Ortwin Kuske

Ortwin Kuske
Born	3 February 1921 Militsch, Schlesien
Died	19 February 1972 (aged 51) Westerholt, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Hauptsturmführer
Unit	17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross I Class Iron Cross II Class Close Combat Clasp in Bronze Infantry Assault Badge Wound Badge

Ortwin Kuske (3 February 1921 – 19 February 1972) was a Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Ortwin Kuske was born in Militsch in Schlesien. During World War II he volunteered for the Waffen SS. He was awarded the Knight's Cross while a Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant), in command of the 3rd Company, 17th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion together with an attached Heer unit. It stopped a US armoured advance dead in its tracks whilst 17th SS GvB was involved in defending Metz. Metz subsequently fell to the US forces on 22 November 1944 and Kuske was awarded his Knights Cross for "Outstanding bravery and leadership". Testimony to the savagery of this particular event was that 80% of Kuske's battlegroup was killed or wounded. Kuske survived the war and died of cancer on 19 February 1972 in Westerholt.

Awards

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 November 1944 as SS-Untersturmführer and leader of the 3./SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17 "Götz von Berlichingen"^{[1][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as leader of the 3./SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17.^[2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 281, 496.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 488.

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.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• Fey, Will; Henschler, Henri (2003). Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-2905-5.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3371-7.
• 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.