Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant)

Unit:

Zugführer 7. / Panzer-Regiment 31

Awarded on:

September 19th, 1943

The following excerpt from the Neumärkischen Tageszeitung (dated 30./31.10.1943) describes why Gransee would be awarded the Knight’s Cross…

“The enemy’s planned decisive offensive south of Vyazma had reached its high point. On the right flank of a Silesian Panzer-Division weak armoured forces had secured a hill that dominated the entire divisional sector. Behind this hill were the firing positions of the artillery and the logistics net, which had no additional protection beyond those forces on the hill. Tasked with this flank defense were a few Panzers, which included the Zug of Feldwebel Gransee.

On the evening of the 14.08.1943 the enemy worked his way up to the hill and attacked it with a Tank Brigade plus two battalions. When the loss of the hill threatened to take place following a heroic battle, Fedwebel Gransee undertook a bold thrust into the flank of the Soviets. He shot up the Soviet infantry and personally destroyed 2 enemy tanks.

On the next morning the enemy renewed their attack. Gransee’s Zug destroyed more than 10 enemy tanks, of which Feldwebel Gransee himself personally destroyed 3 44-ton KV-1s. Furthermore, 5 infantry attacks launched in battalion strength against the hill were smashed. When the enemy tried to bypass the hill through a depression, it was Gransee alone who prevented this attempted enemy envelopment by destroying one of the enemy tanks.

Thereafter Gransee’s Zug was tasked with covering a retreat. Additional enemy tanks were destroyed. In the process Georg Gransee achieved his 21st tank kill. After being given the order to retreat himself Gransee saved a light Flak gun that was still positioned east of the hill. The gun was hitched to the Panzer, the gun crew mounted up on the Panzer’s hull, and the new defensive front of the Division was reached in a swift drive.

The 5. Panzer-Division had occupied this sector southwest of Kuschljanowo-Nikolsky (between Bolva and Dessenka, south of Spas Demensk) on the 13.08.1943.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)