| Werner Wrangel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 March 1922 Passopp, Bad Segeberg |
| Died | 24 March 1945 (aged 23) near Trebur |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service | 1935 - 1945 |
| Rank | Unteroffizier (Wehrmacht) |
| Unit | 1./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 160, Panzerjager Battalion 183 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class Infantry Assault Badge in Silver |
Werner Wrangel was a Gefreiter in the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War, who received three of Germany's highest military decorations during a single combat action. He was the only person ever to do so. Wrangel received the Iron Cross 2nd class, Iron Cross 1st Class, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross simultaneously on 8 February 1943 for outstanding valour in repulsing a Soviet tank attack virtually single-handedly, thereby saving the lives of hundreds of his comrades. Additionally, he received the Infantry Assault Badge (Sturmabzeichen) in silver. At the time he served with 1./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 160. Wrangel died in combat in March 1945 near Trebur.
A German newspaper from 1943 reported about the incident as follows (approximate translation from German):
"In a nightly battle near Veliky Luki in december 1942, during a snow storm raging at minus 25 degrees celsius, Wrangel operated an anti-tank gun at a frozen hilltop. His gun held a position that formed the link to an otherwise completely cut-off German Kampfgruppe that came under attack from a numerically far superior Soviet attack, aimed at halting a German attack effort to relieve the cut-off Kampfgruppe. During the Soviet attack, consisting of massed infantry assault supported by tanks and heavy artillery, Wrangel held his fire until the enemy heavy tanks were within less than 200 to 60 meters. Wrangel and his gun crew managed to destroy first three, then four, then another four Soviet heavy tanks scoring direct hits, until their gun is jammed. All the while, man-to-man fighting between German and Soviet infantry is happening all around the position and enemy artillery fire is coming closer and closer. When some of the gun crew are wounded, Wrangel rushes to the infantry to get some regular soldiers to assist him in operating the gun.
After a hit by a high-explosive round to the gun's protective shield, again some of the crew are injured but they desperately fight on. An additional six Soviet tanks are destroyed by Wrangel's gun by holding fire first and hiding, allowing Wrangel to shoot the tanks in the rear. At every shot fired, the gun blasts backward off the hilltop covered in frozen snow, and has to be pushed up the hill back into position again under the most appaling weather conditions. Wrangel literally fights until the last round has left his gun, which leads him to his next task: destroying their own anti-tank gun in order to prevent capture by the Soviets. This task is also accomplished successfully.
By Wrangel's singlehanded action, a strong Soviet assault was repulsed, allowing the entire Kampfgruppe M. to withdraw from its encirclement to new positions, thereby being able to take all of their wounded with them who would have otherwise fallen into enemy hands. Additionally, he ensured that his gun did not fall into enemy hands after they retreated from the position. He personally destroyed seventeen enemy heavy tanks in the engagement.
For his truly exceptional actions, Werner Wrangel was awarded the three highest decorations available to German soldiers during the Second World War in one single night: the Sturmabzeichen (Infantry Assault Badge) in Silver, the Iron Cross Second Class for personal bravery, the Iron Cross First Class for the single-handed destruction of ten enemy heavy tanks, and the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross for saving the lives of hundreds of comrades and the preservation of the fighting power of an entire Kampfgruppe."
