Bio of Generalleutnant Hans Källner (1898-1945)

Full name: Hans Gottfried Alfons Källner
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 09.10.1898 - Kattowitz, Upper Silesia (German Empire)
Date of Death: 18.04.1945 - near Sokolnice near Olmütz, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

Battles and Operations: Polish Campaign, Western Campaign, Operation Barbarossa, Eastern Front battles (including Zhitomir, Kamenez-Podolsk pocket, Poland and Silesia 1944-1945)

Religion : No information
Parents: Friedrich Källner (teacher and deputy headmaster / Konrektor) and unknown mother
Siblings: No information
Spouse: Luise "Lisa" Elisabeth Schmidt (married 24.07.1926)
Children: one son (name unknown)

Promotions:
06.06.1915 Kriegsfreiwilliger
28.04.1916 Gefreiter
00.04.1917 Unteroffizier
00.09.1917 Vizewachtmeister
16.10.1917 Leutnant der Reserve
21.10.1920 Polizei-Leutnant
24.05.1924 Polizei-Oberleutnant (with effect from 01.05.1924)
18.12.1929 Polizei-Hauptmann
15.10.1935 Rittmeister (RDA 01.10.1932)
01.08.1936 Major (RDA 01.08.1936)
01.11.1939 Oberstleutnant (RDA 01.11.1939)
01.03.1942 Oberst (RDA 01.03.1942)
01.11.1943 Generalmajor (RDA 01.11.1943)
01.06.1944 Generalleutnant (RDA 01.06.1944)

Career:
06.06.1915-13.10.1915 War volunteer in Jäger-Regiment 11
13.10.1915-27.10.1915 Cavalry-Replacement-Regiment II. Armeekorps
27.10.1915-02.12.1916 Replacement-Squadron Jäger-Regiment 11
02.12.1916-29.04.1918 13. Reserve-Dragoner-Schützen-Regiment
29.04.1918-04.06.1918 Infanterie-Regiment 147
04.06.1918-06.01.1919 Signals officer, II. Battalion, Infanterie-Regiment 147
13.02.1919-01.05.1920 4. Volunteer-Dragoner-Regiment
21.10.1920-01.09.1921 Polizei-Squadron Lublinitz
01.09.1921-01.08.1922 2nd Alarm Police-Group Oppeln
01.08.1922-01.04.1925 Protection-Police Kreuzburg
01.04.1925-28.07.1926 Mounted Alarm Protection-Police Gleiwitz
28.07.1926-15.10.1935 Riding instructor, Police-Riding-School Potsdam
15.10.1935-12.10.1937 Squadron chief, Reiter-Regiment 4
12.10.1937-26.08.1939 Commander II. Battalion, Kavallerie-Regiment 4
26.08.1939-12.08.1941 Commander Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11
28.08.1941-01.07.1942 Commander Schützen-Regiment 73
01.07.1942-13.07.1942 Commander 19. Schützen-Regiment
13.07.1942-15.04.1943 Commander 19. Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment
18.08.1943-01.11.1943 Delegated leadership 19. Panzer-Division
01.11.1943-22.03.1945 Commander 19. Panzer-Division
22.03.1945-18.04.1945 Delegated leadership XXIV. Panzerkorps

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (03.09.1917)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914 (04.08.1918)
Schlesisches Bewährungsabzeichen 2. Stufe (09.09.1919)
Schlesisches Bewährungsabzeichen 1. Stufe (09.09.1919)
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/18 mit Schwertern (20.12.1934)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4. Klasse (1936)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 3. Klasse (1936)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 2. Klasse (1936)
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (19.09.1939)
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (18.10.1939)
Panzerkampfabzeichen ohne Zahl
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (18.10.1941)
Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen (31.07.1941)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber (08.11.1941)
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (05.08.1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #967 (03.05.1942) as Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 73 / 19.Panzer-Division. In April 1942, during the spring thaw on the central sector of the Eastern Front west of Kaluga, a freshly arrived Soviet rifle division suddenly launched a powerful thrust that drove deep into the German lines. The enemy spearheads advanced to within just three kilometers of the vital Roslawl–Juchnow supply road, threatening to cut off German forces and collapse the entire sector. Oberst Källner, without waiting for higher headquarters, immediately seized command of the first friendly battalion that rushed onto the scene. Under heavy Soviet artillery and small-arms fire he personally led a lightning counterattack across open, muddy terrain. His grenadiers stormed the villages the Soviets had just seized, fighting house-to-house with grenades and bayonets in the pouring rain. Within hours Källner’s men had recaptured every lost position and driven the enemy back far enough that the road was no longer under direct fire. The Soviet breakthrough was completely halted. For this personal bravery and decisive leadership in the heat of battle Källner received the Ritterkreuz.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #392 (12.02.1944) as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division (some sources list 10 or 14 February). By the winter of 1943–44 the Red Army had launched its massive Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. In January 1944 the 19. Panzer-Division under Källner was thrown into the ferocious defensive battles around Shitomir (Zhitomir). Soviet tank and infantry waves, supported by endless artillery barrages and ground-attack aircraft, hammered the German positions day and night. Snow, ice and mud turned the battlefield into a frozen quagmire; panzers sank to their turrets and supply columns were cut off. Källner, true to his habit of leading from the front, was constantly at the hottest points of the line. He orchestrated desperate counterattacks with his remaining tanks and panzergrenadiers, personally directing fire missions and rallying shaken companies under direct enemy fire. When Soviet forces nearly encircled parts of his division, Källner organized and led a breakout operation through dense enemy blocking positions. Under cover of darkness and a rolling artillery barrage his units smashed through Soviet lines in close combat, extricating men, wounded and precious equipment while Soviet flares lit the sky and machine-gun tracers cut the night. The division held the Shitomir sector long enough to prevent a total collapse and successfully fought its way out of the Russian encirclement. For this outstanding divisional leadership in the heaviest fighting Källner was awarded the Eichenlaub.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #106 (23.10.1944) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division. After the desperate breakout from the “Wanderkessel” of Kamenez-Podolsk in spring 1944 the 19. Panzer-Division was repeatedly refitted and thrown back into action during the great Soviet summer and autumn offensives. By October 1944, as the German front in the East began to buckle under constant pressure, Källner’s division was engaged in mobile defensive operations in Poland and the approaches to Silesia. Soviet armored thrusts repeatedly tried to break through; Källner’s panzers and grenadiers conducted skillful delaying actions, launching sharp counterattacks by day and night to blunt the enemy advance and buy time for the withdrawal of other units. Leading always from the front, Källner appeared wherever the danger was greatest, directing tank duels at point-blank range and inspiring his exhausted troops to hold positions against overwhelming odds. His division repeatedly turned potential routs into orderly fighting withdrawals, inflicting heavy losses on the Soviets while preserving combat effectiveness far beyond what could have been expected. For this continued exemplary leadership and tactical skill in the face of the collapsing Eastern Front Källner received the Schwerter.

