Bio of Oberfeldwebel Christoph Krämer (1913-1990)

Christoph Krämer

Date of Birth: 21.08.1913 - Menden, Westfalen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 06.10.1990 - Brühl, Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany)

Battles and Campaigns: Annexation of Sudetenland (1938), invasion of Poland (1939), invasion of the West (1940), invasion of the Soviet Union (1941)

Promotions:
00.00.19__ Oberfeldwebel

Career:
00.00.1933 entered the military as a member of Infanterie-Regiment 17 in Braunschweig
00.00.193_ transferred to Infanterie-Regiment 60
00.00.193_ transferred to Schützen-Regiment 4
00.00.193_ transferred to Schützen-Regiment 7
00.00.193_ transferred to Wach-Bataillon "Berlin"
00.00.193_ transferred to 2. leichten-Division (later became 7. Panzer-Division)
00.00.194_  Zugführer in 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7 / 7.Panzer-Division

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.1937 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange "Prager Burg"
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten" 1941/42 (Ostmedaille)
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Bronze
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
00.00.194_ Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze
07.08.1943 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
14.05.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer in 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7 / 7.Panzer-Division
00.00.1945 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht III.Klasse (12 Jahre)

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In 1933 Christoph Krämer joined the Reichswehr, which was transformed into the Wehrmacht in 1935. Before the war he served in the Wach-Bataillon "Berlin".

During the war he served with the 7. Panzer-Division and its predecessor, the 2. leichten-Division. He took part in the Polish, Western and Russian campaigns as a platoon commander and later as a company commander.

Kramer was wounded eight times, once life-threateningly when he was hit by six shots from a submachine gun. He owes his life only to the fact that it was -50° C on the eastern front, since the bitter cold saved him from bleeding to death! In a letter to a comrade he wrote:

"Nevertheless, praise be to what makes hard."

After the war and released from the POW camp, Christoph Krämer was a member of the "Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger" (Cologne section) and the "Traditionsgemeinschaft der 7. Panzer-Division" for many years.

In the war history of the 7. Panzer-Division, from the hand of the unforgotten Panzer general Hasso von Manteufel he wrote: "Oberfeldwebel Christoph Krämer became a rock against which the surf often broke."

Newspaper clipping on the award of the Ritterkreuz to Oberfeldwebel Christoph Krämer, taken from "Bonner Generalanzeiger", 22 June 1944 edition.

Obituary of Christoph Krämer from OdR (Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger) publication.

Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/index.php?thread/58222-christoph-kr%C3%A4mer-ritterkreuztr%C3%A4ger/
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Kr%C3%A4mer,_Christoph
https://www.forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=246171
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/10376/Kr%C3%A4mer-Christoph.htm