Smoker Ritterkreuzträger

During World War II, smoking was deeply ingrained in the daily life of German soldiers across all branches of the Wehrmacht. Cigarettes were included as standard items in military rations, often distributed alongside food and ammunition, and were viewed as essential for maintaining morale during the brutal conditions of combat, long marches, and periods of boredom in the field. Both enlisted men and officers smoked heavily, with many photographs from the era showing soldiers lighting up during breaks in fighting, in trenches, or while resting behind the lines. Brands such as Eckstein, Juno, and Reemtsma were popular, and the Nazi government, despite some early anti-tobacco rhetoric from certain party leaders, ultimately supported tobacco production and distribution to troops as a way to boost spirits and provide a small comfort in the chaos of war. Smoking also served as a social ritual, helping soldiers bond and cope with the psychological stress of battle. By the later years of the war, however, tobacco supplies became increasingly scarce due to Allied bombing of German factories and disrupted supply lines, forcing soldiers to improvise with ersatz tobacco or trade for cigarettes on the black market. This widespread habit reflected the era’s general lack of awareness about long-term health risks, and for many German soldiers, the cigarette became one of the few consistent pleasures amid the horrors of the conflict.

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ZIGARETTE (CIGARETTE)


General der Infanterie Joachim von Kortzfleisch (1890-1945) was a German career officer born on 3 January 1890 in Braunschweig into an aristocratic Westphalian family, who entered the Prussian Army as a Fahnenjunker in 1907, served in a machine gun unit during World War I earning both classes of the Iron Cross, continued in the Reichswehr, and rose steadily in the Wehrmacht to command the 1. Infanterie-Division as Generalleutnant at the outbreak of World War II before taking charge of the XI. Armeekorps in April 1940. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September 1940 as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the XI. Armeekorps for his distinguished leadership during the Western Campaign in May and June 1940, where his corps formed part of the decisive thrust through Belgium and northern France, contributing to rapid breakthroughs, the encirclement of Allied forces near Lille and Dunkirk, and the exploitation of tactical opportunities in fast-moving combined-arms operations that helped collapse French resistance and secure victory in the Low Countries and France within weeks. His earlier effective command of the 1. Infanterie-Division in the Polish campaign provided a strong foundation, showcasing his ability to maintain cohesion and momentum under operational pressure. Later he commanded Military District III in Berlin, where he played a notable role in suppressing the 20 July 1944 plot by rejecting Valkyrie orders and remaining loyal to the regime, continued in various staff and command roles including the Rhine defenses under Army Group B, and was killed on 20 April 1945 at Schmallenberg-Wulwesort in the Sauerland when he refused to surrender to an American patrol and was shot.



Generalleutnant Ferdinand Heim (1895-1971), born on 27 February 1895 in Reutlingen, Wuerttemberg, served as a professional soldier through both world wars, rising through the ranks of the German Army with distinguished staff and command roles. A veteran of World War I where he earned the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class as an artillery officer, Heim transitioned into the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht, holding key General Staff positions including Chief of the General Staff of the 6th Army under Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau during the planning of Operation Barbarossa and subsequent operations on the Eastern Front. On 1 July 1942 he assumed command of the 14. Panzer-Division as Generalmajor, leading it during the summer offensive toward Stalingrad. It was for his actions in mid-August 1942 that Heim received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 August 1942: at the head of his Panzer-Division he personally directed and fought through a 40 km deep and heavily defended Soviet defensive position in a storm of uninterrupted heavy combat, inspiring his troops by personal example to achieve breakthroughs of great operational importance for the continued advance in that sector, coordinating armored spearheads with supporting infantry to shatter successive fortified lines despite intense resistance, artillery fire, and counterattacks, thereby securing key terrain and contributing significantly to the broader offensive momentum against Stalingrad. Later promoted to Generalleutnant, Heim went on to command XXXXVIII Panzer Corps during the Battle of Stalingrad before subsequent assignments, including the defense of the Boulogne fortress in 1944, and he died in Ulm on 14 November 1971.



