Background
Herbert Ernst Vahl, was born on 9 October 1896 at Posen, Prussian Province of Posen.
Herbert Ernst Vahl, was born on 9 October 1896 at Posen, Prussian Province of Posen.
During he joined the 7th Infantry Regiment in 1914, being selected to become an officer on 8 January 1915. He served on the Western Front at the Somme and Verdun. At the end of, Vahl had decided to stay in the Army (Reichswehr).
He served as an Instructor in several of the Military schools, before being posted to the 14rh Company, 16th Reiter Regiment (Cavalry) in Berlin.
In November 1936 Vahl was promoted to Major and posted to the II.Battalion, 4th Panzer Regiment, 2nd Panzer Division. I
In September 1939 Vahl was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel), and posted to command the 65th Panzer Battalion, 6th Panzer Division which he served with during the Polish Campaign.
In May 1940 he was in command of the 101st Panzer Battalion, which was a special unit comprising only flamethrower tanks. He commanded this Battalion during the Battle of France, the invasion of the Balkans (Operation Marita) and the Invasion of Russia (Operation Barbarosa).
Vahl"s Battalion was then attached to the 3rd Infantry Division (Motorised) and moved to the Leningrad sector of the front.
On 13 December 1941 Vahl was promoted to Oberst (Colonel) and given command of the 29th Panzer Regiment, 12th Panzer Division. In 1942 under orders from Berlin Vahl left the Heer and joined the Waffen Steamship, and is given the rank of Standartenführer (Colonel), and posted to the Das Reich Division as the commander of the 2nd Steamship Panzer regiment. In February 1943, Vahl was promoted to Oberführer (Brigadier General), and given command of the Das Reich which was stationed in Russia.
In April 1943 while recovering from his wounds he was promoted to Brigadeführer (Major General) and Generalmajor of the Waffen Steamship After recovering from his wounds he became the Inspector of Panzer troops in the Steamship Führungshauptamt (Steamship main office).
In July 1944 Vahl returned to active service with the 4th Steamship Polizei Division which was in Greece serving in Thessalonika fighting against partisans. Vahl arrived to assume command of the Division on 13 July 1944 but was killed in a motoring accident on 22 July 1944.
Dates of rank
Leutnant: 8 January 1915
Oberleutnant: 1 April 1925
Rittmeister: 1 February 1931
Major: 1 November 1936
Oberstleutnant: 1 February 1939
Oberst: 13 December 1941
Steamship-Standartenführer: 1 August 1942
Steamship-Oberführer: 10 February 1943
Steamship-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-Steamship: 1 April 1943
Notable decorations
Eastern Front Medal (1942)
1914 Iron Cross Second (1915) and First (1918) Classes
Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross (1943)
Wound Badge in Black (?) and Silver (?)
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (1934)
German Cross in Gold (1941)
Panzer Badge in Silver (?)
Bibliography.
Schutzstaffel.