• Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger

Date of birth:

February 12th, 1923 (Unterloibach/Völkermarkt/Carinthia, Austria)

Date of death:

March 16th, 1991 (Frankfurt am Main/Hesse, Germany)

Service number:

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

Nationality:

Austrian (1938-1945, Reichsgau)

Promotions:
00.08.1940: SS-Schütze
00.10.1941: SS-Oberschütze
00.03.1942: SS-Sturmmann
00.00.1942: SS-Rottenführer
30.01.1943: SS-Unterscharführer
00.08.1943: SS-Oberscharführer

Career:
00.00.1940: entered the Waffen SS
08.07.1940: joined the SS-Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon LSSAH
15.07.1941: SS-Schütze, 1. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) LSSAH - campaign in Russia
07.11.1941: SS-Oberschütze, 1. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) LSSAH, WIA near Zhytomir and evacuated to a Lazarett
00.03.1942: SS-Sturmmann, Panzerkommandant-Lehrgang
00.11.1942: SS-Rottenführer, Panzerkommandant, Panzer VI Tiger I, 4. schwere Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, LSSAH, Fallingbostel
00.07.1943: SS-Uscha, II. Zug, 13. Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, 1. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler - Battle of Kursk
10.07.1943: awarded the RK by A.Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier then on leave in Bleiburg
00.12.1944: SS-Oscha, 2. Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101/501 - campaign in the Ardennes / Bulge
00.02.1945: campaign in Hungary
00.03.1945: sonderkommando in Germany

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Oberschütze (Private 2nd Class)

Unit:

2. E Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

January 7th, 1942

For wound received by Zhytomyr, Ukraine on November 07th 1941.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Oberschütze (Private 2nd Class)

Unit:

1. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

February 23rd, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Sturmman (Private 1st Class)

Unit:

1. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

August 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Unterscharführer (Sergeant)

Unit:

Stabskompanie, I. Bataillon, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, SS-Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

March 20th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Unterscharführer (Sergeant)

Unit:

4.(s) Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, SS-Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

April 1st, 1943

Silver version.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Unterscharführer (Sergeant)

Unit:

Panzerkommandant, 13.(schwere) Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

July 6th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Unterscharführer (Sergeant)

Unit:

Panzerkommandant, 13.(schwere) Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler", Heeresgruppe Süd

Awarded on:

July 10th, 1943

On the 8th of July the Russians attacked the German lines around Teterevino while most of the division’s tanks were fighting further to the northwest. However in the town itself were two damaged Tiger tanks, one of which was commanded by Staudegger. Despite the compromised status of the vehicle he determined it was fit for battle, and he took up firing positions. In the ensuing engagement his Tiger destroyed 17 Soviet tanks. After this the remaining Russian armour withdrew into a gully to regroup, but Staudegger pursued them and destroyed a further 5, firing until his AP rounds had been expended and even then continuing the fight with HE rounds. Thus through his actions the Soviet attack was completely crushed, and Staudegger received the Knight’s Cross very shortly afterwards. It would make him the first Knight’s Cross Holder from the battle of Kursk as well as the first Waffen-SS Tiger commander to be so decorated.

• Photo: Photo AndreM via Wehrmacht awards Forum
  
• - MOONEY, PETER, Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd, 2010.
  - Documents and decorations from AndreM via Wehrmacht awards Forum
  - Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer, Elite of the Third Reich - The Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-45: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, England, 2003
  - Berger, F., Ritterkreuzträger aus Österreich und den k.u.k. Kronländern, Selbstverlag Florian Berger, Wien, Österreich, 2006
  - Agte, P., Michael Wittmann and the Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte, J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., Winnipeg, Canada, 2005
  - Federl, C., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, Germany, 2000
  - Panzer-Archiv.de