Gehl, Paul

Date of birth:: October 27th, 1918 (Dortmund-Hörde, Germany)
Date of death:: December 3rd, 1994 (Dortmund/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberleutnant der Reserve (1st Lieutenant of Reserves)
Unit:: Führer, I. Bataillon, Grenadier-Regiment 453, 253. Infanterie-Division, Heer
Awarded on:: May 9th, 1945

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

“At around 21:00 on the 16.03.1945 the Soviets succeeded in achieving a penetration in the sector of II./Grenadier-Regiment 453 with 80 men of their own. Due to the extremely threadbare state of the frontline, as well as the exhaustion of friendly troops following 6 days of intense fighting, the enemy was in a position to easily achieve a breakthrough.

Oberleutnant Gehl, commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 453 (who had been wounded for the 13th time on the 14.03.1945 but had remained with his men by his own wish), immediately recognized the danger this posed for the whole Regiment. He thus gathered up 8 men and intervened in the sector of his left neighbour on his own initiative (all communication links had been knocked out by the enemy by this time). Storming forward at the head of his men with exemplary bravery, he threw the enemy back and restored the old frontline despite sustaining a severe head injury in the process.

In total 19 enemy dead were counted in the aftermath, and 2 light MGs plus 2 anti-tank rifles were also captured. After the recapture of the frontline, Oberleutnant Gehl was evacuated in an unconscious state. This was his 14th wound of the war.

Oberleutnant Gehl has served as an infantryman on the Eastern front from the beginning of the campaign. In all his battles he has highly distinguished himself through his initiative and personal bravery.”

Paul Gehl's nomination by the troop was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) on 24-3-1945 as a teleprinter messenger, the written nomination was received on 3 April. Major Joachim Domaschk had stopped an ongoing approval process of the Honour Roll Clasp for Gehl on 25 March, indicating: "Stop! Forward here!". Domaschk requested a detailed combat report from Gehl's division following the receipt of the written nomination on 4 April, which he received on 17 April. The next day he approved the nomination. A Heerespersonalamt-Verleihungsvorschlag (HPA-VV—Army Staff Office Nomination Recommendation) Nr. 5078 was created and forwarded the very same day. This information is noted on the file card. No further information regarding the approval or presentation of the Knight's Cross is indicated. According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (OdR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation date was assigned by Walther-Peer Fellgiebel.