Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Chef, 12. Kompanie, Grenadier-Regiment 122, 50. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

December 9th, 1943

On the morning of the 07.11.1943 a battalion-sized Soviet force succeeded in achieving a penetration through the defenses of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 122 along the Tatar wall. They advanced 2 km into the German position and overwhelmed an 8.8 cm Flak Batterie that was positioned on the edge of Kula.
At this time Hauptmann Hübner was located to the northeast of Kula along with the soldiers of the heavy mortar Zug and the Bataillon staff. Recognizing the danger that this thrust posed, he rounded up the few men at his disposal and managed to retake the Flak position within mere minutes. The Soviets wavered before this sudden counterthrust, however Hauptmann Hübner himself was killed by a Soviet hand grenade at this stage. Leutnant Schmidt thereafter took over command of the counterthrust. The freed Flak gunners directed their guns against the fleeing Soviets, and almost 200 of their dead ultimately littered the battlefield.
A potentially threatening situation for the entire Perekop front was thereby stabilized by Hübner’s actions, although he himself would pay the ultimate price. He was consequently awarded the Knight’s Cross after his death in light of this achievement.

Awarded posthumously.