Feldwebel Alois Gugganig (Zugführer in 12.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 91) with the recently acquired Ritterkreuz, 1943.
Full name: Alois Gugganig
Nickname: Lois
Date of Birth: 8 June 1906 in Bad Gastein, Bischofshofen, Salzburg (Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Date of Death: 6 January 1944 in Vinnitsa, Ukraine (Soviet Union)
NSDAP Number: unknown (joined in 1931)
SS Number: no
Academic Title: no
Family Member:Anton Gugganig and Maria Herzog (parents)
Physical Feature: unknown
Beförderungen (Promotion):
01.06.1941 Gefreiter
01.11.1941 Unteroffizier
Karriere (Career):
00.00.1912 - 00.00.1920 attended elementary school in Bad Gastein
00.00.1916 - 00.00.1918 attended his first ski course which was organized by his school
00.00.1920 learned the profession of a shoemaker
00.00.1927 - 10.06.1929 attended the mountain guide course
04.05.1930 head of the ski school in Badgastein
17.04.1940 ski train driver in Infanterie-Regiment 738
27.05.1940 - 29.04.1941 served in Gebirgsjäger-Ersatz-Regiment 136
27.05.1940 - 04.07.1940 completed the basic training in Gebirgsjäger-Ersatz-Regiment 136
30.04.1941 - 07.02.1942 served in 6.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 738
11.08.1941 - 06.09.1941 Unterführer-Lehrgang II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 738
08.02.1942 - 26.06.1942 served in 2.Kompanie / Gebirgsjäger-Bataillon 99
03.04.1942 - 09.04.1942 Heeresbergführer-Lehrgang
26.06.1942 transferred to the Hochgebirge staff in Berchtesgaden
27.06.1942 transferred to 2.Kompanie / Hochgebirgsbatallions 2
12.10.1942 wounded for the first time by bullet fire
13.02.1943 - 06.01.1944 transferred to 2.Kompanie / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 91
00.03.1943 received home leave which he spent with his family in Badgastein
19.10.1943 went back to the front to his old unit
06.01.1944 killed in action
Orden und Ehrenzeichen (Medals and Decorations):
13.04.1935 SA Wehrsport-Abzeichen
24.12.1941 Kriegsverdienstkreuz II.Klasse mit Schwertern
20.02.1941 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
27.09.1942 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
02.10.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
09.04.1943 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Feldwebel and Zugführer in 12.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 91 / 4.Gebirgs-Division
01.07.1943 Heeres-Bergführerabzeichen
10.09.1943 Infanterie Sturmabzeichen
20.11.1943 Medalia comemorativa Cruciada Impotriva Comunismului (Romania)
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Alois Gugganig was born on June 8, 1906, in Badgastein to Anton and Maria Gugganig. From 1912 to 1920, he attended the elementary school in Badgastein. He was enthusiastic about skiing and mountaineering very early on. From 1916 to 1918, he attended his first ski course, which was organized by his school. During this time he was able to achieve some downhill victories. In 1920, he learned the profession of a shoemaker. In his free time, he regularly went on mountain and ski tours. In 1927, he was invited by the Austrian Alpine Association to attend the mountain guide course, which he completed in 1929 together with his training as a ski instructor. In 1930, he became head of the ski school in Badgastein. In 1931, he became a member of the NSDAP, and in 1932 he became a member of the SA.
Gugganig completed his basic training at the Gebirgsjäger-Ersatz-Regiment 136 in Innsbruck. After completing basic training, he was transferred to Fulpmes due to his civilian mountain guide training. Here he completed his first army mountain guide course from August 22 to September 4, 1940, and then completed the first winter course from February 3 to April 17, 1940. Then he went straight to the front, to Infanterie-Regiment 738, where he was used as a ski train driver. Here he was also awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and the War Merit Cross 2nd Class. He then took part in the first Unterführer course in the II. Battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 738. After graduation, he was transferred to the Gebirgsjäger-Battalion 99 in Sonthofen. From 04/04 to 05/01 in 1942, he took part in the second army mountain guide course in Fulpmes. He was present here until June 26, until being transferred to the Hochgebirge staff in Berchtesgaden, from where he was transferred directly to the 2nd company of the Hochgebirgsbatallions 2 on June 27. Here he was wounded on October 12, 1942, for the first time by bullet fire. After recovery in the hospital, he came to the Jäger-Regiment 91, 2 Company on February 13, 1943. Here he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on March 27, 1943. Then he received home leave which he spent with his family in Badgastein. From there he went on to Fulpmes where he was awarded the Heeresbergführer. On October 19, 1943 he went back to the front to his old unit.
How He Won His Ritterkreuz: Gugganig was ordered to hold the edge of a village against any attack by the enemy with his platoon to protect the flank of his division. During the night however, several hundred Russians suddenly broke into the village through a front hatch to the left of his position. They overran three heavy gun positions and penetrated ever deeper into the defensive line. To counter the danger of being overrun, Gugganig decided to counterattack with his platoon. With his troops he attacked a twenty-fold superior force. A murderous hand-to-hand fight broke out, house after house was reconquered by Gugganig and his men as well as the three heavy gun positions. After hours of fighting, he managed to occupy the old main battle line and capture almost 100 Russians and left more than 180 dead on the battlefield. Through his action and others of this kind, the Kuban bridgehead was created.
On January 6, 1944, at around 3 am, the Russians carried out a surprise attack against the position of Gugganig and his platoon. Here he was severely wounded by a shot in the belly and grenade splinters in the back. He died in the hands of a comrade who then wrote a letter to his mother and told her the last words and wishes from her son. He was admitted to the field hospital in Winniza at 1 am, on January 7, where he was declared dead and buried there the same day.
Source :
https://www.alamy.com/sergeant-alois-gugganig-12gebirgsjaegerregiment-91-with-the-knights-cross-1941-image385783729.html
https://www.edelweiss-antiques.com/alois-gugganig
https://www.ratisbons.com/auctions-archive/25th-contemporary-history-auction/grouping-to-heeresbergfuehrer-kc-recipient-fw-gugganig.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/85736/Gugganig-Alois.htm
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