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Hans Gottfried Alfons Källner was a German army officer who served in both world wars and rose to the rank of Generalleutnant during the Second World War. Born on 9 October 1898 in Kattowitz in Upper Silesia he volunteered for military service at the age of seventeen and fought with distinction on the Western Front before transferring to police duties in the Weimar Republic. He returned to the army in 1935 and commanded reconnaissance and motorized infantry units through the Polish and French campaigns before distinguishing himself on the Eastern Front. Källner became widely known for his habit of leading from the front and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for repeated acts of personal bravery and divisional leadership under extreme pressure. He was killed in action on 18 April 1945 while visiting forward positions as acting commander of the XXIV Panzer Corps near Sokolnice south of Brünn in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. His remains lie in the German war cemetery in Brno.

Källner entered the Imperial German Army on 6 June 1915 as a war volunteer in Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 11. After brief transfers to cavalry replacement units he served in the 13th Reserve Dragoon Rifle Regiment and was promoted to Leutnant der Reserve on 16 October 1917. He later joined Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 147 as a signals officer and completed a gas warfare course in Berlin before the armistice. During the fighting he earned both classes of the Iron Cross and the Silesian Eagle in both grades. Demobilized in January 1919 he briefly served in a Freikorps formed from former dragoons before joining the police in Upper Silesia. By 1929 he had risen to Polizei-Hauptmann and from 1926 to 1935 served as a riding instructor at the police riding school in Potsdam where he also completed advanced physical training and mounted courses.

In August 1935 Källner transferred to the Wehrmacht as a Rittmeister and joined Reiter-Regiment 4. He commanded a squadron and then the II Battalion of Kavallerie-Regiment 4 before mobilization in 1939 placed him at the head of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11 of the 11th Infantry Division. With this reconnaissance battalion he participated in the Polish Campaign and earned the 1939 clasps to both classes of the Iron Cross. After the Western Campaign and the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa he assumed command of Schützen-Regiment 73 in the 19th Panzer Division. In October 1941 he received the German Cross in Gold. On 1 March 1942 he was promoted to Oberst and on 3 May 1942 he was awarded the Knight's Cross for a decisive counterattack west of Kaluga. In April 1942 a fresh Soviet rifle division had driven to within three kilometres of the vital Roslawl-Juchnow supply road. Without awaiting orders Källner seized the first available friendly battalion advanced across muddy terrain under artillery fire and in pouring rain stormed the occupied villages in close combat with grenades and bayonets. Within hours every lost position had been recaptured the road was secured and the Soviet breakthrough was halted.

Källner continued to lead motorized infantry formations and on 1 July 1942 took command of the 19th Schützen-Brigade which was soon redesignated the 19th Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade. After a brief period in the Führerreserve and a division commanders' course in Berlin he was delegated leadership of the 19th Panzer Division on 18 August 1943 and confirmed as its commander with promotion to Generalmajor on 1 November 1943. The division was heavily engaged in the winter battles of 1943-1944. On 24 December 1943 the Soviet winter offensive struck east of Zhitomir. Källner's division was forced to withdraw after a breakthrough on a neighbouring sector but in three days of bitter fighting amid snow ice and mud it prevented any further Soviet advance destroyed about fifty tanks and twenty guns and successfully rejoined the new German defensive line near Zhitomir despite severe logistical shortages and constant enemy air attacks. For this outstanding leadership Källner received the 392nd Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 12 February 1944. The division later fought its way out of the Kamenez-Podolsk pocket and continued defensive operations on the southern sector of the Eastern Front.

By the summer of 1944 the 19th Panzer Division under Källner now a Generalleutnant since 1 June 1944 was shifted to the central sector and engaged in mobile defensive actions north of Warsaw. In August 1944 his panzers and grenadiers conducted repeated sharp counterattacks that blunted Soviet armored thrusts and allowed other German formations to withdraw in good order and establish a new defensive line on the western bank of the Vistula. Källner's personal presence at the point of greatest danger his skillful coordination of tank duels and his insistence on maintaining combat effectiveness despite overwhelming odds earned him the 106th award of the Swords on 23 October 1944. He retained command of the division until 22 March 1945 when he was delegated leadership of the XXIV Panzer Corps. On 18 April 1945 while inspecting forward positions south of Brünn during the final defensive battles in Moravia he was killed by enemy fire. Throughout his career Källner was noted for sharing every risk with his troops and for turning critical situations through decisive personal example rather than remote staff direction. He left behind a wife Luise Elisabeth Schmidt whom he had married in 1926 and one son.