Generalmajor Walter Gorn (1898-1968) was born on 24 September 1898 in Bieganin near Posen in the Kingdom of Prussia and enlisted as a Kriegsfreiwilliger in the West Prussian Grenadier-Regiment „König Wilhelm I.“ Nr. 7 during the First World War, seeing action on the Western Front before serving with machine-gun units and later joining Freikorps formations in the Baltic; after demobilization he entered the Schutzpolizei in 1920, rising through the ranks to Hauptmann by 1934 and transferring into the Wehrmacht in 1935 as commander of a company in the 3. Kradschützen-Bataillon of the 3. Panzer-Division. In the Second World War he served on the staff of the XIX. Armeekorps during the Polish campaign, then as Major took command of the I. Bataillon of Schützen-Regiment 10 (later redesignated Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10) of the 9. Panzer-Division; on 8–20 April 1941 during the invasion of Yugoslavia he led a mixed Abteilung in a bold advance from Gostivar toward Debar in Macedonia, overrunning strong Yugoslav resistance, capturing seven enemy batteries together with nine further batteries, twelve anti-tank guns and large quantities of matériel, liberating some 800 Italian prisoners whom he promptly rearmed and incorporated into his force, thereby establishing contact with Italian troops and earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 20 April 1941. Promoted Oberstleutnant and given command of Kradschützen-Bataillon 59, he fought in the fierce defensive battles around Voronezh in the summer of 1942, where his greatly depleted unit of only about fifty-five combat-effective men repeatedly repulsed heavy Soviet assaults, for which he received the Eichenlaub (113th award) on 17 August 1942. Taking over Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10, he distinguished himself in the winter battles of Rzhev, particularly near Sychyovka along the Vazuza and south of Loshki, where his regiment helped free the encircled 129. Infanterie-Division and destroy cut-off Soviet forces, resulting in the award of the Schwerter (30th award) on 8 June 1943 while he was Oberst. Later promoted Generalmajor, he commanded the 561. Grenadier-Division (subsequently Volksgrenadier-Division) in East Prussia and Lithuania against Operation Bagration and the subsequent Soviet offensives, then briefly the 710. Infanterie-Division in Austria before surrendering to American forces at Steyr on 8 May 1945; released from captivity in 1947, he died in Rosenheim on 10 July 1968.



Oberstleutnant Herbert Gomille (1913-2009) was born on 15 August 1913 in Waldmohr in Bavaria, Germany, and later served as an officer in the Heer during the Second World War. He began his career with Panzer-Regiment 4 of the 13. Panzer-Division and was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 April 1941. On 14 April 1942 he assumed command of the II. Abteilung of Panzer-Regiment 4. For earlier successes he received the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 29 September 1939, the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 23 May 1940, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 14 February 1942 while leading the 5. Kompanie. In September 1942, while his Abteilung operated in the sector of the 111. Infanterie-Division east of Malgobek, it destroyed forty-six enemy tanks and one artillery piece, captured ten mortars and various vehicles, and played a major role in holding the German bridgehead at Mosdok. For these achievements Gomille was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 25 October 1942 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur of the II. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 4. He was promoted to Major on 1 February 1943 and subsequently served in the Führerreserve OKH, at the Panzertruppenschule Wünsdorf, as Kommandeur of the III. Abteilung of Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland, and as Inspekteur der Panzertruppen. After the war he lived in Switzerland, where he died on 18 May 2009 in Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country at the age of ninety-five.


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 im Generalstab Ernst-Georg Buchterkirch (1914-1971) was a German Heer officer who began his military career in 1935 with the Reiter-Regiment in Potsdam, transferred to Panzer-Regiment 6 in 1937 as Leutnant, and later served with the Condor Legion in Spain before rising to Oberstleutnant im Generalstab. During the Battle of France he served as Zugführer in the 2./Panzer-Regiment 6 and distinguished himself by capturing several Seine bridges near Paris while his platoon and company destroyed a significant number of enemy tanks, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 June 1940 as Oberleutnant. In Operation Barbarossa, now as Chef der 2./Panzer-Regiment 6, he led his company on 23 June 1941 in the destruction of twelve Soviet tanks at Buchowiecze and the immediate formation of a bridgehead at Minicze the following day; these actions earned him the 44th award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941. He was additionally mentioned by name in the Wehrmachtbericht of 6 July 1941 for exemplary bravery during the early fighting in the Panzer-Regiment alongside other officers. After these exploits Buchterkirch was transferred to instructor duties in the Heimat in August 1941, attended the Kriegsakademie, and later served on the Generalstab des OKH before ending the war in staff positions with Panzergruppe West.



