Koj, Ewald

Date of birth:: January 20th, 1921 (Jägershausen/Neustadt/Silesia, Germany)
Date of death:: March 11th, 1945 (Teplice, Slovakia)
Nationality:: German

Biography

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Hauptmann (Captain)
Unit:: Chef 3. (Geb.) / Artillerie-Regiment 8
Awarded on:: May 9th, 1945

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

“On the 11.03.1945 the enemy infiltrated the German main battle line with several companies just before the 8. Jäger-Division was due to take over the sector. Over the course of the next day they reinforced their new gains constantly, as was verified by reconnaissance patrols. However exact reports about enemy strength were impossible due to the limited visibility of the terrain.

At about 12:00 on that day the firing positions of the 3./Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 8 were attacked frontally by around 2 companies, but this was beaten back by direct fire from a range of 300 metres. The enemy retreated back into the woods to the east. An hour later the Batterie began taking fire from the east at a range of 150 metres, specifically by MGs, machine-pistols and anti-tank rifles. Since the Batterie had a steep slope to its rear that angled to the east, the enemy could not be fired on directly with their guns as before. In the meantime shots also began coming from a northeasterly direction. The enemy wished to overrun the Batterie from the north, as it was here that the prospects for defence were the least.

Between this Batterie and Sklene Teplice there were no combat-capable units, only its supply trains were in the village itself. Hauptmann Koj recognized the great danger for the village, and saw furthermore that the enemy’s capture of the village would be able to separate the two Divisions by attacking the boundary between them from the rear. From Repiste they would then be able to roll up the left wing of the right neighbour and encircle those German elements on both sides of the Sklene Teplice—Tepla road.

Upon realizing this Hauptmann Koj resolved to throw back the enemy here under all circumstances. He gathered a team of 2 Unteroffizieren and 5 men and began a counterattack despite the strong enemy defensive fire and their overwhelming superiority. This succeeded in throwing the enemy back, and also allowed for an MG to be placed in a good position to defeat a renewed enemy attempt to block the Chvastova-Tal road. This further created the preconditions for a later successful attack by the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 8, which had just been brought forward, at 17:00. In the process of doing this however Hauptmann Koj and 1 man fell during this daring operation, and an Unteroffizier was badly wounded.

For his decisive act Hauptmann Koj is thereby recommended for the award of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”

To this was added an addendum by the regimental commander…

“The fearless deed of this altogether highly worthy officer brought decisive consequences with it. It meant that Hauptmann Koj and his scant forces were, at the cost of his life, able to prevent the imminent enemy breakthrough towards Sklene Teplice and by extension the cutting off of the right wing of the 8. Jäger-Division and the left wing of the 271. Volksgrenadier-Division. The coherency of the frontline remained intact. The Regiment advocates strongly for the award of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross for the fallen Hauptmann Koj.”

His nomination by his unit was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) on 15.04.1945. Major Joachim Domaschk decided on 16 April: "Actions, even if posthumously, do not justify presentation of the Knight's Cross." A Heerespersonalamt-Verleihungsvorschlag (HPA-VV—Army Staff Office Nomination Recommendation) Nr. 5077 was created on 18 April and then forwarded, indicating that the nomination had been rejected. No further information regarding the approval or presentation of the Knight's Cross is indicated. The book "Verliehene Ritterkreuze" (Awarded Knight Crosses) notes an entry date of 16 April and forwarded on 18 April. The presentation date was assigned by Walther-Peer Fellgiebel.