Otto Hielscher
Date of Birth: 11.01.1922 - Fürstenwalde-Spree, Brandenburg (Germany)
Date of Death: 25.03.1980 - Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen (West Germany)
Battles and Operations: Operation Barbarossa (1941), Battle of Uman (1941), Battle of Kiev (1941), Battle of Voronezh (1942), Battle of Kursk (1943), Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive (1943-1944), and Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket 91944)
Promotions:
01.10.1943 Oberleutnant (224b)
Career:
01.12.1939 Entered the military
01.05.1941 - 03.01.1943 Batterie-Offizier
04.01.1943 - 06.10.1943 Stellvertreter Batterieführer in Artillerie-Regiment 168
07.10.1943 - 27.01.1944 Ersatzabteilung
28.01.1944 - 00.05.1945 Chef 5.Batterie / II.Abteilung / Artillerie-Regiment 168
Awards and Decorations:
29.06.1941 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
15.09.1941 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
28.03.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (for a single wound inflicted on 18.01.1942)
07.06.1942 Allgemeines-Sturmabzeichen
25.07.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
05.05.1943 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
08.10.1943 Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber (for a single wound inflicted on 06.09.1943)
23.08.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberleutnant and Chef 5.Batterie / II.Abteilung / Artillerie-Regiment 168 / 68.Infanterie-Division
SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5.
SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien") speaks in front of the
audience at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris, on Sunday, 5 March 1944 at
10:30 a.m. In his speech, he launches a vibrant appeal to France to
support the ongoing battles against the Soviet Communist in the Eastern
Front.
Members of LVF (Légion des volontaires français contre le bolchévisme or Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism), militiamen and all political parties of national revolution attended the meeting. The picture was taken by André Zucca on Sunday, 5
March 1944, during the speech of SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5.
SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien") who just returned from the Eastern Front.
Christoph Krämer
Date of Birth: 21.08.1913 - Menden, Westfalen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 06.10.1990 - Brühl, Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany)
Battles and Campaigns: Annexation of Sudetenland (1938), invasion of Poland (1939), invasion of the West (1940), invasion of the Soviet Union (1941)
Promotions:
00.00.19__ Oberfeldwebel
Career:
00.00.1933 entered the military as a member of Infanterie-Regiment 17 in Braunschweig
00.00.193_ transferred to Infanterie-Regiment 60
00.00.193_ transferred to Schützen-Regiment 4
00.00.193_ transferred to Schützen-Regiment 7
00.00.193_ transferred to Wach-Bataillon "Berlin"
00.00.193_ transferred to 2. leichten-Division (later became 7. Panzer-Division)
00.00.194_ Zugführer in 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7 / 7.Panzer-Division
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.1937 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange "Prager Burg"
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten" 1941/42 (Ostmedaille)
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Bronze
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
00.00.194_ Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze
07.08.1943 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
14.05.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer in 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 7 / 7.Panzer-Division
00.00.1945 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht III.Klasse (12 Jahre)
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In 1933 Christoph Krämer joined the Reichswehr, which was transformed into the Wehrmacht in 1935. Before the war he served in the Wach-Bataillon "Berlin".
During the war he served with the 7. Panzer-Division and its predecessor, the 2. leichten-Division. He took part in the Polish, Western and Russian campaigns as a platoon commander and later as a company commander.
Kramer was wounded eight times, once life-threateningly when he was hit by six shots from a submachine gun. He owes his life only to the fact that it was -50° C on the eastern front, since the bitter cold saved him from bleeding to death! In a letter to a comrade he wrote:
"Nevertheless, praise be to what makes hard."
After the war and released from the POW camp, Christoph Krämer was a member of the "Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger" (Cologne section) and the "Traditionsgemeinschaft der 7. Panzer-Division" for many years.
In the war history of the 7. Panzer-Division, from the hand of the unforgotten Panzer general Hasso von Manteufel he wrote: "Oberfeldwebel Christoph Krämer became a rock against which the surf often broke."
