Date of birth:

May 26th, 1918 (Helmbrechts/Oberfranken, German Empire)

Date of death:

July 30th, 1941 (Jelnja, Soviet Union)

Buried on:

German War Cemetery Dukhovshchina
Grave: UNK.

Service number:

SS-Nr.: // NSDAP-Nr.:

Nationality:

German

Erich Adam Rossner / Roßner
00.00.1928-00.00.1930: Pfadfinder
00.00.1930: Hitlerjugend
00.00.1933: Jungzugführer
00.00.1934: Fähnleinführer
00.00.1935: Führer, Stamm IV
03.06.1937: Freiwilliger, SS-Verfügungstruppe
00.03.1938: campaign in Austria
00.10.1938: campaign in the Sudetes
23.05.1940: Geschützführer, destroyed a 3 French tanks at Aire, France
25.07.1941: SS-Unterscharführer, Geschützführer, 2. Batterie, SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung „Reich" - Battle of Jelnja - destroyed 8 soviet tanks in 5 minutes on the road to Dorogobush
25.07.1941: at the end of the same day severely WIA
30.07.1941: DOW in Feldlazarett Baltutino, North East of Jelnja
Tank ace credited with 16 tank kills

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Awarded on:

1939

Awarded on:

1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 25th, 1941

Awarded for:

Operation Barbarossa

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 3rd, 1941

Awarded for:

Operation Barbarossa

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Unterscharführer (Sergeant)

Unit:

2.Kompanie, SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 2, 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"

Awarded on:

August 25th, 1941

Awarded for:

Operation Barbarossa

Unterscharführer Rossner was one of the most successful anti-tank gunners of the Das Reich division in the war’s early stages. He was credited with at least 3 tanks in France and a further 13 in the Soviet Union. His most significant action took places during the heavy defensive combat around Yelnya in July 1941. On the 24.07.1941 Rossner’s Pak 38 was guarding the main road to Yelnya on the northern side of the perimeter, when he was attacked by a force of 8 Soviet tanks. Rossner ordered his crew to destroy the lead tank first at a range of 50 meters, which they did without problems. But the second tank turned out to be a flamethrower variant, and Rossner and his crew had to abandon their gun to avoid the flame jet. The crew of this flamethrower tank apparently thought that they had neutralized the gun, because they dismounted their vehicle and walked towards it. However Rossner and his men returned and killed the Soviet tank crew in close combat. They then proceeded to re-man their anti-tank gun and destroy the rest of the Russian armour column.

However on the next day he was severely wounded, and he died of his injuries on 30 July. Since his Knight’s Cross was only awarded after this time, Rossner was the first member of the Waffen-SS to receive the medal posthumously.

Posthumously received

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• - MOONEY, PETER, Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles, Schiffer Pub Ltd, 2008.
  - Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives
  - 2. SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich
  - Erich Adam Roßner | Gräbersuche-Online
  

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