Johannes Austermann

Johannes Austermann
Born	24 June 1906 Castrop
Died	12 August 1973 (aged 67) Waltrop
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1920)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1928–45
Rank	Oberstleutnant
Commands held	Grenadier-Regiment 1144
Battles/wars	World War II Annexation of the Sudetenland Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Crimea Campaign Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942) East Prussian Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Johannes Austermann (24 June 1906 – 12 August 1973) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Johannes Austermann was captured by Soviet troops in May 1945 and was released in November of that year.

Awards and decorations

• Sudetenland Medal
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (19 May 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (3 August 1941)^[1]
• Infantry Assault Badge (19 September 1941)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal (27 July 1942)^[1]
• Crimea Shield (2 December 1942)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Knight's Cross on 10 February 1945 as Major and commander of II./Grenadier-Regiment 1146^[2][3]
  • Oak Leaves on 20 April 1945 as Oberstleutnant and leader of Grenadier-Regiment 1146^{[4][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Thomas, Austermann had been nominated for the Oak Leaves for his bravery as leader of his regiment and a Kampfgruppe by the 562. Volks-Grenadier-Division.^[4] Neither Fellgiebel nor Scherzer list Austermann as a recipient of the Oak Leaves.

References

Citations

1. Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 127.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 118.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 196.
4. Thomas 1997, p. 10.

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; Wegmann, Günter (1987). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 1: A–Be [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 1: A–Be] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1153-2.
• 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

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