Ritterkreuzträger with Feldmütze M43

The Feldmütze M43, also known as the Einheitsfeldmütze 1943, was the standardized field cap introduced by the German Wehrmacht in the second half of 1943 as a practical replacement for the earlier Schiffchen side cap, though the older model continued in limited use until the end of the Second World War. Evolving from the Bergmütze mountain cap worn by Gebirgsjäger units—which traced its roots to Austro-Hungarian ski cap designs of the First World War—the M43 featured a soft wool body in field-grey for Heer and Waffen-SS troops or black wool for Panzer forces, a short cloth-covered visor, and distinctive ear flaps that could be folded down for cold-weather protection or buttoned upward using two metal buttons (or later pressed cardboard versions). Its front typically bore the woven Hoheitssadler national eagle above the Reichskokarde cockade, while SS variants often placed a Totenkopf death’s-head badge at the front with the eagle on the left side; the cap’s teardrop-shaped crown and slightly sloped sides provided a comfortable, helmet-compatible design suited for field service, snipers, reconnaissance troops, and everyday wear. Manufactured in standard wool as well as later simplified HBT drillich and camouflage fabric versions using German or Italian patterns, it proved highly popular among soldiers for its versatility and durability across all fronts. The design’s influence extended well beyond 1945, serving as the basis for post-war headgear in the Bundesgrenzschutz and Bundeswehr mountain units, where similar Bergmütze-style caps remain in service today, and it continues to be widely reproduced for historical and collector purposes.

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HEER


Generalmajor Erich Bärenfänger (1915-1945) was born on 12 January 1915 in Menden in the German Empire and entered the Wehrmacht on 16 October 1936 as a conscript assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 67 before transferring to Infanterie-Regiment 123 of the 50. Infanterie-Division. Promoted to Leutnant der Reserve in April 1939, he took part in the Polish campaign and the Westfeldzug, earning both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz in June 1940 as Zugführer while sustaining his first wound. After the start of the war against the Soviet Union he became Oberleutnant and later Kompaniechef, receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold in December 1941 and the Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold after being wounded three times in a single action. As Oberleutnant and Führer of the III. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 123 he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 7 August 1942 for a decisive night attack on 29/30 June 1942 against a Soviet bunker position south of height 1658 near Sevastopol; the success enabled the encirclement and destruction of enemy forces in the Champagne ravine and allowed the division to advance to the southeastern edge of the city. Shortly thereafter he was promoted to Hauptmann and assumed permanent command of the III. Bataillon. During the heavy fighting along the Terek river in the Caucasus and the subsequent withdrawal into the Kuban bridgehead he distinguished himself by tactical skill and personal bravery, for which he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 17 May 1943 as the 243rd recipient and was promoted to Major. In the defensive battles on the Kerch peninsula from November 1943 to January 1944 Bärenfänger, now Kommandeur of the III. Bataillon of Grenadier-Regiment 123, repeatedly repulsed massed Soviet assaults despite suffering his sixth and seventh wounds; on 10 January 1944 he personally led a counter-attack that recaptured the vital height 125.6 while simultaneously holding the bitterly contested height 133.3 northeast of Bulganak, actions that secured the award of the Schwerter on 23 January 1944 as the 45th recipient and brought simultaneous promotion to Oberstleutnant. After the evacuation of the Crimea he served in staff and training appointments, including as Generalinspekteur for the Führernachwuchs, before returning to combat in the Battle of Berlin. On 24 April 1945, on Hitler’s direct order, he took command of defence sectors A and later B; he mounted unsuccessful armoured attacks northward along the Schönhauser Allee and was promoted to Generalmajor on 25 April, skipping the rank of Oberst, becoming one of the youngest generals of the Heer. When a final breakout attempt toward Oranienburg failed, the devoted National Socialist Bärenfänger took his own life together with his young wife and her brother on 2 May 1945 in a cellar in Prenzlauer Berg.



