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The Nahkampfspange, known in English as the Close Combat Clasp, was a highly esteemed German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 by Adolf Hitler to recognize soldiers of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS who had taken part in fierce hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters, with primary eligibility for infantry but also extending to other Heer units, Waffen-SS formations, Luftwaffe ground forces, and Fallschirmjäger paratroopers. It was awarded in three grades - the bronze I. Stufe after fifteen days of close combat, the silver II. Stufe after thirty days, and the gold III. Stufe after fifty days - with close combat days counted from 1 December 1942 onward and retroactive credit granted for earlier Eastern Front service such as eight months equaling five days, twelve months ten days, and eighteen months fifteen days, plus discretionary reductions to ten, twenty, and forty days respectively for soldiers who had been severely wounded in such fighting and could no longer complete the full requirement. Designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus of Berlin, the clasp was a long, slightly curved die-cast piece measuring about 9.7 cm in length and 2.6 cm in height, featuring a central national emblem of an eagle with swastika surmounting crossed bayonet and hand grenade, flanked by sprays of oak leaves with sunburst rays, manufactured initially in tombac and later in zinc with appropriate bronze, silver, or gold plating, and worn on the upper left breast above the ribbon bar with only the highest grade displayed. Approximately 36,400 bronze, 9,500 silver, and 631 gold clasps were issued overall, the rare gold version frequently presented personally by Hitler or high-ranking officials in a special black presentation case and often regarded by German infantry as more prestigious than the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes; from 4 August 1944 only verified front-line combat counted toward the award, while partisan fighting was redirected to the Bandenkampfabzeichen. A denazified version without the eagle and swastika was re-authorized in 1957 for post-war veteran wear.
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HEER
Generalmajor Martin Berg (1905-1969) was born on 4 April 1905 in Arensberg near Bismark in the Altmark and died on 2 April 1969 in Kampen on Sylt. Beginning his career as a police officer in 1924, he transferred to the Heer on 1 October 1935 and was assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 67 before moving to Infanterie-Regiment 82, where he served as Kompaniechef. During the Second World War he rose steadily through the ranks, commanding the II. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 82 and receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 21 February 1942 as Major. Later promoted to Oberst, he took command of Grenadier-Regiment 166 of the 82. Infanterie-Division on the Eastern Front. In the latter half of 1943, during the hard defensive fighting near Sumy and the subsequent ordered withdrawal toward the Dnieper River along the route Romny–Priluki–Jagotin, Berg distinguished himself by skilful leadership of his regiment under continuous pressure from superior Soviet forces. His determined defence and controlled conduct of the retreat prevented the enemy from achieving a decisive breakthrough and preserved the cohesion of his unit during a critical phase of the campaign. For these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 December 1943. Subsequently he commanded the 1. Skijäger-Division from June to October 1944, attaining the rank of Generalmajor, and later led the 207. Sicherungs-Division before being placed in the Führerreserve in December 1944. Captured at the end of the war, he remained in Allied captivity until 1947 and lived quietly thereafter until his death.
Oberst Hans Fritsche (1909-1993) was born on 24 June 1909 in Tillowitz, Silesia, and joined the Schutzpolizei in 1928 before transferring to the Wehrmacht as Unterfeldwebel on 1 October 1935. Assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 30 and later Infanterie-Regiment 528, he served as Adjutant of the II. Bataillon during the Westfeldzug and was promoted to Oberleutnant as Chef of the 8. Kompanie in October 1940. From June 1941 he led his company on the Eastern Front and was promoted to Hauptmann in February 1942. On 1 October 1942 he took command of the II. Bataillon of Grenadier-Regiment 528 of the 299. Infanterie-Division. During fighting southeast of Orel near Stara Iwanowka in the Liwny area he was deployed against Soviet forces that had penetrated a neighbouring sector; through swift independent action and repeated counterattacks he held off two Soviet rifle regiments for an entire day, preventing a breakthrough and stabilising the flank. For this achievement he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 March 1943 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 528. Promoted to Major and appointed Kommandeur of the I. Bataillon, he distinguished himself again during the summer defensive battles around Orel in 1943 by repeatedly eliminating strong enemy penetrations with small forces while leading from the front. These leadership successes earned him the Eichenlaub on 2 October 1943 as Major and Kommandeur of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 528 (307th award). He later commanded Grenadier-Regiment 528 and from July 1944 Grenadier-Regiment 11, reaching the rank of Oberst in January 1945. Captured by American forces in May 1945 and released in June, he died on 27 May 1993 in Hanau.
