Werner Ebeling (21 November 1913 – 25 August 2008) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a Generalmajor in the Bundeswehr commanding the 11. Panzergrenadier-Division of the Bundeswehr. During WWII, he fought in the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, Siege of Leningrad, Demyansk Pocket Battle of Narva, and the Samland Offensive. Tow photos!...more

Martin Steglich was an Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II, an Oberst in the Bundeswehr, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Martin Steglich was captured by American troops in April 1945 and was released in August. Besides the Knight's Cross, he was the recipent Iron Cross, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Wound Badge in Black, in Silver, Close Combat Clasp in Bronze, Infantry Assault Badge, Eastern Front Medal, Demyansk Shield, Honour Roll Clasp of the Army, and the German Cross in Gold. See second image for more details. ...more

Major Anton "Toni" Muller received his Knight's Cross on the Russia Front as a Lietenant of Infantry Grenadiers (II. Battalion / Grenadier-Regiments 503), mostly in the Baltic. He was awarded the Oak Leaves for his actions during the Seige of Kurland....more

Alois Eisele was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves - awarded to him to recognise extreme battlefield bravery and successful military leadership. He was also awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold - one of only 631 awards of the kind to be ever bestowed. Other awards include the Iron Cross 2nd Class, 1st Class, West Wall Medal, Wound Badge in Black, in Silver, in Gold, Close Combat Clasp in Bronze, in Silver, in Gold, Eastern Front Medal, Infantry Assault Badge, German Cross in Gold as Hauptmann in the 9./Grenadier-Regiment 61, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 15 December 1943 as Hauptmann and commander of III./Grenadier-Regiment 61 and the 695th Oak Leaves on 12 January 1945 as Major and commander of III./Grenadier-Regiment 61. ...more

Oskar-Hubert Dennhardt was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Dennhardt, a former member of the Nazi Party, served in the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein as a Christian Democratic Union politician after World War II. He rejoined the military service in the West German Bundeswehr in 1955, retiring in 1971 holding the rank of Brigadegeneral. He commanded the Panzergrenadierbrigade 16 of the Bundeswehr from 1 November 1965 to 31 March 1968 and was deputy commander of the 6th Panzergrenadier Division....more

Karl-Adolf Hollidt was a German army general and commander during the Second World. During the First World War, Hollidt served on the Western Front. Over the course of the war he received two promotions: to First Lieutenant in 1915 and in 1918 to the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class in 1914 and the Iron Cross 1st Class in 1916. After the war he had several promotions, to the rank of Major in 1930, and to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1933, serving as a battalion commander in Infantry Regiment No. 12 in Dessau. Hollidt next served as a Colonel (in the General Staff) in 1935 and as a Chief-of-Staff of the 1st Army Corps in Königsberg. After his appointment as Major-General on 1 April 1938, Hollidt was active as an infantry commander in Siegen. He also commanded Infantry Regiments No. 57, 116 and 136. At the beginning of World War II, Hollidt served as commander of the 52nd Infantry Division. From 1 November 1939, he served as a Chief-of-Staff with Commander-in-Chief Ost, General Blaskowitz. Lieutenant General Hollidt (promoted 1 April 1940) served from October 1940 as the commander of the 50th Infantry Division in Greece. Promoted to the rank of General der Infanterie (Infantry General), Hollidt commanded XVII Army Corps, which was planned to take part in the relief operation concerning the 6th Army, then encircled in the Russian city of Stalingrad. After the surrender of the 6th Army, it was reconstituted in March 1943 and Hollidt was given its command. He was promoted to Colonel General on 1 September 1943. In 1944, his 6th Army suffered severe losses during its retreat from its area of operations north of the Dnieper. Hollidt was subsequently dismissed from his command and put into reserve. In 1945, Hollidt was captured by US forces. After a trial held at Nuremberg, he was convicted of the unlawful use of prisoners of war and of the deportation and enslavement of civilians. He was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment, of which he served a little less than 14 months. He was awardedthe Knight's Cross for the Battle at the Mius, where infantry and tank units of the Army and Waffen-SS under the command of General of Infantry Hollidt, repeatedly thwarted attempts of strong enemy forces to break through, and in a bold counter-attack struck the north Kuibyschewo broke through the enemy. ...more

