Date of birth:

November 26th, 1916 (Mautern/Styria, Austria)

Date of death:

July 12th, 2007 (Überlingen/Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Service number:

SS-Nr.: // NSDAP-Nr.:

Nationality:

Austrian (1938-1945, Reichsgau)

Paul Egger was a POW to the United States from 1945 until November 1947.

01.06.1938: Freiwilliger, Luftwaffe, Kampfgeschwader 51
00.09.1939: campaign in Poland
00.11.1939: transferred to the Jagdgeschwader 27
00.06.1940: 112th air mission, severely WIA after being shot down for the 3rd time
01.05.1941: transferred to the Waffen SS, Pak-Geschützführer, SS-Kradschützen-Abteilung 2, 2. SS-Division 'Das Reich'
00.00.1942: 8. Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 2, 2. SS-Panzer-Division 'Das Reich'
00.00.1942: destroyed 28 tanks, 14 anti-tank guns, 40 other vehicles and 8 artillery batteries during the battle of Kiev
00.02.1943: 65th tank destroyed
00.00.1943: promoted to SS-Oberscharführer
22.10.1943: Zugführer, Tiger-Zug, 1. Kompanie, schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102
00.06.1944: battle for Hill 112, destroyed a further 14 tanks and 4 anti tank guns
00.09.1944: refit in Sennelager and renamed schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502
00.10.1944: fighting around Stettin, destroyed 19 tanks
00.01.1945: SS-Oberscharführer, Reserveoffizier-Lehrgang der Panzertruppe, promoted to SS-Untersturmführer der Reserve
00.02.1945: 19 tanks destroyed region Stettin
00.04.1945: Halbe pocket
28.04.1945: promoted to SS-Obersturmführer, Führer, 1. Kompanie, schw. SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502
03.05.1945: recorded 113th tank destroyed in Halbe pocket
04.05.1945: WIA for the 9th time, captured by the US troops on the Elbe River
00.11.1947: released

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Awarded on:

1938

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1944

in silver

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Oberscharführer (Staff Sergeant)

Unit:

Zugführer, 1. Schwadron, schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502

Awarded on:

December 30th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)

Unit:

Zugführer, 1. Schwadron, schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502

Awarded on:

April 28th, 1945

Egger’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“On the 14.07.1944 the English captured the heavily contested Hill 112 following hours of artillery drumfire and the liberal use of artificial smokescreens. In response SS-Oberscharführer Egger (a Zugführer in the 1./s.SS-Panzer-Abteiling 102) immediately initiated a counterthrust through the thick smoke on his own initiative with 4 Panzer VI’s. Despite the dense smoke Egger skillfully led his Zug into the flank of the enemy, and in the combat which followed a total of 14 enemy tanks and 7 heavy anti-tank guns were destroyed. A pursuit thrust after this gave friendly infantry the opportunity to once again attain the old frontline. SS-Oberscharführer Egger thus had a decisive share in the immediate recapture of the tactically vital Hill 112 through his independently conducted actions.

During this action SS-Oberscharführer Egger and his crew personally destroyed 7 enemy tanks, and in doing so raised Egger’s total of tanks destroyed to 68.”

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - FEDERL, CH., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, 2000.
  - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - SCHNEIDER, J.W., Their Honor Was Loyalty!, Bender (R.James) Publishing, 1993.
  - TIEKE, W., In the Firestorm of the Last Years of the War, J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, Winnipeg, Canada, 1999.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Microfilm Publication A3343. US National Archives.