Oberst Hans-Gotthard Pestke (1914-2001) was born on 17 June 1914 in Preußisch-Stargard, West Prussia, and died on 30 April 2001 in Celle. After completing school at the Gymnasium Marienwerder, he entered the Infanterie-Regiment 45 on 1 November 1935. In 1936, as Gefreiter and Reserve-Offiziersanwärter, he transferred to the II. Bataillon of the Infanterie-Regiment 24, where he was promoted to Leutnant on 18 January 1938. At the outbreak of the Second World War he served as Zugführer in the 13. Kompanie of the Infanterie-Regiment 176 and took part in the Westfeldzug in Belgium and France; in 1940 he became Adjutant of the II. Bataillon. From June 1941, as Oberleutnant and Chef of the 3. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 176 of the 61. Infanterie-Division, he fought on the Eastern Front. On 12 October 1941, acting on his own initiative near Hindu on the southwestern corner of the island of Dagö, he captured a Soviet artillery battery. This action eliminated the threat and allowed the 61. Infanterie-Division to bring reinforcements, especially artillery, across the Soela Sound from Soela to Soru without losses, contributing decisively to the rapid and relatively bloodless conquest of Dagö; for this feat he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 November 1941. Early in 1942 he became Regimentsadjutant and in autumn 1942 Kommandeur of the I. Bataillon of the Infanterie-Regiment 176 (later Grenadier-Regiment 176). On 15–16 September 1943, south of Lake Ladoga along both sides of a railway junction, his Bataillon repelled five determined Soviet attacks launched from Posselok and, through skillful counterattacks, regained the ground previously lost despite overwhelming enemy strength. For this leadership he was awarded the Eichenlaub (311st award) to the Ritterkreuz on 14 October 1943 as Hauptmann (promoted Major on 1 October 1943). He was subsequently posted to the Stab of the 16. Panzer-Division, attended the Kriegsakademie in Hirschberg, and served as Major i. G. in the Generalstab of the 12. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division. During the fighting for Danzig and West Prussia he was wounded for the fifth time and, while in hospital, fell into British captivity at the end of the war, from which he was released on 31 May 1947. After the war he worked as a master watchmaker before rejoining the Bundeswehr on 26 April 1956; he served until 30 September 1972 in various staff and command roles, including Chef des Stabes of the 1. Luftlandedivision, Kommandeur of the Luftlandebrigade 25 from December 1962 to April 1965, and finally as Oberst im Generalstab and Leiter der Studiengruppe des Heeres at the Führungsakademie.
Oberst der Reserve Adolf Weitkunat (1895-1988) was born on 7 February 1895 in Grünfließ, East Prussia, and volunteered for service at the outbreak of the First World War, receiving promotion to Leutnant in Infanterie-Regiment 45 in May 1915 and earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, and the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern before his discharge at war’s end; he then worked as a teacher while remaining a Reichswehr reservist until recalled on 1 August 1938 as Rittmeister der Reserve and assigned as Chef of the 1. Schwadron of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 206, with which he took part in the Polenfeldzug and Westfeldzug, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse on 28 September 1939 and the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse on 11 July 1941. From June 1941 he fought on the Eastern Front, where on 10 October 1941, as Rittmeister der Reserve commanding Aufklärungs-Schwadron 206, he led the rapid seizure of the bridge over the Beresa at Mostowaja; this action prevented retreating Soviet forces from occupying prepared bunker positions along the Volga, spared the XXIII. Armeekorps costly assaults on fortified lines, and enabled the subsequent swift capture of the strongly defended town of Rzhev against numerically superior opposition, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 November 1941. Promoted to Major der Reserve on 1 December 1941 and recovering from a severe wound, he later commanded Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11, led a Kampfgruppe of the 338. Infanterie-Division in the winter of 1942/43, and in the summer of 1943 took command of Kampf-Bataillon 488 of the 269. Infanterie-Division; during the defensive fighting of Heeresgruppe Mitte’s slow retreat that summer his battalion rapidly recaptured a bitterly contested village southwest of Vyazma from Soviet forces and thereafter repeatedly repelled determined attacks by tanks and infantry, achievements that earned him the 346th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 5 December 1943 as Major der Reserve. In 1944 he commanded Kavallerie-Regiment Süd and then Grenadier-Regiment 514, receiving promotion to Oberst der Reserve on 1 August 1944; after the destruction of his regiment in the East he served as Kommandant of the Masurenstellung in East Prussia before entering British captivity at the war’s end, having also been awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber, Nahkampfspange in Bronze, Ostmedaille, and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, and he died on 28 June 1988 in Buchholz in der Nordheide.
