiment 11, eliminate those hostile elements west of the railroad line and ultimately establish a defensive front along the railroad in the vicinity of Cholm itself. After the Regiment had began its attack it received orders from the Division that directed it to take a course of action that it was more or less already commencing.

As SS-Standartenführer Trabandt was directing the attack, Grenadier-Regiment 11 succeeded in breaking out of its encirclement, and it linked up with the attacking Brigade. The hostile advance in the direction of the road was intercepted by a hastily erected blocking position located along the general line Hill 225.7 (located about 4 km NW of Cholm)—Hill 239.5—Panskoje. Numerous enemy attacks (including some with tank support) by superior numbers of troops were repulsed with bloody losses for the foe, and the hostile breakthrough attempt in the direction of the road was halted. This success was of great significance, for if the enemy had reached the Rosslawl—Smolensk road they would have cut off those friendly forces still fighting south of Rossash and prevented the planned withdrawal in the direction of Smolensk.

On the 24.09.1943 the Brigade received orders to disengage from the enemy and establish a new defensive front facing southeast along the general line Sumarokowo—Poststrasse—Talashkino—Swch. Chlenowo.

However the enemy got to this line first. They struck from the east and oriented themselves toward the south. Acting on his own initiative once again, Trabandt ordered his men to attack, and they pushed the enemy back towards the east before deploying for defense themselves. The enemy were thrown back towards the east with high losses in men and materiel, and they lost great quantities of prisoners, weapons, equipment and ammunition in the process (see Sketch 2).

This achievement was the primary factor that enabled the conduct of the planned withdrawal south of Smolensk.

On the 09.10.1943 the commander of the 35. Infanterie-Division wrote to the commander of the 1. SS-Infanterie Brigade, and among other things he stated that the Brigade had a decisive share in the defensive successes of the 35. Infanterie-Division that led it to being mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht.

An excerpt from a Korps order-of-the-day by the XXXIX. Panzer-Korps (dated 23.10.1943) contains much the same message: ‘In particular, the Brigade prevented a breakthrough by far superior hostile forces against Smolensk whilst engaged in heavy combat SE of the city. In doing so it enabled the city to be evacuated without major difficulty.’

SS-Standartenführer Trabandt and his Brigade continued to be present at the hotspots of defensive combat in the subsequent fighting along the highway west of Smolensk.

The Brigade was honourably mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht of the 15.10. & 23.11.1943.

The achievements and deeds of the Brigade under the leadership of SS-Standartenführer Trabandt are recorded in the attached Armee, Korps and Division level orders from the time period 01.09.-03.12.1943.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Oberführer (Brigade General)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 18. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division „Horst Wessel“

Awarded on:

February 15th, 1945