Kuhn, Walter

Date of birth:: January 9th, 1920 (Mehlsack-Braunsberg/Eastern Prussia, Germany)
Date of death:: February 1st, 2010 (Gelsenkirchen/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Obergefreiter (Corporal)
Unit:: Richtschütze 3. / Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 1 / 1.Infanterie-Division
Awarded on:: August 23rd, 1943

On the 23.07.1943, during the Second Battle of Lake Ladoga, strong Soviet infantry and tank forces began an attack on the positions of the 1. Infanterie-Division. One of the defending Pak gunners, Obergefreiter Kuhn, was among the first to open fire and he soon destroyed/disabled a number of Soviet tanks.

After his Pak had itself been knocked out, Kuhn jumped out of cover and began engaging the incoming T-34s with close combat weapons. In this way he was able to knock out a further 3 attacking tanks in just 20 minutes. The remaining Soviet tanks turned around and fell back after this.

This brave and decisive action by Obergefreiter Kuhn decisively contributed to the smashing of this Soviet breakthrough attempt by the Division. In the process Kuhn had also raised his total of destroyed enemy tanks to 18. As a result he would be decorated with the Knight’s Cross.