Oberstleutnant Karl Baacke (1907-1944) was born on 15 May 1907 in Aurich and entered the Reichswehr in 1924 as Grenadier in Infanterie-Regiment 16, advancing through the ranks as Obergrenadier, Gefreiter, Unteroffizier and Feldwebel before promotion to Leutnant on 1 April 1934; he subsequently served as Oberleutnant commanding the Nachrichtenzug of Infanterie-Regiment 37 and from 1937 as Hauptmann and Kompaniechef of the 6./Infanterie-Regiment 37, which later became the 2./Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 124 of the 72. Infanterie-Division. During the Balkan campaign of 1941 he led the Vorausabteilung of the division with exceptional energy, capturing the village of Molos after tough night fighting against prepared enemy positions and thereby opening the vital route toward Athens while seizing numerous guns and prisoners, actions for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 June 1941 as Hauptmann and Chef of the 2./Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 124; he had earlier earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz in June 1940. Promoted to Major in 1941 and later to Oberstleutnant on 1 April 1943 after receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 28 February 1943, Baacke assumed command of Grenadier-Regiment 266 of the 72. Infanterie-Division and distinguished himself in the heavy defensive battles around Orel, Gomel and southeast of Kiev, particularly as Platzkommandant of Cherkassy in late 1943 when he broke successive Soviet encirclement rings, enabled the evacuation of wounded and the inflow of supplies, restored contact with outside forces by storming fortified strongpoints and held the city against overwhelming infantry and tank assaults, achievements that earned him the 352nd Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 10 December 1943. Returning from leave in early 1944 he was ordered to form the Urlauber-Regiment Baacke from returning soldiers to relieve the Kanev-Korsun pocket; after hard fighting the improvised regiment itself became encircled near Orinin, and while leading the Nachhut during the attempted breakout Oberstleutnant Baacke was killed in action on 2 April 1944. His awards also included the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, Verwundetenabzeichen, Ostmedaille, Krimschild and repeated mentions in the Wehrmachtbericht.
Oberstleutnant Hans-Dieter von Basse (1916-1945) was born on 16 June 1916 in Hagen in Westfalen and entered military service in 1936 as a Schütze with the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 47 in Lüneburg, where he was appointed Fahnenjunker in 1937. After attending the Kriegsschule in Dresden and a Waffen-Lehrgang for Oberfähnriche at the Infanterieschule Döberitz in 1938, he was posted to Infanterie-Regiment 51 as a Zugführer. In 1940 he served as Bataillonsadjutant and took part in the campaign in France, receiving the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 17 June 1940, followed by the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber on 4 December 1940 and the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 18 July 1941. He later earned the Ostmedaille on 23 July 1942. In 1943 he became Chef of the 17. (IG)/Füsilier-Regiment "Großdeutschland" and simultaneously assumed leadership of the I. Bataillon. As Major and Kommandeur of the I. Bataillon of the Panzer-Füsilier-Regiment "Großdeutschland", he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 12 March 1944. During the operations around Schaulen in August 1944, after the men of the Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Großdeutschland" had captured Kuziai on 19 August, the Füsilier-Regiment advanced southwards toward a designated stream obstacle. West of Schaulen near Kursenai, where the danger of an enemy breakthrough threatened the last land connection between Heeresgruppe Nord and Heeresgruppe Mitte, von Basse led a handful of his men in a daring assault, storming and securing the last intact bridge over the stream and capturing the Soviet defensive positions and trench system on the eastern bank, thereby establishing a vital bridgehead that enabled further German operations. For this action he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 September 1944. On 20 December 1944 he took command of the Panzer-Füsilier-Regiment "Großdeutschland". In 1945 he was ordered to a Regimentsführer-Lehrgang at the Panzertruppenschule Bergen but remained with his unit due to the front situation and was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 April 1945. On 16 April 1945 he was fatally wounded by a headshot at Godnicken in the Samland region of Ostpreußen and was posthumously confirmed in the rank of Oberstleutnant; he is buried at the German War Cemetery Germau/Russkoe.
