Monday, November 20, 2017

Three Ritterkreuzträger from 19. Infanterie-Division

October 1940: Three Ritterkreuzträger (the recipients of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) from Infanterie-Regiment 74 / 19.Infanterie-Division. From left to right: Oberfeldwebel Johann Pongratz (Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 74. Ritterkreuz on 4 September 1940), Oberst Gustav Schmidt (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 74. Ritterkreuz on 4 September 1940), and Oberleutnant der Reserve Gustav Hippler (Führer 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 74. Ritterkreuz on 4 September 1940). In the German invasion to the West on the summer of 1940, four member of 19. Infanterie-Division (changed to 19. Panzer-Division on 1 November 1940) received the coveted Ritterkreuz, which was given on the same day, 4 September 1940. Three of them (pictured above) comes from Infanterie-Regiment 74, while the last one, Feldwebel Karl Jürgens, was a Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 73.

Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/35635/16681a180a83d321351d3a71c29af66e/

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