Generalmajor Paul Schultz (1891-1964) was born on 30 October 1891 in Welzheim and died on 15 September 1964 in Tübingen. He entered military service on 10 July 1912 as Fahnenjunker in the 2. Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen" Nr. 120, was promoted to Leutnant on 17 February 1914, and served in Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 192 during the First World War as Zugführer, Kompanieführer and Bataillonsadjutant, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. and I. Klasse. After demobilization in 1920 he joined the police, rising to Major der Polizei before transferring to the Wehrmacht in 1935 as Major and Kommandeur of a Bataillon in Infanterie-Regiment 35. On 1 December 1939 he became Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 308 (later Grenadier-Regiment 308) within the 198. Infanterie-Division. He led the regiment in Unternehmen Weserübung against Denmark, the Western Campaign, and from June 1941 on the Eastern Front in southern Russia, receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 18 October 1941. Promoted to Oberst on 1 September 1940, he earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 September 1942 for actions at Krasnodar: on the night of 9/10 August 1942, as Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 308, he led an attack past an anti-tank ditch east of the city and, on his own initiative without artillery preparation, stormed the heavily defended suburb of Krasnodar-Pashkovskaya, clearing it block by block and enabling a neighbouring division to enter the northern part of the city. On 26 August 1943 he received the Eichenlaub (284th award) as Oberst and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 308 for defensive fighting east of Belgorod on 24 July 1943, when Soviet forces penetrated his lines three times; he repeatedly counterattacked, once with two Sturmgeschütze, destroying several tanks and restoring the main battle line with his last reserves. Appointed Kommandeur of the Armee-Waffenschule of the 6. Armee on 1 August 1943 and later of the 8. Armee, he was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 March 1944, surrendered to American forces in May 1945, and was released in 1947.



Generalmajor Ernst Voß (1899-1943) was born on 3 November 1899 in Timmenrode in the Harz and died on 11 October 1943 near Nowo-Lipiwo on the Dnieper. He entered military service in 1917, took part in the First World War and was discharged as Unteroffizier at its end. He then joined the police, becoming Polizei-Leutnant on 1 April 1928 and serving with the Landespolizei by 1934. In mid-October 1935 he was accepted into the Heer as Hauptmann. Assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 24, he became Kommandeur of its I. Bataillon on 14 September 1939 and led it in the campaign in France. From June 1941 he fought in Russia until severely wounded on 22 October 1941. After recovery he commanded the Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 24, then the Feldersatz-Bataillon 21, and from March 1942 again the I. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 24. Promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 April 1942, he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 17 August 1942. On 2 December 1942 he assumed command of Grenadier-Regiment 585 within the 320. Infanterie-Division and led it through the heavy defensive fighting between the Don and Donez in the winter of 1942–43. Although his men had no prior Eastern Front experience when they arrived in January 1943, the Regiment under his leadership conducted a successful delaying action from 16 to 23 January against a numerically superior enemy lacking flank support and later achieved further successes in the counter-attacks that contributed to the recapture of Kharkov; for these outstanding performances he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 18 April 1943 as Oberst (promoted 1 June 1943) and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 585. Between 5 and 10 October 1943 northwest of Novo-Georgyevsk his weakened Regiment held a wide sector of front against a combined breakthrough attempt by four Soviet divisions. Fighting at the head of his troops, Voß directed a successful defensive battle until he was mortally wounded on 11 October by a Pak shell—his sixth wound on the Eastern Front—and died the same day near Nowo-Lipiwo. For this defensive achievement he was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub (314th award) to the Ritterkreuz on 28 October 1943 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 585 and was later promoted to Generalmajor.



Oberst der Reserve Walter Schlags-Koch (1898-1983) was born on 7 September 1898 in Hillesheim and died on 17 October 1983 in Köln; he served in the First World War with Jäger-Bataillon 8 from October 1914, was promoted to Leutnant der Reserve in January 1917 and discharged in 1919 before joining the police and later participating in Wehrübungen with Infanterie-Regiment 64, reaching Hauptmann der Reserve by June 1939. Mobilized on 24 August 1939 as Chef of the 4./Infanterie-Regiment 365, he took part in the Westfeldzug of 1940, then from early 1942 commanded the III./Grenadier-Regiment 365 on the Eastern Front, where he was promoted to Major der Reserve on 1 August 1942, received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 20 August 1943 and the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres on 15 November 1943. As Kommandeur of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 365 of the 211. Infanterie-Division he earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 September 1944 for defensive actions in eastern Poland in mid-1944: on 25 July the Germans held a line near Sycyna and Styrzyniec south of the Międzyrzec–Biała Podlaska road, and through his determined leadership the position at Biała Podlaska was maintained for three critical days against Soviet pressure. In September 1944 he assumed command of the Sturm-Regiment AOK 2, was promoted to Oberstleutnant der Reserve on 1 November 1944, and later received the rare Nahkampfspange in Gold on 14 April 1945 after fifty days of close combat. The Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz was awarded on 9 May 1945 for his outstanding leadership of the Sturm-Regiment AOK 2 in January–February 1945, when he repeatedly counter-attacked from the march to seal penetrations west of Mackheim, held the village of Zilona for hours against tanks and infantry while personally fighting with a sniper rifle, defended Kuklin in an all-round position and led a successful breakout under tank fire, then organized the stubborn defense of Elbing for over two weeks, launching staff-led counter-attacks that restored the bridges and enabling the evacuation of wounded before breaking out through enemy lines to reach friendly forces after five days. At the war’s end he commanded Grenadier-Regiment 96 and was promoted to Oberst der Reserve in late April 1945; after Soviet captivity until October 1955 he served in the Bundeswehr, attaining the rank of Oberst.



