- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Chef, 11. Kompanie, III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 16, 22. Infanterie-Division, Heer
- Awarded on:
- May 29th, 1940
The following wartime excerpt (dated 30.08.1940) describes why Schrader received the Knight’s Cross…
“Oberleutnant Hermann Schrader and his Kompanie took possession of two important bridges in a coup-de-main. Then, all while displaying great courage and skill, he and his men held off the enemy until the arrival of reinforcements despite being twice wounded himself in the process.”
Awarded for his actions during the airborne assault on Rotterdam in May 1940. Schrader and his company launched a coup-de-main against two bridges, capturing them successfully. They then were able to hold them against all enemy counterattacks until reinforced, despite Schrader himself being wounded twice by bullets.