Paul Schultz
Date of Birth: 30.10.1891 - Welzheim, Baden-Württemberg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 15.09.1964 - Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg (West Germany)
Wife: Hilde Rüdiger (married 29.04.1920)
Children: 2 daughters and 1 son, KIA near Orel the 10.07.1942 while serving oin the IR 35
Promotions:
10.07.1912 Fahnenjunker
22.03.1913 Fähnrich
17.02.1914 Leutnant
01.02.1920 Charakter als Oberleutnant
01.04.1920 Oberleutnant der Polizei
01.12.1923 Hauptmann der Polizei
01.06.1935 Major der Polizei
01.10.1935 Major (with RDA from 01.10.1934)
01.10.1937 Oberstleutnant
01.09.1940 Oberst
01.03.1944 Generalmajor
Career:
10.07.1912 entered the 2. Württembergische Infanterie-Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen" Nr. 120 in Ulm
00.00.1914 served in the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 192 as Zug- and Kompanieführer, and Bataillonsadjutant
31.01.1920 farewell
30.11.1919 entrered the Württembergische Polizeiwehr in Göppingen
01.12.1923 promoted Hundertschaftsführer in Tübingen
21.05.1930 Police officer training course in Stuttgart, and Kommandeur of the Police in Friedrichhafen
15.05.1933 - 20.05.1933 leadership course in Stuttgart
01.06.1935 Kommandeur der Polizei in Ulm
01.10.1935 transferred to the Wehrmacht as Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment Tübingen
15.10.1935 Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 35 in Tübingen
01.10.1936 Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 35
26.08.1939 Kommandeur Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 78 in Tübingen
04.12.1939 Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 308
01.08.1943 Kommandeur Armee-Waffenschule / 6.Armee
10.10.1944 Kommandeur Armee-Waffenschule / 8.Armee
06.04.1945 - 16.04.1945 "Befehlshaber Slowakei/Korps Schultz" with the 710. Infanterie-Division led by Gorn and Oberst Staudinger - 6. SS-Panzerarmee
09.05.1945 - 11.06.1947 US POW
Awards and Decorations:
09.09.1914 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.191_ Württembergische Militärverdienstmedaille
00.00.191_ Komtur I.Klasse zum Friedrichs-Orden
00.00.191_ Militär-Verdienstmedaille
00.00.191_ Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des Königlich Württembergische Friedrichs-Orden mit Schwertern
06.07.1918 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.1918 Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Silber (for wounds receives in 1914 and 1916)
00.00.193_ SA-Sportabzeichen
00.00.193_ DRL Sportabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.193_ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
00.00.19__ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht III.Klasse (12 Jahre)
00.00.194_ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht II. Klasse (18 Jahre)
00.00.1940 Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen
17.04.1940 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
01.08.1940 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht I.Klasse (25 Jahre)
00.00.19__ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
11.09.1941 Tsarski Orden "Sv. Aleksandar" III stepen (Bulgaria)
18.10.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
02.05.1942 Ordinul Steaua Romaniei, Knight (Rumania)
12.08.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
03.09.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 308 / 198.Infanterie-Division. On the night of the 09./10.08.1942 Oberst Schultz led his Regiment in an attack on the city of Krasnodar-Pashkovskaya. After getting past the anti-tank ditch east of the city, he decided on his own initiative to launch an immediate attack on the heavily defended suburb of Krasnodar despite the lack of artillery preparation. He and his Regiment succeeded in penetrating into the suburb, clearing one block after another of the Soviets. In doing so he opened the way for the neighbouring Division to penetrate into the northern part of the city. For this success Schultz was awarded the Knight's Cross.
26.08.1943 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #284, as Oberst and Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 308 / 198.Infanterie-Division
00.00.194_ Kubanschild
00.00.194_ Kriegsverdienstkreuz II.Klasse mit Schwertern
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Paul Schultz joined the Württemberg Army on July 10, 1912 as a cadet. The son of a forest master came to the 2nd Württemberg Infantry Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Prussia" No. 120. He was then promoted to ensign on March 22, 1913. After attending war school, he was promoted to lieutenant on February 17, 1914. He was then transferred to the 192nd Infantry Regiment, where he fought during the First World War. Above all, he was used as a platoon and company commander, and at times also as a battalion adjutant. After the end of World War I, he was discharged from the army on January 31, 1920.
