Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Chef, 6. Kompanie, Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100, 5. Gebirgs-Division

Awarded on:

November 15th, 1941

Here follows an abbreviated Knight’s Cross recommendation for Adolf Hofmann…

“Oberleutnant Adolf Hofmann has already distinguished himself as a leader during the fighting in Poland and France while demonstrating personal bravery and intrepidity. During the battles on Crete the swift decisiveness and responsibility of Oberleutnant Hofmann proved to be of great military importance for the combat around the Cretian capital of Chania.

When his battalion landed at the Maleme airfield on the 21.05.1941, Oberleutnant Hofmann took his Kompanie as well as elements of the Fallschirmjäger near the airfield forwards and silenced the direct enemy MG-fire that was being laid on the airfield. The fighting for the assembly area for the attack on Galatas (an attack which would be crucial for the capture of Crete) saw Oberleutnant Hofmann lead at the head of his Kompanie in bitter engagements in the hill positions northwest of Galatas.

Then, during the battle for Chania on the 27.05.1941, Oberleutnant Hofmann decisively intervened in the battle with personal bravery, exemplary performance as well as swift and energetic action, which was critical in ensuring the swift fall of the Cretian capital. In a bold pursuit Oberleutnant Hofmann thrusted ahead with his Kompanie past their attack objective on his own initiative. They carried on into the city itself, broke every attempt at resistance by the population and were able to prevent every attempt at establishing organized resistance by the retreating enemy in the interior of the city.”