Kurt Deichen
| Kurt Deichen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
20 April 1914 Berlin |
| Died |
27 February 1969 (aged 54) Lüneburg |
| 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 |
Kurt Deichen (20 April 1914 – 27 February 1969) was a German mechanized 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
In the late stages of the battle of Kursk the 3rd Panzer Division was threatened by a large open flank to the west, and its commanders feared a Russian attack from this direction. However their concerns were not taken seriously by the higher commands and only minimal forces were permitted to cover an attack from this direction. When the Russian armoured attack did eventually materialize there was a very real danger it would threaten the rear areas of the entire 4th Panzer Army, were it not for the actions of Hauptmann Deichen. On his own initiative he took charge of a company of light APCs and one of SP anti-tank guns and drove into the Soviet flank, causing casualties in both tanks and men but more importantly buying time for the division to establish a new defensive line facing west. For his decisiveness at a critical moment Deichen was awarded the Knight’s Cross.[1]
Awards & decorations
- Iron Cross
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 10 September 1943 as Kommandeur Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3
- German Cross in Gold on 8 May 1943 as Hauptmann 2./Kradschützen-Bataillon 3
References
Citations
- ↑ Veterans of the 3rd Panzer Division (2012). Armoured Bears: Volume Two. Stackpole Books. p. 168.
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.