Gerhard Konopka

Gerhard Konopka
Born	27 March 1911(1911-03-27) Tirschtiegel
Died	29 January 1997(1997-01-29) (aged 85) Darmstadt
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1934–1945
Rank	Major der Reserves
Commands held	II./Grenadier-Regiment "Großdeutschland"
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of Belgium Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Battles of Rzhev Battle of Voronezh (1942) Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Kursk Battle of Berlin
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Gerhard Konopka (27 March 1911 – 29 January 1997) was a highly decorated Major der Reserves 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 and was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was also awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold one of only 631 awards.

Awards and decorations

Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (18 January 1941)
- 1st Class (1 July 1941)
Wound Badge
- in Black
- in Silver
- in Gold
Eastern Front Medal
Infantry Assault Badge
4 Tank Destruction Badges for Individual Combatants
Close Combat Clasp
- in Bronze
- in Silver
- in Gold (25 June 1943)
German Cross in Gold (9 October 1942)
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- Knight's Cross on 29 August 1943 as Oberleutnant der Reserves and commander of II. / Grenadier-Regiment "Großdeutschland" ^[1]

References

Citations

^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 220.

Bibliography

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold. Selbstverlag Florian Berger ISBN 3-9501307-3-X.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and Golden Close Combat Clasp

Karl Auer Johann Baichl Gregor Baunach Rudolf Becker Alfons Bialetzki Joachim Boosfeld Hermann Buchner Friedrich Buck Léon Degrelle Siegfried Deutschmann Heinrich Dittlof Anton Donnhauser Franz Dutter Hans Eckert Alois Eisele Karl-Heinrich Fink Heinz Finke Kurt Franke Erwin Frankenfeld Erich Friedrich Max Friedrich Franz Gössmann Ernst Grunau Franz Hack Martin Hackl Karl Hamberger Max Hansen Lorenz Harthan Rüdiger Hertel Bruno Hinz Franz Hofbauer Friedrich Holzer Fritz Jacobeit Hermann-Gustav Jochims Hans Juchem Franz Juschkat Vinzenz Kaiser Helmut Kämpfe Traugott Kempas Kurt Klein Gustav Knittel Günther Konopacki Gerhard Konopka Bernhard Kranz Helmut Kroeg Ernst Kutschkau Josef Lainer Waldemar Lehmann Alfred Lex Friedrich Lindenberg Wilhelm Loos Alfred Lorenz Erich Lorenz Heinz Macher Rolf Mager Hermann Maringgele Helmut Meitzel Werner Meyer Walter Misera Siegfried Moldenauer Emil Möller Werner Möller Heinz Müller Adolf Obschil Hans-Arno Ostermeier Adolf Peichl Harry Phönix Michael Pössinger Georg Preuß Karl Radermacher Emil Rentschler Franz Richter Hans-Heinrich Richter Erich Rudnik Alfred Rutkowski Johann Sauer Otto Sawatzki Kurt Schäfer Walter Schlags-Koch Heinrich Schmelzer Ernst Schneck Gustav Schreiber Helmuth Schreiber Herbert Schulze Walter Schwanbeck Walter Seebach Herbert Singer Sylvester Stadler Rolf Tittel Otto Vincon Heinrich Volker Helmut Wandmaker Georg Wenzelburger Heinz Werner Friedrich Wimmer Günther-Eberhardt Wisliceny Werner Wolff Hermann Wulf

in alphabetical order

Persondata
Name	Konopka, Gerhard
Alternative names
Short description	German officer and Knight's Cross recipient
Date of birth	27 March 1911
Place of birth	Tirschtiegel, Poland
Date of death	29 January 1997
Place of death	Darmstadt, Germany