Generalmajor Konrad Barde (1897-1945) was a German Heer officer who rose to the rank of Generalmajor during the Second World War and became a recipient of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his leadership and effectiveness as commander of Artillerie-Regiment 104 on the Eastern Front. Born in Alt-Rosenberg in Upper Silesia, Barde first served in the Imperial German Army during the First World War before entering the police service during the interwar years, returning to active military duty with the Wehrmacht in 1935. During Operation Barbarossa and the brutal fighting around the Rzhev sector, he distinguished himself through the skillful employment of artillery support, coordinating concentrated fire missions that repeatedly disrupted Soviet offensives and strengthened German defensive positions under extremely difficult combat conditions. His success in directing artillery operations and maintaining the combat effectiveness of his regiment during prolonged engagements earned him the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 26 December 1941 as Oberstleutnant and commander of IV./Artillerie-Regiment 104. Continuing to demonstrate exceptional battlefield leadership, Barde was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 January 1943 as Oberst and commander of Artillerie-Regiment 104, recognition that reflected both his personal leadership and the regiment’s decisive contribution to German operations on the central sector of the Eastern Front. He later held divisional commands including 338. Infanterie-Division and 198. Infanterie-Division, remaining in service until the collapse of the Third Reich, and died in Traunstein on 4 May 1945.
Generalmajor
Fritz Fullriede (1895-1969) was born on 4 January 1895 in Bremen and entered military service in August 1914 as a Kriegsfreiwilliger in the Jäger-Bataillon 10, later serving with the Infanterie-Regiment 75 on the fronts of the First World War, for which he received the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse and the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. After the war he joined a Freikorps, briefly served in the Bremer Schutzpolizei, worked as a farmer, and from 1924 to 1936 lived in Südwestafrika managing a farm before returning to Germany and rejoining the Wehrmacht in 1937 as a Hauptmann. During the Second World War he took part in the invasion of Poland, the campaign in France, and operations on the Eastern Front, where he was wounded in 1941 and awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold; he later served in North Africa with the Afrikakorps. On 9 April 1943, as Oberstleutnant and commander of the Grenadier-Regiments-Stab z.b.V. 165 and Kampfgruppe Fullriede within the 5. Panzer-Armee of Heeresgruppe Afrika, he personally led a weak Kampfgruppe that prevented a breakthrough by the British 6th Armoured Division near the Fondouk passes and Kairouan, destroyed around sixty enemy tanks, rounded up stragglers of the Deutsches Afrikakorps, launched a successful counterattack, and thereby secured the retreat of larger German and Italian forces, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 11 April 1943. He subsequently fought in Italy and the Netherlands, and on 1 March 1945, as Oberst, assumed command of Festung Kolberg under the 3. Panzerarmee of Heeresgruppe Weichsel, organising its defence against Soviet and Polish forces from 4 to 18 March while prioritising the holding of the coastal sector and port so that approximately 70,000 civilians and tens of thousands of military personnel could be evacuated by sea. Despite surrender demands and orders to hold to the last, he directed the final withdrawal, boarding the destroyer Z 43 with the last group on 18 March, and for this defence he received the 803rd Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 23 March 1945. Promoted to Generalmajor on 20 April 1945, he briefly commanded the 610. Infanterie-Division z.b.V. and then the 3. Marine-Infanterie-Division until the end of the war. After captivity he was convicted by a Dutch court for his role in the Putten raid of 1944 and sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment; he died on 3 November 1969 in Bad Oldesloe.
Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Walther (1910-2010) was one of the most notable officers of the German special operations forces during the Second World War and became the first member of the famous Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg” to receive the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. Originally serving with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 of the 2. Panzer-Division, Walther transferred to the secretive Brandenburg commando formation in March 1940 and was soon entrusted with a daring mission during the invasion of the Netherlands. On 10 May 1940, as an Oberleutnant and Stoßtruppführer of the 4. Kompanie, Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg”, he led a small assault team disguised as Dutch military police escorting German prisoners in order to infiltrate and seize the strategically vital railway bridge over the Maas River near Gennep. Despite being heavily outnumbered, facing armed Dutch guards, and operating deep behind enemy security positions, Walther displayed exceptional initiative and courage, improvising under pressure when the mission appeared compromised. During the fierce struggle for control of the bridge, he and his men cut communication lines, prevented demolition preparations, and secured the crossing long enough for German armoured forces to advance. Walther himself was wounded when a bullet struck his helmet, but he continued directing the operation until the bridge and surrounding defenses were fully captured. The successful seizure of the Gennep bridge opened a crucial route for advancing German forces toward the Dutch defensive lines and contributed significantly to the rapid breakthrough into the Netherlands. In recognition of his leadership, personal bravery, and the strategic importance of the operation, Wilhelm Walther was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 June 1940, beginning a distinguished wartime career that later saw him command formations within the Division “Brandenburg” and participate in operations across the Balkans, Greece, and the Eastern Front.
Oberstleutnant der Reserve Eberhard Zahn (1910-2010) was born on 2 January 1910 in Barmen and after completing his Abitur studied business administration, earning the degree of Diplom-Kaufmann before being awarded a doctorate as Dr. rer. pol. in 1933; he then worked for I.G. Farben AG and later for other industrial firms until the outbreak of war. Upon mobilisation he joined as a reservist the Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 33, took part in the French campaign and was promoted for bravery to Leutnant der Reserve on 1 June 1940. In late April 1941 his unit was transferred to North Africa under Erwin Rommel as part of the 15. Panzer-Division, where the formation was redesignated Panzerjäger-Abteilung 33. On 15 June 1941, during Operation Battleaxe, Leutnant der Reserve Zahn, serving as Zugführer in the 2. Kompanie, single-handedly manned a 5-cm Pak and repulsed a strong British armoured thrust advancing from Capuzzo toward Bardia, destroying six enemy tanks before his gun was knocked out; after offering fierce resistance he was taken prisoner yet soon escaped through determined action and returned to German lines, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 June 1941. Promoted successively to Oberleutnant der Reserve and then Hauptmann der Reserve, he continued to distinguish himself in the desert fighting, including around El Alamein, and on 6 March 1943 was awarded the Eichenlaub (204th presentation) as Chef of the 2. Kompanie/Panzerjäger-Abteilung 33 for an action in early July 1942 when the southern wing of the division was struck by a sudden armoured assault: he rushed forward under heavy fire, rescued a severely wounded company commander, assumed command himself and, with only three remaining guns, succeeded in bringing the enemy attack to a halt. After the African campaign he commanded the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 88 on the Eastern Front, later led the Panzer-Brigade 101 and finally the Panzer-Regiment 9, rising to the rank of Oberstleutnant der Reserve. At the end of the war he was captured by Soviet forces during the Prague Offensive, escaped after several weeks, reached American lines and surrendered. In the postwar years he pursued a successful career as an industrial manager, serving among other posts as Vorstandsvorsitzender of the Ruhr-Stickstoff Aktiengesellschaft until his retirement, and he died on 7 February 2010 in St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Austria, at the age of one hundred.
Major Hans-Detloff von Cossel (1916-1943) was born on 1 July 1916 in
Swakopmund, German South-West Africa, and entered military service on 6
April 1934 with Reiter-Regiment 6, receiving promotion to Leutnant on 1
April 1937 before transferring to Panzer-Regiment 35 of the 4.
Panzer-Division. As Oberleutnant he took part in the Polish and French
campaigns, earning both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz, and in the summer
of 1941, while Führer of 1./Panzer-Regiment 35, he forced the Dnjepr
crossing near Stary Bychow, broke through the Stalin Line and, after
losing all his tanks and being wounded, led the survivors back across
the river, actions for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen
Kreuzes on 8 September 1941. Promoted to Hauptmann and later Major, he
assumed command of I./Panzer-Regiment 35 (the so-called Bärenabteilung)
in early 1943 and was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 5 May 1943
for earlier fighting around Orel and Ssewsk. During the defensive
battles of Operation Kutuzov in July 1943, south of Orel, his Abteilung
penetrated deep into Soviet positions, shielded a neighbouring
Panzer-Division from a flank attack, and on 19 July, on his own
initiative, gathered available infantry and personally led the capture
of the vital height Point 254.5 with light losses while inflicting heavy
casualties on the enemy; later he converted a withdrawal into a
counter-attack that seized and held a village until relief arrived, and
his unit repeatedly prevented Soviet breakthroughs. On 22 July 1943,
while directing a counter-thrust near Kromny (or Gromy), he was killed
in action; posthumously promoted and decorated, he received the
Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz (285th award) on 29 August 1943 as
Kommandeur of I./Panzer-Regiment 35.
Major Peter Frantz (1917-2001) was born on 24 July 1917 in Leipzig-Schleußig and died on 11 March 2001 in Cologne. After completing his Abitur he entered the Wehrmacht in autumn 1936 as a Fahnenjunker in Artillerie-Regiment 4, attended the Kriegsschule in München in 1937, and was posted to Artillerie-Regiment 74 where he was promoted to Leutnant on 1 September 1939. Following the Polish campaign he transferred to the Sturmartillerie as Zugführer in Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 640, which was subordinated in April 1940 to Infanterie-Regiment “Großdeutschland”. Promoted to Oberleutnant on 1 August 1940, he distinguished himself in the defensive fighting near Jassnaja Poljana during the winter of 1941/42 and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 19 January 1942 while serving in the IV./Infanterie-Regiment “Großdeutschland”. In April 1942 he became Batteriechef of the 1. Batterie of the newly formed Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung of Infanterie-Division “Großdeutschland” and was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 May 1942. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 June 1942 as Oberleutnant und Chef of the 16./Infanterie-Regiment “Großdeutschland” (mot.) for his actions between 12 and 14 December 1941 at Strukowo, where his Sturmgeschütz-Kompanie destroyed fifteen tanks, one dual-purpose anti-tank/air gun and a further anti-tank gun, thereby preventing a Soviet breakthrough through the woods that would have cut off the retreat route of German forces along the Tula road. After further woundings he assumed command of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung “Großdeutschland” and, on 14 March 1943 near Stanowoje east of Borrisowka during the fighting around Kharkov, directed his Sturmgeschütze in support of the capture of the village, destroying fifteen T-34 tanks, then ambushed a major Soviet counter-attack of approximately 120 tanks and eighty trucks with mounted infantry; by holding fire until close range and then striking from the flank his unit destroyed forty-three enemy tanks in total. For this outstanding success he received the Eichenlaub (228th award) to the Ritterkreuz on 14 April 1943 as Hauptmann und Kommandeur of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung “Großdeutschland”. Promoted to Major on 1 June 1943, he relinquished command in February 1944 to attend a Generalstabslehrgang, later serving as Quartiermeister of XXXXI. Panzerkorps in East Prussia; at the war’s end he was taken into American captivity from which he escaped.
Major Helmut Hudel (1915-1985) was born on 4 July 1915 in Raunheim and joined the Reichswehr in 1934, initially serving with Kraftfahr Abteilung 5 before being identified as a promising officer and commissioned as Leutnant in 1936, then assigned to Panzer-Regiment 7 of the 10. Panzer-Division. After missing the French campaign while on the staff of the Kriegsschule at Potsdam, he returned to active duty for Operation Barbarossa in 1941, leading panzer elements through the fierce fighting around Minsk, Smolensk and toward Moscow. Promoted to Hauptmann and company commander, he was temporarily attached to a Kampfgruppe of the 20. Panzer-Division during the desperate winter defensive battles of 1941–42 near Vjaz’ma, where his determined leadership, skill and gallantry under extreme conditions earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 27 May 1942 as Chef of 1./Panzer-Regiment 7. The battered 10. Panzer-Division was withdrawn to France for refitting, and in November 1942 it was rushed to Tunisia with modern tanks to counter the Allied landings. As Kommandeur of I./Panzer-Regiment 7, Hudel formed Kampfgruppe Hudel with about fifty panzers and, operating alongside Kampfgruppe Lüder which included early Tiger I tanks, launched a skilful counter-attack that defeated Anglo-American forces in the Battle of Tebourba in early December 1942, destroying large numbers of enemy tanks and stabilizing the front. He continued to distinguish himself in the subsequent victories at Sidi Bou Zid and Kasserine Pass in February 1943 before the tide turned, and for his outstanding leadership and bravery throughout the Tunisian campaign he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on
2 April 1943 as the 219th recipient while still a Hauptmann and Kommandeur of I./Panzer-Regiment 7 of the 10. Panzer-Division. Evacuated before the final Axis surrender in May 1943, he later commanded the schwere Panzerabteilung 508 with Tiger tanks in Italy, including the Anzio counter-attacks, then served in training roles before taking command of elements of the Panzer-Lehr-Regiment in 1945 on the Western Front, forming Panzergruppe Hudel for the Remagen battles and ending the war as a Major when captured with the remnants of his forces in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945; he lived quietly in Frankfurt am Main until his death on 11 March 1985.
Hauptmann
Kurt Arendt (1917-1945) was a German Panzer officer of the Heer whose
military career began in 1936 with Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 21 and later
included service with Panzer-Regiment 39, Panzer-Lehr formations,
Panzer-Abteilung 190, and Panzer-Brigade 107. By late 1944 he had been
appointed commander of Panzer-Abteilung 5 of the 25.
Panzergrenadier-Division on the Western Front, where he led armored
operations during the desperate defensive battles in Alsace and
Lorraine. Arendt earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
posthumously on 24 February 1945 as a Hauptmann and commander of
Panzer-Abteilung 5 for his leadership during the fierce fighting of 9
January 1945 near Hatten and Bitsch. During a counterattack conducted as
part of the Panzer-Kampfgruppe under Oberstleutnant Huss, Arendt
personally directed his battalion through heavy enemy defensive fire,
maneuvering his tanks against strongly held positions and helping to
overrun American forces in the northeastern sector of Hatten. His
aggressive command and determination under intense combat conditions
contributed significantly to the temporary success of the attack despite
overwhelming opposition. Arendt was killed in action on the same day
while continuing to lead from the front, and his courage, battlefield
leadership, and steadfast conduct during the operation formed the basis
for the award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes.
Oberleutnant
der Reserve Emil Roßmann (1920-2003) was born on 23 April 1920 in
Maeken in East Prussia and entered the Reichsarbeitsdienst on 1 April
1939 before joining the Wehrmacht, serving initially with
1./Panzer-Regiment 10 during the campaign in France. He later
transferred to Panzer-Regiment 26 of the 26. Panzer-Division, where he
rose through the ranks as a reserve officer and became Leutnant der
Reserve. By late 1944 he was serving as Führer of the 2. Kompanie of I.
Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 26. On 6 October 1944, while covering the
withdrawal of Kampfgruppe Langkeit from the Tryskiai area toward Windau
on the Eastern Front, Roßmann and his company of six Panther tanks came
under heavy Soviet pressure; he personally destroyed three enemy tanks
before his own vehicle’s radio was knocked out by a hit from a T-34.
That night he single-handedly covered the retreat of the remainder of
his company, only to discover the following morning that Soviet forces
had already bypassed him and established a blocking position between his
tank and the main Kampfgruppe, with enemy tanks preparing to attack.
Deciding to break out, Roßmann first assaulted the Soviet tank assembly
area, destroying six T-34s and eight anti-tank guns in a matter of
minutes and putting the remaining enemy to flight. Continuing toward his
own lines he destroyed a further thirteen anti-tank guns and an entire
supply column before successfully rejoining the Kampfgruppe. For this
outstanding act of personal bravery and leadership he was awarded the
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1944 as Leutnant der
Reserve and Führer of 2./Panzer-Regiment 26. He later received the
Panzerkampfabzeichen in successively higher grades up to the fourth
level with 100 engagements while serving with Panzer-Regiment “Kurmark”
of the Panzergrenadier-Division “Kurmark,” and ended the war as
Oberleutnant der Reserve. After 1945 he pursued a successful banking
career, becoming Bankdirektor, and died on 20 January 2003 in Bad
Dürrheim.
