Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Chef, Pionier-Kompanie, III. Bataillon, Jäger-Regiment 28, 8. Jäger-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

April 30th, 1945

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

“On the 04.04.1945 strong enemy forces broke into Priewtz, and they continued their advance in the direction of Bojnice. This forced Jäger-Regiment 28 (positioned south of Bojnice) to extend its left wing towards the north with the hastily assembled Gruppe Hofer in order to prevent the foe from advancing into the Regiment’s rear area. The lynchpin of this Kampfgruppe was Oberleutnant Machowsky and his recently constituted Inf.Pi.Kp./Jg.Rgt. 28.

At 09:00 on the 05.04.1945 the enemy began attacks against the left sector of this Kompanie as well as the left neighbouring Kompanie with forces from both around and to the north of Opatovce. Enemy strength was at least 2 battalions (about 400-500 men). Despite strong friendly defensive fire enemy troops were able to achieve several penetrations in the left sector of the Inf.Pi.Kp. At the time Oberleutnant Machowsky was supervising the establishment of his right wing, however in response to the changing situation he rushed to his left wing with his reserve squad despite being badly hindered by his leg (which was still suffering from an old wound). He and his troops ejected the enemy via an energetic counterthrust and thereby restored the old frontline.

However the enemy sent in additional reinforcements, and after a short while they resumed their onslaught with 2 fresh battalions. Oberleutnant Machowsky observed that the enemy’s main thrust was against the Kompanie on his left, and so he handed over leadership of his own Kompanie to his Kompanie HQ squad leader before rushing to the thick of the action in the sector of the left neighbour. He did this whilst contending with both great pain in his leg and enemy infantry, mortar and anti-tank fire.

Since the neighbouring Kompanie had no officers, he took over command of it on his own initiative and gathered up all available reserves. His intervention came just in time to prevent the enemy from achieving a major penetration on the left wing of this Kompanie, which would in turn have led to the loss of the commanding Hill 504. Given the difficult situation at hand he did not hesitate to launch an energetic counterthrust into the flank of the attacking enemy, and the personal example he set whilst doing so inspired the soldiers of the unfamiliar Kompanie to give their utmost. The enemy sustained bloody losses, and were forced to retreat.

However even as this battle was being fought the enemy succeeded in bypassing the left wing of the Regiment with strong forces. They thrust northwest to Hill 612, pivoted to the west from there and then occupied the road Bojnice—Sutovce. With this the only road from the frontline to the rear was cut off. Contact between the HQ of Kampfgruppe Hofer and Machowsky himself was severed. Machowsky could only rely on himself to figure a way out of the situation. He proceeded to repulse several enemy attacks from the southeast, east and north by hostile elements amounting to 2 battalions altogether. In this way he managed to hold his ground for the remainder of the afternoon and thereby tie down about 300-400 enemy troops.

When he later received orders to retreat that evening, he decided to force a path through enemy lines along the road in order to save his two motorized Flak guns. By skillfully deploying all his available combat elements he was able to break through the strong enemy blocking position west of Hill 612 and thus complete his withdrawal with both Flak guns intact.

The independent resolve and outstanding personal bravery that Oberleutnant Machowsky displayed here prevented the enemy from thrusting through to the Regiment’s main supply road (located along the route Vrbany—Dobrocna) with 4 battalions of their own. This feat permitted the Regiment to withdraw in an orderly fashion and without needing to abandon its artillery, heavy weapons, vehicles and wagons. In the sector of Oberleutnant Machowsky the enemy left behind 300 counted and 400 estimated dead. They also lost 3 trucks, 1 heavy anti-tank gun and 1 infantry gun. Friendly losses in the same area amounted to 2 dead and 10 wounded.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Pionier-Kompanie, III. Bataillon, Jäger-Regiment 28, 8. Jäger-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

December 15th, 1944

According to the Vorschlag of the Ritterkreuz awarded x-1-1945.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

April 11th, 1945

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

November 25th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 4th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

April 20th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

November 13th, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 13th, 1939

According to the Vorschlag of the Ritterkreuz awarded on 13-11-1939.