Hans-Arno Ostermeier

Hans-Arno Ostermeier
Born	10 February 1903 Budapest
Died	13 June 1989 (aged 86) Waldkraiburg
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1921–45
Rank	Major of the Reserves
Commands held	Führer Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Hermann Göring"
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Hans-Arno Ostermeier (10 February 1903 – 13 June 1989) was a highly decorated Major of the Reserves 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 also awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold one of only 631 awards

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 July 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (30 September 1941)^[1]
• 1 Tank Destruction Badge for Individual Combatants
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze (?)
  • in Silver (?)
  • in Gold (30 April 1945)
• German Cross in Gold (6 March 1945)^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944 as Hauptmann of the Reserves and leader of a Kampfgruppe in the Panzergrenadier-Division "Feldherrnhalle"^{[3][Note 1]}
  • 834th Oak Leaves on 15 April 1945 as Major of the Reserves and leader of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Hermann Göring"^{[4][Note 2]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as leader of a Kampfgruppe in the Panzergrenadier-Ersatz- and Ausbildungs-Regiment 84 (Gleiwitz) attached to the Panzergrenadier-Division "Feldherrnhalle".^[2]
2. According to Scherzer as leader of the Assault Battalion of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Hermann Göring".^[2]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 136.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 579.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 331, 499.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7.
• 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 (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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht