Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur II. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 4, 2. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

August 5th, 1940

The following wartime excerpt (dated 30.08.1940) describes why Rödlich received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberstleutnant Rödlich personally led his Abteilung’s vanguard in almost all difficult situations, and throughout all of these incidents he consistently demonstrated a great deal of personal bravery and readiness for duty. In particular, the boldness he exhibited on the 13.06.1940 was an essential factor that enabled our forces to capture the Saulzbach bridges in an undamaged state. On this day he ruthlessly plunged into the enemy resistance lines with his Panzers, smashed through them and prevented the bridge demolitions at the last minute. Afterwards he dismounted his Panzer and personally led his attached Schützen-Kompanie in the battle to secure a bridgehead here. He would be wounded whilst involved in this latter action.”