Major der Reserve Friedrich-Karl Nökel (1917-1998) was born on 2 June 1917 in Langenberg in the Rhine Province and entered military service as a Reserveoffizieranwärter with Panzer-Regiment 15 before transferring to Panzer-Regiment 31 of the 5. Panzer-Division. He first saw combat as a Zugführer during the 1940 Western Campaign, earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse and the Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber on 26 May 1940. Continuing with the same regiment on the Eastern Front, he rose steadily through the ranks of the reserve officer corps, receiving the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse in February 1942 while serving on the Stab of the regiment and later the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 2 April 1943 as Oberleutnant der Reserve and Chef of the 5. Kompanie/II. Abteilung. By mid-1944 he had become Hauptmann der Reserve and was leading elements equipped with Panther tanks, earning successive grades of the Panzerkampfabzeichen for 25, 50 and later 75 engagements. On 17 September 1944 he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Hauptmann der Reserve and Führer of the II. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 31 for outstanding leadership and personal bravery while commanding the Abteilung in heavy defensive and counter-attack fighting on the Eastern Front. He continued to lead the II. Abteilung as Major until the final months of the war, accumulating a high number of tank engagements. After 1945 Nökel joined the newly formed Bundeswehr, rising to the rank of Oberst before retiring. He died on 17 October 1998 in Neumünster in Schleswig-Holstein at the age of 81.



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.

Leutnant Heinrich Reinke (1914-1984) was a highly decorated German soldier who served as an Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer in the 14. (Panzerjäger) Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 89 during World War II. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 9 January 1942 for his outstanding bravery and leadership as a platoon leader on the Eastern Front, where he distinguished himself through determined anti-tank actions and decisive combat performance against Soviet forces. His courageous conduct in repelling enemy attacks and destroying multiple armored vehicles played a key role in stabilizing his unit’s defensive positions during intense fighting. Reinke later rose to the rank of Leutnant and continued serving with distinction throughout the war, embodying the tough, battle-hardened NCO spirit typical of the Wehrmacht’s infantry anti-tank units.

Hauptmann Rudolf Schlee (1913-1979), a highly decorated soldier of the Wehrmacht who was born on 10 November 1913 in Ludwigshafen, Rheinland Provinz (German Empire), served as a platoon leader in the 6./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 13 during World War II and demonstrated exceptional bravery in various campaigns. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1941 as Oberfeldwebel for his leadership and courage during intense combat operations, particularly in the mountain warfare contexts following the campaigns in the Balkans and the advance into the Soviet Union. His repeated acts of valor continued to stand out in the harsh fighting in the Caucasus region, where he led his Jäger platoon with outstanding initiative and determination, ultimately leading to the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as the 222nd recipient on 6 April 1943. Schlee later rose to the rank of Hauptmann and survived the war, becoming one of the notable recipients of these prestigious German decorations for his frontline service.



Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1895-1945) was one of the most capable and influential air commanders of the Luftwaffe, renowned for his expertise in close air support and operational planning from the Spanish Civil War through the final years of World War II. A veteran of the Legion Condor in Spain, where he served as Chief of Staff and later commander of German air units, Richthofen helped develop the tactical doctrines that would later underpin Germany’s early wartime successes. During the Second World War he commanded major formations including VIII. Fliegerkorps, whose concentrated air support played a decisive role in the campaigns in Poland, France, the Balkans, and especially during Operation Barbarossa. Richthofen was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 May 1940 as Generalmajor and Kommandierender General VIII. Fliegerkorps, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and the effectiveness of his air operations during the the start of Western Campaign, where his forces provided highly coordinated support to advancing German ground troops. He later received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 July 1941 as the 26th recipient of the award, largely for the continued success of VIII. Fliegerkorps during the start of Operation Barbarossa and the Luftwaffe’s increasingly sophisticated employment of tactical air power under his command. Richthofen went on to command Luftflotte 4 and Luftflotte 2 on the Eastern Front, directing major air operations during battles such as Sevastopol, Stalingrad, and Kursk. Promoted to Generalfeldmarschall on 16 February 1943, he remained a central figure in German air warfare until deteriorating health forced his retirement in 1944; he died in July 1945, leaving a legacy as perhaps the Luftwaffe’s most accomplished operational commander.


