Heroes of DAK

German Newsreel: August 1942

"Marshals Rommel and Bastico observe a British armored thrust which is repulsed by heavy artillery. Damaged British tanks litter the battlefield. Rommel decorates anti-tank gunner Gunther Halm on August 7th, 1942. "

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HALM, Gunther RK: Grenadier, Richtschtz. im Pakzug Stabskomp./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 104 RK: 29.07.42;
EK I: 29.07.42;
EK II: 29.07.42

http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/AWARDRECIPIENTS/RKdEK_H.html

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Leutnant GERHARD HALM
Gerhard Halm joined the German Army in August 1941 and was posted to a special antitank platoon (104 Regt.), m the 21st Panzer Division part of Rommel's famed Afrikakorps. As a Gefreiter gun-layer on the 7.62 Pak gun he saw action at the capture of Tobruk, in Rommel's drive across North Africa towards Egypt, and a the Battle of El Alamem. In one month, July 1942, in heavy anti- _ tank fighting, he was awarded both the Iron Cross Ist and 2nd class imd on 29 July, the Knight's Cross. He was the second youngest soldier to wm the Knight's Cross in World War II.

http://www.airartnw.com/desertvict.htm

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http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/HalmG-R.htm

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Yesss:

http://www.unc.edu/courses/2000fall/hist022-002/rommel.html

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On David Irving´s " Rommel":

The 19-year old Gunther Halm was a gunman with two of 76,2 mm Russian type Flak guns, which were set in the position of being the last line of defence before the enemy tanks would break through. Because there was no way of digging the gun into the rocky soil, tho gunners had to sit on the other end to lessen the recoil.A british column of tanks were coming towards them. In two minutes Halm destroyed four Valentine-tanks. The other tanks stopped and started firing on the weakly camouflaged guns. A shell went between Halm´s legs (??). Another shell took the legs of his gun´s loader. Another man replaced him fast. Halm´s gun hit another five tanks before it was damaged itself so much it could not fire.By then the 21st panzer division was there and finished the rest of the tanks.

On of the British tank commanders was angry: " We have two years of training behind us, a long journey over the sea-and for us it is all over in 30 minutes!"

A week later Rommel himself put the Knight´s Cross on Halm.

 

Great going Kai, and do you want any more info on DAK RKTs? Just let me know

 

Yes, Carl, please!

This section of DAK looked kinda...empty, so I thought to give it some colour. Hopefully more later on once I read further my DAK books.

 

Ok, I can supply you with names and some stats for all the Knights Cross recipients of DAK.

Do you want just names or do you want some info to go with the names. I have alot of both.

 

Carl,

I think the best way would be to include some nice info with a name as well. Maybe 1-3 persons ( depending on the amount of info ) at a time so we can get to know these fellas better. Thanx!

 

OK, I can post stuff or send it to you to post--whichever you want. Ill do it alphabetically so it will be easier to remember what is done. By the way, im currently doing a major project on Senior Waffen SS Commanders posted in the top most forums section here. I just finished doing one on Michael Lippert and will be trying do Gustav Lombard tomorrow.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger said in Terminator: "Ill be Back" and ill add: tomorrow sometime.

 

Very nice, Kai! What do you think of more data on one of the best DAK commanders: Major Bach, the priest and the hero of Halfaya?

 

Friedrich,

that sounds great. We´d love to hear more of the man and probably some 88´s as well..

 

Kai, first congrats on your new award--second--I dont have much time today and will try to send you some DAK RKT info tomorrow.

 

Congratulations, Kai! I think this week many Italian medals have been awarded... That's nice.

I have something about Major Bach.

When GL Erwin Rommel reached Africa in February 1941 his officers were introduced. He didn't smile nor was polite. He had to test them in combat first. But there was a particular officer which Rommel disliked a lot the first time he saw him; that was Hptn. Bach, veteran of France. He had earned the Iron Cross 1st Class there and was wounded in the knee, so he had to use a batton. Rommel hated the idea of having a unhealthy-officer there but he just went furious when he knew that captain Bach was a Lutheran priest!

