Editing Walter Paap (section)

== Military service ==

Paap joined the German SS in November 1938, aged 18, and was assigned to the [[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (Nazi Germany)|Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler]]. He also joined the [[Nazi Party]] before the end of the year. He remained with the Leibstandarte as it became part of the [[Waffen-SS (Nazi Germany)|Waffen-SS]] and took part in the [[Invasion of Poland]] in September 1939. During the German campaign in France the following year, he received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 31 May 1940.

In 1941, Paap fought in the [[Balkans campaign (World War II)|Balkans campaign]] before deploying to the Soviet Union during [[Operation Barbarossa]]. On 22 July, he was wounded near Belgorodka when shell fragments struck his upper left arm. The injury temporarily removed him from front-line service, but he returned to the Leibstandarte later that year and received the [[Wound Badge]].

During the German withdrawal from [[Rostov-on-Don|Rostov]] in November 1941, Paap encountered a Soviet [[T-34]] tank that had become separated from its supporting infantry. He approached the vehicle as its commander opened the turret hatch and threw a grenade inside. The commander escaped from the tank and fought Paap on the ground. Paap overpowered him and brought him back to his battalion as a prisoner.

Paap entered [[SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz (Nazi Germany)|SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz]] for officer training in December 1942. He was promoted to [[SS-Untersturmführer (Nazi Germany)|SS-Untersturmführer]] on 10 March 1943 and subsequently transferred to the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend". After initially serving on the divisional staff, he joined [[SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 (Nazi Germany)|SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26]].

In August 1944, Paap was caught in the German withdrawal from the [[Falaise Pocket]]. Allied artillery fire separated him and part of his battalion from the rest of the regiment. He gathered the soldiers who had been cut off with him and led them along another route. The group managed to bring several damaged vehicles out of the pocket before rejoining the regiment. Paap received the Iron Cross 1st Class on 31 August.

On 9 November 1944, Paap was promoted to SS-Obersturmführer. During the [[Battle of the Bulge]], he fought around Domäne Bütgenbach. On 21 December, American artillery fire isolated him and approximately 20–30 men from their battalion. The group attempted to return to the German lines during the night but encountered an American patrol in the woods. A close-range firefight followed, during which several American soldiers were killed. Paap disengaged from the patrol and continued towards the German positions with his men.

By spring 1945, Paap was serving as adjutant of II Battalion, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26. He surrendered to United States forces near [[Steyr]], Austria, on 8 May 1945 and was taken into American captivity.