serviceyears branch commands death_date birth_place allegiance unit awards battles birth_date alt rank article_title name
1933 -- 45 23px 1st panzer grenadier regiment '' lssah '' fate unknown neusalz , germany nazi germany 1st ss division leibstandarte ss adolf hitler knight 1st class iron cross 2nd class german cross in gold 's cross of the iron cross iron cross world war ii 14 august 1909 waffen-ss sturmbannführer erich grätz
 erich grätz
erich grätz

erich grätz -lrb- 14 august 1909 -- fate unknown -rrb- was a sturmbannführer -lrb- major -rrb- in the waffen-ss who was awarded the knight 's cross of the iron cross .
he was born on the 14 august 1909 in neusalz on the oder , niederschlesien .
on joining the ss he was issued the service number 247 883 and was posted to the 1st ss division leibstandarte ss adolf hitler and rose to command the 18 .
-lrb- panzerjägerkompanie -rrb- / 1st ss panzer grenadier regiment .
he was awarded the knights cross for the following action : '' ... on 5 march 1944 , all hell broke loose manatschin , ukraine ... at the height of the fighting , our old comrade ss-hauptstürmführer grätz -lrb- the chef of the 18 .
-lsb- panzerjäger -rsb- / panzergrenadierregiment 1 -rrb- showed up .
at that time , he was serving as part of the officer reserve .
he had pulled together the men of the bäckerei kompanie and retreating soldiers from other units to form a fighting force .
supported by only two broken-down panzers stuck in manatschin , hauptstürmführer grätz was able not only to repulse the attack , but to lead his `` kampfgruppe grätz '' in a counterattack .
they prevented the russians from making a further advance across the march route to the south .
for his actions , he was awarded the ritterkreuz . ''