Oberstleutnant Werner Ziegler (1916-2001) was born on 30 April 1916 in
Hausach in the Black Forest and entered the Wehrmacht in 1936 by joining
Infanterie-Regiment 20, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1939 before
becoming Adjutant of the I. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 186 on 3
October 1939. After taking part in the Westfeldzug he assumed command of
the 2. Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 186 on 1 October 1940 and led it
through the Balkanfeldzug and into the opening stages of the campaign
against the Soviet Union. On 14 August 1941, during the fighting between
the Dniester and the Bug, Leutnant Ziegler and his Kompanie seized the
heavily defended town of Petrovskoye on the western bank of the Bug in a
swift assault and cleared the surrounding area in bitter house-to-house
combat, capturing more than three hundred prisoners; for this action he
was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941 as
Führer of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 186 of the 73.
Infanterie-Division. After the hard positional battles on the Mius in
the winter of 1941/42 he again distinguished himself in the Kuban
region, and on 6 September 1942 his decisive leadership in the urban
fighting during the capture of Noworossisk earned him the Eichenlaub on 8
September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Führer of the same company. Shortly
thereafter he was promoted to Hauptmann and took command of the I.
Bataillon, advancing to Major on 1 May 1943 near Noworossisk before
serving on the staff of the V. Armeekorps and later the 19.
Panzerdivision. Returning as Führer of Grenadier-Regiment 186 on 6 March
1944, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 June 1944 and became its
Kommandeur; during the final battle for Sevastopol his regiment held its
positions on Windmill Hill against a major Soviet assault on 7 May 1944
even after being surrounded, maintaining the defence until relieved the
following morning by Kampfgruppen Marienfeld and Faulhaber, for which
outstanding stand he received the Schwerter on 23 October 1944 as
Major and Führer of Grenadier-Regiment 186. Severely wounded, he later
served again on the staff of the V. Armeekorps, was taken prisoner at
the war’s end and released in 1946. In 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr,
eventually commanding the Panzergrenadierbrigade 19 and retiring as
Oberst in 1968; he died on 15 April 2001 in Oftersheim.
Major Joseph Rhein (1917-2005), born on 8 May 1917 in Duisburg in the Rhine Province and who died on 15 February 2005 in Linz, Rhineland-Palatinate, was a German Heer officer who served throughout the Second World War on the Eastern Front, where he rose through the ranks to Hauptmann and eventually Major while commanding troops in Grenadier-Regiment 530 of the 299. Infanterie-Division. As Kommandeur I. / Grenadier-Regiment 530 he demonstrated outstanding leadership and personal bravery during intense defensive and counterattack operations against superior Soviet forces in early 1944, actions that directly resulted in his award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 February 1944. Earlier recognition for his service in the same unit included the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold awarded on 21 April 1943 as Hauptmann in Grenadier-Regiment 530 and the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS conferred on 17 February 1944, alongside the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, Nahkampfspange in Bronze, Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber, and Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber. Following the war Rhein continued a military career in the Bundeswehr, attaining the rank of Major and serving actively from 3 December 1956 until his retirement on 30 September 1975.
Hauptmann Friedrich Adrario (1918-2011) was an Austrian officer who served as a Captain in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War and later attained the rank of Generalmajor in the postwar Bundesheer. After early service in reconnaissance and anti-tank units on the Eastern Front, where he earned the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold as Leutnant in the 4. Kompanie of Radfahr-Bataillon 402 and other awards including the Nahkampfspange in Bronze, he was promoted to Hauptmann in July 1944 and appointed commander of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200 of the 21. Panzer-Division then engaged in the desperate defensive fighting around Caen in Normandy. Equipped with Jagdpanzer III and IV as well as powerful 8,8-cm Geschütze, his abteilung repeatedly countered heavily supported British and American armored assaults and, in the course of July and August 1944, destroyed at least 116 enemy tanks together with several Pak guns and other vehicles; these outstanding anti-tank successes, for which the formation became known as the Abteilung Adrario, earned its commander the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 December 1944, with Adrario being named in the Wehrmachtbericht, while he also reached the threshold for the Nahkampfspange in Silber. Shortly afterward he was transferred to command the Panzerjäger elements of the 272. Volksgrenadier-Division, continuing in combat until he was wounded and captured by American forces near the end of the war.
