Salminger, Josef

Date of birth:: March 5th, 1903 (Munich/Bavaria, Germany)
Date of death:: October 1st, 1943 (Epeiros mountains near Klissoura, Greece)
Buried on:: German War Cemetery Dionyssos-Rapendoza
Plot: 2. Row: 1. Grave: 2.
Nationality:: German

Biography

On August 14th, 1943, Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger was ordered, as commanding officer of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98, to undertake a surprise attack on the Greek village of Kommeno. In the evening of August 15th, Salminger spoke to his men and at daybreak on August 16th, the 12. Kompanie under the command of Oberleutnant Willibald Röser attacked the village. In the bloodbath which followed a total of 317 civilians of Kommeno were murdered. The operational commander of the action was Major Reinhald Klebe.

Josef Salminger was killed on 1st October 1943 in fightings with partisans in the Epeiros mountain range near Klissoura, northeast of Thesprotikon, Greece.

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Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: July 1st, 1940

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Hauptmann (Captain)
Unit:: Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98, 1. Gebirgs-Division, Heer
Awarded on:: August 31st, 1941

The following divisional order-of-the-day (dated 07.09.1941) from the 1. Gebirgs-Division describes why Major Salminger would receive the Knight’s Cross…

“On the 29.06.1941 Major Salminger succeeded in mastering a critical situation during the bitter fighting for Brzuchnowice through his personal bravery and superb leadership. On the same day he also was able to attain his original attack objective, the commanding high ground north of Lemberg. With this an essential precondition for the capture of Lemberg was filled.

Later, on the 19.07.1941, the Division would encounter a critical situation during the fighting around Vinnitsa when the enemy attacked into the Division’s rear. In response to this Major Salminger launched a counterattack, and after a bloody engagement was able to throw the enemy back from Zwishin towards the East. With this Major Salminger once again was able to resolve an major threat to the Division and enable the continuation of its original mission, in this case the encirclement of Vinnitsa.

On behalf of the division I send my best wishes to Major Salminger and his battle-hardened III./Geb.Jäg.Rgt. 98. Major Salminger is the 11th Holder of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross in the 1. Gebirgs-Division.”