After this he joined the Württemberg police force in Göppingen on November 30, 1919. On April 1, 1920, he was then promoted to lieutenant in the police force. As such, he married Hilde Rüdiger on April 29, 1920. This marriage produced 2 daughters and 1 son. On December 1, 1923, he was promoted to captain of the police and was appointed Hundertschaftsführer (leader of a hundred) in Tübingen. From May 21, 1930 he graduated from the police officer school in Stuttgart and was then appointed commander of the police in Friedrichhafen. On June 1, 1935, he was promoted to major in the police force. As such, he was then appointed commander of the police in Ulm. On October 1, 1935 he was accepted back into the army as a major. His seniority was set at October 1, 1934. He was also appointed commander of the III. Battalion from the Tübingen Infantry Regiment. Due to the renaming of his battalion when it was exposed after the expansion of the Reichswehr to the Wehrmacht, he was then appointed commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 35th Infantry Regiment on October 15, 1935. On October 1, 1937 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On August 26, 1939, he was appointed commander of Infantry Replacement Regiment 78 during mobilization for World War II. On December 1, 1939, he took over as commander of the new Infantry Regiment 308, which he then led in April 1940 at Operation Weserübung during the occupation of Denmark. At the end of spring 1940 he led his regiment in the 198th Infantry Division in the western campaign. After its completion, he was promoted to colonel on September 1, 1940. From June 1941 he fought with his regiment in the eastern campaign in the attack on southern Russia, where he was awarded the German Cross in Gold on October 18, 1941. His only son died in the 35th Infantry Regiment on July 10, 1942 in the Orel area. In the battle for the city of Krasnodar in the summer of 1942, he distinguished himself with his regiment, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as a colonel on September 3, 1942. On August 1, 1943 he was then appointed commander of the Army Weapons School of the 6th Army. On August 26, 1943, he was subsequently awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for the services of the Grenadier Regiment 308 in the Kuban bridgehead. Promoted to major general on March 1, 1944, he became commander of the Army Weapons School of the 8th Army on October 10, 1944. At the end of the war he was taken prisoner by the Americans. From this he was released on June 11, 1947.
Heinz Bevernis
Date of Birth: 11.12.1914 - Stralsund, Pommern (German Empire)
Date of Death: 19.07.1942 - Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast (Soviet Union)
Buried: Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Solzy (Soviet Union)
Promotions:
00.00.194_ Oberfeldwebel
Career:
00.00.194_ Bordschütze in 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1)
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.19__ Flugzeugführerabzeichen
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
24.11.1941 Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
00.00.194_ Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold
11.05.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
19.09.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (posthumously), as Oberfeldwebel and Bordschütze in 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1). Awarded in recognition of his contribution to the successes of pilot and Ritterkreuzträger Hauptmann Hartmut Schairer over the course of 562 sorties. He was the first wireless-operator/gunner of the entire Stuka arm to be so honoured.
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Heinz Bevernis (December 11, 1914 in Stralsund; died July 19, 1942 near Staraya Russa in Russia) took part in hundreds of enemy flights over France (1940 Western Campaign), England (Operation Eagle Attack), Crete (Operation Mercury), Malta, North Africa (Operation Africa) and the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). From July 1940 he was Hartmut Schairer's on-board radio operator/gunner.
On July 19, 1942, while the Battle of Demyansk was raging, Schairer's squadron had to engage in dive combat against advancing Soviet tanks, which they succeeded in doing. The Russians retreated. As squadron commander, it was his job to inspect the battlefield and the aftermath of the attack afterwards, which he did at low altitude. His Ju 87 D-1 (factory no. 2360) was hit by enemy anti-aircraft guns south-southeast of Lake Ilmen. The burning machine fell Staraya Russa (Novgorod region) inexorably towards the earth.
Captain Schairer and his faithful radio operator/gunner Oberfeldwebel Heinz Bevernis fell as they flew – together for Germany. Heinz' younger brother Bruno Bevernis (October 29, 1919 in Sralsund) died just two days later on July 21, 1942 as a private on the eastern front near Samoschje.
On September 19, 1942, Bevernis was the first shipboard radio operator/gunner to be awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes posthumously in World War II.