Major Martin Lenz (1908-2001) was born on July 26th 1908 in Bergneu in the Rhine Province of Germany and served as an officer in the Heer during the Second World War. He received the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse for earlier combat actions. On October 18th 1942, while holding the rank of Oberleutnant and serving with the 8. Kompanie of the II. Bataillon of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 64 in the 16. Panzer-Division, he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold in recognition of sustained distinguished service on the Eastern Front. Later transferred, Lenz rose to the rank of Major and assumed command of the I. Bataillon of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192 within the 21. Panzer-Division. On January 25th 1945 he was decorated with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Kommandeur of that battalion for outstanding leadership and personal bravery in combat during the final phases of the war. His last rank was Major. Available records from contemporary award listings confirm these decorations and postings but provide no further extensive biographical details beyond the documented military career and the specific actions that earned him the higher awards in the closing months of the conflict. According to Axis History Forum, his death date was 8 May 2001.



Major Andreas Thorey (1912-1944) was born on 3 November 1912 in Hitzacker and entered the Reichswehr on 1 April 1932 with Kavallerie-Regiment 3; at the outbreak of war he served as Hauptwachtmeister with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 during the Westfeldzug, earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 21 June 1940, and was promoted to Leutnant on 1 December 1940 before transferring to the Eastern Front in June 1941 where he received the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 18 July 1941 along with the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen. In the summer of 1942, as Oberleutnant and Schwadronsführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 94 of the 4. Gebirgs-Division, he played a major role in the capture of Krasnodar on 10 August 1942, an action for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 April 1943 and simultaneously promoted to Rittmeister; in June 1943 he assumed command of Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 94 and led it in the Kuban bridgehead before distinguishing himself in the defensive fighting west of Melitopol and in the Cherson bridgehead. In October 1943, while tasked with securing the flank of his division against Soviet attacks west of Melitopol, Rittmeister Thorey detected a strong enemy force assembling for an assault, promptly launched a spontaneous flanking counterattack with elements of two of his companies, and personally led from the front to smash the Soviet formation, an achievement that earned him the 349th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 7 December 1943 as Kommandeur of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 94. He continued to command the Abteilung until he was killed in action on 18 April 1944 during the fighting along the Dniester River in the southern sector of the Eastern Front and was posthumously promoted to Major.



Major der Reserve Dr.jur. Albert Bausch (1904-1944) was born on 2 July 1904 in Orken bei Grevenbroich in the Rhineland and entered military service on 21 December 1937 with the 4. Batterie of Artillerie-Regiment 75. On 20 December 1940 he was transferred to the Führerreserve of the OKH for conversion training on Sturmgeschütze. At the start of the campaign in the East he served with Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 275 and later temporarily led Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 226. After completing an Abteilungsführer-Lehrgang in September 1943 he was appointed Kommandeur of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 286 on 1 October 1943. In December 1943 his Abteilung destroyed more than seventy Soviet tanks, twenty-one Pak and several enemy positions, an achievement for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 February 1944 while still holding the rank of Hauptmann der Reserve as Kommandeur of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 286 and was simultaneously promoted to Major der Reserve. He had earlier been awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 13 June 1940, the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse in October 1942 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 4 July 1943 as Hauptmann der Reserve in Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 226, together with the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber and the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen. His unit was redesignated Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 286 in February 1944. Bausch took part in the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France and prolonged fighting on the Eastern Front. He fell in action on 29 August 1944 near Piatra Neamţ in Romania and was buried at the German war cemetery in Jassy. A subsequent nomination for the Ritterkreuz with Oak Leaves reached the Heerespersonalamt after his death but the final decision remains undocumented.



Oberleutnant Rolf Truxa (1921-1983), born on 6 June 1921 in Berlin-Schöneberg, Germany, served as an officer in the Heer during the Second World War and rose to the rank of Oberleutnant as Führer of the 2. Batterie, Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 December 1943 for his leadership during the German attempt to recapture the city of Nevel, where he and his Sturmgeschütze supported the infantry of the 252. Infanterie-Division. After overcoming Soviet minefields, the attacking infantry became pinned down while trying to seize the high ground at Sui Shmotki; at this critical moment, Oberleutnant Truxa rallied the stalled forces and led a sharp, aggressive assault with his assault guns that captured the heights, allowing the German advance to resume and pushing the Soviets back some 6 km by evening, despite the overall operation ultimately failing. Earlier in 1943 he had also received the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS while serving with the 1. Batterie of the same unit and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. Truxa survived the war and died on 3 February 1983 in Merzig an der Saar, Saarland, Germany.



Leutnant der Reserve Heinrich Boigk (1912-2003) was born on 30 October 1912 in Cologne-Lindenthal and joined the Wehrmacht in early 1940 with Infanterie-Regiment 49, later redesignated Jäger-Regiment 49 of the 28. Jäger-Division. He took part in the French campaign and the invasion of the Soviet Union, distinguishing himself repeatedly as a reconnaissance and patrol leader. Promoted to Oberjäger der Reserve, he served as Gruppenführer in the 2. Kompanie of Jäger-Regiment 49. During combat south of Lake Ladoga he repeatedly led successful Spähtruppunternehmen, often being the first man to enter enemy positions under difficult conditions, capturing prisoners and bringing back valuable intelligence material to higher commands. For these actions he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 May 1943. Later, as Feldwebel der Reserve and Zugführer in the same company, he played a decisive role in sealing a dangerous Soviet breakthrough at the Wolchow bridgehead in January 1944; despite being severely wounded and losing an eye during the fighting, his resolute leadership prevented the enemy penetration from expanding. For this achievement he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 18 January 1944 as the 370th recipient. He was promoted to Leutnant der Reserve on 30 January 1945. His other awards included the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (27 June 1940), the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (29 September 1941), the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber, the Ostmedaille and the Krimschild. He ended the war at the rank of Leutnant der Reserve and died in Cologne on 28 March 2003.



Oberfeldwebel Erich Bansen (1917-1966) was born on 27 May 1917 in Liebensee near Posen in Germany and later served as a highly decorated non-commissioned officer in the German Heer during the Second World War. Early in the conflict he belonged to the 2. Kompanie of Panzerjäger-Abteilung 3 within the 3. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert), where he rose to the rank of Unteroffizier. In this capacity he distinguished himself sufficiently to receive the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS on 16 October 1942 and, shortly afterwards, the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 24 November 1942. He also earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz as well as the Verwundetenabzeichen. Later transferred to the independent Heerestruppe formation schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 519, which was equipped with the powerful 8.8 cm Hornisse (later Nashorn) self-propelled tank destroyers, Bansen advanced to Oberfeldwebel and assumed the position of Zugführer in the 1. Kompanie. The Abteilung was committed to the Eastern Front under Heeresgruppe Mitte and achieved notable success in the defensive fighting around Vitebsk during the winter of 1943–1944, claiming large numbers of Soviet armoured vehicles destroyed while suffering comparatively light losses of its own. It was for his leadership and personal bravery as Zugführer in these bitter actions that Bansen was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 March 1944. After the war he lived in peacetime Germany until his death on 19 September 1966, although some records note a degree of uncertainty regarding the precise date of his passing.

Oberfeldwebel Christoph Krämer (1913-1990) was born on 21 August 1913 in Menden in Westphalia and died on 6 October 1990 in Brühl in North Rhine-Westphalia. Serving in the Heer during the Second World War, he rose to the rank of Oberfeldwebel and distinguished himself as a Zugführer in the ranks of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7 of the 7. Panzer-Division. His decorations included the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse and 1. Klasse, the Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”, the Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4. Klasse for four years of service, the Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 with Spange, the Nahkampfspange in Bronze, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold awarded on 7 August 1943 while he was with the 7. Kompanie of the II. Bataillon. On 14 May 1944 he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer of the 5. Kompanie, II. Bataillon, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7. At that time the 7. Panzer-Division was heavily engaged on the Eastern Front in the southern sector, having fought through the bitter defensive battles around Zhitomir and Shepetovka in early 1944 before being drawn into the great encirclement of the 1. Panzer-Armee in the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket during March and April. In the course of the subsequent breakout operations westward across the Zbruch River under continuous pressure from superior Soviet forces, the division’s panzergrenadiers repeatedly conducted determined close-combat actions to keep escape corridors open, protect the flanks of the advancing columns, and repel enemy attempts to cut the withdrawing formations. As Zugführer, Krämer led his platoon through these critical fighting days, demonstrating the personal bravery and tactical skill required of junior leaders in the fluid and costly battles that enabled the remnants of the division to extricate themselves from the pocket and reassemble further west near Buczacz and Brody. His award of the Ritterkreuz recognised outstanding leadership and combat performance in these operations that preserved the fighting strength of his unit under extreme conditions. After the war he lived quietly in Brühl until his death in 1990.

