Nickname: No information
Date of Birth: 22.01.1920 - Mayen, Rheinprovinz (Germany)
Date of Death: 09.08.1944 - KIA in Glasow/Glazow, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Poland)
Buried: Gusthof Sobotka-Szlachecha (Poland)
Battles and Operations: Battle of France, Siege of Sevastopol, Battles of Rzhev, Eastern Front defensive operations, Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive
NSDAP-Number: No information
SS-Number: Not applicable (Heer)
Religion: No information
Parents: No information available
Siblings: No information available
Spouse: No information (unmarried at time of death)
Children: None
Promotions:
15.11.1938 Kanonier (joined Wehrmacht)
01.02.1941 Unteroffizier
01.06.1942 Feldwebel and Reserve-Offiziersanwärter
00.06.1942 Leutnant der Reserve
01.08.1944 Oberleutnant der Reserve
Career:
15.11.1938 Joined the Wehrmacht as Kanonier with 4./Artillerie-Regiment 70 (motorisiert) at Niederlahnstein. Served as Geschützführer.
01.02.1941 Transferred and promoted, later attended Reserveoffiziersanwärterlehrgang in early 1942.
00.06.1942 As Leutnant der Reserve took command of 5./Infanterie-Regiment 124 (part of 72. Infanterie-Division). Wounded in action and recovered.
After recovery assigned to Ersatz- und Ausbildungsbataillon 124 at Trier.
21.06.1944 Returned to front as Zugführer with Feldersatz-Bataillon 72.
09.08.1944 Killed in action near Glazow, Poland during defensive operations. Buried at Gusthof Sobotka-Szlachecha.
Awards and Decorations:
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42
16.09.1942 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
31.12.1942 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
06.01.1943 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (for the wound received on 30.12.1942)
15.01.1943 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Leutnant der Reserve and Führer 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 124 / 72.Infanterie-Division, for leadership in taking over a company after the commander was wounded, continuing the attack and sealing a breakthrough).
In late 1942 and early 1943, the 72. Infanterie-Division was engaged in heavy fighting on the Eastern Front, particularly in the central sector and around areas associated with the Rzhev salient and subsequent defensive operations. Elements of Grenadier-Regiment 124 faced intense Soviet assaults aimed at breaking through German lines.
During one critical engagement, the commander of 5. Kompanie was severely wounded amid fierce combat. In this decisive moment, Leutnant der Reserve Joachim Hundert, acting with great personal courage and independent initiative, immediately assumed command of the leaderless company. Under heavy enemy fire and pressure from Soviet infantry and supporting arms, he rallied the men and continued the German attack without pause. His decisive leadership enabled the company to press forward, sealing off an enemy breakthrough and restoring the integrity of the German defensive line at that sector.
The fighting was characterized by close-quarters combat in snow-covered or muddy terrain typical of the Russian winter and early spring, with soldiers advancing through artillery barrages, machine-gun fire, and hand-to-hand struggles. Hundert's calm resolve and bravery under extreme conditions inspired his troops to hold and counterattack, preventing a potentially disastrous penetration by Soviet forces that could have compromised the regiment's position.
This action exemplified the type of frontline leadership that earned many young reserve officers high decorations during the brutal attritional battles on the Eastern Front. Hundert's Ritterkreuz citation specifically highlights his "Mut und eigenen Entschluss" (courage and independent decision) in taking over the company and sustaining the momentum of the attack.
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Joachim Hundert was a German reserve officer who served in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. Born on 22 January 1920 in Mayen in the Rhine Province, he grew up in a period of political upheaval in Germany and joined the military at a young age. Hundert enlisted in the Wehrmacht on 15 November 1938 as a Kanonier with the 4th Battery of Artillery Regiment 70, a motorized unit based at Niederlahnstein. His early service involved training as a gunner and Geschützführer, laying the foundation for his later frontline roles as the clouds of war gathered over Europe.