Hartmut Schairer
Date of Birth: 16.09.1916 - Nagold, Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 19.07.1942 - Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast (Soviet Union)
Buried: Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Solzy (Soviet Union)
Promotions:
00.00.1939 Oberleutnant
00.00.194_ Hauptmann
Career:
00.00.1936 Joined the Kriegsmarine
00.00.1936 Transferred to the Luftwaffe
01.09.1939 - 00.09.1939 Assigned to the Luftwaffenpersonalamt des Reichsluftfahrtministerium
00.09.1939 Staffelführer 1.Staffel (Sturzkampf) / Trägergruppe 186
09.07.1940 Staffelführer 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1)
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.19__ Flugzeugführerabzeichen
00.00.19__ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
00.00.194_ Frontflugspange in Gold
30.08.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1). Awarded after flying considerably more than 150 sorties as a ground attack pilot.
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Hartmut Schairer (September 16, 1916 in Nagold; died July 19, 1942 near Staraja Russa in Russia) was a German officer in the Wehrmacht, most recently a captain in the Luftwaffe, dive fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross in World War II. In a relatively short time, Schairer completed 562 enemy flights with his Junkers Ju 87 against warships, troop carriers, enemy tanks and enemy positions, etc. in support of infantry and armored forces.
The Black Forest Schairer joined the Kriegsmarine in 1936 with the aim of becoming a sea pilot, but there were only limited positions and opportunities for advancement in the sea pilot associations. In the same year, the young ensign was transferred to the Luftwaffe, where he later became a Leutnant. After training as a pilot, he was assigned to the Air Force Personnel Office of the Reich Aviation Ministry at the beginning of September 1939.
From the RLM, Schairer was commanded to the 1.Staffel (Sturzkampf) / Trägergruppe 186, which was equipped with Junkers Ju 87 B (until September 2, 1939 in Stolp-West with the 1. Flieger-Division, until September 6 in breasterort, then stationed in Lauenburg, Danzig and Radom until October 1939). With the Tr.Gr.186 he took part in the Polish campaign and the western campaign in 1940. The 1./Tr.Gr.186 was stationed in Bastogne, Guise, Buzanzy, Villenauxe, Auxerre and Falaise.
On July 9, 1940, Schairer joined the 7th Squadron of the III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 1. Schairer was now assigned a new radio operator, Heinz Bevernis, with whom he was to fly continuously for the next two years. The group flew sorties with VIII. Fliegerkorps against sea targets in the Channel and near-shore targets in southern England during Operation Eagle Strike. In September the group was transferred to St. Pol near St. Omer and assigned to the II. Fliegerkorps. Under strong fighter cover, the group continued to fly missions against ships in the Thames estuary until mid-November. After that, only raids against sea targets in the Thames estuary were flown in bad weather or at night. On December 8, 1940, a supplementary squadron for the squadron was formed in Schaffen-Diest.
At the beginning of 1941 the III.Gruppe of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 stationed in Ostend. From mid-February 1941, the group moved to Trapani in Sicily, where it was deployed to the staff of X. Fliegerkorps against the British Mediterranean fleet of the Royal Navy and the British Mediterranean island of Malta.
From April 10th to May 8th the group with two squadrons (without 9th squadron) was deployed in Derna under Fliegerführer Afrika against sea targets and in support of the German Afrikakorps. The 9th squadron remained in Sicily and flew night missions against Malta from Comiso.
On May 23, the III. Gruppe, still without the 9 Squadron, transferred to Argos-South Greece to join the VIII. Fliegerkorps in support of Operation Merkur, the conquest of Crete. Squadron leader (possibly already squadron captain) Schairer sank a destroyer and four supply ships in the Mediterranean and damaged six other enemy ships, some of them severely. He had still managed to become a kind of naval aviator. At the beginning of June 1941, the group in Kitzingen and Cottbus was briefly refreshed.
At the beginning of the Russian campaign, the group was subordinate to its own squadron headquarters at VIII. Fliegerkorps. The group was used for attacks on troop targets, enemy movements, bridges, transport hubs and centers of resistance, the group supported the army's advance across the Berezina, the breakthrough through the Dnieper and Duna lines at Vitebsk and Polotsk, the encirclement battle of Smolensk, the Battle of Roslavl, at Rogachev and Gomel-Klinzy. This was followed by the encirclement battle of Kiev, the double battle of Bryansk-Vyazma and the advance on Orel and Tula under the VIII. Fliegerkorps. After suffering heavy losses, the group was withdrawn from action on December 6, 1941 and transferred to Schweinfurt for refreshment.
