Joachim Dittmer
| Joachim Dittmer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 November 1915 Klotzow |
| Died |
3 November 1943 (aged 27) Southwest of Kiev |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 1939–45 |
| Rank | Hauptmann |
| Unit | 3rd Panzer Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Joachim Dittmer (26 November 1915 – 3 November 1943) 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
Hauptmann Dittmer received the Knight’s Cross for a bold attack during the Third Battle of Kharkov. The Russians had recently captured the important city of Slawjansk, but had failed to post combat outposts in the vicinity. Hauptmann Dittmer decided to take advantage of his negligence and ordered his battalion of APCs to rush into the city at high speed and capture it from the march. The Russians were taken completely by surprise and had no opportunity to put up an effective defense, and the city was soon back in German hands.[1]
Awards & decorations
- Iron Cross
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 April 1943 as Kommandeur I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3
- Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
- Eastern Front Medal
References
Citations
- ↑ Veterans of the 3rd Panzer Division (2012). Armoured Bears: Volume Two. Stackpole Books. p. 142.
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.