Heinrich Neumann was a highly decorated Oberstarzt in the Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Neumann was a medical doctor and participated in the Spanish Civil War, and participated in the Battles of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Crete, as well as the Eastern Front. Awards include the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen, Flugzeugbeobachterabzeichen, Medalla de la Campaña de España, Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords, Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar, Iron Cross 2nd Class, 1st Class, Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe, Eastern Front Medal, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as Oberstabsarzt and troop doctor of the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment and the Armelband Kreta. ...more

Gerhard Mokros was a highly decorated Oberst der Reserve in the Wehrmacht during World War II, commanding Grenadier-Regiment 423. His awards include the Iron Cross 2nd Class, 1st Class, Wound Badge in Black, in Silver, Eastern Front Medal, German Cross in Gold as Major of the Reserves in the II./Grenadier-Regiment 331, as well as the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves as Leutnant and leader of the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 331 and (860th) Oak Leaves on 5 May 1945 as Oberst of the Reserves and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 423. Gerhard Mokros was captured by American forces in May 1945 and was released in December 1945....more

Gerhard Hein was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant der Reserve in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards include the Iron Cross 2nd Class (23 June 1940), 1st Class (27 June 1940), Wound Badge in Black, in Silver, Eastern Front Medal, German Cross in Silver (15 July 1944), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 3 September 1940 as Unteroffizier der Reserve and platoon leader in 10. / Infanterie-Regiment 209 and the 120th Oak Leaves on 6 September 1942 as Leutnant der Reserve and leader of 5. / Infanterie-Regiment 209....more

Heinz Oskar Laebe was a highly decorated infantry officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Laebe joined the Polizei (police force) of Hamburg in 1932 and was promoted to Leutnant of the Prussian Landespolizei on 1 January 1935. During the war he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (2 October 1939), 1st Class (10 July 1940), Wound Badge in Black (17 March 1943), Eastern Front Medal (1 August 1942), Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, Close Combat Clasp in Bronze (8 June 1944), Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (28 March 1943), Armband Courland (20 April 1945), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 7 March 1944 as Major and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 44 and the 854th Oak Leaves on 29 April 1945 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 44. ...more

Ernst-Georg Kedzia was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards include the Iron Cross 2nd Class, 1st Class, Eastern Front Medal, Infantry Assault Badge, German Cross in Gold (March 1944), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 26 November 1944 as Hauptmann and commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 272[, and the 794th Oak Leaves on 23 March 1945 as Major and Combat commander of Fürstenberg an der Oder and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 98....more

Peter Frantz joined the military in 1936, opting to serve in Artillery Regiment 4 in Dresden. Serving as an aspirant officer during his initial years of service, he was commissioned as a Leutnant on 1 September 1938, moving to Panzer Artillery Regiment 74 of the 2nd Panzer Division. Frantz served in Poland as an orderly officer in the regimental headquarters of Panzer Artillery Regiment 74, earning the Iron Cross II Class, and afterwards moved to Vienna, then the artillery school at Jüterbog where the first battery of assault guns was raised by the German Army. This battery, Battery 640, was assigned to Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland in April 1940 and became the 16th Company of the Regiment shortly after. Hard service as a platoon commander during the first six months of the Russian Campaign earned Frantz both a "Certificate of Recognition" by the Commander-in-Chief of the German Army in October 1941, but also the German Cross in Gold in December.Oberleutnant Frantz rose to command the entire 16th Company; in defensive battles near Tula in December 1941 his company destroyed many enemy armoured vehicles, including 15 enemy tanks on 13 December alone. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. By March 1942, Frantz was a battery commander in the reorganized Assault Gun Battalion GD. On March 14, 1943, Frantz led a group of assault guns in battle, destroying some 43 T-34 tanks, for which he was decorated with the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. In April, Adolf Hitler personally award Frantz with his Oak Leaves in Berlin. Frantz served with GD Assault Guns until January 1944, when he was transferred to the War Academy for general staff training, being appointed Major of the General Staff (Major i.G.) in August 1944. He saw action as a corps headquarters officer in the west, was captured in May 1945 by the Americans, and remained in captivity until April 1946. ...more

Josef-Wilhelm Rettemeier (was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberst in the Bundeswehr. Rettemeier served with 5.leichte Div (which became 21.Pz Div) as part of Rommel’s Afrikakorps. During the course of the campaign Rettemeier, promoted to Hauptmann on 1 February 1942, became a tank officer, serving as a company commander with Pz Regt 5. He remained in North Africa until 1943, earning the ‘Afrika’ campaign cuffband which is seen proudly worn on the sleeve of his black tank uniform in later photos. His regiment was decimated during the final battles in Tunisia, though Rettemeier was one of those fortunate enough to escape captivity, being evacuated before the final collapse in 1943. Moved to the Eastern Front, Rettemeier’s unit – now redesignated as Pz Abt 5, assigned to 25.PzGren Div – was heavily involved in fierce fighting in the area around Vitebsk and Rogashev; for his command of the battalion during these testing battles he was decorated with the Knight’s Cross on 5 December 1943. The Oak-Leaves were added on 13 March 1944, and he was promoted to Major shortly thereafter. Major Rettemeier was a true front line soldier, always in the thick of the action, as attested by his award of the Wound Badge in Gold for five or more wounds. During the Normandy campaign following the Allied landings of June 1944, Rettemeier served with the elite Panzer Lehr Division. Despite the relatively high quality of both men and equipment allocated to this formation, combat attrition, Allied naval gunfire support and overwhelming air superiority saw Panzer Lehr suffer dreadful losses, and by July 1944 it had been all but wiped out. Rettemeier was subsequently posted to the staff of the Officer Training School at Erlagen, remaining in that post until the end of the war. When the German armed forces were reconstituted in the 1950s, Rettemeier joined the Bundeswehr; he rose to the command of Panzerbrigade 6, and eventually to deputy divisional commander of 2.Panzergrenadier Division. He finally retired from German military service in 1972, but spent some time as an advisor with the Nationalist Chinese forces on Taiwan....more

Peter Frantz joined the military in 1936, opting to serve in Artillery Regiment 4 in Dresden. Serving as an aspirant officer during his initial years of service, he was commissioned as a Leutnant on 1 September 1938, moving to Panzer Artillery Regiment 74 of the 2nd Panzer Division. Frantz served in Poland as an orderly officer in the regimental headquarters of Panzer Artillery Regiment 74, earning the Iron Cross II Class, and afterwards moved to Vienna, then the artillery school at Jüterbog where the first battery of assault guns was raised by the German Army. This battery, Battery 640, was assigned to Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland in April 1940 and became the 16th Company of the Regiment shortly after. Hard service as a platoon commander during the first six months of the Russian Campaign earned Frantz both a "Certificate of Recognition" by the Commander-in-Chief of the German Army in October 1941, but also the German Cross in Gold in December.Oberleutnant Frantz rose to command the entire 16th Company; in defensive battles near Tula in December 1941 his company destroyed many enemy armoured vehicles, including 15 enemy tanks on 13 December alone. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. By March 1942, Frantz was a battery commander in the reorganized Assault Gun Battalion GD. On March 14, 1943, Frantz led a group of assault guns in battle, destroying some 43 T-34 tanks, for which he was decorated with the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. In April, Adolf Hitler personally award Frantz with his Oak Leaves in Berlin. Frantz served with GD Assault Guns until January 1944, when he was transferred to the War Academy for general staff training, being appointed Major of the General Staff (Major i.G.) in August 1944. He saw action as a corps headquarters officer in the west, was captured in May 1945 by the Americans, and remained in captivity until April 1946. ...more

