Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Adjutant I. / Grenadier-Regiment 62 / 7. Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

May 9th, 1945

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

“On the 07.03.1945 the enemy attempted to expand their breach in the direction of Tiegenhof, and to this end they pushed forward with strong forces in the direction of Klein-Lesewitz. Leutnant Jaquet - nominally the adjutant of I./Grenadier-Regiment 62 - and his NCO school of 21 men and 15 stragglers were dispatched as an alarm unit to defend a homestead.

A multi-hour battle for this homestead then ensued, in which the homestead itself was burned to the ground. Yet, despite the lack of heavy weapon support during the last hours, Leutnant Jaquet and his men managed to smash a battalion sized attack in an engagement that saw the garrison reduced to just 7 men firing only with rifles at the very end. Reinforced to a strength of 30 men during the following night, the garrison went on to defeat the attempts of an enemy battalion to break through to Klein-Lesewitz over the entire course of the 08.03.1945. In the last hours it was once again 8 men firing with rifles that endured the hostile onslaught despite a lack of friendly support as well as heavy bombardment by enemy anti-tank guns and mortars.

And so it was that a ragtag fighting unit was able to best an enemy that outnumbered it 10-1. It goes without saying that such an achievement would have been impossible were it not for the death-defying determination and steadfastness of Leutnant Jaquet. Through this brave conduct he prevented a hostile penetration near Klein-Lesewitz and thereby eliminated a threat to the Nogat front from Halbstadt towards the southwest. This frontline continues to hold to this day.”

There are additional details available on this engagement that are not covered in the recommendation. On the 08.03.1945 Jaquet and his men pulled 500 m to have a better field of fire, and from here they primarily engaged the attacking Soviet battalion during the morning. Jaquet himself, armed with a sniper rifle, apparently bore the brunt of the defensive battle. Two Soviet deserters reported that the attackers had sustained 66% casualties in the battle that morning. The holding of this position enabled the 7. Infanterie-Division to pull back the following night and thereby avoid encirclement. Later, on the 15.03.1945, Jaquet was badly wounded in the head by a shell splinter while he was conducting sniper duty without a helmet. He would be evacuated by sea.

This awarding was submitted by telegram on March 27th 1945. According the RK-Karteikarte, the submission was completed on April 12th 1945 and probably send by curier. No furthers actions are known. The Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes e.V. (OdR), has accepted the awarding in accordance with the so-called "Dönitz-Erlass", which formally allowed lower commanders to award the RK themselves.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)