Michael Pössinger

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Michael Pössinger
18 January 1919(1919-01-18) — 23 May 2003 (aged 84)
Michael Pössinger
Nickname	Michl
Place of birth	Ettal
Place of death	Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1937-1945, 1956-1975
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	I./GrenRgt 1123
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Balkans Campaign Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Close Combat Clasp in Gold Cross of Merit on ribbon
Other work	Bundeswehr Politician

Michael Pössinger (18 January 1919 – 23 May 2003) was a West German bobsledder who competed in the early 1950s. He won a complete set of medals in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships with a gold in 1951, a silver in 1954, and a bronze (tied with Sweden) in 1953. During World War II he was a highly decorated Gebirgsjäger and one of only 98 soldiers to have been awarded both the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and Close Combat Clasp in Gold.

Pössinger also finished sixth in the four-man event at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

[edit] World War II

Michael Pössinger joined the 6th Company of the Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 on October 1, 1937. On April 1, 1939 he was promoted to Unteroffizier. He participated in the Invasion of Poland as commander (Zugführer) of the Panzerjägerzug of the 16th Company. On April 20, 1940 he was promoted to Leutnant and took part in the Battle of France. On June 6, 1940 he distinguished himself when during the course of a French counteroffensive he destroyed seven enemy tanks and damaged another four within 40 minutes. For this action he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on July 19, 1940. Promoted to Oberleutnant on October 1, 1940 he fought in the Balkans Campaign. From June 1940 on he was part of the invasion force in Operation Barbarossa.

In 1941 Michael Pössinger participated at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1941 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and won a Silver Medal^[1]. Shortly after the Ski Championships Pössinger got himself into trouble with Nazi officials. At a bar he and another officer came to aid a leg amputated fellow soldier who was being harassed by Nazis. A fistfight broke out which Pössinger ended by drawing his side arm. It turned out that one of the Nazis was the local NSDAP Gauleiter. The affair ended with a three year promotion ban for Pössinger^[2]

At the end of 1941 he received the order from the Commanding officer of the 1st Mountain Division to form a Ski-Company. For two months he operated behind Russian lines attacking supply lines and other vital strong points, returning to his own lines in February 1942. He continued leading his Company in the Caucasus until he was severely wounded in the summer of 1942.

After a period of convalescence he returned to his Company. He received the order to conduct a flanking maneuver against the Russian lines on the Kulchor-Pass (Kodori Valley). Hereby his Company was separated from the German lines. Three days of bitter fighting to the German lines he returned. On February 16, 1943 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. Promoted to Hauptmann on October 1, 1943 he was put in command of the I. Battalion of the 98th Gebirgsjäger-Regiment.

In late 1944 Pössinger again got in trouble with his superiors. Pössinger received the order from Generalleutnant Walter Stetter to attack a Russian strong point. Pössinger refused to carry out the order on the ground of no artillery support, too many and well concealed enemy fortifications as well as that the approach for his Battalion was too steep. Relieved of his command, his successor also refused to carry out the order. Generalleutnant Stetter then ordered another Battalion to attack. The attack failed badly, the Battalion taking heavy casualties, verifying Pössinger assessment to be correct^[3].

Rehabilitated from insubordination he continued leading the Battalion until promoted to Major on October 1, 1944. At the same time he was put in charge of the II. Battalion of the Grenadier-Regiment 1123. For his autonomous counter attack and break through at Allenstein he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. In May 1945 he received the Close Combat Clasp in Gold. At the end of hostilities he surrendered Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the American forces and taken prisoner of war. He was released from captivity on May 12, 1945.

After World War II he initially worked as a business man. On 26 April 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr with the rank of Major. From October 1961 to October 1965 he was commander of the Mountain and Winter Combat School in Mittenwald. He commanded the KVK 653 in Murnau until March 1975 and retired from the Bundeswehr on 31 March 1975.

[edit] Awards

• Wound Badge in Gold
• Infantry Assault Badge in Silver
• 5 Tank Destruction Badges for Individual Combatants
• Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (16 February 1943)
• Close Combat Clasp in Gold (1 May 1945)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross (19 July 1940)
  • 759. Oak Leaves (28 February 1945)
• Cross of Merit on ribbon (1997)

[edit] References

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