Date of birth:

April 23rd, 1923 (Graz/Gröbening/Steiermark, Austria)

Date of death:

October 8th, 2010 (Vienna, Austria)

Nationality:

Austrian

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Received in December 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Received in December 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Received in August 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of Reserves)

Unit:

Zugführer 2. / Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 259 / Heerestruppe

Awarded on:

February 28th, 1945

Ascher received the Knight’s Cross in early 1945. In the first two months of the year his unit (Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 259) was assigned to support the 21. Infanterie-Division. In January of that year the Brigade succeeded in covering the retreat of the division as it pulled back to Gumbinnen. Then it played a key part in the division’s counterattacks in early February, where in one attack near Liebhausen the Soviets were pushed back approx. 20 km. Ascher and his Zug proved to be of consistent help during the course of these operations, and he was recognized accordingly.

• 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
  - 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
  - Panzer-Archiv