Hauptmann Ernst Ziemer (1911-1986) was a decorated frontline commander whose wartime career was defined by exceptional combat leadership during intense defensive and assault operations on the Eastern Front. Enlisting in the Reichswehr in 1931 with Infanterie-Regiment 4, he participated in the 1939 Polish Campaign before transferring to Infanterie-Regiment 94 of 32. Infanterie-Division. During Operation Barbarossa, he distinguished himself as an aggressive tactician, leading a platoon of 15. Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 94. In the fierce winter fighting around the Valdai Hills and Lake Ilmen in late 1941, when Soviet counterattacks repeatedly threatened to shatter German defensive lines, he demonstrated extraordinary initiative by orchestrating determined counterthrusts, holding vital defensive sectors against numerically superior forces, and personally eliminating multiple enemy combat positions. For these decisive actions, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 December 1941 while serving in the rank of Oberfeldwebel. Commissioned as Leutnant in 1942, he rose to Oberleutnant and later Hauptmann, assuming command of 1. Kompanie / Grenadier-Regiment 94. In autumn 1943, during grueling battles along the northern sector, his relentless tactical resolve in repelling heavy Soviet breakthroughs and stabilizing ruptured positions earned him the 317th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 2 November 1943. His wartime record also brought promotions to Major in 1944 and Oberstleutnant in 1945. Beside the prestigious Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, his decorations included the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, the Eisernes Kreuz 1939 II. und I. Klasse, the Nahkampfspange, the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42, and the Verwundetenabzeichen. He survived the war and lived in West Germany until his death in Lüneburg in 1986.
Hauptmann der Reserve Friedrich Anding, born on 26 June 1915 in Göttingen and deceased on 7 February 1996 in Radevormwald, was a German officer who served with distinction in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, particularly as an anti-tank specialist renowned for his close-combat destruction of enemy armored vehicles using Panzerfausts. Initially enlisting in the 14. (Panzerabwehr) Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 82, he transferred with the unit into the formation that became the elite Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland", progressing through the ranks from Gefreiter in 1938 to Leutnant der Reserve by 1943 while serving in various anti-tank roles across the Western, Balkan, and Eastern campaigns. As Adjutant der Panzerjäger-Abteilung "Großdeutschland" / Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland", Anding earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 8 May 1945 for his extraordinary actions during the night of 14/15 April 1945 in the tank battle around Nettelkamp and Stadensen near Uelzen; after his unit withdrew toward Stadensen and encountered fierce resistance from the Glasgow Highlanders of the 227th Scottish Brigade supported by Churchill tanks, artillery, and anti-tank guns, Anding, along with Major Walle and Obergefreiter Stützle, dismounted from their vehicle loaded with Panzerfausts and engaged the enemy in bitter close-quarters night fighting, personally destroying six enemy tanks and five armoured cars (noted in records as likely including numerous Bren carriers mistaken for or conflated with full tanks) through individual handheld assaults that helped disrupt the British defense and inflicted significant losses despite the overwhelming odds. A triple recipient of the Panzervernichtungsabzeichen in Gold and holder of numerous other decorations including the Nahkampfspange in Silber, Eisernes Kreuz I. and II. Klasse, and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, Anding survived the war heavily wounded, later serving in the Bundeswehr as a Hauptmann der Reserve before his death.
