Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 25th, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

in bronze

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

February 27th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Chef, 2. Kompanie, I. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler, 1. SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

March 28th, 1943

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

“The I./Pz.Gren.Rgt. ‘LSSAH’ commenced an attack against Alexejewka (the foremost defensive position before Kharkov) at 03:10 on the 11.03.1943. The 3. and 1. Kompanien were deployed up front.

2. Kompanie (under the command of SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker) was the reserve Kompanie, and it followed the attack to the right and rear behind 3. Kompanie.

The assault against Alexejewka did not succeed. The Bataillon’s attack stalled before the enemy positions.

A Soviet counterthrust (supported by 3 tanks) pushed 3. Kompanie out of the suburb of Alexejewka back to a gully about 100 metres before Alexejewka. The enemy were not overly affected by a subsequent firefight involving our heavy weapons and artillery, and assault units from 1. and 3. Kompanien were unable to force a penetration at any point along the edge. During the course of the morning the already depleted 3. Kompanie suffered heavy losses, including its Kompanie commander and all Zugführer.

2. Kompanie had meanwhile been brought up to the brick factory as the reserve Kompanie. Its combat strength consisted of 2 officers, 8 NCOs and 56 enlisted men. In this critical situation, at 13:00, 2. Kompanie received the order to advance from the brick factory and to 3. Kompanie’s hill. Its task was to achieve a penetration by storm with the support of 4 Sturmgeschützen and 3 Flak guns (3.7 cm).

A strong artillery barrage was launched at 13:25, and the 2. Kompanie utilized its effects to move forward. Progress was slow, and the enemy harassed it along the entire way with their fire (particularly from the flank). However the hill occupied by the foremost elements of 3. Kompanie near the suburb’s edge was eventually reached. At the same time a group of 2 Sturmgeschütze and 2 Flak guns (3.7 cm) made an attempt to penetrate into the area with elements of 3. Kompanie and the lead assault unit from 2. Kompanie. But this attack was also repulsed. A Sturmgeschütz and a Flak gun were knocked out by a T-34 at the break-in point, and the foremost assault units were thrown back.

In this critical situation the commander of 2. Kompanie, SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker, made a lightning-swift and independent decision. As the enemy could not be effectively combated by a frontal attack by both 2. and 3. Kompanie combined, he chose to instead take a small force of men from his and 3. Kompanie and thrust past the hill.

Although the enemy inflicted heavy flanking fire from their rearward and elevated positions, he was nonetheless able to enter into the suburb from the side via a gully and capture the main road to Kharkov. Showing exemplary bravery, SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker personally led at the head of his handful of men, penetrated into the rear of the enemy’s forward positions and wrested the forward group of houses from the enemy. He widened this penetration with two lightning-swift thrusts along the road itself and beyond the road towards the south. An enemy counterthrust with 3 tanks was defeated, and the captured position held. An important piece of the enemy’s defensive front was thereby seized through the independent initiative and ruthless readiness for duty shown by SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker. In this way he secured the jump-off point for the Bataillon’s continued attack against Alexejewka on the 12.03.1943, one that in turn led to the assault on the city of Kharkov itself.

In this subsequent battle the 2. Kompanie under SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker once again bore the brunt of the combat. They quickly smashed through the suburb of Alexejewka and crushed the enemy’s resistance in close combat.

After reaching the southern edge of Alexejewka the Bataillon launched its assault against Kharkov itself at 11:00 on the 12.03.1943.

The enemy’s defensive position along the city’s edge was smashed in a frontal attack through the employment of heavy weapons, including Flak and artillery firing over open sights.

The Bataillon, with 2. Kompanie as its attacking spearhead, was deployed for an enveloping attack. This was done in order to successfully advance from the creek bed, through the outlying sections of buildings and into the enemy’s main city edge position.

During this attack the enemy disengaged while leaving behind a strong rearguard.

In this situation SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker once again made a swift and independent decision during the course of advancing to his attack objective, one that was informed by a correct appraisal of the enemy’s situation and the terrain conditions. He diverted his Kompanie from its ordered attack objective and instead thrust around the edge of the elevated forward portions of the city in a way that was parallel to the enemy’s own movements. In this manner he penetrated into the city itself.

He surprised the enemy in the Pawliwka [?] district. Personally leading at the head of his foremost assault troop, he threw himself into the close combat with great vigour before the enemy had a chance to establish themselves. By doing so he gave the Bataillon time to enter the battle and thus ensure the enemy’s destruction.

The bulk of a Soviet regiment was totally shattered. Almost its entire complement of weapons, equipment, ammunition and vehicles fell into the hands of the Bataillon, a success that can be primarily attributed to 2. Kompanie and its commander, SS-Hauptsturmführer Becker.

The path into the inner part of Kharkov was opened:

Prisoners: 5 officers (including a regimental commander) and 150 men.
Bloody enemy losses: Over 500 dead.
Spoils of War: 1 T-34 destroyed - 1 T-34 and 2 small English tanks captured - 7 guns (7.62 cm) - 12 anti-tank guns - 26 anti-tank rifles - 3 heavy mortars - 27 medium mortars - 5 light mortars - 15 heavy machine-guns - 21 light machine-guns - 42 machine pistols - numerous small arms - 30 sleds, wagons, etc. with a large complement of food, ammunition and assorted equipment.”

[editors note: some of the words in this document are pretty indiscernible, and some translation inaccuracies may be present.]

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 1943