Kurt Knispel

Kurt Knispel
Photo of Knispel taken during World War II by Alfred Rubbel
Nickname(s)	Känonen
Born	20 September 1921 Salisfeld (Salisov), Czechoslovakia
Died	28 April 1945 (aged 23) Urbau, Czechoslovakia
Allegiance	Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Feldwebel
Unit	12th Panzer Division 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Normandy
Awards	German Cross in Gold

Kurt Knispel (20 September 1921 – 28 April 1945) was a Czechoslovakian born Sudeten German Heer panzer loader, gunner and later commander.

Career

Knispel was born near the town of Cukmantel (Zlaté Hory) in the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. In early 1940, Knispel applied to join the armoured branch of the German Army. On 1 October 1940, he was transferred to the 3rd Company of the 29th Panzer Regiment, 12th Panzer Division. Knispel completed his training as a loader and gunner in a Panzer IV. Knispel was the gunner of a Panzer IV on the Eastern Front.

As part of company in the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion, Knispel fought at Battle of Kursk. Knispel saw further action during the relief attack towards the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket and during the retreat through the Soviet Union and Poland. Knispel was fatally wounded at Vlasatice (Wostitz) in Czechoslovakia. He died in a field hospital in Vrbovec (Urbau) on 28 April 1945.

On April 10, 2013 Czech authorities confirmed that Knispel's remains were found with 15 other German soldiers behind a church wall in Vrbovec. He was identified by his dog tags.^[1][2] On November 12, 2014 his remains were reburied at the military cemetery in Brno together with 41 other German soldiers who fell in various places in Moravia and Silesia.^[3]

Knispel was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class and the German Cross in Gold. He became the only non-commissioned officer in the German tank army to be named in the OKW propaganda report, Wehrmachtbericht.

Awards

• Iron Cross E.K.II (2nd Class)
• Iron Cross E.K. I awarded after actions at Kursk July 1943.
• Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42, The Eastern Front Medal.
• Wound Badge (silver)
• Panzerkampfabzeichen Panzer Assault Badge (silver)
• Panzerkampfabzeichen 100 assaults.
• German Cross in Gold on 20 May 1944 as Unteroffizier in the 1./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503^[4]
• The only NCO in the German Army mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 25 April 1944.

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
25 April 1944	Der Unteroffizier Knispel in einer schweren Panzerabteilung im Osten schoß in der Zeit von Juli 1942 und März 1944 101 Panzer ab.[5]	The non-commissioned officer Knispel in a heavy tank detachment in the east destroyed 101 tanks in the timeframe from July 1942 and March 1944.

References

Citations

1. Picture of the dog-tag - Nr. 812, 4. Kompanie Panzer Ersatz Abteilung 15
2. "Archeologové objevili hrob největšího tankového esa 2. světové války — Zprávy — Zpravodajství Brno — Česká televize". Ceskatelevize.cz. 2013-04-09. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
3. "MZM - Uložení ostatků Kurta Knispela". Mzm.cz. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
4. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 238.
5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, p. 88.

Bibliography

• 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.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.