Fallschirmjäger RKTs - pics and career data

[Peter H]

Well,Kurowski's book is OK and not too pricey.

Biblio Verlag's Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945. Teil II: Fallschirmjäger by Franz Thomas,Günter Wegmann,1986 is said to be the most comprehesive but at a hefty price.

[Peter H]

5.Fallschirmjäger–Division RKTs

Friedrich Bausch
Kompanieführer 3./FschPiBtl 5

From: http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/

[Peter H]

Gerhard Mertens



Fought at Crete,Russia with FJ Pioneers.Awarded DKig in 1943.Commanded Fsch.Pi.Btl 5,5FJD 1944...." in subsequent actions he and his battalion blew 46 bridges and halted the pursuing enemy[after Normandy]".Awarded the KC for these actions.

In March 1945,"Mertens was wounded for the fifth time".

[Peter H]

Heinz Richter
Leutnant 4./Fsch.Pi.Btl 5.Served under Mertens.
No photo available.


Walter Sander
1./Fsch.Pi.Btl 5.Fought at Crete,Russia with FJ Pioneers.Awarded DKig in 1943.Later served in Sicily,Normandy...."in the Ardennes offensive..alongside the 11.Fsch Assault Gun Abtg,,together they drove deep into the enemy rear and captured a signals battalion of the US 28th Division.Sander took another 200 prisoners in Wiltz".

From: http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/

[Peter H]

Johannes Marscholek
Oberleutnant Führer 5./Fsch.Flak.Abt 5.Served with Flak until 1944.Normandy--"his two flak 88s knocked out 28 Sherman tanks..of these Marscholek personally destroyed 21..."

From Kurowski

[Fallschirmjäger]

Well,Kurowski's book is OK and not too pricey.

Biblio Verlag's Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945. Teil II: Fallschirmjäger by Franz Thomas,Günter Wegmann,1986 is said to be the most comprehesive but at a hefty price.

Oh yea see now thats the book you have been mentioning,and these others had all the same info or more and are better?,the first one is what year too?.Or is all that info from one book and its 1986 its from?.

http://www.worldwartwobooks.com/product ... hirmjaeger

[Peter H]

Kurowski's book,the English translation anyway,was published in 1995.

He states that "Kurt Student..urged me to create a book naming all the decorated troops of the parachute troops".As Student died in 1977 I don't know why it took so long.By my reckoning Kurowski omits about 6 RKT holders,but includes the discredited Kroymanns as well.

"Each is also shown in a World War II era photograph" is not exactly true either.A few are shown in postwar Bundeswehr service.One or two have no photo available.e.g Georg Jacob,

Others like Herbert Schmidt are Willrich card pictures.Here's a photo of Schmidt I picked up elsewhere off the net but I can't remember the source(see below).Schmidt was the hero of Dombas,Norway 1940...."on June 6 1944,while driving from vannes to Pontivy in Brittany,Major Herbert Schmidt was shot from behind by a French sniper while sitting beside his division commander,Berhard Hermann Ramcke.He was killed instantly".

Still a good starting point though.I'd give it 8 out of 10.

[Dieter Zinke]

I have the following pic in my collection.
Allegidly it shows Hauptmann Hans von Majer - in 1945 Kommandeur FJR 27 - and if memory serves this quotation was given by the book-author Ernst Busch more than 20 years ago.
But evidently von Majer was never awarded with the KC !!

I' m helpless - who is the man in question ??

Dieter Z.

[Peter H]

Dieter

It looks like Heinz Meyer to me.

Regards
Peter

[Fallschirmjäger]

Thanks for all that info Peter,and being WW2 FJ winners i would rather have only WW2 era pictures of them,and to miss others out and this Kroymanns did what again,he never got it?.And Major Herbert Schmidt i had not herd of before i think too,so a resistance fighter did this.
Imagine if it had been ramcke though,unless he meant to kill him,as with him leading the 2nd FJ divsion it would defend fortress brest for awhile and tie down u.s forces needed elswhere.And many losse's on both sides would happen of course,so not good either way realy,and schmidt died and ramcke lived a little longer after the war.

[Dieter Zinke]

..and this Kroymanns did what again, he never got it ?

Definitively no, he never got it !! It' s a fake !!
See
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=44067

Dieter Zinke

[Fallschirmjäger]

Ok thanks Dieter will check that info out later when i can,need to go watch some tv.

[Peter H]

5.Fallschirmjäger–Division RKTs(cont)

Heinz Mayer Hauptmann Führer III./Fsch.Jäg.Rgt 15
KC 8th April 1944
Oakleaves 18th November 1944




Served Norway,Holland,Crete,Russia,Sicily,Cassino.

"Meyer was subsequently placed in command of III/FJR 4,with which he repulsed an American tank attack at Albaneta...received the Knight's Cross....

...in France Meyer led the III/FJR15 and stopped several American attacks near Monte Castre...there he won the Oak Leaves."


Hill 122 The battle of Mont Castre
http://www.normandy1944.org.uk/hill_122.htm

[Peter H]

Rudolf Berneike,Führer Fsch.Jäg.Rgt 15

http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... Rudolf.htm

[Peter H]

Karl Berger,Leutnant d.R. Kpführer 10./Fsch.Jäg.Rgt 15
Served in Russia,Sicily,Italy.Distinguished himself at Hill 122 in 1944.
"In subsequent fighting ..Berger succeeded in destroying two enemy tanks from close range."

Photo from Kurowski