Map discussion of the officers from Schützen-Regiment 73 / 19.Panzer-Division at Bessarabia, Soviet Union, summer of 1941. At right is the Regimentskommandeur, Oberstleutnant Hans Källner, who would receive the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 May 1942 (as Kommandeur of Schützen-Regiment 73), Eichenlaub on 12 February 1944 (as Kommandeur of 19. Panzer-Division), and Schwerter on 23 October 1944 (as Kommandeur of 19. Panzer-Division). Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

From left to right: Generalmajor Gustav Schmidt (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division) and Oberst Hans Källner (Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 73 / 19.Panzer-Division). The picture was taken during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Regimentskommandeur Källner, May 1942. More from this award ceremony can be seen HERE.

 

From left to right: General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (Führer 1. Armee), Generalleutnant Hans Källner (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division), and Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht). The picture was taken in late October 1944 during the Schwerter presentation for Knobelsdorff and Källner. Knobelsdorff received the medal on 21 September 1944, while Källner on 23 October 1944.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091028013450fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalleutnant2/KAELLNER_HANS.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/K/KaellnerH-R.htm
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Hans_K%C3%A4llner
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalleutnant2/KAELLNER_HANS.html

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Hans Källner

 

From left to right: Generalmajor Gustav Schmidt (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division) and Oberst Hans Källner (Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 73 / 19.Panzer-Division). The picture was taken during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Regimentskommandeur Källner, May 1942.

Hans Gottfried Alfons Källner, born on 9 October 1898 in Kattowitz in Upper Silesia, rose through the ranks of the German Army to become one of the decorated officers of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. A veteran of the First World War, where he served as a war volunteer in cavalry and infantry units, earning both classes of the Iron Cross 1914, Källner transitioned to police service after the armistice before rejoining the military in 1935. By the outbreak of the Second World War, he commanded reconnaissance elements and later motorized infantry formations. His steady advancement saw him promoted to Oberst on 15 February 1942, with seniority dated 1 March 1942, and assigned as commander of Schützen-Regiment 73 within the 19th Panzer Division on the Eastern Front.

The spring of 1942 found the 19th Panzer Division operating under the XXXX Panzer Corps of the Fourth Army in Army Group Center, engaged in defensive operations amid the harsh conditions of the Russian theater. The division had endured the brutal winter of 1941-42 and was now positioned in the area west of Kaluga, tasked with holding key lines against Soviet counteroffensives. It was here, in late April 1942, that Källner performed the actions that would earn him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the prestigious Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, Germany's highest military decoration for bravery or outstanding leadership at that stage of the war.

The citation for the award details a critical defensive engagement. A freshly arrived Soviet rifle division launched a sudden advance that penetrated to within three kilometers of the vital Roslawl-Juchnow road, threatening German supply lines and communications. Without hesitation, Oberst Källner assumed personal command of the first available friendly battalion that reached the scene. Leading a swift counterattack, he recaptured the lost villages and drove the Soviet forces back far enough to remove the immediate threat to the road. The breakthrough attempt was halted, stabilizing the sector and preventing a potentially disastrous collapse in the German defensive line. This display of initiative, courage under fire, and tactical acumen exemplified the qualities the Ritterkreuz was designed to recognize. The proposal for the award was formally submitted on 24 April 1942 through the chain of command, reaching higher headquarters amid the ongoing operations. It was approved swiftly, with the official award date recorded as 3 May 1942, making Källner the recipient of the 967th Ritterkreuz of the Second World War.

In the Wehrmacht's award system, the Ritterkreuz was not merely a piece of metal and ribbon but a symbol of elite status, worn prominently at the throat of the uniform. For officers like Källner serving on the front lines, the process from approval to presentation followed a standardized yet practical procedure adapted to wartime realities. The high command in Berlin or the relevant army group headquarters would issue the formal notification, often accompanied by a preliminary certificate, known as the vorläufige Urkunde, and the physical cross itself. These items were dispatched through military channels to the recipient's parent formation. In Källner's case, records indicate that the provisional document and the decoration were forwarded on 6 May 1942 to the headquarters of the Fourth Army (AOK 4), from where they would be delivered to the 19th Panzer Division in the field.

The actual award ceremony for Källner's Ritterkreuz took place in early May 1942, likely within days of the official notification reaching the division, in the operational area west of Kaluga. Unlike the elaborate presentations of higher grades such as Oak Leaves or Swords, which were frequently conducted by Adolf Hitler himself at the Wolf's Lair or Berghof for prominent recipients, the basic Ritterkreuz for a regimental commander was typically bestowed at the divisional or corps level. Historical accounts of similar presentations during this period on the Eastern Front describe modest but solemn field ceremonies, often held at a regimental or divisional command post when combat conditions permitted a brief pause. The division commander or a senior staff officer would assemble a small formation of troops from the recipient's unit, perhaps including representatives from Schützen-Regiment 73 and supporting elements of the 19th Panzer Division. The cross, suspended from its distinctive black-white-red ribbon, would be placed around the recipient's neck, followed by the reading of the citation and the presentation of the preliminary certificate.

