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~SOLD~FENET Henri-Joseph
Hauptsturmführer
Fenet, Henri-Joseph
* 11.06.1919 Ceyzeriat/Departement Ain
+ 14.09.2002 Paris/Frankreich
Awarded Knights Cross: 29.04.1945
as: Hauptsturmführer Kommandeur SturmBtl 33.SS-Freiw.GrenDiv "Charlemagne"
French service
Fenet was born on 11 July 1919 in Ceyzériat, Department of Ain, France. Prior to World War II he studied literature at the Sorbonne University in Paris. At the outbreak of war he volunteered for the French Army and was commissioned as an officer with the rank of lieutenant. He fought in numerous battles and was awarded the Croix de Guerre after being wounded twice.
After serving as a Prisoner of War he was released in November 1942 and joined the Milice, a militia force recruited to hunt down Jews and battle the Communist underground threat in Vichy France.
Waffen-SS
In July 1943 Paul Marion, the Vichy Propaganda Minister, began a massive nationwide recruitment for the Waffen-SS in France. The Comité des Amis de la Waffen S.S. (Committee of the Friends of the Waffen-SS) was established by the minister and proceeded to actively recruit men who were between the ages of 20–25, "free of Jewish blood," and physically fit. Roughly 3000 applied to the assorted offices in the first few months, many of them college students. The organization also spent much time trying to recruit experienced French officers, like Fenet, to the organization. In October 1943, Fenet volunteered for the Waffen-SS and was sent to the SS officer school at Bad Tölz.
In March 1944 he received the rank of SS-Obersturmführer (first lieutenant) in the Waffen-SS and was given command of the 3rd Company of the newly formed 8th SS Assault Brigade Frankreich, and was again wounded during fighting in the Carpathian Mountains and awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class.
In September 1944, Fenet and his company were sent to Konitz, West Prussia, where they joined other French recruits to form the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division Charlemagne, and in February 1945 Fenet was named the commander of the 1st Battalion, 57th SS Regiment Charlemagne.
In March 1945 the French SS division was surrounded by the Russians. Fenet was able to break out and return to the German lines with his battalion almost intact, for which he was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer (captain) and awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class.
Berlin
In April 1945, Fenet arrived in Berlin with his Battalion which had been reformed from what was left of the division and was attached to the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland.
During the battle for the German capital, Fenet's battalion was given the area of Neukölln, Belle Alliance Platz, Wilhelmstrasse and the Friedrichstrasse to defend, destroying 62 Soviet tanks. Fenet, now wounded, remained with his battalion as they were withdrawn to the area of the Reich aviation ministry. For the success of the battalion during the Battle of Berlin Fenet was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 April 1945 by SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke.
On 2 May 1945, the surviving Frenchmen were captured by the Russians. Fenet had been badly wounded and was first sent to a hospital before being imprisoned by the Soviets. He was then handed over to the French government.
Later life
On the 10 December 1949, Fenet was convicted of being a collaborator and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labour. He was freed at the end of 1959.[3]
After Fenet was released, he appeared in several documentary films and television programmes. He also ran a small independent auto business. Henri Joseph Fenet died in Paris on 14 September 2002.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The outbreak of World War II found Fenet studying literature at the Sorbonne University in Paris, and he immediately decided to enlist in the French Army. By May 1940 he held an officer's commision (lieutenant), and he participated in many battles during the "shooting" war against the Germans, in the course of which he was twice wounded and decorated with the Croix de Guerre for bravery. With defeat came the shame and anger at the rotten poiticians and senile generals who were responsible, ultimately, for the debacle. For a while he thought about leaving for England, but was enticed away when Petain spoke. He believed him and opted for Vichy. Fenet joined the paramilitary Milice Français, led by Joseph Darnand. The Milice was a militia force recruited to battle the Resistance in Vichy France. After the German defeat at Stalingrad, Fenet he came to realize that what he was doing "was serving no purpose" and in October 1943, he volunteered for the Waffen-SS and was promptly sent to the SS Junkerschule—the officer candidates' school—at Bad Tölz for an abbreviated training course. On 20 March, Fenet received the rank of Obersturmführer in the Waffen-SS, which was equivalent to his old French army rank of lieutenant. He was also named to command the 3rd Company of the newly formed 8th SS Assault Brigade "Frankreich."
In late July 1944, Fenet's company, along with the reinforced 1st Bn/"Frankreich" was sent to the Eastern Front in Poland (Galicia). In the course of August it was heavily engaged in the Carpathian Mountains and in the Vistula River basin.
The French volunteers fought alongside the soldiers of the 18th SS Division "Horst Wessel" and proved their mettle in several fierce engagements which caused devastating casualties. Henri Fenet was wounded in the fighting and received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class, on 22 August 1944 for his leadership efforts.
In September 1944, Ostuf. Fenet and his company were sent to the SS troop training grounds in Konitz, West Prussia, where they were to join thousands of other French recruits in the formation of the 33rd Volunteer Grenadier Division "Charlemagne."
After a short time the French volunteers were sent to the SS training grounds at Wildflecken near Fulda, where full divisional formation got underway, although it was a "division" in name only, reaching the size of a brigade. Ostuf. Fenet was immediately assigned to command 1st Bn/SS-Rgt 57 "Charlemagne," which was based upon surviving troops from the old assault brigade.
In February/March 1945, the "Charlemagne" Division was thrown into action on the Pomeranian Front in a desperate effort to slow down the onslaught of the advancing Red Army. Fenet's battalion was constantly in the frontlines and gave an excellent account of itself. Ill-equipped, they nonetheless were lavishly equipped with Panzerfausts, which they put to good use
In early March the French SS division was surrounded by the Soviets and splintered into fragments. Against all odds, Ostuf. Fenet managed to lead his battalion back to the main German lines intact, for which feat he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer (captain) and awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class. But more than 4,000 of his French comrades would not be so lucky—they lost their lives in the "hell of Pomerania."
On 24 April 1945, Hstuf. Fenet led a volunteer assault battalion from the SS Regiment "Charlemagne" that had been reconstructed from the shattered 33rd SS Division into Berlin, where it was attached to the 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland." This battalion was comprised exclusively of those who wished to go on fighting even though it was apparent that Germany was doomed.
During the battle for the German capital, the Fenet's men put up an heroic resistance in Neukölln, on the La Belle-Alliance Platz, on the Wilhelmstrasse and the Friedrichstrasse. They fought on to the last round of ammunition on the last day of the battle, destroying some 62 enemy tanks in the process. These losses were due to Panzerfausts alone.
Due to his outstanding leadership, Fenet was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, one of three Frenchman of the Charlemagne to be so honored.
On 2 May 1945, most of the surviving Frenchmen (about three dozen out of an original total of 300 or more), went into Soviet captivity near the Air Ministry building.
Because of his foot wound, Fenet was sent from his POW camp to a hospital, but upon release found that camp to be empty. Surprisingly, the Russians gave him some new clothes and released him. He joined with some French repatriates but was caught, due to his blood group tattoo, upon crossing the French border. Upon examining it, the soldier who captured him said, "This letter is the insignia of killers, the most dangerous killers!". Fenet was sent to prison in France, being released in 1949.
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