Erich Kempka
Erich Kempka, SS-Sturmbannführer, born September 16, 1910 in Oberhausen, Hitler’s personal chauffeur and bodyguard, winner Nazi Golden Party Badge; after Hitler’s suicide, carried Hitler’s body out of the bunker and burned it, author I Burned Hitler, died on January 24, 1975 at Freiburg am Neckar, said of Eva Braun: “…The unhappiest woman in Germany.” (2000 Quotations from Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich)
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Tiger Tank of Das Reich at Kursk
Born on January 24, 1922 in Ravensburg-Weingarten, Württemberg, Wolfgang Birnbaum joined the Waffen-SS on June 9, 1941 and first served as a motorcyclist. His brother Paul was also in the Waffen-SS. On November 15, 1942 Wolfgang joined the panzers and received training as a gunner. Promoted to SS-Rottenführer on July 1, 1943, at the Kursk Offensive he probably served as the gunner on S11 (shown above having just knocked out an enemy tank) in the First Platoon of 8th (Heavy) Company in the Das Reich. According to one source, in April 1945, Wolfgang Birnbaum knocked out eight Josef Stalin II Soviet tanks in a nine minute span. He was on one last remaining Tigers to attempt to break out of the Halbe Pocket south of Berlin on April 28, 1945. During the war, he received the Iron Cross Second Class, the Iron Cross First Class, and Wound Badge in Black, Panzer Battle Badge in Silver and the Panzer Battle Badge in Silver for 25 Assaults. The Soviets captured him and held Wolfgang Birnbaum in a prisoner of war camp until 1950. (Waffen-SS Tiger Crews at Kursk: The Men of SS Panzer Regiments 1, 2 & 3 in Operation Citadel, July 5-15, 1943)
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Chicago Crime Calendar
On January 24, 1925, North Side Gang members again ambush Johnny Torrio as he returned from a Loop shopping trip with his wife, wounding him and his chauffeur, Robert Barton. As George Moran was about to kill Torrio, the gun misfired, and Moran fled as police arrived on the scene.