Knight's Cross And Oak-Leaves Recipient Alfred Schwarzmann

Oberleutnant Alfred Schwarzmann

Born in Furth on 23 March 1912, Alfred Schwarzmann began his military career with the infantry. He enlisted into the Reichswehr on 1 April 1929, signing up for a minimum service period of 12 years, and soon reached NCO rank. He was a keen sportsman, and represented Germany in gymnastics during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, winning three Olympic Gold Medals. His extremely high level of physical fitness and gymnastic ability led to him being posted as an instructor at the Army Sports School in Wunsdorf. Schwarzmann transferred to the paratroops in January 1939, joining II.Bataillon, Fallschirmjager-Regiment 1 at the paratroop training grounds at Stendal. He was the very epitome of the Fallschirmjager: young, determined, brave and super-fit. After attending officer school Schwarzmann was commissioned as a Leutnant and in March 1940 was promoted to Oberleutnant and given command of a machine gun platoon in 8.Kompanie of the same regiment. On 10 May 1940, Schwarzmann and his platoon were dropped into Holland, the battalion assembling near the Moerdijk bridges: these were swiftly captured, with the Dutch guards being taken completely by surprise. The Dutch, however, were determined to recapture their position and launched counter-attacks. Schwarzmann and his men hung on tenaciously, Schwarzmann himself receiving a bullet wound to the lung. Eventually, German reinforcements arrived, relieving the wounded officer and his men and securing the bridge. On 25 May 1940, Schwarzmann received both the Second and First Class Iron Crosses, followed on 29 May by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his determined defence of the captured positions despite his own serious wounds. Schwarzmann, like so many of his comrades from the Westfeldzug, saw action during the invasion of Crete and on the Eastern Front.

Alfred Schwarzmann, an Olympic athlete who served with considerable courage and distinction as a member of the elite Fallschirmjager-Regiment 1.

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He was promoted to Hauptmann in June 1942 and subsequently commanded the company of which his former platoon had been part. In the spring of 1943, he was posted to a staff position with the headquarters of 7.Flieger-Division, before moving on to l.Fallschirm-Division. A year later he was hospitalised due to complications from his lung wound and spent some time out of active service. He was promoted to major in April 1945. Despite his wounds, Schwarzmann maintained his passion for athletics post-war and in 1952, once again represented his country at the Helsinki Olympic Games winning, at the age of 40, a very creditable Silver Medal. He died in March 2000 at the age of 88. The award of the Knight's Cross to Schwarzmann is not without controversy. It has been claimed that he did nothing of particular note during the action for which he was decorated, and that when he was seriously wounded and looked likely to die, the award of the Knight's Cross was made purely for propaganda reasons to create a Fallschirmjager 'hero'. To compound matters, Schwarzmann is said to have been extremely boastful of his award, losing the respect of many of his comrades.