Leutnant Josef Schreiber (1919-1945) was born on 24 December 1919 in Mindersdorf, Baden, and volunteered for the Wehrmacht on 14 August 1938, joining the 7. Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 14 in Konstanz. Promoted to Unteroffizier on 11 October 1940, he served on the Eastern Front from 1941 and earned the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 18 September 1941 after temporarily leading a Zug and repelling a Soviet counterattack. He remained Zugführer in the 4. Kompanie as the unit became Sturm-Regiment 14 of the 78. Sturm-Division. On 8 March 1943, during a nine-hour Soviet assault by the 70th Army south of Orel near Dmitrowsk, Schreiber’s Zug of two Gruppen defended Hill 266.0 overlooking the Nessa valley. The Soviets attacked the height up to regimental strength eleven times during the night, yet Schreiber’s men repulsed every assault and held the vital position. For this defence he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 March 1943 as Feldwebel and Zugführer of the 4./Sturm-Regiment 14. Promoted to Oberfeldwebel on 1 July 1943, he returned to the 7. Kompanie and took part in Unternehmen Zitadelle. On 11 July 1943 his Zug of twenty-five men captured fifteen bunkers and ninety prisoners in the Trossna depression. After the Kompaniechef was killed he assumed command of the depleted 7. Kompanie of only thirty men, later returning as Zugführer to the 4. Kompanie where successive counterattacks drove out penetrating Soviet forces. These actions earned him the Eichenlaub on 5 October 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer of the 7./Sturm-Regiment 14 (309th award). Late in 1944 he was posted as instructor to Kriegsschule V in Posen; during the fighting around the city he was listed missing in action on 1 February 1945 and posthumously promoted to Leutnant.
Oberfeldwebel Christoph Krämer (1913-1990) was born on 21 August 1913 in Menden in Westphalia and died on 6 October 1990 in Brühl in North Rhine-Westphalia. Serving in the Heer during the Second World War, he rose to the rank of Oberfeldwebel and distinguished himself as a Zugführer in the ranks of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7 of the 7. Panzer-Division. His decorations included the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse and 1. Klasse, the Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”, the Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4. Klasse for four years of service, the Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 with Spange, the Nahkampfspange in Bronze, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold awarded on 7 August 1943 while he was with the 7. Kompanie of the II. Bataillon. On 14 May 1944 he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer of the 5. Kompanie, II. Bataillon, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7. At that time the 7. Panzer-Division was heavily engaged on the Eastern Front in the southern sector, having fought through the bitter defensive battles around Zhitomir and Shepetovka in early 1944 before being drawn into the great encirclement of the 1. Panzer-Armee in the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket during March and April. In the course of the subsequent breakout operations westward across the Zbruch River under continuous pressure from superior Soviet forces, the division’s panzergrenadiers repeatedly conducted determined close-combat actions to keep escape corridors open, protect the flanks of the advancing columns, and repel enemy attempts to cut the withdrawing formations. As Zugführer, Krämer led his platoon through these critical fighting days, demonstrating the personal bravery and tactical skill required of junior leaders in the fluid and costly battles that enabled the remnants of the division to extricate themselves from the pocket and reassemble further west near Buczacz and Brody. His award of the Ritterkreuz recognised outstanding leadership and combat performance in these operations that preserved the fighting strength of his unit under extreme conditions. After the war he lived quietly in Brühl until his death in 1990.
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WAFFEN-SS
SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein (1906-1945) was born on 30 October 1906 in Ansbach and began his career in 1925 with the Reiter-Regiment 17 before joining the Bavarian State Police and transferring to the SS in 1933, rising rapidly through equestrian units to command the Haupt-Reitschule München and later the SS-Totenkopf-Reiterstandarte, which evolved into the SS-Kavallerie-Brigade deployed on the Eastern Front. As SS-Standartenführer and Führer of the SS-Kavallerie-Brigade under the XXIII. Armee-Korps of the 9. Armee in Heeresgruppe Mitte, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 2 March 1942 for his leadership in the fighting around Rzhev, where from late January 1942 the brigade held a sector against breakthroughs, then on 5 February attacked and captured the road junction and station at Tschertolino against superior forces, followed by a night assault on 9 February that destroyed an enemy group of over 1,800 men, and the seizure of Jersowo on 14 February that enabled the final annihilation of the encircled Soviet forces southwest of Rzhev. In December 1942, as SS-Oberführer commanding Kampfgruppe Fegelein in the great bend of the Don with Heeresgruppe B, he earned the Eichenlaub on 22 December after launching a personal counterthrust with staff elements and Sturmgeschütze against a Soviet penetration into a gap in his lines, defeating the attackers in close combat, sealing the breach, and on a reconnaissance thrust capturing a Russian corps headquarters including its commanding general, chief of staff, and operations documents, though he was twice wounded by snipers on 21 and 22 December. Appointed commander of the 8. SS-Kavallerie-Division “Florian Geyer” in May 1943 and promoted to SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS, then later SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS, Fegelein received the Schwerter on 30 July 1944 for the division’s successes near Orel, extensive anti-partisan operations in the Pripet Marshes during summer 1943 including Operations Weichsel, Zeithen and Seydlitz, and defensive fighting south of Kharkov in late summer 1943, where between 26 August and 15 September the division repulsed five assaults of divisional strength and about eighty-five of battalion strength, notably around Bespalowka and Bol’shaya Gomol’sha. After severe wounds in September 1943 he became Waffen-SS liaison officer at the Führerhauptquartier, married Gretl Braun on 3 June 1944, was lightly wounded in the 20 July bomb plot, and on 28 April 1945 was arrested in civilian clothes in Berlin, court-martialed for desertion, and executed by firing squad in the garden of the Reichskanzlei.