At the beginning of 1942, the II. Gruppe of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 was stationed in Schweinfurt for refreshment. In February 1942 the group moved via Neukuhren to Gostkino and Gorodjetz. The group was deployed in 1942 in the northern sector of the eastern front under the command of I. Fliegerkorps at the front focal points there.
On July 19, 1942, while the Battle of Demyansk was raging, Schairer's squadron had to engage in dive combat operation against advancing Soviet tanks, which they succeeded in doing. The Russians retreated. As squadron commander, it was his job to inspect the battlefield and the aftermath of the attack afterwards, which he did at low altitude. His Ju 87 D-1 (factory no. 2360) was hit by enemy anti-aircraft guns south-southeast of Lake Ilmen. The burning machine fell in Staraya Russa (Novgorod region) inexorably towards the earth. Hauptmann Schairer and his faithful radio operator/gunner Oberfeldwebel Heinz Bevernis fell as they flew – together for Germany. On September 19, 1942, Bevernis was the first Stuka Bordfunker (radio operator) / gunner to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross posthumously in World War II.
Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Erich Hanne took over the leadership of the 7. Staffel for a short time, but he also stayed ahead of the enemy - he fell on September 5, 1942. After an attack on enemy tanks and a hit by anti-aircraft guns, he was able to intercept his damaged machine and gain height. brought his Ju 87 D-1 behind his own lines, ordered his gunners to parachute out, but before he could follow him over the wooded terrain, his machine stalled, leaving Hanne trapped in it.
Flew a total of 562 sorties as a Ju 87 pilot.
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Hans Röhrig
Date of Birth: 04.11.1919 - Hindenburg, Oberschlesien (Germany)
Date of Death: 13.07.1943 - Siracusa, Sicily (Italy)
Promotions:
04.07.1941 Leutnant
07.07.1943 Oberleutnant (RDA from 01.02.1943)
01.09.1943 Hauptmann (posthumously, RDA from 01.03.1944)
Career:
23.09.1940 3.Staffel / Erprobungsgruppe 210
01.05.1941 3.Staffel / I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53)
04.07.1941 Wounded in action after his Bf 109 F-2 crashed, cartwheeled on take-off from Hostynne
25.07.1941 Recorded his first victory when he shot down a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber
00.12.1941 Relocated with 3./JG 53 to the Mediterranean theatre
00.05.1942 Relocated back with I./JG 53 to the Eastern Front
30.06.1942 5./ JG 53, wounded in action after his Bf 109 F-4/Trop. coded 'Yellow 4' shot down by fighters in the area of Kolpna
06.08.1942 His Bf 109 G-2 was shot down by a Yak-1 fighter and bailed out in Pl.Qu. 39891. MIA/Returned
01.09.1942 Relocated with I./JG 53 to the Mediterranean theatre
00.11.1942 Staffelkapitän 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53)
24.01.1943 9./ JG 53, 1 victory
29.04.1943 9./ JG 53, 1 victory
13.06.1943 9./JG 53, 1 victory
11.07.1943 Recorded his last victories, four USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighters
13.07.1943 Missing in action with Bf 109 G-4/R6/Trop. coded 'Yellow 4+ I' over the Straits of Messina near Catania/Sicily following air combat with Spitfires while he was escorting Ju 52s loaded with paratroops
01.08.1944: officially listed as MIA
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.19__ Flugzeugführerabzeichen
00.00.194_ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.194_ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Frontflugspange für Jäger
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
02.10.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Leutnant and Flugzeugführer in 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53)
26.10.1942 Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
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Hans Röhrig (4 November 1919 – 13 July 1943) was first assigned to Erprobungsgruppe 210. He flew many fighter-bomber missions over England during the Battle of Britain and according to one source, recorded five aerial victories during this time but those victories remain unconfirmed. On 1 May 1941, Röhrig was transferred to JG 53 stationed on the Eastern Front. He recorded his first victory on 25 July, when he shot down a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber. Röhrig relocated with 3./JG 53 to the Mediterranean theatre at the end of 1941. From bases in Sicily, he flew missions over Malta but was unable to add any further victory during this time.
