Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 16th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 28th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

Zugführer, 10. Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3, 7. Flieger-Division, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

February 22nd, 1942

Awarded for his actions on the Leningrad front in late 1941. During this time he and his squad were deployed in the Newa bridgehead at Vyborgaskaya, with orders to hold their positions to the last man. The Soviet trenches were in some places only 20-30 metres away, and the result was having to deal with constant dangerous Soviet attacks. In this time Sassen and his squad, armed with 2 MGs, were able to repel all hostile attacks over the course of 33 days.

He particularly distinguished himself on the 15.11.1941, when the Soviets occupied an anti-tank ditch just 4 metres in front of the German positions. Thereafter Sassen independently decided to clear them out. With 5 men of his squad, he rolled up the hostile forces in the anti-tank ditch, taking a number of them prisoner. The Soviet defeat here triggered a number of desertions to the German side the next day, and resulted in the temporary cessation of offensive activity here.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

Zugführer, 10. Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3, 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

July 12th, 1943