Vinzenz Kaiser Vinzenz Kaiser was an Obersturmbannführer ( Lieutenant Colonel ) in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross . It was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II . Early Iife . Vinzenz Kaiser was born on the 28 February 1904 in Waltersdorf near Judenburg . After Kaiser finished his education , he was employed in a hardware store . He was also active in the efforts to bring Austria into the greater German Reich , forming a SA ( Storm Troop ) unit in 1927 and four years later being made the commander with the rank of Sturmführer ( Second Lieutenant ) of Schutzstaffel ( SS ) . After the attempted coup in Austria failed ( July 1934 ) he fled the country to Bavaria , where he joined the Austrian Legion and later joined the SS - Verfügungstruppe , he attended the SS - Junkerschule and was given the rank of Untersturmführer ( Second Lieutenant ) . He was initially posted to the Leibstandarte SS " Adolf Hitler " in Berlin . He took part in the Anschluss of Austria , in 1938 as a company commander in the SS - Standarte " Der Führer " . World War II . The SS - Standartes were later converted into infantry regiments , " Der Führer " became part of the new Das Reich Division , which participated in Polish Campaign , the Battle of France , the invasion of the Balkans ( Operation Marita ) , and the invasion of Russia ( Operation Barbarossa ) . It was during the campaigns in Russia that Kaiser started to make a name for himself at the Jelnja Bend in Kiev , and in the Borodino , Mozhaisk position in front of Moscow . He was in command of an independent Kampfgruppe during the defensive battles at Waluki , which held the Russians at bay until the rest of the Das Reich Division could gather its units to counterattack . It was soon after this that he received command of the SdKfz 4 ( Armoured ) III . Battalion of the " Der Führer " Regiment , which he led in the counterattacks on the Donetz and Dnjepr sectors , capturing the vital areas of Losowaja , Novo Nowolago and in the conquest of Kharkov . It was noted that during these attacks Kaiser destroyed 4 Russian tanks by hand , being the only regimental commader in the Waffen SS to do so at this time and was awarded 4 Tank Destruction Badge s . For these achievements he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer ( Captain ) and awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross in April 1943 . In 1944 Kaiser was promoted to Obersturmbannführer ( Lieutenant Colonel ) and posted to the SS Panzergrenadier - Lehr Regiment ( Panzer - Lehr - Division ) , training regiment , which in March 1944 was sent to join the 16th SS Panzer Grenadier Division RFSS which was then used in the occupation of Hungary . In May 1944 , Kaiser and his regiment was relocated to the Ligurian coast in Italy , in an attempt to counter the expected Allied landings at Piombino , Cecina and Livorno . In June 1944 Kaiser was transferred to the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen , for the battles in Normandy and the retreat across the Rhine and back to Nuremberg . Kaiser died on the night of April 19 – 20 , 1945 when he was beaten and shot in American captivity . Kaiser was recommended for the award of the Oakleaves to the Knight ' s Cross before his death but this was not officially confirmed by the Oberkommando des Heeres ( OKH ) .