This recognition came at a pivotal moment for Källner and his division. The 19th Panzer Division continued its operations in the central sector, transitioning from defensive stands to mobile counterattacks as the German summer offensive unfolded elsewhere. Källner remained at the forefront, later commanding the division itself as Generalmajor from November 1943 and earning the Oak Leaves on 12 February 1944 (the 392nd such award) for defensive successes east of Zhitomir during the Soviet winter offensive. The Swords followed on 23 October 1944 (the 106th award) for leadership north of Warsaw. Promoted to Generalleutnant in June 1944, he assumed temporary command of the XXIV Panzer Corps in March 1945. His career ended tragically on 18 April 1945 when he was killed in action while visiting front lines near Sokolnitz, south of Brünn in what is now the Czech Republic, during the final Soviet advances into Moravia. He was buried in the German war cemetery at Brno.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewforum.php?f=5

Bio of General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (1886-1966)

Full name: Heinrich Otto Ernst von Knobelsdorff  
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 31.03.1886 - Berlin (German Empire)
Date of Death: 21.10.1966 - Hannover, Lower Saxony (West Germany)

Battles and Operations: World War I, Battle of France 1940, Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Moscow, Demyansk Salient, Battles around Belgorod and Kharkov, Nikopol Bridgehead, Western Front 1944

NSDAP-Number: No information  
SS-Number: No information  
Religion: No information  
Parents: Major Heinrich Otto August von Knobelsdorff (21.01.1856) and Anna Luise Ursula Katharina von Manteuffel (10.03.1862)  
Siblings: No information  
Spouse: Alexandrine "Alix" Margarete Paula Gabriele Helmine Cäcilie Eva Freiin von Korff genannt Schmising (married 1914)  
Children: Three children (two sons and one daughter)

Promotions:  
25.04.1905 Fahnenjunker  
27.01.1906 Fähnrich  
18.08.1906 Leutnant  
18.11.1914 Oberleutnant  
22.03.1916 Hauptmann  
01.02.1929 Major  
01.06.1933 Oberstleutnant  
01.06.1935 Oberst  
01.01.1939 Generalmajor  
01.12.1940 Generalleutnant  
01.08.1942 General der Panzertruppen

Career:  
Kadettenanstalt Bensberg and Hauptkadettenanstalt Groß-Lichterfelde  
25.04.1905 Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94, Weimar  
1906 Gruppenführer 5. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
01.04.1911 Adjutant III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
28.01.1914 Adjutant Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
29.08.1915-01.11.1915 Lazarett  
01.11.1915 Führer I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
Führer II. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
01.04.1916 Feld-Ersatz Bataillon, Infanterie-Division 38  
1916 Führer Bataillon Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
01.10.1916 MG-Offizier Schule Döberitz  
15.10.1916 Adjutant 83. Infanterie-Brigade  
01.11.1916 Generalstabsoffizier Heeresgruppe B  
11.1916 Generalstabsoffizier VII. Armeekorps  
18.03.1917 Ib 200. Infanterie-Division  
18.06.1917 Ib 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division  
08.1917 Generalstabsoffizier Bug-Armee  
15.10.1917 Generalstabslehrgang Sedan  
09.1918 Ib 242. Infanterie-Division  
21.10.1918 Lazarett  
01.1919 Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
05.1919 Kompanieführer Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94  
01.07.1919 Kompanieführer Infanterie-Regiment 21  
01.01.1921 Kompanieführer 7. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 15, Eisenach  
08.1921 Id, Stab 6. Division  
01.02.1932 Stab Artillerieführer II, Stettin  
01.04.1926 Stab, 2. Division  
01.10.1928 Führer 4. Eskadron, Gebirgs-Regiment 9, Beskow  
19.10.1929 Erster Generalstabsoffizier (Ia), Stab / Artillerieführer III, Berlin  
01.10.1933 Chef des Stabes, Kommandanten von Berlin  
15.10.1935 Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 102, Chemnitz  
01.02.1939 Kommandeur Festung Oppeln  
26.08.1939 Chef des Generalstabes Grenzschutz-Abschnittskommando 3  
06.02.1940 Kommandeur, 19. Infanterie-Division  
01.11.1940 Kommandeur, 19. Panzer-Division  
01.01.1942 Lazarett Bad Gastein, Führerreserve OKH  
01.05.1942 m.d.F.b. X. Armeekorps  
01.06.1942 m.d.F.b. II. Armeekorps  
01.07.1942 Kommandeur Korps Knobelsdorff  
07.10.1942 Kommandierender General, XXIV. Panzerkorps  
30.11.1942 m.d.F.b. XXXXVIII. Panzerkorps  
10.02.1943 Kommandierender General, XXXXVIII. Panzerkorps  
09.10.1943 Lazarett  
15.10.1943 Führerreserve OKH  
31.01.1944 Kommandierender General, XXXX. Panzerkorps  
06.09.1944 m.d.F.b. 1. Armee  
30.11.1944 Führerreserve OKH  
11.04.1945 American POW until 10.06.1947-12.12.1947 internment