In May 1942, I./JG 53 relocated back to the Eastern Front. On 6 August 1942 Leutnant Hans Röhrig (flying Bf.109G-2 W.Nr 13480) was shot down by a Yak-1 fighter, apparently flown by Soviet ace Starshiy Leytenant Mikhail Baranov (183 IAP, 269 IAD). At that time Röhrig had eight victories to his credit. Röhrig claimed his 10th victory on 20 August. In September, Röhrig was particularly successful recording 39 victories during the month. On September 1942, Röhrig had reached 56 victories.
His unit, I./JG 53 were again relocated to the Mediterranean theatre in late September 1942. Leutnant Röhrig was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 2 October 1942. During October, the unit operated over Malta to participate into bomber escort missions. In November 1942, Röhrig was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 53. He successfully led the unit during the campaigns in Tunisia and Sicily. He recorded his last victories, two USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighters, over Sicily on 11 July 1943. He shot down another two USAAF P-38 on the same day. On 13 July 1943, Röhrig led 9./JG 53 escorting Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft to drop paratroops on the Catania plains. He failed to return from the mission, being shot down and killed by RAF Spitfire fighters which intercepted the escort mission. Röhrig was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann.
Hans Röhrig was credited with 75 victories. He recorded 56 victories over the Eastern Front and 19 victories recorded over the Western Front.
Werner Ziegler (30 April 1916 - 15 April 2001) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941 as Leutnant and Führer 2.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 186 / 73.Infanterie-Division. On 14 August 1941, during the battles between the Dniester and the Bug rivers, Leutnant Ziegler and his Kompanie took the heavily occupied town of Petrovskoye on the western bank of the Bug in a coup d'état and cleared out the surrounding area in bitter house fighting. More than 300 prisoners were captured in the process. Ziegler would be awarded the Ritterkreuz for this action.
Ziegler received the Eichenlaub #121 on 8 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Führer 2.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 186 / 73.Infanterie-Division. The medal was awarded for his leadership during the urban fighting in Novorossiysk on 6 September 1942.
Ziegler received the Schwerter #102 for his Ritterkreuz on 23 October 1944 as Major and Führer Grenadier-Regiment 186 / 73.Infanterie-Division. Ziegler's Regiment participated in the final battle for Sevastopol in May 1944. On 7 May 1944, during the general Soviet attack against the German V. Armeekorps, his Regiment stood firm in its defensive positions on Windmill Hill, even after it had been surrounded. Ziegler and his men were able to hold their ground successfully until relieved by Kampfgruppen Marienfeld and Faulhaber on the morning of the next day.
Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34554/Ziegler-Werner.htm
Werner Ziegler
Date of Birth: 30.04.1916 - Hausach, Baden (German Empire)
Date of Death: 15.04.2001 - Ofersheim, Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
Promotions:
00.00.1939 Leutnant
08.09.1942 Oberleutnant
00.00.1942 Hauptmann
01.05.1943 Major
01.06.1944 Oberstleutnant
Career:
00.00.1936 Infanterie-Regiment 20
03.10.1939 Adjutant / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 186
01.10.1940 Führer 2.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 186
00.00.1942 Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 186
01.07.1943 Stabsoffizier V. Armeekorps
00.00.1943 Stabsoffizier 19. Panzer-Division
06.03.1944 Führer Grenadier-Regiment 186
01.06.1944 Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 186
00.09-10.1944 Kommandeur Grenadier Regiment 1112
00.00.1945 Stabsoffizier V. Armeekorps
00.00.1956 Joined the Bundeswehr and served at the Infantry School in Hammelburg
00.00.1960 Stellvertretender Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Brigade 35
00.00.1967 Retired as Oberst
and Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Brigade 19
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
07.07.1940 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
26.04.1941 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
31.12.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #766, as Leutnant and Führer 2.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 186 / 73.Infanterie-Division. On 14 August 1941, during the rapid advance between the Dniester and Southern Bug rivers in Ukraine (early phases of Operation Barbarossa), Ziegler led his company in a daring coup de main (surprise assault) on the heavily defended town of Petrovskoye on the western bank of the Bug River. They stormed the town, cleared it in bitter house-to-house fighting, and captured over 300 Soviet prisoners while securing the surrounding area.
