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Old August 13th, 2021 #1
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Default They Fought for Europe


116. PANZER-DIVISION 'WINDHUND'

This excellent division was formed from 16th Panzer-Grenadier Division 'Windhund' which had suffered very heavy losses on the Eastern Front. It was reformed and upgraded into a Panzer Division, re-designated as 116th Panzer-Division 'Windhund,' (since there already was a 16th Panzer Division) and kept its division emblem Wappenschild 'Windhund.' This division had the distinction of having Kalmücken-Kavallerie-Korps, a unit of about 5,000 Kalmyk volunteers who chose to join the German Armed Forces in 1942 and fought with distinction.

AWARDS (16. Panzer-Grenadier Division & 116. Panzer-Division combined)

✠ Knight's Cross (42)
✠ German Cross in Gold (141)
✠ German Cross in Silver (5)
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Gold (14)
✠ Army Honor Roll Clasp (22)
✠ Certificate of Recognition From Adolf Hitler For Outstanding Achievement on the Battlefield (10)



✠ Hans-Karl Bunzel (29-04-1915 - 12-11-1995)

Panzer-Abteilung 116 / 116. Panzer-Division 'Windhund'

Destroyed 95 tanks. His gravestone at the cemetery in Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut was removed in 2019 to prevent it from being a "Nazi Shrine," and cleanse Germany from "Traces of Evil."









 
Old August 15th, 2021 #2
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Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 277 - Wappenschild - 'The Tasmanian Devil'


✠ Günter Chrzonsz (15 October 1914 – 31 October 2003)

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 277

During a battle in October 1943 Chrzonsz found himself alone against a force of about 50 T-34 tanks, he destroyed 10 of these before a T-34 rammed his Sturmgeschütz and lifted it up sideways. The two vehicles became wedged together, and as the T-34 reversed it tore away the left track of Chrzonsz’s Sturmgeschütz. However as the Soviet tank pulled back to an approximately 30 metre range it fell into the gunsight of the German vehicle by chance and was promptly destroyed. Chrzonsz then drove his gun slowly into the contested village on his own initiative. Covered by the houses, he proceeded to destroy another 7 enemy tanks. This combined with the close-combat kills by the nearby Grenadiers forced the remaining Soviet armour to retreat. At the end of the day Chrzonsz had destroyed 18 tanks and achieved a major local victory raising his total of destroyed tanks to 23. For this action he received the Knight's Cross. Combat records are missing as to his total tank kills for the war.





 
Old August 15th, 2021 #3
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205. INFANTERIE-DIVISION – Pilz-Division

"The Mushroom Division" -Wappenschild

They fought until the final surrender in May 1945 in the Kurland Pocket. Nearly all of these men were held in Soviet captivity for several years after the war.





 
Old August 17th, 2021 #4
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✠ Eduard Lindinger ✠ 17.01.1915 - 01.09.2004

Served with Kampfgeschwader 1 "Hindenburg" - a Luftwaffe bomber unit with Heinkel He 111 and later the famous 'Tigers in the Sky' Heinkel He 177 bombers ( the first aircraft in history with radio controlled guided missiles ).

The unit was assigned the Hindenburg family crest as its emblem.

Eduard Lindinger flew a total of 322 sorties in WWII, including a few as a night-fighter pilot. He is credited with destroying an aircraft engine factory at Rybinsk, a rubber-producing collective facility at Yaroslavl, 8 tanks, 3 locomotives, 3 freight trains, over 100 trucks and other transport, a minesweeper and 2 auxiliary war ships. He was awarded:

✠ Knight's Cross (9 December 1942)
✠ German Cross in Gold (18 May 1942)
✠ Luftwaffe Honor Goblet (13 February 1942)
✠ Iron Cross I. Class (4 August 1941)
✠ Iron Cross II. Class (26 May 1941)
✠ Front Flying Clasp in Gold with Pendant (13 October 1942)
✠ Front Flying Clasp in Gold (16 November 1941)
✠ Front Flying Clasp in Silver (15 September 1941)
✠ Front Flying Clasp in Bronze (12 July 1941)
✠ Wound Badge in Black (13 August 1942)
✠ Eastern Front Medal (16 July 1942)
✠ Pilot’s Badge (15 February 1940)
 
Old August 17th, 2021 #5
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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
 
Old August 17th, 2021 #6
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✠ Wilhelm Weber ✠ 19 March 1918 – 2 March 1980

✠ PANZERKNACKER Destroyed 13 tanks ✠ won the Knights cross. Wounded six times in combat, spent most of his service in the Heer (German Army) until he was transferred to the SS 'Charlemagne' Division because of his knowledge of the French language. Fought in the last desperate days with the French SS "Charlemagne' Division in the Battle for Berlin. His known Awards:

✠ Knights Cross (29 April 1945)
✠ German Cross in Gold (21 October 1943)
✠ Iron Cross I Class
✠ Iron Cross II Class
✠ Individual Tank Destruction Badge (13 times)
✠ Gold Wound Badge
✠ Silver Wound Badge
✠ Black Wound Badge
✠ Wehrmacht Long Service IV Class
✠ Eastern Front Medal
 
Old August 17th, 2021 #7
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Great thread !! Thanks for opening and feeding it, Alex Revision !
 