Oberfeldwebel Walter Rappholz (1912-1991) was born on 4 June 1912 in Magdeburg and entered military service in 1935 with the Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 13 in his hometown. He took part in the 1938 occupation of the Sudetenland and received the Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 on 15 November 1939 while serving in the 1. Kompanie. During the 1940 campaign in France he earned the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 30 May 1940. In October 1940 he was posted as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer to the 1. Batterie of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 616, later designated Panzerjäger-Abteilung (Sfl) 616. On the Eastern Front he was wounded on 13 September 1941 and awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz on 21 September 1941; he later received the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 on 17 August 1942, the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen, the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 5 May 1943 as Oberfeldwebel of the 1. Kompanie, and the Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold on 9 December 1943 after further wounds. The action that brought him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes occurred during defensive fighting west of Sanok at the Dukla Pass. Commanding a small force of only about ninety men equipped with Marder II tank destroyers, Rappholz successfully repelled a heavy Soviet armoured assault, personally directing the destruction of sixteen enemy tanks and thereby enabling the orderly withdrawal of the division to which his unit was attached. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 3 November 1944 while still serving as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer in the Panzerjäger-Abteilung (Sfl) 616, which remained his final rank. Later wounded again in the fighting in Silesia, he was captured by American forces and released on 26 May 1945. He returned to Magdeburg, established a craft business, and died there on 30 September 1991.



Feldwebel Otto Angel (1913-2002) was born on 20 February 1913 in Oberntief, Bavaria, Germany, and passed away on 14 October 2002 in Schmelz, Saarland. He began his military career on 4 April 1934 by enlisting in the 1. Batterie of Artillerie-Regiment 7 stationed in Würzburg, and on 20 August 1939 he was transferred to Artillerie-Regiment 103 in Ansbach. On 7 July 1941 he received promotion to Gefreiter der Reserve. Assigned to the Sturmgeschütz-Waffe on 8 February 1942, he completed training with the Sturmgeschütz- und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 200 in Schweinfurt. He was promoted to Obergefreiten der Reserve on 18 October 1942 and posted on 2 March 1943 to Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 185, rising after five months to Unteroffizier der Reserve. Following home leave in January 1945 he could not reach his unit again and therefore reported in February 1945 to Panzer-Jagd-Abteilung 6, equipped with Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer, at Frankfurt an der Oder. Serving as Zugführer in Panzerjäger-Abteilung 6 of Panzerjäger-Brigade 104 under Kampfgruppe Munzel, Angel performed outstandingly on 7 March 1945 in the defense of Körlin near Stettin. Attacked by a force of nine T-34 medium tanks and four IS-2 heavy tanks, he nevertheless destroyed six T-34s in the space of only seven minutes. On 10 March 1945, even though his Hetzer had suffered battle damage, he accounted for a further eight enemy tanks and thereby rendered a major contribution to the successful German defense west of Buchholz as well as to the formation of the Brückenkopf Dievenow. These exploits brought his personal score of destroyed tanks to a total of thirty-eight. For this exceptional bravery and effectiveness in combat he was decorated with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 March 1945 while still Unteroffizier der Reserve. His other awards comprised the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, the Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz, the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen and the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42. He attained the rank of Feldwebel before the war ended, and this remained his last rank.

