Gerhard Ball

Gerhard Ball (6 September 1915 in Graudenz – 9 October 1941 near Medyn) was a German Hauptmann in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He may have been, on the 01.12.1934 to first lieutenant promoted Chief of the 1st (PzSpäh.), Company of the reconnaissance Department 6 in Krefeld, Germany and then transferred to the reconnaissance Division (mot.) 53 of the 3rd Infantry Division (mot.) with which he participated in the Eastern campaign. Promoted to captain, ball took over the leadership of the Department and started with this on the 7 October 1941 in the direction of Moscow the attack. The Division belonged to the LVI. Panzerkorps of the Panzer Group 4 and should lead the assault of on Moscow in the Wehrmacht according to Korpsbefehl as its foremost Division of the Corps. Captain ball received an order against Medyn, Southeast Juchnows, to proceed along the runway. As the attacking infantry 478 of the 258th Infantry Division in the Iswerja section meets resistance, had blown up the bridge over the Iswerja and the enemy with tanks from the village Woronki situated on the eastern shore takes troops under fire, the reconnaissance Division (mot.) 8 forward will be 53 and III / IR (mot.). The Department is right to covered by the infantry battalion on Dernowo. An onset immediately counterattack of the enemy with tanks on the crossing points, is repelled by own Pak with Captain ball falls on the 9 October 1941 however. Posthumously he was awarded the Knight's Cross on the 23 November 1941.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 November 1941 as Hauptmann and leader of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 53 (motorized)^[1][2]

References

Citations

1. Scherzer 2007, p. 200.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 121.

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.