High Scorers with Panzers and Paks

[alcius]

Two Panzerjager aces from
https://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org

Unteroffizier Gerhard Mrugalla - 1./Pz.Jg.Abt.8 - HRCC for 7 kills
CAMO-500-12485 -30 -0032

Leutnant Georg Budahl -1./Pz.Jg.Abt.121 - KC for 6 kills
CAMO-500-12485-35-0015 and 0016

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Thank you Antonio for adding these soldiers!

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Hello everyone!

I can add two soldiers which I found within the "Gefechtsberichte" of 5. Pz.Div., showing some details for Pz.Rgt. 31 actions in 1942 (source NARA-Roll T-315, R 272).

Leue, Paul, Oberfeldwebel, Zugf. 2./Pz.Rgt. 31
In the period 25.11. to 30.11.1942 he destroyed 5 T34 with his Panzer IV lg., plus finishing off 2 KW1. He also took part in the destruction of 3 T60 by his Panzer IV lg. and two Panzer III of his group, using "zusammengefaßtes Feuer" by these 3 Panzers.
He died 30.11.1942 after the turret of his tank was hit by an A/T round.
I haven't found any EK award for him, he might have been awarded prior to that, even in 1939, 1940 or so.
So, at least 7 tank kills for this man, probably more as the new Panzer IV lang were successful when popping up in the mid of 1942.

Timmermann, Wilhelm, Feldwebel, Pz.Kdt. in 8./Pz.Rgt. 31
In the period 1.12. to 14.12.1942 while still an Unteroffizier with an Panzer IV kurz he destroyed 9 tanks, than he was lightly wounded.
The next day the Panzer IV kurz of this Kampfgruppe destroyed another T60 and 3 guns 7,62 cm, but I'm not sure if Timmermann was still the Kommandant of this Panzer or was brought back to the Hauptverbandsplatz on 14.12.
Later he got the EK 1st class on 1.4.1943 as an Feldwebel, so for sure have added some tank kills as Pz.Rgt. 31 was highly successful against soviet tanks in the Shisdra area in February/March 1943 which might have led to his EK 1.
He's not listed in Volksbund Kriegsgräberfürsorge database.
So, at least 9 tank kills for this man, but most probably more.

Oliver

[Gastolli]

And ..., here's another one, but he will remain nameless for privacy reasons as he was degraded to Panzerschütze after this and some other cases, not consistent with the character one has to expect from an officer!

In short:
He had the EK2 and KVK2 and the Panzerkampfabzeichen Silber, but was wearing the EK1, KVK1 and Verwundetenabzeichen Silber while on leave, also made own notes in his Soldbuch that his unit destroyed 98 tanks, of whom he personally destroyed 38.

11 tank kills can be confirmed for this soldier (he was a gunner and a tank commander from 1942).

I think it's worth mentioning that they officially can attribute tank kills to a specific person!

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver for the additions,
pity for that unknown, one could at least read the Panzer Division.

A few more Panzerjager Aces:
Hauptmann Anton Otto Frank - Kdr He.Pz.Jäg.Abt 743 Hetzer -KC for 8 kills
Unteroffizier Lambert Mitterwenger - 2./Pz.Jäg.Abt 1548 Stug – KC for 8 kills
Unteroffizier Ferdinand Weidlich - 1./Pz.Jäg.Abt. 8 Pak - HRC for 7 kills
Uffizier Erich Becherer - 3./PzJgAbt.25 Stug – HRC for 6 kills
Oberfeldwebel Willi Noerren - 1./Armee-Pz.Jäg.Abt. 751 Pak - HRC for 9 kills
Unteroffizier Karl Kochendörfer - Geschützführer, 3./Schnelle Abteilung 296 -KC for 11 Kills
Unteroffizier Eduard Wintershoff - Geschützführer i. d. 2./Pz.Jäg.Abt 8 Pak - KC for 8 kills
Obergefreiter Georg Wyczisk - Geschützführer 1./Pz.Jäg.Abt 53 Pak – KC for 6 kills

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Hauptmann Anton Otto Frank - Kdr He.Pz.Jäg.Abt 743 Hetzer -KC for 8 kills

Hello Antonio,

thank you for these additions.

Hauptmann Frank got the Eichenlaub for this action, he already had the Ritterkreuz, the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold and the Ehrenblattspange for actions as Chef of 1.(Sfl)/Pz.Jg.Abt. 15.

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Unteroffizier Ferdinand Weidlich - 1./Pz.Jäg.Abt. 8 Pak - HRC for 7 kills

O.k., thank you, that wasn't known to me.

I just know, that the action leading to the Ehrenblattspange was between "20.-22.08.43 bei Derewkowo" in the 30. ID sector, and originally was the recommendation for an Ritterkreuz.

Do you have the newspaper clipping for that, or another source?