As part of the 73. Infanterie-Division’s push deep into Soviet territory under 11. Armee, Ziegler’s men advanced through dusty Ukrainian plains under the blistering summer sun. Soviet forces had fortified Petrovskoye with entrenched infantry, machine-gun nests, and anti-tank positions guarding the vital river crossing. Ziegler’s company executed a lightning strike—likely under covering fire from artillery or flanking elements—rushing the outskirts before the defenders could fully react.
What followed was brutal close-quarters combat: German grenadiers kicked in doors, cleared rooms with grenades and bayonets, and fought hand-to-hand through smoke-filled streets and rubble-choked alleys. Bullets ricocheted off walls, screams echoed as Soviets were overwhelmed or surrendered in droves. Ziegler’s calm leadership under fire turned potential stalemate into decisive victory. By day’s end, his company had not only taken the town but mopped up surrounding pockets, denying the Soviets a strongpoint and yielding a massive haul of prisoners. This action exemplified the aggressive, small-unit initiative that defined early Barbarossa successes. The Ritterkreuz recognized this textbook example of infantry audacity.
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
08.09.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #121, as Oberleutnant and Führer 2.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 186 / 73.Infanterie-Division. Awarded for his leadership during the urban fighting in Novorossiysk on 6 September 1942. By summer 1942, the 73. Infanterie-Division had shifted to Heeresgruppe A’s drive into the Caucasus as part of the summer offensive. Novorossiysk, a critical Black Sea port and naval base, was a nightmare of concrete fortifications, dockyards, oil tanks, and multi-story buildings turned into strongpoints by Soviet naval infantry, regular troops, and civilians pressed into service.
On 6 September, as German forces launched a coordinated assault to seize the city, Ziegler’s company spearheaded the push into the urban core. The fighting was savage and intimate: street-by-street, block-by-block advances under constant sniper fire, mortar barrages, and counterattacks. Grenades flew through shattered windows; flamethrowers cleared basements; machine guns chattered from rooftops. Smoke from burning fuel tanks choked the air, mixing with dust and cordite. Ziegler personally directed his men through this hell, maintaining momentum despite heavy casualties, coordinating with neighboring units, and exploiting gaps in Soviet defenses. His company’s decisive contribution helped crack key sectors of the city’s defenses, enabling further German gains (though the port was never fully secured due to Soviet naval resistance and later landings).
After surviving the brutal winter positional fighting at the Mius River (1941/42), this action in the Kuban region showcased Ziegler’s evolution into a proven combat leader. The Eichenlaub were a rare early-war honor for an Oberleutnant, highlighting how his company’s bravery helped the division punch above its weight in one of the most contested urban battles of the Caucasus campaign.
00.00.194_ Krimschild
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Bronze
00.00.194_ Sonderabzeichen für das Niederkämpfen von Panzerkampfwagen durch Einzelkämpfer
00.00.194_ Kubanschilz
23.10.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #102, as Major and Führer Grenadier-Regiment 186 / 73.Infanterie-Division. Ziegler's Regiment participated in the final battle for Sevastopol in May 1944. On 7 May 1944, during the general Soviet attack against the German V. Armeekorps, his Regiment stood firm in its defensive positions on Windmill Hill, even after it had been surrounded. Ziegler and his men were able to hold their ground successfully until relieved by Kampfgruppen Marienfeld and Faulhaber on the morning of the next day.
By spring 1944, the 73. Infanterie-Division was trapped in the shrinking Crimean pocket as the Red Army’s 4th Ukrainian Front launched its crushing offensive to retake the peninsula. Sevastopol’s defenses—hastily rebuilt from 1941–42 fortifications—faced overwhelming Soviet artillery, air strikes, and infantry waves supported by armor.
Ziegler, now commanding the entire Grenadier-Regiment 186, anchored a critical sector on Windmill Hill, a key height overlooking approaches to the city. On 7 May, during the general Soviet onslaught against V. Armeekorps, massive barrages pounded the German lines. Waves of Soviet infantry surged forward under covering fire, supported by tanks and assault guns. Ziegler’s men—exhausted, low on ammunition, and outnumbered—were cut off as enemy forces enveloped the hill. Trenches filled with the dead and wounded; runners couldn’t get through; radio calls for support grew desperate. Yet under Ziegler’s iron leadership, the grenadiers held: firing from foxholes, launching desperate counterattacks with bayonets and grenades, and using captured weapons when their own ran dry. They repelled assault after assault through the night, turning the hill into a fortress of rubble and resolve.