Some months later, Rommel loved Bach. Bach was a master with his 88s as another Bach was with his organ... Even if captain Bach never wore his uniform adequately and dressed very ridiculous sometimes... He also treated his soldiers like sons, very warmly, not like Rommel: with yelling and hits. Great man, indeed! I have a picture of him, but can't post it here...

 

Kai, hows this list for "wheting" your appetite? Just names of DAK RKTs for now--will start posting some info tomorrow. I think this is a complete list of all DAK RKTs--or at least--I havent found any new ones--yet.

DAK RKTs___________________________________

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel. "The Desert Fox"
Hans-Wilhelm Albers.
Peter Arent.
Hans Jurgen von Arnim.
Paul Audorff.
Ernst-Gunther Baade.
Wilhelm Georg Bach.
Heinrich "Heinz" Bar.
Hans-Lewin von Barby.
Hans von Bargen.
Fritz Bayerlein.
Winrich Behr.
Helmut Belser.
Karl-Heinz Bendert.
Emil Berner.
Georg von Bismarck.
Dr. Rudolf Boeckmann.
Otto Bosel.
Karl Heinrich Bottcher.
Dipl.Ing. Dr. Ernst Bolbrinker.
Willibald Borowietz.
Rudolf Braun.
Harro Brenner.
Georg Briel.
Alfred Bruer.
Kurt Buhlingen.
Ulrich Burker.
Friedrich-Wilhelm Buschhausen.
Georg Christl.
Hans Cramer.Eudard Crasemann.
Wilhelm Crinius.
Ludwig Cruwell.
Bruno Dilley.
Curt Ehle.
Heinrich Eppen.
Wolfgang-Dieter Everth.
Herbert Ewert.
Gunther Fenski.
Wolfgang Fischer.
Gotthard Frantz.
Ludwig Franzisket.
Siegfried Freytag.
Stefan Frohlich.
Walter Fromm.
Fritz Fullriede.
Alfred Gause.
Erich Geissler.
Kurt Gierga.
Siegfried Gobel.
Werner Grun.
Ernst Friedrich Gurke.
Anton Hafner.
GUNTHER HALM.
Max Karl Friedrich Hecht.
Erich Heintze.
Maximilian von Herff.
Otto Heymer.
Josef Hissmann.
Roland von Hosslin.
Otto Hoffmann von Waldau.
Hermann Hogeback.
Friedrich von Homeyer.
Gerhard Homuth.
Arnold Huebner.
Herbert Isachsen.
Erhart Jahnert.
Erbo Graf von Kageneck.
"Smiling" Albert Kesselring.
Eduard Kiefer.
Rudolf Kiehl.
Heinrich Kirchheim.
Hans Klarmann.
Ulrich Kleemann.
Gustav Georg Knabe.
Friedrich von Koehnen.
Herbert Konig.
Friedrich Korner.
Alfred Koster.
Heinz Kroseberg.
Johannes Kummel.
Kurt Kuhlmey.
Kurt Frhr von Liebenstein.
Detlef Lienau.
Helmut Mahlke.
Werner Marcks.
Hans-Joachim Marseille. "Der Stern von Afrika"
Franz Medicus.
Reinhard Melzer.
Erwin Menny.
Hans-Adolf Meyer.
Johann Mickl.
Werner Mildebrath.
Gerd Mischke.
Gerhard Muller.
Gottlob Muller.
Joachim Muncheberg.
Walter K. Nehring.
Georg Neuffer.
Albert Panzenhagen.
Gustav Ponath.
Bernhard Hermann Ramcke.
Ernst Willi Raprager.
Hans von Ravenstein.
Karl-Wolfgang Redlich.
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert.
Werner Reissmann.
Josef-Otto Riepold.
Rolf Rocholl.
Gustav Rodel.
Erich Rudorffer.
Heinrich Schafer.
Hartmut Schairer.
Artur Schmitt.
Werner Schroer.
Hermann Schulte-Heuthaus.
Otto Schultz.
Otto Schulz.
Theodor Schwabach.
Franz Schweiger.
Hans Seidemann.
August Seidensticker.
Ott-Friedrich von Pilsach.
Walter Sigel.
Theodor Graf von Sponeck.
Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt.
Gunther Steinhausen.
Otto Stiefelmayer.
Hans Gunther Stotten.
Gunther Straehler-Pohl.
Johannes Streich.
Rudolf Struckmann.
Herbert Stry.
Werner Stumpf.
Kurt Ubben.
Heinrich Voigtsberger.
Wolfgang Wahl.
Kurt Walter.
Irnfried Frhr von Wechmar.
Alfred Wehmeyer.
Wilhelm Wendt.
Siegfried Westphal.
Alwin Wolz.
Dr. Eberhard Zahn.
Konrad Zecherle.
Heinz Ziegler.