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Uffizier Erich Becherer - 3./PzJgAbt.25 Stug – HRC for 6 kills

Hello Antonio,

slight correction: 3. Kompanie of Pz.Jg.Abt. 25 was equipped with towed A/T guns, just 1. and 2. Kompanie had Jagdpanzer IV at that thime.

Action was on 5.12.1944 at Enchenberg, southwest of Bitsch. He destroyed 6 M4 Sherman and 2 armored reconnaissance vehicles.

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Oberfeldwebel Willi Noerren - 1./Armee-Pz.Jäg.Abt. 751 Pak - HRC for 9 kills

Hi Antonio,

I can add something on him, but first, do you have the source for these "9 tank kills"?

My information is, that he got the Ehrenblattspange for action on "7.2.1944 bei Medwed" (here, also, originally an recommendation for the Ritterkreuz), and he destroyed seven out of 12 tanks with his 7,5 cm A/T gun.

But apart from this 7 or 9 tanks that day, he, got the EK1 right before that AND he destroyed more tanks later on, of course:
02.07.1944 = 1 T43, 1 SU76 aiming the than 8,8 cm A/T gun himself (his Zug destroyed 5 T43, 1 SU76 in total)
03.07.1944 = 3 T43 aiming the A/T gun himself
17.07.1944 = 2 tanks aiming the A/T gun himself

As a Zugführer he's not requested to aim the gun or even be a gun commander, but in that cases he was directly involved (Source: Gefechtsbericht 1./Pz.Jg.Abt. 753).

He also got the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold late in April 1945, so for sure he had more than 14 (16) tank kills.

Oliver

[alcius]

Unteroffizier Ferdinand Weidlich - 1./Pz.Jäg.Abt. 8 Pak - HRC for 7 kills

O.k., thank you, that wasn't known to me.

I just know, that the action leading to the Ehrenblattspange was between "20.-22.08.43 bei Derewkowo" in the 30. ID sector, and originally was the recommendation for an Ritterkreuz.

Do you have the newspaper clipping for that, or another source?

Oliver

weidlich.png (278.98 KiB) Viewed 458 times

Antonio

[alcius]

For Becherer, I have a newspaper clipping, but from 24 November.
I don't know if it's the same action

becherer.png (322.1 KiB) Viewed 457 times

Antonio

[alcius]

For Noerren, I probably mistranslated from German. I have some newspaper clippings.

noerren.png (186.5 KiB) Viewed 457 times

Antonio

[alcius]

Hello Oliver
Still on Noerren,
an Oberschlesisch-Sudetendeutschen panzerjagerabteilung on Sturmgeschutz is also mentioned in this paper, which destroyed 112 enemy tanks in three weeks.
If you can tell me something
https://digital.kreisarchiv-calw.de/kaw ... noerren%22

Antonio

[Gastolli]

For Becherer, I have a newspaper clipping, but from 24 November.
I don't know if it's the same action

Hello Antonio,

well, after further looking this for sure is NOT the same action, the newspaper clipping must describe his EK1 action!

Ferdinand Becherer got the EK 1st class on 27.11.1944, so just three days after this newspaper article was published (it sometimes took some days to write the recommendations even for an EK, which was not first priority in the midst of heavy fights)!

And, no, it's not the EK1 and Ehrenblattspangen action as it is in some cases.

Ferdinand Becherer was mentioned in the Ehrenblatt on 5.3.1945 for action on 5.12.1944 at Enchenberg (source: BA/MA file RW 59/395).

In the middle of November 1944 the Kampfgruppe 25. PGD fought between Diedenhofen and the German Dillingen, indeed the "saaländisches Grenzgebiet" as mentioned in the newspaper.

In early December the Kampfgruppe was employed in the Bitsch area, that's roughly 100 km to the East and Enchenberg is one of the villages in that area.

So, for sure, Ferdinand Becherer is to be credited with at least 12 tank kills!

Oliver

[Gastolli]

an Oberschlesisch-Sudetendeutschen panzerjagerabteilung on Sturmgeschutz is also mentioned in this paper, which destroyed 112 enemy tanks in three weeks.

Hello Antonio,

that was Pz.Jg.Abt. 8, the Kommandeur was Major d.Res. Martin Troisch, an rather "old man" those days, born in 1896, (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 17.12.1943).

8. Jägerdivision (and 5. Jägerdivision) were the first to receive a Sturmgeschütz Kompanie for their Panzerjäger-Abteilung at the end of 1943, so I'm sure these 2./Pz.Jg.Abt. 8 (later Pz.Jg.Stug.Kp. 1008) had a big share on these 112 tank kills.

The Chef of 2./Pz.Jg.Abt. 8, Oblt. Fritz Zinkhan, got the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 23.4.1944, he fell on 19.3.1944, ten days after this article was published!

Oliver