Leutnant Ludwig Bauer (1923-2020) was born on 16 February 1923 in Künzelsau, Württemberg, and at the age of seventeen volunteered for military service, completing his Reichsarbeitsdienst before joining Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung 33 in St. Pölten in early 1941. After basic training he was assigned to Panzer-Regiment 33 of the 9. Panzer-Division and served continuously on the Eastern Front from 1941 onward, taking part in the battles before Moscow, at Voronezh, around Rzhev and in the Krivoi Rog sector. He rose from gunner and Zugführer to Leutnant and later Führer of the 1. Kompanie of the I. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 33. During four years of combat he was wounded seven times, earned the Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold, the Panzerkampfabzeichen with the numeral 25 and both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz. In 1944 the regiment transferred to the West, where Bauer fought in Normandy and later in the Ardennes Offensive. In the final weeks of the war, while leading his company in the desperate defensive battles of the 9. Panzer-Division in the Ruhr area, he distinguished himself through exceptional personal bravery and determined leadership under continuously adverse conditions. For these actions he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 April 1945. After the war he settled in his hometown, ran a petrol station and served as a reserve officer in the Bundeswehr, rising to Oberstleutnant der Reserve. He died in Künzelsau on 20 May 2020 at the age of 97.
Oberfähnrich Ernst Kruse (1915-1944) was born on 1 October 1915 in Egeln near Magdeburg and entered the Schützen-Regiment 3 at the end of 1935, receiving promotion to Feldwebel in March 1938. He participated in the campaigns in Poland, France and the Soviet Union. For personal bravery in the fighting around Machino during the winter of 1941/42 he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 19 January 1942 as Feldwebel in the 7./Schützen-Regiment 3. Serving as Zugführer of the 7. Kompanie in Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 of the 3. Panzer-Division, he made a decisive contribution to the successful crossing of the Don in summer 1942 and especially distinguished himself on 29 July 1942 when the regiment stormed Proletarskaja; advancing far ahead with his Zug, he enabled the rapid penetration of his Bataillon into the town, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel. On the morning of New Year’s Day 1943, while the regiment held positions along the Kura stream near Aga Batyr, Soviet forces launched a sudden attack through dense mist after the German withdrawal had begun the previous night; enemy tanks overran the foremost defensive line, yet Oberfeldwebel Kruse immediately counter-attacked with his Zug without any artillery support, destroyed several tanks in close combat and sealed off the penetration, thereby preventing a Soviet breakthrough into the rear of the Division and permitting the planned retreat to continue. For this outstanding leadership and bravery he was decorated with the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz as the 245th recipient on 17 May 1943. After a period as instructor in the homeland he returned to the front on 23 September 1944 as Oberfähnrich and Ordonnanzoffizier of the II. Bataillon, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3, and fell on 5 October 1944 during the assault on Ozbanice at the Soviet bridgehead near Serock.
Oberfeldwebel Kurt Schönfeld (1913-2004) was born on December 14, 1913, in Heiligenbeil in Eastern Prussia, Germany, and later died on March 9, 2004, in Suhl in Thuringia, Germany. As a member of the German Heer during the Second World War, he served with distinction in Panzer-Regiment 10 of the 8. Panzer-Division. Rising to the rank of Oberfeldwebel, he acted as Zugführer in the 4. Kompanie of that regiment. During the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941, the 8. Panzer-Division advanced rapidly as part of Army Group North toward Leningrad, engaging in intense armored combat against Soviet forces in the Baltic region and around the Luga River area. Schönfeld’s leadership of his Zug in these battles earned him early recognition. On September 9, 1941, he received the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS while serving as Zugführer 4./Panzer-Regiment 10. Shortly thereafter, on September 22, 1941, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes at the same rank and in the same unit for his exceptional bravery and effective command of his tank platoon in critical engagements on the Eastern Front. He had previously been decorated with both the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse. Schönfeld’s actions as a non-commissioned officer leading armored elements exemplified the aggressive panzer tactics employed by the Wehrmacht in the early stages of the campaign against the Soviet Union. After the war he lived quietly in Thuringia until his death at the age of ninety, leaving behind a record as one of the many junior leaders whose frontline performance contributed to the early successes of German armored formations in 1941.
