num_pages: 70
description: ST276Knight GunnerThe Memoirs of Leutnant Alfred Regeniter, 3rd Battery, Sturmgeschütz Brigade 276, East and West Prussia, 1944-45 Very little literature exists on the men of the Artillery arm, almost all volunteers, who manned the assault guns (Sturmgeschütz) compared with their more glamorous counterparts in the Panzertruppe - despite the fear they aroused in their opponents as their original infantry support role was supplemental and even supplanted by that of tank destroyer. The actions described are those of Leutnant Alfred Regeniter, covering the six months between his first and last combats as commander of an assault gun unit from early August 1944, when the collapse of Army Group Centre undermined the German hold on the Baltic States, exposing East Prussia itself to invasion, up to February 1945 when Regeniter was wounded. During August 1944 Regeniter led his troop in Lithuania in the infantry support role, fighting down every infantry and anti-tank gun at the behest of the commander of the Infantry Divisions to which his battery was attached, while September was a lull. Following a major Russian onslaught on the 16th October, the Brigade was forced out of Lithuania into East Prussia and in a continuous three day engagement, Regeniter demonstrated his proficiency in tank destruction, claiming nine kills mostly in the night fighting and winning his Iron Cross, first class. An even higher award was sought on his behalf by one of the Divisional Commanders, but turned down - as he found in 1986! November and December were largely uneventful and Regeniter went on leave. On the 15th January 1945, all hell broke loose as the Russians poured out of the bridgehead; the Brigade simply fled westward, losing its guns. After a harrowing escape on foot, Regeniter again found himself in action, doubling his kills to 18 and the battery receiving no less than 17 Iron Crosses! After a few days break, on the 10th February 1945, Regeniter made a fatal error of judgement, leaving the cover of a forest and making himself a clearly visible target for a Russian anti-tank gun. Regeniter’s assault gun received a direct hit which killed two of his crew and severely wounded him. Narrowly escaping capture by the Russians (his was the last hospital train to make it out of the impending encirclement) he surrendered to the Americans and, after the war, resumed his interrupted medical career. For his cool headed dash and determination to carry out the missions assigned to him, he was awarded the Knight s Cross - something he only learned of in 1974!
language: English
title: Knight Gunner
titlecomplete: Knight Gunner (Armed Forces of the Third Reich. Personal Histories Series)
ratings_count: 5
publisher: Shelf Books