Youngest, Oldest, The First, The Most, and Other Records

[AlifRafikKhan]

After World War II, ex-Luftwaffe air ace Oberleutnant Friedrich Obleser settled in West Germany and continued his career in the Luftwaffe der Bundeswehr after the re-militarization of West Germany in 1955. From 1 October 1978 until his retirement on 31 March 1983, he held the position of Inspekteur der Luftwaffe der Bundeswehr. At the end of his career, he had attained the rank of Generalleutnant and was the last active general in the Bundeswehr who had received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Obleser
http://en.ww2awards.com/person/25363#top

[AlifRafikKhan]

SS Obersturmführer Fredrik Jensen was the highest decorated Norwegian serving in the German armed forces during world war II. He was also one of the few Norwegian soldiers who came close enough to see Moscow far away! His bio (courtesy of Michael D. Miller):

Frederik Jensen
SS-Obersturmführer

Born: 25.03.1921 in Oslo, Norway.
Died: 31.07.2011 in a hospital in Ystad, Sweden.
NSDAP-Nr.: [Not a member]
SS-Nr.: 456.051 (V) (Joined 04.04.1941)

Promotions:
[00.07.1941] SS-Schütze
00.00.194_ SS-Standartenjunker
10.03.1943 SS-Untersturmführer
30.01.1944 SS-Obersturmführer

Decorations & Awards:
08.12.1944 Kriegsorden des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold as SS-Obersturmführer and Fhr. 7. Kompanie / II.Bataillon / SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 9 "Germania" / 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking", Eastern Front (Based on a recommendation dated 29.09.1944 and signed by Btl. Fhr. Franz Pleiner; Endorsed 05.10.1944 by Rgt. Fhr. i.V. Herbert Oeck and 10.10.1944 by Div.-Fhr. Karl Ullrich; Approved 02.11.1944 by Kom. Gen. Herbert Otto Gille)
20.04.1943 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
15.07.1943 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
ca. 1943 Nahkampfspange II. Stufe (Silber)
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Bronze
19.01.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Schwarz
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Gold
00.00.1942 Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”
00.00.194_ "Frontkjemper" Badge
00.00.194_ Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen in Bronze

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204455 ... ion=stream
http://www.waffen-ss.no/High-awarded-nordic-men.htm

[AlifRafikKhan]

Another addition to "Died in his Birthday":

Oberleutnant Josef Gollas (Ritterkreuzträger)

Born in 12 December 1914
Died in 12 December 1980 (66 years old)

Source: WAF and http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_sea ... ord=gollas

[Ste]

Unteroffizier Leopold Poschusta

Born 15 November 1919 - Trumau (Austria)
Dead 15 November 1943 - Tscherkassy

[AlifRafikKhan]

Werner Wrangel was a Gefreiter in the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War, who received three of Germany's highest military decorations during a single combat action. He was the only person ever to do so. Wrangel received the Iron Cross 2nd class, Iron Cross 1st Class, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross simultaneously on 8 February 1943 for outstanding valour in repulsing a Soviet tank attack virtually single-handedly, thereby saving the lives of hundreds of his comrades. Additionally, he received the Infantry Assault Badge (Sturmabzeichen) in silver. At the time he served with 1./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 160. Wrangel died in combat in March 1945 near Trebur.

A German newspaper from 1943 reported about the incident as follows (approximate translation from German):
In a nightly battle near Veliky Luki in December 1942, during a snow storm raging at minus 25 degrees celsius, Wrangel operated an anti-tank gun at a frozen hilltop. His gun held a position that formed the link to an otherwise completely cut-off German Kampfgruppe that came under attack from a numerically far superior Soviet attack aimed at halting a German effort to relieve the cut-off Kampfgruppe. During the Soviet attack, consisting of a massed infantry assault supported by tanks and heavy artillery, Wrangel held his fire until the enemy heavy tanks were within less than 200 to 60 meters. Wrangel and his gun crew managed to destroy first three, then four, then another four Soviet heavy tanks scoring direct hits, until their gun is jammed. All the while, man-to-man fighting between German and Soviet infantry was happening all around the position and enemy artillery fire was coming closer and closer. When some of the gun crew were wounded, Wrangel rushed to the infantry to get some regular soldiers to assist him in operating the gun.
After a hit by a high-explosive round to the gun's protective shield, again some of the crew were injured, but they desperately fought on. An additional six Soviet tanks were destroyed by Wrangel's gun by holding fire first and hiding, allowing Wrangel to shoot the tanks in the rear. At every shot fired, the gun blasted backward off the hilltop covered in frozen snow, and had to be pushed up the hill back into position again under the most appalling weather conditions. Wrangel literally fought until the last round had left his gun, which led him to his next task: destroying their own anti-tank gun in order to prevent capture by the Soviets. This task was also accomplished successfully.
By Wrangel's singlehanded action, a strong Soviet assault was repulsed, allowing the entire Kampfgruppe M. to withdraw from its encirclement to new positions, thereby being able to take all of their wounded with them who would have otherwise fallen into enemy hands. Additionally, he ensured that his gun did not fall into enemy hands after they retreated from the position. He personally destroyed seventeen enemy heavy tanks in the engagement.
For his truly exceptional actions, Werner Wrangel was awarded the three highest decorations available to German soldiers during the Second World War in one single night: the Sturmabzeichen (Infantry Assault Badge) in Silver, the Iron Cross Second Class for personal bravery, the Iron Cross First Class for the single-handed destruction of ten enemy heavy tanks, and the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross for saving the lives of hundreds of comrades and the preservation of the fighting power of an entire Kampfgruppe.