Old August 17th, 2021 #8
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They were the real Greatest Generation. Es Lebe Europa.
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"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy."

--Henry A. Kissinger, jewish politician and advisor
 
Old August 18th, 2021 #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Allan View Post
They were the real Greatest Generation. Es Lebe Europa.
Quote:
Originally Posted by U. Dunrouse View Post
Great thread !! Thanks for opening and feeding it, Alex Revision !
Thanks, more to come
 
Old August 18th, 2021 #10
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✠ Alfred Jonstrup ✠ 2 October 1916 - 8 October 1983

Waffenbrüder from DENMARK - served with SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 24 "Danmark"/ 11. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland" … The picture shows Alfred Jonstrup with part of his jaw blown away and unable to talk writing down important information. A friend is trying to hold a towel under Jonstrup's jaw so blood will not hit the paper. At the Demjansk Pocket In 1942, Jonstrup retrieved the body of Danish war hero Frederik von Schalburg under heavy artillery fire.

Alfred Jonstrup's known awards :

✠ SS Honor Roll Class (25 December 1944)
✠ Iron Cross I Class (5 November 1944)
✠ Iron Cross II Class (1 July 1942)
✠ Demjansk Shield
✠ Gold Wound Badge (13 January 1945)
✠ Silver Wound Badge
✠ Black Wound Badge
✠ Eastern Front Badge
✠ Schalburg Cross
✠ Danish Cross of Honor
✠ Danish Front Fighters Cross
 
Old August 18th, 2021 #11
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PANZER ACE ✠ Helmut Wendorff ✠ SS # 365 017 ✠ 21.10.1920 - MIA

14.08.1944 (This Tribute is an update since his tank kills are now known to be at least 95) - served with SS Panzer-Abteilung 101 / 1. SS Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler" NOTE: During the SS Panzer-Abteilung 101 brief existence it destroyed at least 400 Soviet tanks, while suffering the loss of only a mere 6 as a result of direct combat. Sadly, Wendorff was one of them.

✠ Knights Cross Awarded on 12.02.1944

"SS-Untersturmführer Wendorff has, as a platoon leader in the SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 "LSSAH," acted with resolute and excellent composure in all of the battles of the company. Even in the most critical moments he was calm and acted with caution. With his dynamic approach and exemplary use of tactics with his platoon he mastered all of the situations put to him.

In the Christmas days, the division was in the area of Korosten executing a forced march in the area southeastward of Zhitomir, moving in a line including Staroselye - Staraya-Kotelnja and the railway line between Zhitomir - Fastov, providing short security points on the right flank. In the early morning hours of 27.12.1943 SS-Untersturmführer Wendorff, who was in Ivankovo with his platoon (4 Tigers), was instructed to intercept and destroy the Russian armored spearheads advancing out of the forest north of the main road to protect the division's withdrawal into the area south of Gujwa during the night.

In the course of a series of attacks against these armored spearheads, SS-Ustuf Wendorff distinguished himself through exceptional daring and outstanding bravery. He positioned himself in an ambush location at the crossroads north of Ivankovo. After DESTROYING 2 T-34s he allowed to approach before opening fire, he was instructed to carry out a driving attack on a strong armored group in Tschubarowka.

In a dashing approach along the railway line he drove into the village from the northeast and DESTROYED 11 T-34s with his battle tank there. After his return, he was sent against enemy tanks that had broken out of Jusefowka and DESTROYED 3 MORE ENEMY TANKS there. In the afternoon, the enemy broke into Staroselye and seized the bridges in the area; the only avenue of retreat for the division's heavy weapons was through Ivankovo. Attacking with several armoured spearheads, the enemy attempted to seize these crossings as well, thus threatening the withdrawal of the elements of the division positioned in the Wolossowo - Staraya - Kotelnja area.

This advance of the Russians was held by SS-Untersturmführer Wendorff with his remaining three Tigers. His stand allowed the artillery battalion and one of the P.G.W. battalions to retreat and also meant that some of our damaged tanks could be recovered from the main battle line. As the last one to disengage from the fighting, around midnight, he brought his three vehicles to the south bank of the Guiwa.

On 28.12.1943, strong enemy groups of armor advanced on the security force in Antopol - Boljarka and broke into the town. With four Tigers (some of which were barely serviceable) SS-Untersturmführer Wendorff threw himself against these enemy tanks. Wendorff DESTROYED 11 more T-34s with his battle tank during the heavy tank fighting, preventing the enemy from breaching the division's flank.

