- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of Reserves)
- Unit:
- Führer, Panzer-Kompanie "Breslau"
- Awarded on:
- April 30th, 1945
Awarded for his actions during the siege of Breslau. On the 18.04.1945, in the vicinity of the Odertor railway station, Hartmann and his Kompanie were locked in fierce combat against a Soviet breakthrough attempt. They succeeded in fending it off, and the unit destroyed 13 tanks and 5 heavy assault guns. More importantly, they had prevented a Soviet breakthrough towards the Benderplatz. Had the Soviets managed to reach this place, the Oder island and Breslau as a whole would inevitably have fallen. Hartmann was recognized appropriately for this action as well as his personal total of 16 enemy tanks destroyed by this time.