Karl Kloskowski

Karl Kloskowski
Born	9 February 1917 Lankow, Germany
Died	23 April 1945 (aged 28) Harz, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Hauptsturmführer
Unit	2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves

Karl Kloskowski (9 February 1917 – 23 April 1945) was a Hauptsturmführer the Waffen-SS who was awarded 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 by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Kloskowski joined the SS in 1936 and was posted to the Germania regiment of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. He was promoted to Hauptscharführer on 10 January 1943 and served as a platoon commander in the 4th Company, 2nd SS Panzer regiment. He was awarded the Knight's Cross and the Honour Clasp in 1943.

After July 1943 he became a company commander in the Kampfgruppe Das Reich. In 1945 he was reassigned to the SS Brigade Westfalen and was allegedly killed in April 1945.

Awards

• Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze (3 July 1941)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (19 July 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (2 October 1941)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (16 November 1941)
  • in Silver (12 December 1943)
• Eastern Front Medal (20 August 1942)
• German Cross in Gold on 23 May 1944 as SS-Obersturmführer in the 7./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2^[2]
• Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (5 November 1943)^[1]
• Panzer Badge II Grade (13 July 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 13 July 1943 as SS-Hauptscharführer and Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 4./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 "Das Reich"^{[3][Note 1]}
  • 546th Oak Leaves on 11 August 1944 as SS-Obersturmführer and leader of the 7./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 "Das Reich"^[4][5]

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 4./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 376.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 235.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 260.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 450.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 86.

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.