Date of birth:

September 16th, 1920 (Zeitz/Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

January 3rd, 1944 (Dvorishche/Vitebsk Oblast, Soviet Union)

Nationality:

German

Leutnant Von Falkenhayn died in heavy man-to-man combat during a counterattack against Russian infantry in Dvorishche.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Führer 7. / Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.Jäger-Division

Awarded on:

November 25th, 1942

The following press article provides an overview of why Falkenhayn would receive the Knight’s Cross…

“As a Leutnant and Kompanie commander, Günther von Falkenhayn engaged a strong Soviet bunker position at the end of September 1942, south of Lake Ilmen. This position flanked the attack of Falkenhayn’s own Jäger-Regiment. Attacking it on his own initiative, he captured bunker after bunker in a bitter struggle and received his fifth wound during the process.”

This reported action took place on the 29.09.1942, during the course of Operation Michael. By attacking this position (which lay to the south), Falkenhayn enabled the attack of his unit against Kulakowo to once again come into motion.

• - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf, 2003.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer, Elite of the Third Reich - The Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-45: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, England, 2003
  - Reinicke, A., Die 5. Jäger-Division – Polen, Westfeldzug 1940, Rußland, Das Ende an der Oderfront, Nebel Verlag GmbH, Eggolsheim, Deutschland, 2003