Georg Grüner

Georg Grüner
Grüner (left) in northern France, June 1942
Born	9 August 1915 Windhoek, Namibia
Died	11 March 1944 (aged 28) Proskurov
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1936–44
Rank	Major (Posthumously)
Commands held	I. / Panzer-Regiment 2
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Cherkassy Pocket †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Georg Grüner (9 August 1915 – 11 March 1944) was a highly decorated Major 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. Grüner was killed during the Battle of the Korsun-Cherkasy Pocket. As a result he was posthumously promoted to Major and awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (5 October 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (10 July 1941)^[1]
• Wound Badge
  • in Black (?)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (29 September 1941)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 18 October 1941 as Oberleutnant in the 1./Panzer-Regiment 33^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 25 November 1941 as Oberleutnant and chief of 1./Panzer-Regiment 33 "Prinz Eugen"^{[3][Note 1]}
  • 436th Oak Leaves on 26 March 1944 as Hauptmann and commander of I./Panzer-Regiment 2^[4][5]

Notes

1. According to Scherzer on 23 November 1941 as chief of the 1./Panzer-Regiment 33.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 227.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 152.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 205.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 352.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 80.

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.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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 (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Wegmann, Günter (2009). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 2: F–H [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VIIIa: Panzer Force Volume 2: F–H] (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2389-4.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht