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Old August 17th, 2021 #5
alex revision
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✠ Bodo Spranz ✠ 1 January 1920 – 1 September 2007

✠ StuG ACE and PANZERKNACKER ✠ Destroyed over 76 tanks.

Sturmgeschütz, or 'StuG' was a dual purpose assault gun / tank destroyer that were 'fire brigades' that were attached to most Infanterie-Divisionen.

They were surprisingly effective as tank killers but only in the hands of a skilled ace who could handle the skid-steer tactic and take advantage of the StuG's speed and low profile to zoom in close enough and hit an enemy tank in the right spot (usually the side or rear armor). Panzer Ace Michael Wittmann began his career as a StuG Ace. Bodo Spranz was one of the more successful StuG Aces. He survived the war and All-Lied captivity to become quite a scholar and wrote a number of books about Meso-American civilizations, and was the respected Director of the Geschichte des Freiburger Instituts für Ethnologie for many years. He was awarded:

✠ Knight's Cross on 3 October 1943 as Oberleutnant in Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 237. In six days of battle near the end of August/start of September 1943 his company destroyed 61 enemy tanks.

✠ Oak Leaves on 3 October 1943 as Oberleutnant in Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 237. Awarded for the continued count of tanks destroyed by himself and his company. In the middle of September he and his company crushed a fierce Soviet tank attack, knocking out 27 tanks in this one engagement alone. By 17 September 1943 Spranz had raised his individual total of tanks destroyed to 76, and also destroyed 4 in individual close combat with a hand held device when his StuG was shot out. On this same day he was wounded for the ninth time.

Bodo Spranz was awarded:

✠ Knights Cross (3 October 1943)
✠ Oak Leaves (3 October 1943)
✠ German Cross in Gold (6 May 1943)
✠ Iron Cross II Class (23 June 1940)
✠ Iron Cross I Class (2 July 1941)
✠ Wound Badge in Black (4 September 1941)
✠ Wound Badge