Oberst Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke was born on 11 March 1913 in Schrimm in the Province of Posen and initially enlisted in the cavalry in 1934 before transferring to the newly formed Luftwaffe as an officer candidate the following year, completing his pilot training and serving as an instructor at the Jagdfliegerschule Werneuchen prior to a brief tour with the Legion Condor in Spain. Returning to Germany he joined Jagdgeschwader 53, rising by the outbreak of war to Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 7. Staffel of III. Gruppe, scoring his first victory over a French Potez 637 on 7 November 1939 and adding further successes during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, where he was forced to bale out over the Channel on 13 August 1940 after engine failure yet was rescued. In the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa he claimed his twenty-fifth aerial victory and was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 August 1941 as Hauptmann. After a period of service in North Africa, Malta and Sicily from December 1941 to May 1942, during which he added four more victories, he returned to the Eastern Front and transferred to the Geschwaderstab of Jagdgeschwader 3 “Udet,” becoming Kommodore of the Geschwader on 12 September 1942. Having achieved his one-hundredth victory on 6 September he received the Eichenlaub on 9 September 1942 as Hauptmann, and on 17 December 1942, during the fighting over Stalingrad, he became the fourth fighter pilot to reach one hundred and fifty victories. For a total of one hundred and fifty-five confirmed aerial victories he was awarded the Schwerter on 23 December 1942 as Major and Kommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 “Udet.” Although officially grounded from further operational flying after the award of the Schwerter, he continued to fly combat missions in the Defence of the Reich and on 23 March 1944, after claiming his one-hundred-and-sixty-second and final victory, a Boeing B-17 and a North American P-51 Mustang, he was himself shot down near Schöppenstedt by American Mustang fighters and killed in the ensuing crash, having flown seven hundred and thirty-two combat sorties and attained one hundred and sixty-two confirmed victories, twenty-five of them in the West including four four-engined bombers.



Oberstleutnant Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller (1916-1944) was born on 25 December 1916 in Berlin-Lichterfelde and entered military service in 1936, transferring to the Luftwaffe where he completed fighter training and joined 8./Jagdgeschwader 53 as a Leutnant. He scored his first aerial victory on 27 May 1940 against a French Curtiss Hawk 75 during the Battle of France, claiming eight victories in that campaign before adding further successes against the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. Deployed to the Eastern Front with Jagdgeschwader 53 in 1941, Müller rapidly increased his tally and was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./Jagdgeschwader 53. In September 1942, while flying intensive operations in support of the advance toward Stalingrad, he achieved an extraordinary series of victories: four aircraft on 16 September, five on 17 September, six or seven on 18 September, and additional claims on 19 September that brought his total to 100 aerial victories. For this outstanding performance as Staffelkapitän of 1./Jagdgeschwader 53, Oberleutnant Müller was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 September 1942. Only four days later, on 23 September 1942, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz as the 126th recipient of the German armed forces, recognizing his continued success and the century mark. Promoted to Hauptmann, he later became Gruppenkommandeur of I./Jagdgeschwader 53, leading the unit in the Mediterranean and Tunisia before transferring in early 1944 to Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet," where he commanded IV./Jagdgeschwader 3 and was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 in March 1944. Credited with 140 aerial victories in more than 600 combat missions, including numerous four-engined bombers in the Defense of the Reich, Müller was killed on 29 May 1944 in a landing accident at Salzwedel while flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 and was posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant.