Hundert's military career progressed steadily in the early years of the conflict. Promoted to Unteroffizier on 1 February 1941, he continued serving in artillery before transitioning to infantry. By June 1942 he had risen to Feldwebel and Reserve-Offiziersanwärter, shortly thereafter receiving his commission as Leutnant der Reserve. Assigned to the 72nd Infantry Division, he took command of the 5th Company of Infantry Regiment 124 in June 1942. This period saw him participate in intense combat on the Eastern Front, including operations connected to the Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea and subsequent defensive actions. He was wounded in action but recovered and later served with replacement and training units, including Ersatz- und Ausbildungsbataillon 124 at Trier, before returning to combat duties.
The action that earned Hundert the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross occurred amid heavy fighting in late 1942 and early 1943. As the 72nd Infantry Division engaged in bitter defensive battles in the central sector of the Eastern Front, often associated with the grueling engagements around the Rzhev salient, Soviet forces launched determined assaults aimed at piercing German lines. During one such critical engagement, the commander of 5th Company was severely wounded under intense enemy fire. Leutnant Hundert immediately assumed leadership of the company without hesitation. Exhibiting exceptional courage and quick decision-making, he rallied his men amid artillery barrages, machine-gun fire, and close-quarters combat in the harsh winter terrain. He led a continued advance that sealed off a dangerous Soviet breakthrough, restoring the integrity of the German defensive position and preventing a potential collapse in that sector. For this display of frontline leadership and bravery, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 15 January 1943.
Hundert also received other notable decorations during his service, including the Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class, the Wound Badge, and the Eastern Front Medal for enduring the brutal conditions of the Russian winter. His promotions continued, and he eventually reached the rank of Oberleutnant der Reserve. By mid-1944, as the Wehrmacht faced mounting pressure from the Soviet summer offensives, Hundert returned to active combat. On 21 June 1944 he served as a Zugführer with Feldersatz-Bataillon 72 of his division. The 72nd Infantry Division was involved in desperate defensive operations during the Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive as Soviet forces pushed westward through Poland.
On 9 August 1944, near Glazow in Poland, Joachim Hundert was killed in action at the age of 24 while leading his platoon in defensive fighting. His remains were buried at Gusthof Sobotka-Szlachecha. His death exemplified the heavy toll taken on young German officers during the final phases of the war on the Eastern Front, where experienced leadership was in constant demand amid overwhelming enemy superiority in men and materiel. Hundert's relatively short but intense military career highlighted the transition many artillerymen made to infantry command roles as casualties mounted.
Though not among the most famous recipients of the Knight's Cross, Joachim Hundert represented the steadfast reserve officers who formed the backbone of the German army's combat units in the later war years. His actions under fire demonstrated the initiative and personal bravery often required to hold collapsing fronts against relentless Soviet attacks. Postwar records from unit histories and award documentation preserved his place among the decorated soldiers of the 72nd Infantry Division. Information about his personal life remains limited, with no public details available on family, religion, or pre-war civilian occupation, reflecting the scarcity of records for many junior officers who fell in combat.
Leutnant der Reserve Joachim Hundert posed with the flowers.
Leutnant der Reserve Joachim Hundert.
Certificate for Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz award.
Certificate for Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse award.
Certificate for Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse award.
Certificate for Ritterkreuz award.
Certificate for Ritterkreuz award.
Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oberleutnant_Joachim_Hundert.jpg
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/38571/Hundert-Joachim.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/H/HundertJ.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Knight%27s_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross_recipients_(Hn%E2%80%93Hz)
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Joachim_Hundert
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300 (Ritterkreuzträger database)
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg 2000.
Scherzer, Veit. Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945. Jena 2007.
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=29879&start=27240
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.weitze.com/militaria/05/Heer_Urkundengruppe_des_Ritterkreuztraegers_Joachim_Hundert_Grenadier_Regiment_124__496205.html?token=30a7a04e4bcb717e88d72a6aa7a74bfb
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