Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Schützen-Regiment 10, 9. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

July 22nd, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Chef, 1. Kompanie, I. Bataillon, Schützen-Regiment 10, 9. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

September 4th, 1941

The following newspaper excerpt (dated 17.11.1941) describes why Unger received the Knight’s Cross…

“During the war against the Soviet Union he has repeatedly distinguished himself through the decisiveness and inspiring bravery that he displayed before his troops. A particularly noteworthy example of this conduct was during the march against Zaporozhye, in which he and his Kompanie smashed the defenses of the strongly defended enemy bridgehead here. This action resulted in the capture of a commanding hill before a nearby bridge, a feat which laid the groundwork for the subsequent friendly attack in the area.

During this attack the friendly advance threatened to stall due to strong enemy interference. In this situation Hauptmann Unger decided to lead his Kompanie up the forward slope and eliminate those Bolshevik MG nests that were pinning down the attack from the flank. Later, in the follow-on combat, he and his Kompanie significantly contributed to the creation of a new bridgehead that he would defend successfully against strong Soviet attacks. He also contributed to the capture of two bridges over the Dnieper river arms (one of which was completely undamaged).”