Source:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... hp?t=41136
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Wrangel

[AlifRafikKhan]

SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Karl-Maria Demelhuber (26 May 1896 - 18 March 1988) was the last living officer to hold the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer when he died in 1988...

Source:
http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/SS-Oberg ... lhuber.htm
http://www.historicalwarmilitariaforum. ... waffen-ss/

[Ruslan M]

Best, Wegener, Lauterbacher flew out of the galaxy?

[Dieter Zinke]

Best, Wegener, Lauterbacher flew out of the galaxy?

Quite right, dear Ruslan, .....
...... but they were NOT in the Waffen-SS !!!

All the best in the New Year!

Cheers
Dieter Z.

[Ruslan M]

but they were NOT in the Waffen-SS !!!

Man lernt, solange man lebt. Though I am not a pedant, but then the title does not match the content.

Best wishes to everyone and catch a happy horse in the New Year.
Ruslan

[AlifRafikKhan]

Bodo Spranz and Wilhelm Crinius receives Ritterkreuz and Eichenlaub on the same day. Spranz in 3 October 1943 while Crinius 23 September 1942. In the other hand, Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke receives Schwerter and Brillanten also in the same day, 19 September 1944...

Source: http://das-ritterkreuz.de/

[AlifRafikKhan]

Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Aigen...

Am 19.09.1943 stieg die Besatzung zu einem weiteren Feindflug vom Flugplatz Orscha-Süd auf. Nach dem Durchstoßen der Wolkendecke stieß Maschine Strobel, eine He 111 H-16 (Werksnummer 161.384) 5J+ER, dann jedoch mit der Maschine der Besatzung Leutnant Hans Auer zusammen. beide Maschinen stürzten daraufhin westlich Dubrowka ab und die Besatzungen fanden dabei den Tod. Zusammen mit Aigen starben dabei der Flugzeugführer Unteroffizier Walter Fock, der Beobachter Hauptmann Paul Strobel, der Bordfunker Obergefreiter Georg Arnold und der Bordschütze Unteroffizier Ewald Oetken. Als Oberfeldwebel und Bordmechaniker der 7. Staffel des Kampfgeschwaders 4 "General Wever" erhielt er am 09.06.1944 posthum das Ritterkreuz. Er war der erste Bordmechaniker der Kampfflieger dem das Ritterkreuz verliehen wurde.

From http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... inhard.htm

Sourceof the pic: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 01840[list][/list]

[AlifRafikKhan]

Another addition to "Died in his Birthday":

Oberleutnant der Reserve Udo Anneken (Ritterkreuzträger)

Born in 11 October 1917
Died in 11 October 1987 (80 years old)

Source:
http://www.reocities.com/orion47.geo/AW ... eer_A.html
http://en.ww2awards.com/person/28115
http://das-ritterkreuz.de/index_search_ ... rd=anneken
http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... en-Udo.htm

[AlifRafikKhan]

Gefreiter Hans Bader (1 April 1917 - 24 September 1939) is said to be the first Fallschirmjäger killed in World War II. He was fallen at the battle of Wola-Gulowska. German losses at Wola-Gulowska are given as 8 dead and 13 wounded, all from II.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2 / 7.Flieger-Division. Gefreiter Bader and his comrades remains were buried at Fort Iwangorod...

Source:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=63313
http://www.volksbund.de/index.php?id=17 ... eeddfd431a

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

I just found out today that Günther Scholz the fighter pilot who fought during the Spanish Civil War and WWII had passed away on October 29,2014. He was 102 years of age! He was born in Breslau on 8 December 1911.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[StefanK.]

Walter Krauß was the very first Aufklärer to win the Knights cross (June 1940). Lateron he swithed to the Stukas where he posthoumously earned the oakleafs.


Ritterkreuz als Leutnant und Flugzeugführer in der 2.(H)/AufklGrp 21


Greetings, Stefan