SS-Brigadeführer Heinz Harmel (1906-2000) was born in Metz in the German Empire as the son of a military physician and pursued a career in the armed forces from an early age, volunteering for the SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1935 as an SS-Oberscharführer in the SS-Standarte „Germania“ before becoming a company commander in the SS-Standarte „Der Führer“, with which he fought in the Battle of France in 1940, earning both classes of the Iron Cross; in 1941 he took part in the Balkans Campaign and Operation Barbarossa, assuming command of the SS-Infanterie-Regiment „Deutschland“ of the SS-Division „Das Reich“ in December of that year and receiving the German Cross in Gold on 29 November 1941 for distinguished service. As SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment „Deutschland“, Harmel was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 March 1943 for his outstanding leadership during the fighting south of Kharkov in February 1943, when on his own initiative he personally led a reinforced battalion with a Panzer-Kompanie in a daring night assault through Pereschtschepino, annihilating a surprised Soviet regiment that left some 1500 dead, then expanding the bridgehead by capturing Dimitrijewka-Golubowka after hard combat while directing operations from an armoured radio car under anti-tank fire, actions that halted the enemy advance and enabled the subsequent attack of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division „Das Reich“ on Pawlograd. Promoted to SS-Standartenführer, he received the Eichenlaub on 7 September 1943 for his conduct on 30 July 1943 during the assault against the Soviet Mius bridgehead, where, fighting from the foremost line despite heavy minefields and flanking fire that disabled several Sturmgeschütze, he repeatedly inspired his men to capture Hill 203.9 near Stepanowka and then immediately ordered the I. Bataillon into the heavily defended village itself, continuing the advance on foot after his vehicles struck mines and ensuring a vital penetration that prevented far greater casualties. In April 1944 Harmel took command of the newly formed 10. SS-Panzer-Division „Frundsberg“, becoming one of the youngest divisional commanders in the Waffen-SS; after fighting in Normandy and the Falaise Pocket he led the division in the successful defence against the Allied airborne Operation Market Garden around Nijmegen and Arnhem in September 1944, for which, as SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS, he was awarded the Schwerter on 15 December 1944. Subsequently engaged in Alsace, Pomerania and the Oder front, he was later dismissed from command but formed an ad hoc battle group before surrendering to British forces in Austria in May 1945; after release he lived quietly in Krefeld until his death at the age of 94.
SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Dorr (1912-1945) was born on 7 April 1912 in Sontheim and entered the SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1934, receiving promotion to SS-Untersturmführer in 1938. He served throughout the war with the SS-Regiment “Germania”, later redesignated SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 “Germania” of the 5. SS-Panzer-Division “Wiking”. As SS-Hauptsturmführer and Chef of the 4./SS-Infanterie-Regiment “Germania” he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 27 September 1942 for the outstanding performance of his unit during the hard fighting in the Ukraine, along the Don and in the Caucasus. Promoted to command of the I. Bataillon, he received the 327th Eichenlaub on 13 November 1943 as SS-Hauptsturmführer for the successful recapture of a key locality in the Sselischtsche–Kaniw sector and the relief of encircled elements of his own battalion, as well as for continued distinguished leadership in the battles around Kiev and Kharkov. On 17 May 1944 he assumed command of the entire SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 “Germania”. The 77th Schwerter followed on 9 July 1944 as SS-Sturmbannführer for a series of decisive actions between late January and mid-February 1944: the fighting at Orlowez from 31 January to 5 February, at Arbusino from 9 to 11 February, at Schanderowka from 12 to 14 February, at Nowa Buda on 15 February, the successful breakout from the Cherkassy pocket on 17 February, and the subsequent attacks toward Kowel and Height 189.5. He was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer on 18 August 1944. Wounded sixteen times in total, Dorr suffered his final severe injuries during the fighting around Budapest in early 1945 and died of his wounds on 17 April 1945 in a field hospital near Judenburg. His other decorations included the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (1939), Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (1940), Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (December 1941) and the Nahkampfspange in Bronze and Silver.
SS-Sturmbannführer Ernst-August Krag (1915-1994) was born on 20 February 1915 in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim in Hessen and died on 24 May 1994 in Niedernhausen near Wiesbaden. Joining the SS-Verfügungstruppe on 1 May 1935 with the 5./SS-Standarte “Germania”, he completed parachute training at Stendal in 1937 and later served with the reconnaissance elements of what became the 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”. After commanding batteries in the SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 2 and receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 9 April 1943 as SS-Obersturmführer for actions with StuG III assault guns during the fighting around Kharkov and Kursk, he was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer and eventually took command of the Abteilung. In June 1944 he assumed leadership of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 as SS-Sturmbannführer. During the Normandy campaign, after the division broke out from the area northeast of Avranches on the night of 28/29 July 1944, Krag on his own initiative established a blocking line against enemy forces that had entered Gavray. With only weak forces he achieved a complete defensive success against superior Allied armour, destroying nine tanks and numerous other vehicles while preventing a thrust into the division’s deep flank and enabling the formation of a new front along the Percy–Sourdeval line. For this outstanding leadership he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1944. Later, during the Ardennes offensive, on 2 January 1945 near Belle Haie east of Malempré his Abteilung intercepted a strong enemy breakthrough supported by twenty-two tanks. In fierce fighting they inflicted heavy losses and prevented the Allies from reaching the vital crossroads at Baraque de Fraiture, securing an important position for continued operations. This action earned him the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 28 February 1945 as the 755th recipient. Krag continued to lead his unit in Hungary before surrendering near Linz in May 1945 and being released from captivity in 1948.
SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Pittschellis (1914-1945) was a German officer in the Waffen-SS who served throughout World War II primarily with the 3. SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf", beginning his career in the Allgemeine SS and NSDAP in November 1932, attending the Junker Schule Braunschweig in 1936, and progressing through artillery roles such as Chef of the 1. Batterie of the SS-Artillerie-Regiment 3 and Kommandeur of the IV. (schwere) Abteilung before taking command of the SS-Sturmgeschützabteilung and then the SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 3 in 1944; he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 August 1944 as Kommandeur of the SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 3 for his leadership on 19 July 1944 near Kielbaski on the Niemen front, where he assembled a Kampfgruppe of seven Sturmgeschützen and two Infanterie-Kompanien and was ordered to block the enemy supply bridges over the Niemen that sustained Soviet forces on the western bank while pushing those forces northwest; despite heavy pressure and determined enemy resistance he fought his way north from Kielbaski, detached one Infanterie-Kompanie to seal the vital bridge, and then continued the advance on his own initiative through darkness and difficult terrain toward Sopockinie, where his personal example and fearless attacking spirit inspired the exhausted troops to crush a strong enemy Pakfront, throw the defenders from the commanding heights on the eastern village edge southeast of Spockinie, and secure the settlement by 00:30 hours, thereby cutting off the rearward connections of three Guards cavalry divisions and two rifle divisions, preventing further Soviet reinforcements toward Augustow, and capturing large quantities of weapons and war materiel, actions for which his heroic devotion to duty and decisive success earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes; he was killed in action on 26 January 1945 near Vereb, Hungary, while commanding the SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 during Operation Konrad 3, the third German relief attempt for the encircled Budapest.
Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2009/04/album-foto-tokoh-third-peraih.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Combat_Clasp
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