Herbert Müller (officer)
| Herbert Müller | |
|---|---|
| Born |
16 August 1896 Altenburg |
| Died |
14 July 1942 (aged 45) Millerovo |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 1939–45 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 3rd Panzer Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Herbert Müller (16 August 1896 – 14 July 1942) was a German infantry commander and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Career
At the beginning of Operation Barbarossa Major Dr. Müller commanded a panzergrenadier battalion in the 3rd Panzer Division. After two weeks of hard fighting the division was able to reach the Dnieper at Rogatschew. The first attempt to cross the river on 3 July failed, as did a second attempt the next day. However further to the north Major Dr. Müller’s II./Schützen-Regiment 394, supported by 2 companies of AT guns and some amphibious tanks, were able to form a small bridgehead at Sborowo. For two days Müller and his men held the bridgehead against ferocious attacks, all while being isolated from the rest of the division due to heavy artillery fire. Only on 6 July were they reinforced by another battalion of Schützen-Regiment 394. Eventually the bridgehead was abandoned as an untenable position, but Müller’s tenacious defense of the position was nonetheless recognized by his inclusion in the Army Honour Roll and the Knight’s Cross.[1]
Awards & decorations
- Iron Cross
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 September 1941 as Kommandeur II./Schtz.Rgt. 394
References
Citations
- ↑ Veterans of the 3rd Panzer Division (2012). Armoured Bears: Volume One. Stackpole Books. p. 161-162.
Bibliography
- 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.