Horst Gresiak

Horst Gresiak
Born	17 February 1920 Leverkusen, Germany
Died	22 February 1995 Leverkusen, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1940–1945
Rank	Obersturmführer
Unit	2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class ^[1]

Horst Gresiak was a Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant), in the Waffen SS during World War II who 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.

Horst Gresiak was born on the 17 February 1920 at Leverkusen. He volunteered to join the Waffen SS in September 1940, and was posted to the SS Totenkopf Standarte as a Grenadier.^[2]

He was selected to become an officer in November 1941 and was sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig, after graduation in April 1942, he was posted to the Das Reich.^[2]

He served in the Panzer Battalion as a tank commander and later a Platoon commander in the 3rd Company. In 1944 He was given command of the 7th Company in Normandy, he was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions during combat at Baraque de Fraiture during the Ardennes offensive.^[2]^[3]

References

Mattson, Gregory SS-The realm. The History of the Second SS division, 1939-45. Staplehurst 2002, ISBN 1862271445
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
Mitcham, Jr.Samuel, Retreat to the Reich, Stackpole books 2007. ISBN 081173384X
Henschler Henri & Fay Will, Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS, 1943-45 Stackpole Books, 2003

ISBN 0811729052

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	Gresiak, Horst
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	17 February 1920
Place of birth	Leverkusen, Germany
Date of death	22 February 1995
Place of death	Leverkusen, Germany