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LUFTWAFFE

Oberstleutnant Heinrich "Pritzl" Bär (1913-1957), born on 25 May 1913 in Sommerfeld in the Kingdom of Saxony and died on 28 April 1957 in Braunschweig, was a highly successful Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace who flew more than 1,000 combat sorties across the Western, Eastern, and Mediterranean theatres during World War II, claiming around 220 aerial victories (with German Federal Archives records confirming 208, including 16 in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter). A former mechanic and transport pilot who transitioned to fighters with I./JG 51, Bär achieved his first victory against a Curtiss P-36 Hawk on the French border in September 1939, adding further kills during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain before excelling dramatically on the Eastern Front in Operation Barbarossa with JG 51 under II. Fliegerkorps. His Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes came on 2 July 1941 as Leutnant in 1./JG 51 after reaching 27 victories in the intense opening weeks, notably claiming multiple Tupolev SB bombers on 22 June and five more on 30 June amid JG 51's milestone 1,000th victory day. He received the 31st Eichenlaub on 14 August 1941 as Leutnant (soon promoted Oberleutnant) in 1./JG 51 upon attaining 60 victories, highlighted by an "ace-in-a-day" of six Soviet aircraft on 30 August before being shot down and wounded that same day near Novgorod-Seversky, evading capture by disguising himself as a peasant! Promoted to Hauptmann and appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 51 (later Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 51), Bär earned the 7th Schwerter on 16 February 1942 for his 90th victory, continuing to amass kills in the Crimea with I./JG 77 and later in North Africa, the Defence of the Reich, and with JV 44, where his independent spirit often clashed with superiors like Hermann Göring, who denied him the Brillanten despite three recommendations; post-war he worked as a test pilot until his fatal crash in a LF-1 Zaunkönig.



Hauptmann Heinz Schmidt (1920-1943), nicknamed "Johnny", was born on 20 April 1920 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe and volunteered for the Luftwaffe on 10 November 1938, completing basic training and fighter-pilot instruction before being posted in August 1940 to the 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52, with which he flew his first combat sorties during the Battle of Britain. He claimed his initial aerial victory in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa and continued to score steadily on the Eastern Front, surviving a forced landing behind Soviet lines in late 1941 after which he walked back to German positions over six days. Promoted to Leutnant on 1 February 1942 and to Oberleutnant on 1 August 1942, he received the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 6 July 1942 while serving temporarily as Staffelkapitän of the 5. Staffel. In the intense air battles during the German advance toward Stalingrad he reached his fifty-first confirmed victory and was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 August 1942 as Leutnant and Flugzeugführer in the 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52. Within the next three weeks, operating over the Caucasus, he doubled his score to one hundred and two aerial victories, for which he received the Eichenlaub on 16 September 1942 as the 124th recipient, still holding the rank of Leutnant. After a second forced landing behind enemy lines in February 1943 from which he returned after two days, he continued to fly with Jagdgeschwader 52 and on 16 August 1943 was appointed Staffelführer of the 6. Staffel. On 5 September 1943, during aerial combat near Markor in southern Russia, he was reported missing in action; it is believed he may have been shot down in error by Hungarian fighters operating in the same area. By that date he had flown 712 combat missions and accumulated 173 confirmed aerial victories, all on the Eastern Front, and was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann.

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PANZERMÜTZE M43


Oberstleutnant Bruno Kahl (1914-1999) was born on 23 November 1914 in Cologne and died on 27 February 1999 in the same city. He entered the Reichswehr in 1933 as a Fahnenjunker with Kraftfahr-Abteilung 6 in Gießen and was commissioned Leutnant on 20 April 1935. After service as Nachrichten-Offizier in Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9 he became Kompaniechef of Gebirgs-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 48, taking part in the Polish and Norwegian campaigns. In autumn 1940 he transferred to the Panzerwaffe and joined Panzer-Regiment 21 of the 20. Panzer-Division. Promoted to Hauptmann on 1 June 1941, he later assumed command of the III. Abteilung. On 8 February 1943 he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Hauptmann and Kommandeur of the III. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 21, for his leadership during the encirclement of Soviet forces southeast of Toropez. After three days of hard fighting he launched a bold independent thrust that sealed the last exit from the pocket, thereby sealing the fate of the trapped enemy troops. Promoted to Major, he took command of the III. Abteilung of Panzerjäger-Regiment 656. For his outstanding achievements during the Battle of Kursk in support of the 86. Infanterie-Division he was awarded the Eichenlaub (270th award) on 8 August 1943. Later he served as an instructor with the Bulgarian army, commanded a Panther training course, and from late 1944 led Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland, reaching the rank of Oberstleutnant. Wounded for the eighth time in April 1945, he was captured by American forces near Dachstein and released in June 1945. After the war he pursued a successful civilian career, becoming a director at Bayer AG before retiring in 1979.

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2020/01/foto-tokoh-third-reich-yang-mengenakan.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=206833