Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant)

Unit:

Zugführer 9./Jäger-Regiment 204 / 97. Jäger-Division

Awarded on:

August 26th, 1943

The following press article, dated 04.09.1943, describes why Feldwebel Freutsmiedel would receive the Knight’s Cross…

“Feldwebel Simon Freutsmiedl has distinguished himself in the fighting in the Kuban bridgehead. When a strong enemy attack pushed back his Bataillon and encircled one of its Kompanien, he fought through to the Kompanie on his own initiative with a squad of Bavarian Pioniere. He informed the Kompanie commander about the current situation, and through this he enabled the Kompanie to continue to hold out until a successful counterthrust was launched.”

Freutsmiedl himself had the following to say about this action…

“I joined the 97. Jäger-Division at the start of 1941. In January 1943 it was pulled out of the Caucasus with other German units and inserted into the so-called ‘Blue Line’ at the end of April 1943. It occupied the sector containing Hill 114 and the road that ran from Krimskaja to Anape (on the Black Sea coast). At the position the Russians tried to break through to our left or right so as to divide the bridgehead. However their attempts continuously failed. On the 18.07.1943 the Russians started a breakthrough towards the Black Sea with two elite brigades supported by aircraft and over 100 batteries of artillery.

After about an hour of artillery fire the Russians succeeded in penetrating the line to a depth of about a kilometre and a breadth of about 800 metres. A few of our Kompanien were completely wiped out. As the Russians had already advanced past my Zug’s position I kept my eye out for the situation. In doing so I established that our 8. Kompanie, which lay directly along the road, was surrounded and defending with its forces on all sides. I immediately reported this to my Bataillon commander, who thereupon requested reinforcements from the Regiment. As we had no time to lose, I decided with approval from our Bataillon commander to break through to the encircled Kompanie. I gathered together a squad and a few other men to me, altogether 13 men. With these I advanced to the Kompanie through a communications trench located in its rear. During the breakthrough we must have overwhelmed Russian heavy machine-guns and about 80 men. Thanks to this contact between the 8. Kompanie and our Bataillon was again restored. In the next hours, with the support of two Sturmgeschütze, the main trenches (i.e. the old frontline) were recaptured.”