Awards and Decorations:  
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (1914) 19.09.1914  
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (1914) 27.02.1915  
Ritterkreuz II. Klasse zum Hausorden vom Weißen Falken mit Schwertern 30.09.1914  
Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern 07.12.1914  
Wilhelm-Ernst-Kriegskreuz 10.04.1915  
Komtur II. Klasse des Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden mit Schwertern 23.04.1915  
Lippesches Kriegsverdienstkreuz 17.12.1917  
Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Schwarz 06.10.1918  
Ehrenkreuz für Weltkriegs-Kämpfer mit Schwertern 21.01.1935  
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 1. Klasse 02.10.1936  
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse 11.10.1939  
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse 20.05.1940  
Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber 19.09.1941  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (17.09.1941) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division. Received the award for the division’s decisive actions during the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa in July 1941. After the rapid advance through Soviet-held territory that had already covered hundreds of miles in weeks, the division struck toward the critical road and rail hub of Velikiye Luki. On 17 July, Knobelsdorff’s panzers seized the high ground south of the city under intense defensive fire. House-to-house fighting erupted as German tanks and grenadiers cleared the streets quarter by quarter while Soviet counterattacks repeatedly slashed at the division’s rear supply road. With the situation hanging by a thread, Knobelsdorff personally directed a swift restoration: tanks and an infantry regiment pushed forward through the chaos, repelled the flanking assaults by mid-afternoon, and secured the town. The capture of Velikiye Luki not only severed a vital Soviet supply artery between Kiev and Leningrad but also enabled the final closure of the Velikiye Luki pocket, trapping large enemy forces and collapsing their defensive line in the central sector. This success, achieved against a strongly entrenched opponent, marked the high point of the division’s drive and earned Knobelsdorff the Ritterkreuz.
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 16.02.1943  
Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42-Medaille 08.08.1942  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #322 (12.11.1943) as General der Panzertruppe and Kommandierender General XXXXVIII. Panzerkorps. Awarded the medal for his corps’ outstanding performance in the heavy fighting around Belgorod and Kharkov in early 1943 and during the southern thrust of the Kursk offensive in July. In late February 1943, under Manstein’s counteroffensive, the corps smashed northward toward Kharkov. On 28 February it surprised three Soviet corps in the rear, then joined Hausser’s SS-Panzerkorps in a sweeping envelopment. After three days of bitter street fighting amid rubble and flames, Kharkov fell, and by 16 March the corps linked with Grossdeutschland near Belgorod, creating a firm base for further operations. When the Kursk offensive (Operation Zitadelle) began on 5 July, Knobelsdorff’s corps—bolstered by the elite Grossdeutschland Division, 3. and 11. Panzer-Divisionen, and the new Panther-equipped 10. Panzer-Brigade—spearheaded the assault through the first Soviet defense belt. Amid pouring rain and mud, the panzers crossed a swollen creek under continuous artillery and antitank fire. On 7 July they routed massed Soviet tank forces in a furious meeting engagement, destroying dozens of enemy vehicles and pushing forward until the Psel River came under German artillery fire. Over the next days (8–13 July) the corps faced relentless Soviet counterattacks by Guards tank and mechanized corps; in one engagement alone on 8–9 July it accounted for 101 Soviet tanks at minimal cost to itself. Constant tank-versus-tank battles raged through smoke and rain, with Knobelsdorff’s formations encircling and annihilating enemy armored groups, repulsing wave after wave of infantry and armor from the X Tank Corps, and aggressively pursuing withdrawing Soviet units to consolidate new defensive lines. Although the overall offensive was eventually halted, the corps’ repeated breakthroughs and defensive stands in the Belgorod–Kharkov sector inflicted devastating losses on the Red Army and demonstrated Knobelsdorff’s masterful handling of armored formations under extreme pressure.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #100 (21.09.1944) as General der Panzertruppe and Kommandierender General XXXX. Panzerkorps. He earned the award for his leadership during the desperate retreat battles in the Nikopol Bridgehead and the subsequent fighting across the Ukraine in early 1944. By mid-February the corps was encircled at Nikopol. On 15 February Knobelsdorff orchestrated a skillful breakout under heavy Soviet pressure, extricating his divisions intact. Over the following months, from the Dnieper bend through phased withdrawals along the Bug and Dniestr rivers, he conducted a masterful fighting retreat all the way to the Romanian border by the end of May. When the Soviets launched a ferocious breakthrough on 10 March against the Grossdeutschland Division (temporarily subordinated to his corps), Knobelsdorff immediately ordered precise counterattacks to seal the gaps, while insisting that panzer units remain integrated with the infantry rather than racing ahead for rearming. He demanded accurate, real-time intelligence to avoid panic decisions, pushed supply columns forward under fire, and used his armor as a mobile backstop to cover the infantry’s phased night withdrawals to successive “B-Line” positions. Despite overwhelming Soviet numerical superiority in tanks, infantry, and artillery, his corps traded ground methodically, prevented the destruction of its divisions, and maintained cohesion through constant crises. Knobelsdorff’s calm decisiveness, frontline presence, and optimistic resolve turned what could have become a rout into an orderly fighting withdrawal that preserved combat effectiveness far longer than expected.
Rechtsritter-Kreuz zum Johanniterorden 22.04.1949

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Heinrich Otto Ernst von Knobelsdorff was a German general of panzer troops who served with distinction in both world wars and became one of the Wehrmacht's most capable armored commanders during the Second World War. Born on 31 March 1886 in Berlin to a noble Prussian military family he was the son of Major Heinrich Otto August von Knobelsdorff and Anna Luise Ursula Katharina von Manteuffel. He married Alexandrine Alix Margarete Paula Gabriele Helmine Cäcilie Eva Freiin von Korff genannt Schmising in 1914 and the couple had three children two sons and one daughter. Educated at the Kadettenanstalt Bensberg and the Hauptkadettenanstalt Groß-Lichterfelde he entered the Imperial German Army in 1905 as a Fahnenjunker with the Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog von Sachsen Nr. 94 in Weimar rising steadily through the ranks and gaining early experience as a company and battalion officer before the outbreak of the First World War.

