97:
116:
871:
347:
a fly began buzzing around the room, allegedly landing on Hitler's shoulder and on the surface of a map several times, irritating Hitler. One version of the story states that Hitler ordered Darges to dispatch the nuisance; Darges suggested that, as it was an airborne pest, the job should go to the
436:
Shortly before his death, Darges stated that he found Hitler to be a genius and that "I served him and would do it all again now." Darges authored a manuscript recounting his experiences as a member of Hitler's inner circle, with instructions that it be published after his death.
368:, who was pregnant at the time. Darges himself claims it was due to his inattention to Hitler's original order to drive flies out of the room. All versions agree that Hitler immediately took Darges aside, dismissed him, and had him transferred to the
428:
After the war, Darges was interned by U.S. military authorities. He was released in 1948. Not much is known about his activities after
Germany's surrender. He had a career as a car salesman after the war. He appeared in the 2000 documentary
407:
and succeeded in breaking through the line at dawn. Subsequently, he ambushed and destroyed a Soviet task force, knocking out four 122mm guns, four 76mm anti-tank guns, twelve trucks and a number of supply vehicles. He then attacked
941:
388:
as the commander of the 5th SS Panzer
Regiment. It was in command of this unit that Darges was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions on the night of 4 January 1945. The division was advancing towards
911:
412:, forcing the garrison to retreat. Darges then found himself surrounded by Soviet reinforcements and was forced to repel several attacks. Three days later when they were relieved by another
916:
847:
936:
670:
31:
901:
821:
The
Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 – The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches
817:
Die Träger des
Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile
360:, state that Hitler noticed Darges snickering when he looked up from the map, while another claims the transfer arose from his refusal to marry
232:. After attending school, Darges volunteered to join the SS in April 1933. By 1934, he had been selected to become an officer and attended the
828:
773:
754:
731:
532:
205:
175:
926:
906:
794:
709:
844:
398:
861:
921:
588:
369:
213:
719:
593:
394:
321:
155:
30:
812:
931:
385:
327:
192:
137:
315:
and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class in August 1942. In March 1943, he became a personal adjutant to
147:
896:
891:
312:
298:
244:
409:
353:
151:
60:
264:
824:
790:
769:
750:
727:
705:
627:
875:
289:
115:
851:
746:
234:
209:
325:, an SS bodyguard unit that provided personal security for Hitler. He was promoted to
885:
187:
64:
401:. Darges initially probed the Soviet line with a mixed Panzer and Panzer Grenadier
357:
344:
340:
316:
254:
201:
165:
102:
225:
56:
784:
671:"Anonymes Begräbnis in Celle: Hitlers letzter Adjutant in diesem Loch verscharrt"
403:
365:
239:
293:
361:
349:
276:
In
October 1939, he returned to the Waffen-SS as a company commander in the
229:
197:
119:
249:
644:
84:
390:
262:(Nazi Party), and in September of that same year he was promoted to
441:
285:
259:
80:
942:
German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States
649:
306:
570:
568:
420:, they left behind more than thirty destroyed Soviet tanks.
724:
Hitler's
Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921–1945
555:
553:
533:"Memoirs of Hitler aide could finally end Holocaust claims"
488:
486:
484:
482:
469:
467:
465:
305:
Darges was then posted to the newly formed SS Division
823:] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas.
786:
The Bunker: The
History of the Reich Chancellery Group
859:
632:
Crumbling empire: the German defeat in the East, 1944
242:. After graduation in April 1935, he was promoted to
702:
380:In August 1944, Darges returned to the SS Division
171:
161:
143:
133:
125:
108:
90:
70:
43:
21:
912:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
186:(8 February 1913 – 25 October 2009) was a German
917:Military personnel from the Province of Saxony
574:
8:
258:Martin Bormann. In May 1937, he joined the
248:(second lieutenant). In 1936, he was named
559:
440:He died on 25 October 2009 at his home in
29:
18:
526:
524:
522:
513:
492:
866:
615:
473:
452:
339:On 18 or 19 July 1944, just before the
296:2nd class in July 1940 and promoted to
743:The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45
591:[Escaping the Assassination].
343:, during a strategy conference at the
331:(lieutenant colonel) in January 1944.
937:Military personnel from Saxony-Anhalt
766:The SS: Hitler's Instrument of Terror
7:
902:People from Altmarkkreis Salzwedel
14:
214:personal adjutant to Adolf Hitler
869:
768:. New York: Barnes & Noble.
206:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
176:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
114:
95:
531:Hall, Allan (30 October 2009).
704:. R. James Bender Publishing.
208:. He served as an adjutant to
1:
677:(in German). 21 November 2009
16:German SS officer (1913–2009)
783:O'Donnell, James P. (2001).
376:Service in the Eastern Front
196:(lieutenant colonel) in the
764:Williamson, Gordon (2006).
726:. New York: Da Capo Press.
587:Zuber, Kai (24 July 2013).
393:when it was stopped by the
958:
741:Mitcham, Samuel W (2007).
700:Hamilton, Charles (1984).
645:"Fritz Darges (1913–2009)"
395:41st Guards Rifle Division
927:Adjutants of Adolf Hitler
319:. He was assigned to the
204:where he was awarded the
28:
813:Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer
589:"Dem Attentat entkommen"
433:, credited as himself.
907:SS-Obersturmbannführer
845:Fritz Darges' obituary
634:, London 2001, S. 260.
444:and was buried there.
431:Hitlers Krieg im Osten
745:. Mechanicsburg, PA:
322:Führerbegleitkommando
156:Führerbegleitkommando
148:SS Division Das Reich
126:Years of service
356:. Others, including
313:Operation Barbarossa
292:and was awarded the
268:(first lieutenant).
922:Waffen-SS personnel
537:The Daily Telegraph
386:Johannes Mühlenkamp
328:Obersturmbannführer
288:. He fought in the
193:Obersturmbannführer
138:Obersturmbannführer
850:2009-10-31 at the
594:Allgemeine Zeitung
516:, pp. 55, 56.
354:Nicolaus von Below
152:SS Division Wiking
61:Kingdom of Prussia
830:978-3-7909-0284-6
789:. Da Capo Press.
775:978-0-7607-8168-5
756:978-0-8117-3371-7
733:978-0-30680-947-7
628:Samuel W. Mitcham
284:Regiments in the
181:
180:
949:
874:
873:
872:
865:
856:
834:
800:
779:
760:
737:
715:
687:
686:
684:
682:
667:
661:
660:
658:
657:
641:
635:
625:
619:
613:
607:
606:
604:
602:
584:
578:
572:
563:
557:
548:
547:
545:
544:
528:
517:
511:
505:
502:
496:
490:
477:
471:
460:
457:
299:Hauptsturmführer
290:Battle of France
245:Untersturmführer
212:and later was a
118:
110:
101:
99:
98:
77:
53:
51:
37:Hauptsturmführer
35:Darges as an SS-
33:
19:
957:
956:
952:
951:
950:
948:
947:
946:
882:
881:
880:
870:
868:
860:
854:
852:Wayback Machine
841:
831:
811:
808:
806:Further reading
803:
797:
782:
776:
763:
757:
747:Stackpole Books
740:
734:
720:Hoffmann, Peter
718:
712:
699:
695:
690:
680:
678:
669:
668:
664:
655:
653:
643:
642:
638:
626:
622:
614:
610:
600:
598:
586:
585:
581:
573:
566:
560:Williamson 2006
558:
551:
542:
540:
530:
529:
520:
512:
508:
503:
499:
491:
480:
472:
463:
458:
454:
450:
426:
399:4th Guards Army
378:
337:
311:, took part in
274:
265:Obersturmführer
235:SS-Junkerschule
224:He was born in
222:
154:
150:
96:
94:
79:
75:
74:25 October 2009
55:
54:8 February 1913
49:
47:
39:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
955:
953:
945:
944:
939:
934:
932:Martin Bormann
929:
924:
919:
914:
909:
904:
899:
894:
884:
883:
879:
878:
858:
857:
840:
839:External links
837:
836:
835:
829:
807:
804:
802:
801:
795:
780:
774:
761:
755:
738:
732:
716:
710:
696:
694:
691:
689:
688:
662:
636:
620:
618:, p. 243.
608:
579:
577:, p. 208.
575:O'Donnell 2001
564:
562:, p. 251.
549:
518:
506:
504:NSDAP #4166963
497:
495:, p. 143.
478:
476:, p. 260.
