• StuG III Sturmgeschütz

Date of birth:

September 1st, 1915 (Hohenberg/Lower Austria, Austria)

Date of death:

June 6th, 1996 (Vienna, Austria)

Nationality:

Austrian

Promotions:
24th October 1937: Vormeister in het Österreichisches Bundesheer.
1st October 1938: Obergefreiter in de Wehrmacht.
1st December 1938: Unteroffizier.
1st April 1940: Wachtmeister.
4th May 1940: Offizier Anwärter.
1st June 1942: Oberleutnant.
1st June 1943: Hauptmann.
April 1945: Major.
After the Second World War, Brandner served in the Austrian Army and was awarded with the Croix du Combattant de Europe (1st May 1975) and the Silbernes Verdienstabzeichen der Republik Österreich (7th July 1994).

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 14th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

January 16th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 23rd, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

April 4th, 1942

Silver version.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 1st, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 21st, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 202

Awarded on:

September 14th, 1943

Award 442/45.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Unit:

2. / Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 202

Awarded on:

September 7th, 1944

3311th Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 20th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Kommandeur Heeres-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 912 / 205.Infanterie-Division/ XXXVIII.Panzer-Korps / 16.Armee / Heeresgruppe Kurland

Awarded on:

March 17th, 1945

Awarded for his actions during the fighting in Courland. On the first day of the Third Battle of Courland (21.12.1944) he and his Brigade smashed a Soviet armoured spearhead aimed against the Tukkum-Frauenburg road, destroying 26 tanks within a short time. At the time the Brigade was attached to the 11. Infanterie-Division. Brandner himself had reconnoitred the terrain on the day before and so was able to position his Sturmgeschütze in ideal positions for the Soviet attack.

He and his unit went on to distinguish themselves in the Fourth and Fifth Battles of Courland. Brandner himself destroyed his 57th tank in the Fourth Battle, and in the Fifth he and his unit closed off a frontline gap near Berlin with the support of the 205. Infanterie-Division.

4761st Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

April 11th, 1945

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

Führer Heeres-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 912 / 16.Armee / Heeresgruppe Kurland

Awarded on:

April 26th, 1945

Awarded for distinguishing himself with his Brigade during the Sixth Battle of Courland while operating south of Schrunden and in the vicinity of the Matchstick Factory (near Frauenburg).

The awarding of the Eichenlaub is according his own testimony. Although there are photos known with him wearing the Eichenlaub, no official confirmation is known. Based on the presumed date of awarding this should be the 846th Award, however numbring of the officially known awards had stopped after the 843rd Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 4th, 1945

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - SCHERZER, VEIT & FARWICK, WERNER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Sturmartillerie 1939-1945, Verlag Veit Scherzer, 2011.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany, 1985.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
  - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
  - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
  - Berger, F., Ritterkreuzträger aus Österreich und den k.u.k. Kronländern, Selbstverlag Florian Berger, Wien, Österreich, 2006
  - Kurowski, F., Panzer Aces II – Battle Stories of German Tank Commanders of WWII, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, U.S.A., 2004
  - Kurowski, F., Bridgehead Kurland – The six epic battles of Heeresgruppe Kurland, J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., Winnipeg, Canada, 2002
  - Ritterkreuztraeger 1939 - 1945
  - Axis History Biographical Research via Axis History Forum