During the First World War Knobelsdorff served primarily with his original regiment and later in staff and command roles across various divisions and corps earning both classes of the Iron Cross by early 1915 along with several other German and Austrian decorations including the Ritterkreuz II. Klasse zum Hausorden vom Weißen Falken mit Schwertern the Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern and the Lippesches Kriegsverdienstkreuz. He was wounded in action and spent time in hospital yet continued to demonstrate leadership as a battalion commander and general staff officer participating in operations on the Western and Eastern Fronts. After the armistice he was retained in the Reichswehr advancing through the interwar years with assignments that included regimental adjutant duties staff positions in divisions and artillery commands and command of Infantry Regiment 102 eventually reaching the rank of Generalmajor by January 1939.

At the beginning of the Second World War Knobelsdorff served as chief of staff of Grenzschutz-Abschnittskommando 3 before assuming command of the 19th Infantry Division in February 1940 which he led through the Battle of France. The division was later converted into the 19th Panzer Division under his oversight and he was promoted to Generalleutnant in December 1940. Deployed to the Eastern Front with Operation Barbarossa in 1941 the division under his command advanced rapidly through Soviet territory engaging in intense fighting that culminated in the capture of the key road and rail hub of Velikiye Luki on 17 July. House-to-house combat raged as German tanks and grenadiers cleared the streets amid repeated Soviet counterattacks that threatened the division's supply lines yet Knobelsdorff personally directed swift reinforcements that repelled the flanks and secured the town by mid-afternoon severing vital Soviet communications between Kiev and Leningrad and closing the Velikiye Luki pocket. For this achievement he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 September 1941.

Following a period of illness that forced a temporary break from command in early 1942 Knobelsdorff returned to lead successive corps formations including the X Army Corps the II Army Corps and then the XXIV Panzer Corps before taking permanent command of the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps in late 1942. Promoted to General der Panzertruppe in August 1942 he directed the corps during Manstein's counteroffensive in early 1943 smashing Soviet forces near Kharkov in late February and linking with other units to create a stable front around Belgorod by mid-March. In the Kursk offensive of July 1943 his corps spearheaded the assault through the first Soviet defensive belts under heavy rain and artillery fire routing massed enemy tank formations in furious meeting engagements that destroyed dozens of Soviet vehicles while repulsing waves of counterattacks from Guards tank and mechanized corps. Although the broader operation was halted the corps' repeated breakthroughs and defensive stands around Belgorod and Kharkov inflicted devastating losses earning Knobelsdorff the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 12 November 1943.

In early 1944 Knobelsdorff assumed command of the XXXX Panzer Corps in the Nikopol Bridgehead where encirclement threatened his forces. On 15 February he orchestrated a skillful breakout under intense Soviet pressure extricating his divisions largely intact before conducting a masterful fighting retreat across the Dnieper Bug and Dniestr rivers all the way to the Romanian border by late May. When Soviet breakthroughs struck in March he ordered precise counterattacks to seal gaps insisting on integrated panzer-infantry operations and using armor as a mobile shield to cover phased night withdrawals to successive defensive lines. Despite overwhelming enemy superiority in numbers his corps traded ground methodically preserved combat cohesion and prevented a rout through constant crises demonstrating calm decisiveness and frontline leadership that turned potential disaster into an orderly withdrawal. For these actions he was awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross on 21 September 1944 becoming the 100th recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Later in 1944 Knobelsdorff briefly commanded the 1st Army on the Western Front but was relieved in November after resisting orders to transfer armored assets for the Ardennes offensive. He spent the final months of the war in the Führer Reserve was captured by American forces in April 1945 and released in December 1947. In the postwar years he lived quietly in Hannover authoring the detailed regimental and divisional history Geschichte der niedersächsischen 19. Panzer-Division 1939-1945 which was published in 1958 preserving the record of his former unit. Heinrich Otto Ernst von Knobelsdorff died on 21 October 1966 in Hannover at the age of eighty and was buried in the Engesohde City Cemetery.

Kronprinz Wilhelm von Preußen und Oberleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff sitting on a bench in front of a house in Autry, France, 1914. At that time, Knobelsdorff, a young Prussian officer from a military family, served in the Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog von Sachsen“ (5. Thüringisches) Nr. 94. His regiment belonged to the 38th Infantry Division (part of XI Corps early in the war). He saw combat on the Western Front in 1914 (including the advance through the Ardennes to Namur), then transferred to the Eastern Front (battles like the Masurian Lakes), returned to the West in 1915, and fought in the Verdun sector in 1916 (where his division suffered heavy casualties) before later service on other parts of the front. He earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuzes for bravery and was wounded late in the war.

Generalmajor Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandeur 19. Infanterie-Division) in Paris during parade, 1940.

From left to right: Admiral Günther Lütjens (Flottenchef), Generaloberst Franz Halder (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), General der Panzertruppe Heinrich von Vietinghoff (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generalmajor Otto von Knobelsdorff (back to the camera, Kommandeur 19. Infanterie-Division), and Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres). There is no information about when or where this photo was taken, but at least after the end of the war on the Western Front in 1940, possibly during war manoeuvre.

Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff.

Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (left, Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division) briefs Major Walter Mecke (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 27 / 19.Panzer-Division). The picture was taken in Belarus during Unternehmen Barbarossa (German Invasion of the Soviet Union) in the summer 1941. At that time 19. Panzer-Division were part of Heeresgruppe Mitte.

Lagebesprechung (situation meeting) of the officers from 19. Panzer-Division during the Unternehmen Barbarossa (German invasion of the Soviet Union), summer 1941. Second from right is Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division), while second from left is Oberst Gustav Schmidt (Kommandeur 19. Schützen-Brigade). Oberst Schmidt would later replace General Knobelsdorff as the Divisionskommandeur in January 1942. When the 19. Panzer-Division was torn apart by the Soviet counterattack in the Battle of Kursk, on August 7, 1943 Gustav Schmidt decided to commit suicide instead of being a prisoner of the hated Communists.

Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division) in late 1941.



Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff.



Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberleutnant Armin Pfaffendorf (Flugzeugführer in 1.(H) Staffel / Aufklärungsgruppe 13), which were held on 22 May 1942 in the Eastern Front. Interestingly enough, the one who gave the medal is a Heer officer and not from Luftwaffe! He is Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (mit der Führung beauftragt X. Armeekorps). It is because Pfaffendorff's unit flew recon missions for the X. Armeekorps / Heeresgruppe Nord. The airfield is Szoltzy near Ilmen Lake, Novgorod. Note the recon plane in the background and the Heer officers around!

From left to right: Generalleutnant Sigfrid Macholz (Kommandeur 122. Infanterie-Division) and Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandierender General II. Armeekorps). The picture was probably taken in July-September 1942.



From left to right: Generaloberst Ernst Busch (Oberbefehlshaber 16. Armee), Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (Führer II. Armeekorps), and Generalmajor Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer (Kommandeur 329. Infanterie-Division). The picture was taken 0n 13 July 1942 by Kriegsberichter von der Piepen.

General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff in November 1943. Photo by Walter Frentz.

Otto von Knobelsdorff and Hans-Günther Bethke

General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff.

Otto von Knobelsdorff and his officer.

This picture was taken in France in September 1944 and it shows: a.General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel (Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee), b.General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (Oberbefehlshaber 1. Armee), c.Oberst Otto-Ernst Remer (Kommandeur Führer-Begleit-Brigade), d.unknown, and e.Generalleutnant Georg Jauer (Kommandeur 20. Panzergrenadier-Division).



General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandierender General XXXX. Panzerkorps) and Generalleutnant Hasso von Manteuffel (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland") have arrived for a briefing at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, 10 September 1944. Knobelsdorff is delegated with the leadership of 1. Armee while Manteuffel is promoted to General der Panzertruppe and delegated with the leadership of 5. Panzerarmee (as from 1 September 1944). The latter is wearing a Tank Assault Badge of the 2nd grade for 25 engagements (Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber mit Einsatzzahl "25"). For the identification, from left to right: Major Bernd von Brauchitsch (Chefadjutant des Reichsmarschall und Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), Oberstleutnant Erik von Amsberg (Chefadjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalleutnant Wilhelm Burgdorf (Stellvertretender Leiter vom Heeres-Personalamt), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), SS-Sturmbannführer Richard Schulze (SS-Adjutant beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Knobelsdorff, Manteuffel, and unknown.

General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandierender General XXXX. Panzerkorps) in a photo that was published on 21 September 1944, the day he received the Schwerter for his Ritterkreuz. Photographer: Presse-Illustrationen Heinrich Hoffmann. Hoffmann (1885–1957) was Adolf Hitler's personal photographer and ran a major photo agency (Presse-Illustrationen Heinrich Hoffmann) that supplied images to German newspapers, magazines, and propaganda outlets. Many formal military portraits and award ceremonies from the Third Reich period carry this credit, especially studio or posed shots of high-ranking officers wearing decorations like the Ritterkreuz and above.

From left to right: General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (Führer 1. Armee) and Generalleutnant Hans Källner (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division). The picture was taken in late October 1944 during the Schwerter presentation for Knobelsdorff and Källner with Hitler. Knobelsdorff received the medal on 21 September 1944, while Källner on 23 October 1944.



General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff in late October 1944. Photo by Walter Frentz.

General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff in late October 1944. Photo by Walter Frentz.

Not long after World War II ended, the Allies realized that the captured German military leaders had very useful war experience, which could be used as a research resource. What followed was a unique collaboration between the U.S. Army's Military History Division and several hundred German prisoners, which later produced around 2,200 papers on combat strategy, technical issues, and staff duties. This photo - which clearly appears to have been staged - shows some of the "top notch" of Wehrmacht and SS officers collaborating on this research, alongside their American counterparts. They are: 1.Generalmajor Heinrich Bürcky (Kommandeur 159. Infanterie-Division), 2.Oberstleutnant Douglas Graf von Bernstorff (Chef des Stabes Armeeabteilung von Lüttwitz), 3.Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg (Kommandeur 116. Panzer-Division), 4.Generalmajor Karl Britzelmayr (Kommandeur 19. Volksgrenadier-Division), 5.Generalmajor Johannes "Hans" Bruhn (Kommandeur 553. Volksgrenadier-Division), 6.Generalleutnant Ing. Ernst Hammer (Kommandeur 190. Infanterie-Division), 7.Generalleutnant Hans Schmidt (Kommandeur 275. Infanterie-Division), 8.Oberst im Generalstab Werner Bodenstein (Stabschef LXVI. Armeekorps), 9.Generalmajor Rudolf Langhaeuser (Kommandeur 44. Reichsgrenadier-Division "Hoch- und Deutschmeister"), 10.General der Infanterie Friedrich Köchling (Kommandierender General LXXXI. Armeekorps), 11.General der Infanterie Dr.Jur. Franz Beyer (Kommandierender General LXXX. Armeekorps), 12.Generalleutnant Ernst Haeckel (Kommandeur Division Nr. 471), 13.Generalmajor August Wellm (Kommandeur 36. Infanterie-Division), 14.Oberstleutnant Voiot? 15.Oberst im Generalstab Willi Mantey (Chef des Generalstabes Armeegruppe Blumentritt), 16.Generalleutnant Walter Poppe (Kommandeur Divisionsgruppe 467), 17.General der Infanterie Gustav Höhne (Kommandierender General LXXXIX. Panzerkorps), 18.Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Dr.jur. Hans Boelsen (Kommandeur Küstenverteidigungsabschnitt Friesland), 19.General der Infanterie Carl Püchler (Kommandierender General LXXIV. Armeekorps), 20.General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff (Oberbefehlshaber 1. Armee), and 21.Generalmajor Dipl.Landwirt Christian Landau (Kommandeur 176. Infanterie-Division)