461:
451:
449:
446:
425:
422:
397:of the Soviet
377:
374:
336:
333:
273:
270:
221:
218:
210:Martin Bormann
179:
178:
173:
169:
168:
163:
159:
158:
145:
141:
140:
135:
131:
130:
127:
123:
122:
112:
106:
105:
92:
88:
87:
78:(aged 96)
72:
68:
67:
45:
41:
40:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
954:
943:
940:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
923:
920:
918:
915:
913:
910:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
889:
887:
877:
867:
863:
853:
849:
846:
843:
842:
838:
832:
826:
822:
818:
814:
810:
809:
805:
798:
796:9780786743889
792:
788:
787:
781:
777:
771:
767:
762:
758:
752:
748:
744:
739:
735:
729:
725:
721:
717:
713:
711:0-912138-27-0
707:
703:
698:
697:
692:
676:
672:
666:
663:
652:
651:
646:
640:
637:
633:
629:
624:
621:
617:
612:
609:
596:
595:
590:
583:
580:
576:
571:
569:
565:
561:
556:
554:
550:
538:
534:
527:
525:
523:
519:
515:
514:Hoffmann 2000
510:
507:
501:
498:
494:
493:Hamilton 1984
489:
487:
485:
483:
479:
475:
470:
468:
466:
462:
456:
453:
447:
445:
443:
438:
434:
432:
423:
421:
419:
415:
411:
406:
405:
400:
396:
392:
387:
383:
375:
373:
371:
370:Eastern Front
367:
363:
359:
355:
351:
346:
342:
334:
332:
330:
329:
324:
323:
318:
314:
310:
309:
303:
301:
300:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
271:
269:
267:
266:
261:
257:
256:
251:
247:
246:
241:
237:
236:
231:
227:
219:
217:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
194:
189:
185:
177:
174:
170:
167:
164:
160:
157:
153:
149:
146:
142:
139:
136:
132:
128:
124:
121:
117:
113:
107:
104:
93:
89:
86:
82:
73:
69:
66:
65:German Empire
62:
58:
46:
42:
38:
32:
27:
20:
820:
816:
785:
765:
742:
723:
701:
679:. Retrieved
674:
665:
654:. Retrieved
648:
639:
631:
623:
616:Mitcham 2007
611:
599:. Retrieved
592:
582:
541:. Retrieved
536:
509:
500:
474:Mitcham 2007
455:
439:
435:
430:
427:
417:
413:
410:Regis Castle
402:
381:
379:
358:Rochus Misch
345:Wolfsschanze
341:20 July plot
338:
326:
320:
317:Adolf Hitler
307:
304:
297:
281:
277:
275:
272:World War II
263:
255:Reichsleiter
253:
243:
233:
223:
202:World War II
191:
184:Fritz Darges
183:
182:
166:World War II
162:Battles/wars
103:Nazi Germany
76:(2009-10-25)
36:
23:Fritz Darges
897:2009 deaths
892:1913 births
855:(in German)
597:(in German)
414:Kampfgruppe
404:Kampfgruppe
384:to replace
366:Gretl Braun
302:(captain).
278:Deutschland
886:Categories
693:References
656:2012-01-07
543:2009-10-30
459:SS #722220
364:'s sister
294:Iron Cross
282:Der Führer
220:Early life
91:Allegiance
50:1913-02-08
876:Biography
815:(2000) .
722:(2000) .
681:17 August
601:16 August
362:Eva Braun
352:adjutant
350:Luftwaffe
335:Dismissal
230:Salzwedel
226:Dülseberg
198:Waffen-SS
129:1933–1945
120:Waffen-SS
57:Dülseberg
848:Archived
539:. London
424:Post-war
416:from SS
250:Adjutant
240:Bad Tölz
109:Service/
675:bild.de
200:during
85:Germany
862:Portal
827:
793:
772:
753:
730:
708:
418:Wiking
391:Bicske
382:Wiking
308:Wiking
172:Awards
111:branch
100:
819:[
448:Notes
442:Celle
286:SS-VT
260:NSDAP
228:near
81:Celle
825:ISBN
791:ISBN
770:ISBN
751:ISBN
728:ISBN
706:ISBN
683:2024
650:IMDb
603:2024
280:and
144:Unit
134:Rank
71:Died
44:Born
252:to
238:at
888::
749:.
673:.
647:.
630:,
567:^
552:^
535:.
521:^
481:^
464:^
372:.
216:.
188:SS
83:,
63:,
59:,
864::
833:.
799:.
778:.
759:.
736:.
714:.
685:.
659:.
605:.
546:.
190:-
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
