Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of Reserves)

Unit:

Führer Pionier-Kompanie/Jäger-Regiment 54

Awarded on:

October 28th, 1944

By the end of July 1944 the Soviets had succeeded in breaking through the German lines and capturing the town of Dolin. From here they threatened to cut off those German troops that were retreating into the Carpathian mountains. As such the 100. Jäger-Division was loaded onto trucks and rushed to the endangered area.

On the evening of the 31.07.1944 the I. Bataillon and Pionierkompanie of Jäger-Regiment 54 were attached to Kampfgruppe Zahn, which was itself attached to the XXXXVIII. Panzerkorps. The Kampfgruppe was ordered to clear the villages west of Dolina of hostile forces, which would open up the way over the Carpathian foothills to the Skole Pass Road. The I./Jäger-Regiment 54 and the regimental Pionier Kompanie were tasked with capturing the village of Oblisk. The attack got off to a bad start when the Soviets opened fire on the Germans when they were still 300 meters away from the first houses, inflicting heavy losses. But the Germans were able to rally and fight its way to the village.

Leutnant Schneider and his Kompanie were the first troops to reach the village itself, and in the ensuing urban combat the unit knocked out multiple Soviet anti-tank guns. Eventually the Kompanie became the first German unit to reach the road fork that branched off to Turza, and ultimately the village was totally cleared of the Soviets. Leutnant Schneider was badly wounded during this engagement, and would eventually succumb to his injuries as a result. However he would subsequently receive the Knight’s Cross for his actions here.

Awarded posthumously.