On 27. and 28.12.1943, Wendorff DESTROYED A FURTHER 10 MORE T-34s with his battle tank, raising his personal total of destroyed enemy tanks to fifty-eight."

AWARDS -

✠ Knights Cross (12 February 1944)
✠ Iron Cross II Class (14 September 1941)
✠ Iron Cross I Class (16 September 1943)
✠ Eastern Front Medal
✠ Black Wound Badge
✠ Panzer Assault Badge (14 September 1941)
✠ SS Long Service IV Class
 
Old August 18th, 2021 #12
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SWEDISH SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans-Gösta Pehrsson

11. SS Panzergrenadier-Division 'Nordland' / SS Panzer Abteilung 11

He was an early member of the Swedish National Socialist Party (Nationalsocialistiska Arbetarepartiet. The Party was one of the earliest to claim that the 'Holocaust' of the Jews had not happened, in their May 1945 publication 'Den Svenske Folksocialisten.' ). Being a strong anti-communist, Pehrsson voluntarily joined the Waffen-SS in June 1941 immediately when the war between Germany and the Soviet Union began. SS Panzer-Abteilung 11 was called the Swedish company, because it had many Swedish volunteers and the whole 4th heavy weapons unit consisted of Swedes. Besides this, the 'Schwedenzug' also had three tank units. Estonian Swedes, Imperial Germans or Reichdeutsches and ethnic Germans or Volksdeutsches from Rumania were also is this unit. Swedish highly decorated heroes and officers, such as Heino Meyer, Rune Ahlgren, Erik Wallin and Gunnar Eklöf, were also members of this unit. Hans-Gösta Pehrsson fought in many great battles defending Europe including the street battles and fierce house-to-house fighting in Berlin. He was able to escape All-Lied captivity with Erik Wallin and return to Sweden where he lived a normal life since Sweden did not persecute or punish any European SS veterans.

German SS-Obersturmführer Josef Sepp Schirmer remembered the Swede: "Gösta Pehrsson was a good comrade. Loyal, honest, brave. He had great military knowledge and skills. He helped everyone out of trouble, even if he had to risk his life to do it. Every comrade's life was more valuable to him than his own life. He took care of his men and company. He was caring, friendly and warm-hearted.'

Hans-Gösta Pehrsson was awarded :
✠ War Merit Cross with Swords
✠ SS Honor Roll Clasp
✠ Iron Cross I Class
✠ Iron Cross II Class
✠ Black Wound Badge
✠ Silver Wound Badge
 
Old August 18th, 2021 #13
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✠ Walter Seebach ✠ 5 November 1918 – 4 July 2004

Waffenbrüder from Heerlen, Netherlands. Moved to Germany in 1933 and joins the Hitler Youth. Joins the SS in 1937, later assigned to the SS Regiment 'Germania' / 5. SS Division 'Wiking.' Later transferred to SS Panzergrenadier-Regiment 24 'Danmark' / 11. SS Panzergrenadier-Division 'Nordland' where he won many high awards.

He was awarded the Knights Cross when his company had fought off eight attacks by superior Russian forces. Seebach then decided to launch an attack of his own. This tactic succeeded, but Seebach was wounded during the assault. Refusing to leave his men, he remained on the front line leading further counterattacks. When ordered to withdraw, he discovered that seven wounded men had been left behind. Ordering an immediate attack, he managed to retrieve his lost men and then withdraw to safety at Narva.

His awards included :

✠ Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
✠ Iron Cross I Class
✠ Iron Cross II Class
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Gold
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Silver
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Bronze
✠ Wound Badge in Gold
✠ Wound Badge in Silver
✠ Wound Badge in Bronze
✠ Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze
✠ Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze
✠ SS Honor Badge
✠ Eastern Front Medal
 
Old August 22nd, 2021 #14
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SS-Unterscharführer ✠ Arne Johansson ✠ from Göteborg, SWEDEN - served in the 'Svenska Frivilligkåren' (Swedish Volunteer Corps) during the Soviet aggression against Finland in 1939 – 1940 before joining the Swedish Panzergrenadier unit known as the 'Schwedenzug' (Swedish Platoon) with the 11. SS--Panzergrenadier-Division 'Nordland.' KIA March 1 1945.

Awarded

✠ Order of the Lion of Finland
✠ Finnish Medal of Liberty Bronze 2nd Class
✠ Finnish Winter War Medal
✠ Swedish Volunteers Cross
✠ Svenska Frivilligkåren Badge (The Four Brothers Medal)
✠ German Iron Cross Second & First Class.
 