Ernst Kuppinger was a highly decorated Hauptmann in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards include the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (17 June 1940), 1st Class (1 October 1941), Wound Badge (1939) in Black, in Silver, in Gold, Infantry Assault Badge, Eastern Front Medal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 24 December 1944 as Hauptmann and commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 352during the Battle of the Bulge, and the 819th Oak Leaves on 5 April 1945 as Hauptmann and commander of Füsilier-Battalion 246 at the end of the war. Ernst Kuppinger was captured by French troops in April 1945 and was held until April 1946....more

Eberhard Zahn served under Erwin Rommel in North Africa as the adjutant, platoon leader, and ultimately as the commander of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 33, which was attached to the 15. Panzer-Division. On 15 June 1941 he stopped a enemy tank attack in which six British tanks were destroyed during the Battle of Fort Capuzzo. In this battle, he was captured by the enemy and entered captivity from which he managed to escape. For this, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 30 June 1941. Hauptmann Zahn received on 6 March 1943 as the 204th soldier of the German Wehrmacht the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross. After the end of fighting in Africa he served briefly in Sicily and then fought on the Eastern Front as commander of a Panzerjäger-Abteilung. In September 1944 he was appointed leader of the Panzer-Brigade 101. Then he took over the Panzer-Regiment 9 until he fell at the end of the war as Oberstleutnant into Soviet captivity in Bohemia, but from which he escaped after a short time. He traveled to the west until he encountered US forces and surrendered to them. ...more

Günter Goebel was an Officer in the German Wehrmacht, his 79th Infantry Division was part of the 6th Army during the invasion of the Soviet Union. In October 1941 he was awarded the Knight's Cross for his part in leading an advance battalion when a supply route was captured by Soviet forces. In 1941 he was also entered into the Honour Roll of the German Army. He is also known for the command of the Kampfgruppe Goebel assault on Stalingrad at the end of November 1942 around Nishij and Tschiskaja with 3,000 servicemen. With the following radio message, they became known to the staff of the 6th Army: "Battle-group Captain Goebel with 3,000 men holds the Don River bridge at (Werchne) Chir(skaya). Keep the head up, as we do". He held, together with his Kampfgruppe, for weeks, an important bridgehead. He later became the 180th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for his bravery. In 1945, two days after signing the unconditional surrender documents for all German forces, he was taken into Soviet captivity, on 11 May 1945. He was detained for more than 10 years in different Soviet labor camps. On 9 October 1955 he was released, thanks to Konrad Adenauer and his successful negotiations over the release of the last German World War II prisoners. ...more

Alfred Müller was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards include the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (11 October 1939), 1st Class (25 July 1941), Wound Badge (1939) in Black (7 June 1943), General Assault Badge (29 August 1941), Kuban Shield (1 December 1944), Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class (28 January 1944), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 20 February 1943 as Hauptmann and commander of Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 901, the 354th Oak Leaves on 15 December 1943 as Hauptmann and commander of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 191 and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (22 February 1973). Alfred Müller was captured by American troops in May 1945. In 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr and served until 1979 retiring as a Brigadegeneral....more

Wilhelm Niggenmeyer was a German officer who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and in the postwar Bundeswehr. Niggemeyer personally destroyer four Soviet tanks single-handily, as well as 34 others with his unit. He participated in making of Männer gegen Panzer, 1943 German film, about different types of infantry anti-tank warfare....more

Dr. jur. Josef-Georg Mulzer was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards include the Iron Cross (1939), 2nd Class (27 June 1940), 1st Class (30 August 1942), Wound Badge (1939) in Silver, General Assault Badge, Narvik Shield, Eastern Front Medal (2 September 1942), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 7 September 1943 as Major and commander of Pionier-Bataillon 195, and the Oak Leaves on 10 January 1944 as Major and commander of Pionier-Bataillon 195. ...more

Harry Herrmann was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) in the Fallschirmjäger (Paratroopers) during World War II and in the Bundeswehr. During the invasion of Crete, he was severely wounded and blinded during the initial jump, but continued to lead his men during their assault on heavily defended positions. He later fought in Normandy and Italy. Harry Herrmann was captured by Soviet troops in May 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, he was held prisoner until 1955. He joined the Bundeswehr in 1957, retiring in 1967 as an Oberst (Colonel) serving in the position of deputy commander of the 1. Luftlande-Division (1st Air Landing Division) and commander of the Luftlande-Lufttransportschule Altenstadt (Air Landing Air Transport School)....more

Josef "Sepp" Prentl was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II, where he pioneered the use of the 88mm Flak AA Gun into an anti-tank weapon. He was awarded the Knights Cross for destroying 45 tanks with his 88. Josef Prentl joined the post-war Bundeswehr in 1956, retiring in 1974 as an Oberst. From 1974 to 1978 he served in the Bavarian parliament as a member of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria party. Awards - Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (19 May 1940), 1st Class (5 June 1940), German Cross in Gold (1 January 1945), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 21 October 1942 as Oberleutnant and chief of the 2./Flak-Regiment 231, and the 851st Oak Leaves on 28 April 1945 as Major and commander of Flak-Regiment 116. ...more

Meinrad von Lauchert was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. The first day of fighting in Poland brought his elevation to battalion commander after the previous commander, Hauptmann Stenglein, received a serious head wound - a common injury for armour commanders. Lauchert served with Panzer Regiment 35 of the 4th Panzer Division throughout the Polish and French Campaigns. During the first drive into Russia in the summer of 1941, he earned the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross. Lauchert's skill and energy as a Panzer leader caught the attention of such armour notables as Heinz Guderian and Heinrich Eberbach. When Germany developed a new tank to regain its lost superiority on the battlefield, Major Lauchert was chosen to form and train the first two battalions of Panthers. Hitler ordered the delay of the 1943 summer offensive until Lauchert's Panthers arrived to spearhead the southern arm of the attack. Unfortunately, the failure of the commanders whom Lauchert was supporting to familiarize themselves with this new weapon caused the Panther's debut at the Battle of Kursk to be less than decisive. Lauchert continued to command a battle group of Panthers after Kursk, was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) and eventually was named as the commander of Panzer Regiment 15 of the 11th Panzer Division. While with this unit, he earned the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.Just one day before the start of the Battle of the Bulge, Oberst (Colonel) Lauchert was tasked with taking charge of the 2nd Panzer Division. His division punched through the American lines on 16 December 1944 and by the time the offensive had literally run out of fuel Lauchert's men had achieved the deepest penetration into Allied-held territory of any of the German formations. Afterwards, Lauchert's division fought a continuous rearguard action against the US forces as they pushed him back across the German frontier. During the fighting in February and March 1945, the 2nd Panzer Division had ceased to exist as much more than a marker on the map. By the end of March, as the remnants of his division were backed up against the Rhine without a secure crossing point, Generalmajor Lauchert ordered a breakout eastwards in small groups. Lauchert swam the Rhine with a small number of his staff and, apparently fed up with the hopelessness of the situation, quit the war and walked home to Bamberg, the home garrison of Panzer Regiment 35.After the war he was imprisoned for trial at Nuremberg for war crimes, but was found not guilty and released. Later, he was technical advisor on the 1965 movie Battle of the Bulge. ...more

Ernst König (12 August 1908 – 3 March 1986) was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards - Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 October 1939), 1st Class (10 October 1940), Wound Badge in Black, in Silver,, in Gold, German Cross in Gold (7 March 1942), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 16 September 1943 as Major and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 12, the 598th Oak Leaves on 21 September 1944 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 12....more

Walter Elflein (10 December 1914 – 30 December 2000) was a highly decorated Major der Reserve in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Awards - Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (5 December 1939), 1st Class (1 July 1941), Wound Badge (1939) in Black, in Silver in Gold (5 December 1943), Infantry Assault Badge (13 September 1941), Eastern Front Medal, German Cross in Gold (26 December 1941), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 8 October 1943 as Oberleutnat der Reserve and leader of the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 95, the 347th Oak Leaves on 5 December 1943 as Hauptmann der Reserve and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 95 and Führer of a Kampfgruppe in the 17. Infanterie-Division. ...more