Gerhard Kunert

Gerhard Kunert
Born	17 February 1920 Heidau-Ohlau
Died	31 August 1944 (aged 24) Jelgava, Latvia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Unteroffizier
Unit	Grenadier-Regiment 33
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kursk Jassy-Kishinev Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Gerhard Kunert (17 February 1920 – 31 August 1944) was a highly decorated Unteroffizier 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. He was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves after being killed in heavy fighting in the city of Jelgava.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 February 1943)^[1]
  • 1st Class (31 July 1943)^[1]
• Wound Badge
  • in Black
• Panzer Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 16 September 1943 as Obergefreiter and group leader in 6./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 33^[2]
  • 606th Oak Leaves on 4 October 1944 as Unteroffizier and group leader in 6./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 33^[3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 429.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 229.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 75.

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 (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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Ritterkeuztraeger 1939-1945