Old August 22nd, 2021 #15
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✠ Jürgen Wagner ✠ 9 September 1901 – 27 June 1947

SS # 23 692 ✠ NSDAP # 707 279

Another highly decorated SS and NSDAP member who served heroically in four different SS Divisions (we are enclosing separately his actions for winning the Knights Cross and his actions for winning the Oak Leaves). After the war it was very common to see men like Jürgen Wagner paraded before a kangaroo court and EXECUTED as a "war criminal" … targeted and demonized more for simply being all 3 things: (1) SS member (2) NSDAP member (3) well decorated war hero. The charges against him were not even specific, but he was declared "guilty" and murdered when the British handed him over to the Yugoslav communists for "killing Jews."

Jürgen Wagner's awards included:

✠ Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
✠ German Cross in Gold
✠ Iron Cross First Class
✠ Iron Cross Second Class
✠ Infantry Assault Badge
✠ Black Wound Badge
✠ Eastern Front Medal
✠ War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords
✠ Memel Medal
✠ 1936 Olympic Honor Medal
✠ Silver Reiter Sport Badge
✠ NSDAP Medal 10 Year Service
✠ SS Honor Ring
✠ SS Honor Dagger
✠ SS Long Service 4 - 8 - 12 Year Awards
 
Old August 22nd, 2021 #16
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✠ Ludwig Kepplinger ✠ 31.12.1911 — 26.08.1944

We have attached a separate meme detailing his incredible heroism that won him the Knights Cross that you can find attached to this tribute. He was murdered by Jewish and Communist partisans southeast of Laval. France in August 1944. His body was found in 1980 west of Villiers-Charlemagne.

UNITS :

✠ 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
✠ 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
Ludwig Kepplinger was also the first NCO in the Waffen SS to receive the Knights Cross.

AWARDS :

✠ Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
✠ German Cross in Gold
✠ Iron Cross First Class
✠ Iron Cross Second Class
✠ Wound Badge in Black
✠ Wound Badge in Silver
✠ Panzer Assault Badge
✠ Eastern Front Medal
✠ SS Long Service Award 4th Class
✠ Anschluss Medal
 
Old August 28th, 2021 #18
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✠ SS-Obersturmbannführer Vinzenz Kaiser ✠ 28.2.1904 - captured and EXECUTED in captivity by American troops 20.4.1945

https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/...-Waffen-SS.htm

Served in combat with : ✠ 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich"
✠ 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Reichsführer-SS"
✠ 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen"
✠ NSDAP # 54 828 (Joined 15th September 1927)
✠ SS # 17 127 (Joined 10th October 1931)

We have included the Knight's Cross recommendation of the great SS Warrior with this separately so that you can read and save for posterity along with our tribute here.



AWARDS & DECORATIONS :

✠ Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich"
✠ Oak Leaves awarded by radio message 18 April 1945 with 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen"
✠ German Cross in Gold
✠ Iron Cross 1st Class
✠ Iron Cross 2nd Class
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Bronze
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Silver
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Gold
✠ Infantry Assault Badge in Silver (not pictured here)
✠ 4 Individual Tank Destruction Badges
✠ Wound Badge in Black
✠ Wound Badge in Silver
✠ SS-Julleuchter
✠ SS-Ehrenring
✠ SS-Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS
✠ SS Bronzes-Sportabzeichen
✠ SS 4 Year Long Service Award
✠ SS 8 Year Long Service Award
✠ SS 12 Year Long Service Award
✠ NSDAP 10 Year Service Medal
✠ NSDAP 15 Year Service Medal (not pictured here)
✠ NSDAP Goldenes Parteiabzeichen
You can visit Vinzenz Kaiser :
German War Cemetery Halbe
Plot: 8. Row: 2. Grave: 1727.
 
Old August 28th, 2021 #19
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LATVIAN SS-Obersturmführer Roberts Gaigals (16 March 1913 - 15 April 1982)

Ritterkreuz (4 May 1945) : 6.Kompanie / Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der SS 42 “Voldemars Veiss” (lettische Nr. 1) / 19.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 2) Served 9 years POW in Soviet captivity until his release in 1954.

Awards and Decorations :

✠ Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
✠ Latvian Cross of Merit
✠ Iron Cross First Class
✠ Iron Cross Second Class
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Bronze
✠ Close Combat Clasp in Silver
✠ Wound Badge in Black
✠ Wound Badge in Silver
✠ Wound Badge in Gold
✠ Infantry Assault Badge
 
Old August 28th, 2021 #20
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Company commanders were responsible for reporting the list of eligible men under their command by December 31, 1943. The award ceased to be presented on July 4th, 1944. Each recipient was entitled to five copies of the shield, and in case of death, a single shield and an entitlement certificate was presented to the next of kin.

The shield was to be worn on the upper sleeve of the uniform. In the case of the Waffen SS, it is worthy of note that it was to be worn above the SS arm eagle.

It is estimated that over 100,000 shields were presented.
 
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