Kapitän zur See Klaus Scholtz (1908-1987) was born on 22 March 1908 in Magdeburg and joined the Reichsmarine on 5 April 1927 as a Seeoffiziersbewerber of Crew 1927, serving initially on training ships and later on torpedo boats including the Jaguar, which he commanded from 1937 to 1939. In April 1940 he transferred voluntarily to the U-Bootwaffe, completed the necessary courses, and on 22 October 1940 assumed command of the Type IXB submarine U-108 of the 2. Unterseebootsflottille. On his first Feindfahrt from 15 February to 12 March 1941 he sank two ships totalling 8,078 BRT; on the second patrol he sank the British Hilfskreuzer Rajputana of 16,444 BRT on 13 April 1941. Subsequent Atlantic patrols yielded further successes, including seven ships of 26,931 BRT on the third voyage, and by the end of his fifth Feindfahrt in December 1941 he had sunk thirteen ships amounting to 61,760 BRT. For these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 December 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant of U-108. Promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 November 1941, he continued successful operations, sinking five ships of 20,082 BRT on his sixth patrol and five more of 31,340 BRT on the seventh. On his eighth and final Feindfahrt from 13 July to 10 September 1942 he sank three additional ships of 17,496 BRT, bringing his total to twenty-five vessels of approximately 128,000 BRT. For these further successes he received the Eichenlaub on 10 September 1942 as the 123rd recipient while still Kommandant of U-108. He then relinquished command and on 15 October 1942 became Flottillenchef of the 12. Unterseebootsflottille based at Bordeaux. Promoted to Fregattenkapitän in July 1944, he was captured by American forces on 11 September 1944 while leading remaining personnel from the isolated fortress of Bordeaux and was released in April 1946. After the war he served in the Grenzschutz See and later the Bundesmarine, rising to Kapitän zur See before retiring in 1966; he died on 1 May 1987 in Bad Schwartau.



SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert-Erwin Meierdrees (1916-1945), born on 11 December 1916 in Wesel in the Rhine Province, began his military service in the SS-VT with the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler before attending the SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig and serving as SS-Untersturmführer in artillery and infantry gun units of the SS-Standarte Der Führer and SS-Verfügungs-Truppe during the campaigns in Poland and France, where he earned the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse for bravery at the Mlava Position. By the time of Operation Barbarossa he had transferred to the SS-Division Totenkopf as a battery officer and later platoon commander in the SS-Totenkopf-Sturmgeschütz-Batterie, and in early 1942, now SS-Obersturmführer, he organized an ad-hoc Kampfgruppe from the remnants of his assault guns together with engineers and other support troops to hold the vital road junction at Bjakowo against repeated and overwhelming Soviet assaults during the fighting that preceded and accompanied the encirclement of the Demjansk pocket; despite being reduced to roughly thirty men and cut off from friendly lines, his personal leadership, resourcefulness under fire, and determined defense of the position for weeks until he was severely wounded on 18 February 1942 earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 March 1942. After recovering and completing panzer commander training, Meierdrees was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer and given command of I. Abteilung of SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 in the reorganized 3. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division Totenkopf, where his battalion played a central role as a Kampfgruppe during the Third Battle of Kharkov in February and March 1943 by spearheading counterattacks that helped destroy Mobile Group Popov and recapture the city, then advanced deep into the southern Kursk salient during Operation Zitadelle in July 1943, crossing the Psel river and engaging in fierce armored combat near Prokhorovka on 12 July when it helped repel massive Soviet tank assaults and destroyed numerous T-34s, before conducting further counterattacks on the Mius front and skillful defensive actions during the withdrawal to the Dnieper; these cumulative achievements in leadership, tactical skill, and personal bravery across the 1943 summer and autumn campaigns led to the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 October 1943, presented personally by Adolf Hitler. Meierdrees continued to command his panzer battalion through further heavy fighting until he was killed in action on 2 January 1945 near Dunaalmás in Hungary when his Panther tank exploded during an attempt to break the Soviet encirclement of Budapest.

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ZIGARRE (CIGAR)


Oberst Andreas von Aulock (1893-1968) was a highly decorated colonel in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War who rose through the ranks from his pre-war service as a Leutnant in the 6. Thüringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 95 and extensive combat experience in the First World War at Verdun and in Flanders, later commanding Infanterie-Regiment 226 on the Eastern Front where he earned the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold in October 1941 before participating in the Battle of Stalingrad and being evacuated from the pocket. Promoted to Oberst in November 1943 as Kommandeur of a Kampfgruppe within the 79. Infanterie-Division, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 November 1943 for his outstanding leadership and defensive operations in the Kuban-Brückenkopf, where his unit's tenacious resistance against repeated Soviet assaults helped stabilize the bridgehead amid fierce fighting and heavy losses, showcasing his tactical skill in holding critical positions under extreme pressure. Transferred thereafter to serve as Festungskommandant of St. Malo in early 1944, von Aulock earned the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 August 1944 as the 551st recipient for his heroic defense of the designated fortress during the Battle of Saint-Malo in August 1944, where, despite relentless American artillery and aerial bombardments exceeding 2,000 tons of ordnance, civilian appeals for surrender, and the isolation of his headquarters in the ancient Citadel after the city proper fell on 14 August, he refused to capitulate for nearly three weeks, coordinating mixed forces including remnants of the 77. Infanterie-Division and other units from an underground command post, employing snipers, booby traps, and counterattacks with hand weapons once heavy armament failed, inflicting heavy casualties on the vastly superior U.S. 83rd Infantry Division and tying down Allied resources while denying them the port facilities through demolition, all in strict adherence to orders to hold to the last man until he finally surrendered on 17 August with around 400-600 surviving troops, an act of defiance that earned him personal praise from Hitler and a mention in the Wehrmachtbericht for the garrison's almost three-week heroic stand against overwhelming enemy forces.



A rarely seen picture of Hauptmann Josef "Pips" Priller (Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" ). Picture taken by Rolf Schröder, III./ JG 26 Technical Officer, in the summer 1942. During this period Priller flew the Fw 190A, leading the Gruppe in operations over the English Channel and occupied France against the RAF. He scored his 70th victory on 5 May 1942 and reached 81 victories by the end of 1942. Josef "Pips" Priller, born on 27 June 1915 in Ingolstadt and who died on 20 May 1961 in Böbing following a heart attack, was one of the Luftwaffe’s most successful Western Front fighter aces, credited with 101 aerial victories in 307 combat missions, the vast majority against Supermarine Spitfires along with eleven four-engine bombers and other Allied types. After beginning military service in 1935 as a Fahnenjunker in Infanterie-Regiment 19 and completing pilot training, he rose through Jagdgeschwader 51 to become Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel, scoring his first victories during the Battle of France before claiming his twentieth enemy aircraft, a Hawker Hurricane over Tunbridge Wells, on 17 October 1940 as Oberleutnant; this achievement brought him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 October 1940. Transferred in November 1940 as Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter", Priller enjoyed an intense scoring period over the Channel in June and July 1941, reaching his fortieth or forty-first victory around 19 July and receiving the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 20 July 1941 while still an Oberleutnant. Appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" in December 1941 and promoted to Hauptmann, he later became Geschwaderkommodore of the entire Geschwader as Major in January 1943, continuing to lead from the front while flying first the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and later the Focke-Wulf Fw 190; on 6 June 1944 during the Normandy invasion he and his wingman Feldwebel Heinz Wodarczyk carried out one of the few Luftwaffe attacks of the day, a daring low-level strafing run against Allied troops and landing craft on Sword Beach. By the time he achieved his 100th victory, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber, he had been awarded the Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub on 2 July 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Kommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter". Promoted to Oberst on 1 January 1945, he led his unit in Operation Bodenplatte before ending operational flying as Inspekteur der Jagdflieger Ost; after the war he studied brewing and successfully managed the Riegele brewery in Augsburg.

Source :
JY Lorant photo collection
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-german-soldiers-smoking-efront-1941-19373151.html
https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/
https://bpk-fotoarchiv.de/node/390
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10244438610928208&set=gm.1030128112920821&idorvanity=399005652699740
https://pixpast.com/static2/preview2/stock-photo-german-panzer-commander-ernst-georg-buchterkirche-ii-panzer-regiment-6-rkt-condor-legion-tank-badge-russia-1942-15037.jpg
https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/83/Ritterkreuz-des-Eisernen-Kreuzes.htm