Source:  
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/otto-knobelsdorff.html?sortBy=relevant
https://www.bpk-bildagentur.de/shop
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/  
https://en.wikipedia.org/  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/  
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/knobelsdorff-otto-von-officer-general-germany31-03-1886-news-photo/543915859
https://grokipedia.com/  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html  
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.geni.com/  
https://books.google.com/  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/knobelsdorff-otto-von/  
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/otto-von-knobelsdorff-panzer-commander/

Otto von Knobelsdorff and Walter Mecke

Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (left, Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division) briefs Major Walter Mecke (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 27 / 19.Panzer-Division). The picture was taken in Belarus during Unternehmen Barbarossa (German Invasion of the Soviet Union) in the summer 1941. At that time 19. Panzer-Division were part of Heeresgruppe Mitte. 

Source :
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-events-second-world-war-wwii-soviet-union-operation-barbarossa-german-58527157.html?imageid=C0108391-BB75-42A5-A179-E9FC42D98EE1&pn=1&searchId=fb1935bbd610da093b2398b1ba19953d&searchtype=0

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Hans Källner

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberst Hans Källner (right, Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 73 / 19.Panzer-Division). The medal was awarded by the Divisionskommandeur of 19. Panzer-Division, Generalmajor Gustav Schmidt (left). The recommendation for the awarding of the Ritterkreuz to Oberst Källner was submitted on 24 April 1942. Källner formally received the Ritterkreuz as the 967th member of the German Armed Forces on 3 May 1942, while the preliminary document and decoration were given to 4. Armee on 6 May 1942. The recommendation said that during April 1942, in the area west of Kaluga, a freshly arrived Soviet rifle division launched an advance that got to within 3 km of the the Roslawl—Juchnow road. In response Oberst Källner took command of the first friendly battalion that arrived on the scene, retook those villages that had been lost in a counterattack and pushed the Soviets away far enough so that they could no longer take the road under fire. The result was that this Soviet breakthrough attempt was brought to a halt. Källner would receive the Knight’s Cross for this action.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2486585#p2486585
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/9376/K%C3%A4llner-Hans-Generalleutnant.htm

Ritterkreuz Action of Walter Denkert

Walter Denkert (23 February 1897 - 9 July 1982) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 May 1944 as Oberst and Stellvertreter Divisions Führer 19. Panzer-Division. Denkert’s Ritterkreuz recommendation reads as follows:

“Oberst Denkert had been assigned command of the 19. Panzer-Division, and in this capacity he launched an attack with his heavily weakened Kampfgruppe from the Skala area along the road towards the northwest on 31 March 1944. The Kampfgruppe succeeded in taking Gusztyn following extremely tough combat against much larger infantry and tank forces. Thereafter, following fluid and costly fighting for both sides, Losiacz was stormed, all while Oberst Denkert was continually inspiring his troops from the foremost line.

As contact with Gruppe Back did not exist at the time, Oberst Denkert decided to launch a further attack during the night. He would advance beyond Losiacz towards the northwest and assault an enemy position that was protecting Davidkowce from the eastern edge of a forest. Despite a heavy snowstorm he and his Division, along with the subordinated elements of the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 16, succeeded in breaking through the strong anti-tank gun positions. Through the capture of this forest he created the preconditions for the capture of Davidkowce, which took place on the following day. The capture of this village was of great importance for the protection of Korpsgruppe Chevallerie’s northern flank as well as the prevention of the enemy’s goal to outflank this unit. Numerous tank kills were the measurable successes of this heavy combat. With this the decisive precondition for the thrust towards and across the Seret river for the bulk of the Korpsgruppe was attained.”

Submitted on 3 May 1944.
Preliminary document and decoration on 16 May 1944 to Heeresgruppe Nordukraine.

Source :
HILL60 photo collection
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2449452#p2449452
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/3405/Denkert-Walter.htm

Map Discussion of 19. Panzer-Division

 

Lagebesprechung (situation meeting) of the officers from 19. Panzer-Division during the Unternehmen Barbarossa (German invasion of the Soviet Union), summer 1941. Second from right is Generalleutnant Otto von Knobelsdorff (Kommandeur 19. Panzer-Division), while second from left is Oberst Gustav Schmidt (Kommandeur 19. Schützen-Brigade). Oberst Schmidt would later replace General Knobelsdorff as the Divisionskommandeur in January 1942. When the 19. Panzer-Division was torn apart by the Soviet counterattack in the Battle of Kursk, on August 7, 1943 Gustav Schmidt decided to commit suicide instead of being a prisoner of the hated Communists.

Source :
https://warhistory.livejournal.com/2706660.html

Hans Källner with His Officers

Map discussion of the officers from Schützen-Regiment 73 / 19.Panzer-Division at Bessarabia, Soviet Union, summer of 1941. At right is the Regimentskommandeur, Oberstleutnant Hans Källner, who would receive the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 May 1942 (as Kommandeur of Schützen-Regiment 73), Eichenlaub on 12 February 1944 (as Kommandeur of 19. Panzer-Division), and Schwerter on 23 October 1944 (as Kommandeur of 19. Panzer-Division).

Source :
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=k%C3%A4llner#