Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberfeldwebel (Warrant Officer)

Unit:

Zugführer 1./Grenadier-Regiment 32

Awarded on:

September 2nd, 1944

The following postwar article (published in July 1957 by the magazine “Mitteilungsblatt für die Angehörigen der ehemaligen 24. Infanteriedivision”) describes why Pöhler would receive his Knight’s Cross…

“During the retreat battles in summer 1944, the Soviets succeeded in achieving a breakthrough at the boundary between two Kompanien of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 32. To counter this move the Battalion dispatched its Sturmzug, which was commanded by Oberfeldwebel Heinz Pöhler (who had already previously proven himself in several difficult situations).

After moving to the area Pöhler and his Grenadiers attacked the enemy forces who had penetrated the German line and threw them out in hard close combat, resulting in the frontline gap here being closed after about a half hour of fighting.

Suddenly Pöhler heard battle noises on the right boundary of the Bataillon, which was also the boundary with the neighbouring division. Soon he recognized that strong enemy forces had penetrated the line here in at least battalion strength. The thinly-stretched defending forces had given way to the pressure. Pöhler quickly reassembled his Zug and moved parallel to the German line to reach the break-in position. Leading at the head of his troops, he took up the fight with the vastly superior foe, assumed command of the leaderless Kompanie on the right and charged forwards. The enemy was in place on a commanding hilltop. Following two attacks, this was taken by the Germans. Several furious Bolshevik counterattacks were repulsed in combat that saw some of the defenders resorting to combat with empty weapons. Pöhler was the soul of this fight.

After the right-hand Kompanie was once again firmly in control of their position, Pöhler pulled his assault platoon back together and moved to close the gap between the two Divisions. Proceeding along the length of the old German line, every enemy resistance nest was eliminated. A complete success was the reward, and contact with the neighbouring Division was restored.

Thus a critical situation for both divisions was resolved by the independent action of Oberfeldwebel Pöhler. For this valiant deed he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 02.09.1944.”