Only on the morning of 8 May did relief Kampfgruppen break through to link up, allowing an organized withdrawal. The regiment’s stand bought precious time for the collapsing German defense and prevented a total breakthrough in that sector. The division was largely destroyed in the final evacuation chaos, but Ziegler’s actions epitomized the desperate, heroic defense of “Fortress Sevastopol.”
00.00.1968 Bundesverdienstkreuz I.Klasse
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Werner Ziegler joined the 20th Infantry Regiment in 1936, where he was promoted to Leutnant in 1939.
On October 3, 1939 he became adjutant in the 1st Battalion of the 186th Infantry Regiment. After the western campaign in 1940, he took over the leadership of the 2nd Company of the 186th Infantry Regiment on October 1, 1940. He led this during the Balkan campaign and at the beginning of the campaign "Barbarossa". In the battles on the Crimean peninsula, he distinguished himself with special bravery. For his achievements he was awarded the Knight's Cross on December 31, 1941. He was known for using innovative warfare tactics and was a feared expert in night raids.
After the difficult positional battles on the Mius in the winter of 1941/42, he distinguished himself again in the summer of 1942 in the Kuban region. He and his company played a decisive role in the capture of Novorossiysk, for which he was awarded the oak leaf as an Oberleutnant on September 8, 1942.
On the night of September 10, 1942, the day when the 1st Battalion of Grenadier Regiment 186 of the 73rd Infantry Division under Eichenlaubträger Oberleutnant Werner Ziegler set out for the final assault on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, the small flotilla of the “Brandenburg ' - the inflatable boats towed by the assault boats - in a wide arc around Novorossiysk to the south-east. The 122 kilometers between Tuapse and Novorossiysk, over which the access road led, were to be interrupted about 30 kilometers south-east of Novorossiysk. Explosives and weapons were stowed in the inflatable boats. When Oberleutnant Ziegler and his grenadiers from the 73rd Infantry Division entered the city, fought down house after house and fought his way to the harbor to knock out the anti-aircraft batteries there, the time had come for the “Brandenburgers”. The next target was called Tuapse, and this key point in the narrow coastal plain was crucial. In order to reach it and take it by surprise, the road had to be closed to the retreating Soviet troops from Novorossiysk, lest they reinforce the garrison of Tuapse. Ziegler's successes would not have been possible without the deployment of the "Brandenburgers", and this applied to many companies during the Second World War.
Shortly thereafter, Ziegler was promoted to Hauptmann and commander of the 1st Battalion. On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to major in the Novorossiysk area. On July 1, 1943 he had to give up his battalion in order to be transferred to the staff of the V Army Corps and then to the staff of the 19th Panzer Division. On March 6, 1944, he returned to his old 186th Grenadier Regiment as a leader. After the loss of the Crimea and the evacuation to Hungary, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on June 1, 1944 and commanded the 186th Grenadier Regiment.
In autumn 1944 he was then commander of the Grenadier Regiment 1112 and on October 23, 1944 he was awarded the swords as a lieutenant colonel. Seriously wounded, he had to give up his command. After his recovery, he was then commissioned to the staff of the V Army Corps. At the end of the war he was taken prisoner by the Western Allies, from which he was released in 1946 and was able to return to his wife. He then worked for ten years in the private industry before joining the Bundeswehr. In 1956 he served at the Infantry School in Hammelburg under Brigadegeneral Hellmuth Mäder. In 1960 Ziegler served deputy commander of the Panzergrenadierbrigade 35. Seven years later he retired as Oberst and commander of the Panzergrenadierbrigade 19 in Ahlen.
Adolf Hitler welcomes Heer officers Werner Ziegler (foreground) and Gerhard Hein at the Werwolf headquarters on the occasion of the presentation of the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz.
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Werner Ziegler (left) in 1960 as commander of Panzergrenadierbrigade 35 of the Bundeswehr._im_Jahre_1960.jpg)
