You won the Knight's Cross for service on the Russian Front, can I ask under what circumstances you were awarded this high award?

Karl: Jawohl, I was with the 6th Company of SS Panzer Regiment two at this time. We were guarding the flanks of Wehrmacht units and I wanted to take a few Panzers out to train and also look around. At this time, I saw through my glasses many Ivans moving into attack positions directly facing our HQ, which no one seemed to notice. I knew we had to do something, even without our infantry, so I ordered a forward march and we charged into the mass of attackers like knights of old. All barrels fired and became red hot, this alerted our comrades who came to life. We faced Pak [anti-tank] guns and artillery, which were promptly knocked out, causing Ivan heavy losses. We kept up this attack until they were beaten back, then I ordered us to move into their front, where we destroyed more Pak fronts. The losses were very heavy; I saw dead everywhere and smoke from set-off shells.

If I remember there were over 300 dead that we counted, and many knocked out or captured guns. I remember seeing many prisoners too, who helped us plan a counter-attack in a critical area later. I must tell you also our medics, who were SS men, treated all the wounded without care of uniform. I saw one of my men give a blood transfusion to a badly wounded Russian, who would have died otherwise. We are not the bad guys the press says that we are. What might surprise you also is that we did all this in the Panzer IV which was not that heavily armed compared to the Panther and Tiger who could withstand most hits. Lucky for us Ivan could not aim well. After this action, [Walter] Krüger demanded I be put up for the award and it came as a surprise to me as I was only doing what a soldier does, looking for a chance to beat his enemy.

Can I ask your opinion on the accusations regarding war crimes committed by the SS?

Karl: I do not put much belief in the many stories that the winners tell. They have had many years, and many liars to work out their version of events. If, and I stress if, the SS did the terrible things that the enemy claims I would be ashamed. I am a soldier, not a murderer, and would never stand for my men behaving that way. The Russians make very wild claims to the point of absurdity, yet German historians eat the stories up. The western allies are slightly more reserved, but still tell stories of us killing civilians and babies. I certainly never saw this and would have protested with the pistol. The worst thing I saw our forces do was execute bandits who were caught after ambushing an Wehrmacht patrol and killing them all in a bestial way. This band included a woman, who was caught with the soldiers' rings and wallets. They were all pronounced bandits, and promptly shot for the illegal murder of the soldiers.

No one in their right mind would think of these despicable people as victims and heroes, yet we are forced to praise them. The poor boys they killed in cold blood get nothing but a letter home saying their grave is no longer known. The Soviets destroyed every German cemetery they could find. We did not do that to theirs, we took every practical action to show respect and to later make it easy for their dead to be identified. We did not make them lavish cemeteries like we did for our men, but we did show them respect. With the fall of the Soviets, we will be able to find these old locations and hopefully someday they may be restored to honor the countless soldiers who still lie in foreign soil. I am warmed to know that there are people who go looking for our missing, and every so often they find them. A few years ago Michael Wittmann was found with his crew in Normandy. A Jabo [American fighter plane] got him in the end; he was a great Panzer ace who was an example to all of us. He was in a Tiger and achieved a great score, even against the western allies. So be very careful about the war crime stories you hear about us, many are just not true, and some are creations of very sick minds.

How did the war end for you?

Karl: I was made a prisoner by the British, and I must say I was treated fairly. At war's end many were ashamed at what they turned Germany into. I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of many of these types, one even shared with me in private he was with [Oswald] Mosley before the war. The SS was an enigma to our foes and some really took an interest in learning the truth from us. Some did not care, and of course wartime propaganda ate them up, these types would abuse us, spit on us, and attack us. As you know, many Germans died after the war due to mistreatment and expulsions, so many did not have it good like me. I must admit I was punched a couple times, but they were reprimanded. I found the British to be more our brothers than enemies, Himmler believed so as well. There were even some Brits who served in the SS, but that is kept quiet. I was angry that I was kept for a few years after the war, which was against the conventions. I was in the end just happy to survive, when so many did not. I am grateful the British did not abuse us and actually were very gentlemanly when asking questions or seeking information. It is hard to look upon them as enemies and it is sad that we had to fight fellow Europeans as upright as the British. They had a warmonger for a leader who destroyed their empire; Britain is a shell of its former self, just as the Führer said would happen.