Christian Sonntag

Christian Sonntag
Born	27 September 1910 Pressig, German Empire
Died	3 April 1945 (aged 34) Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Rank	Oberst
Unit	88th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Christian Sonntag (27 September 1910 – 3 April 1945) was a Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 June 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (14 September 1941)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 12 February 1944 as Major and leader of Divisions-Gruppe 255^[2][3]
  • 573rd Oak Leaves on 5 September 1944 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 248^[3][4]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 11 August 1944

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
11 August 1944 (addendum)	Oberstleutnant Sonntag hat sich an der Spitze des Grenadierregiments 248 durch vorbildliche Tapferkeit ausgezeichnet.[5]	Lieutenant Colonel Sonntag has distinguished himself at the head of Grenadier Regiment 248 through exemplary bravery.

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 331.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 403, 504.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 710.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 88.
5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 199.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht