Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 20th, 1939

According to other source the awarding date is 22-9-1939.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

December 5th, 1940

According to other source the awarding date is 24-2-1941.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 10th, 1941

According to other source the awarding date is 16-7-1941.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

III. Abteilung, Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 89, 24. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

January 19th, 1943

Awarding date according to Vorschlag beförderung zum Oberstleutnant. Pazwall/Scherzer has 18th January 1943 date of awarding.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

December 26th, 1943

Received for wounds inflicted on 25th August 1942, 8th September 1942 and 20th December 1942.

According to other source the awarding date is 20-12-1943.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

III. Abteilung, Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 89, 24. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

February 1st, 1944

445th Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

Kommandeur, Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 89, 24. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

May 11th, 1945

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

“On the 24.03.1945 orders went out for the guns of Pz.A.R. 89 to be evacuated from the bridgehead at Deutsch-Bahnau. However the Bahnau defensive position could not be held in the face of overwhelming enemy strength, and Major Platz realized that it was no longer possible to evacuate the guns under these circumstances. Thus, acting on his own initiative, he deployed his Regiment for defense both around and to the northeast of Karben. He then held these positions (mostly without infantry support) until all the ammunition had been expended. 3 enemy tanks were destroyed in the process, whilst others were forced to pull back. The Russian thrust in this area (one which would have otherwise resulted in the smashing of VI. Korps) was thereby prevented.

He [Platz] and his now redundant artillerymen went on to constitute the backbone of friendly defenses to the north and northeast of Karben on the 25.03.1945. From his command post (located at the frontline) Platz observed how friendly infantry to the west and southwest were battered by the unimaginably brutal enemy artillery barrage, and these eventually fled towards Deutsch-Bahnau and Rosenberg. The loss of these troops would have led to the annihilation of all friendly forces in this area.

Platz thus acted on his own initiative again, rushing to the friendly position between the lagoon and Karben. From here (and undeterred by the fearsome enemy fire) he rounded up the fleeing masses and forced them into the trenches. He gathered up all the soldiers he could find (including some high-ranking officers) and managed to find a sufficient garrison for the new position. This prevented the disintegration of the bridgehead. He repeatedly left the cover of these positions with unshakable calm. His death-defying conduct, ruthless intervention and harsh countermeasures meant that the positions were held with morally and physically depleted soldiers from many different units, a seemingly impossible achievement.

Up until nightfall he managed to contain all traces of panic despite the unending artillery fire and tank-reinforced attacks, and he held up all attempts by any demoralized troops to move towards the rear. He was consistently able to find and bring up ammunition to those areas where the fighting was fiercest. From the ranks of his last Batterie he was able to smash the enemy assembly areas in Karben via a direct attack, and thereby prevented the foe from advancing towards Rosenberg.

During the following night, after the other units had pulled back to Rosenberg and Follendorf, Platz similarly pulled back to Rosenberg along with the men of his Artillerie-Regiment. However the Russians got there first, and those soldiers trusted with defending the city proved to be unequal to the task. Platz thus acted on his own initiative once again, launching a counterthrust with the remnants of his Regiment and subsequently establishing a defense. By doing so he secured the continued withdrawal of friendly forces.

Platz thus acted on his own initiative a total of three times, and in the end his Regiment lost over half of its strength following these acts of self-sacrifice. Although many soldiers and officers were at the end of their moral strength, Platz was not, and thanks to this he was able to master the desperate situation during a period lasting more than 24 hours. Through these actions he saved many thousands of soldiers from annihilation and captivity.

I hold this especially brave and bright officer as one worthy of being awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”

His nomination for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by his corps was never forwarded or was lost due to the military situation. A second nomination was made after the evacuation of East Prussia, after the German capitulation. This nomination was never processed. The order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (OdR) processed the case in 1982 and decided: "Knight's Cross yes, 9-5-1945". The presentation date was later changed by Fellgiebel to 11-5-1945.