There are some 145 RKTs listed as recieving their Knights Crosses or higher grades in Africa. Out of these, there are some 64 of these were either Luft pilots--or Flak Personnel, or Generals. A few other Luft personnel is not counted in that number as they were either in the Hermann Goring Pz Div/Pz Korps, or either a few were Fallschirmjagers.

This is as complete a listing od DAK RKTs as I have.

[ 12 October 2002, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

Fucked his daughter...does this qualify me for a medal??

 

No, Andy, but I do think it qualifies for some intense spanking here on this forum!

Anyway, thanx for the info Carl and Friedrich! Most appreciated!

 

Here´s some sites with Ba..babab.. Bach. Sorry, just saw Stauffenberg there as well...

http://plinks.pt-quorum.com/dak/dak/bestmen.htm

Hmmm, Kamfgruppes of DAK by a French site:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/did.panzer/kampfgruppe_dak.html

Pic on right bottom:

http://www.steinsfurt.de/900jahre/Persoenlichkeiten.htm

PICS of commanders:

http://www.afrika-korps.de/personen.htm

Other pics for DAK:

http://www.afrika-korps.de/galer2.htm

Pics fron Signal:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/did.panzer/Signal6.html

 

Hi Kai, I can give you lots more info but, as you can see--its a VERY long list. Anyway--let me know if you want anything in specific on these guys like, dates of RKs or whatever.

 

Thanx Carl,

as soon as I decide what I want I´ll be back on this subject...Do I sound a bit feminine now?!

 

Welcome and Kai, I hope your Girlfriend doesnt see your posting or she might at ya.

To make it easier for you, would you want me to exclude everything but the ground troops?

 

Very, very nice sites, Kai! I knew two of them already, but the others were really good!

 

Carl,

I placed some names I find interesting here. I´d appreciate if you could put some info here, and as well people you thought were worth mentioning. Just take your time, as we have some 30 years until pension and after that we have all the time in the world to go through all of this...

Hans Jurgen von Arnim.
Ernst-Gunther Baade.
Wilhelm Georg Bach.
Fritz Bayerlein.
Georg von Bismarck.
Stefan Frohlich.
Walter Fromm.
"Smiling" Albert Kesselring.
Herbert Konig.
Kurt Kuhlmey ( the Ju 87 pilot!!! )
Hans-Joachim Marseille. "Der Stern von Afrika"
Walter K. Nehring.
Bernhard Hermann Ramcke.
Theodor Graf von Sponeck.

Just some names that "ring the bell". Like Kuhlmey who actually is better known here with his operations during the summer 1944 in the Karelia against the Soviets. I have a book on his doings here and later on I´ll probably ( You bet I will...) tell about that.Like it or not?!

 

Many great choices--Ok, ill get started on them possibly tomorrow afternoon. Im also still working a nice Bio for Kurt-Adolf Wilhelm "Panzer" Meyer--for the Senior Waffen SS Officers ongoing project I have going here. Just wait till you see that posting in a day or so.