Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Unteroffizier (Junior Officer)

Unit:

3. Kompanie, I. Bataillon, Schützen-Regiment 114, 6. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 18th, 1941

The following newspaper article (dated 26.10.1941) describes why Zmugg received the Knight’s Cross…

“Unteroffizier Alois Zmugg… served as a volunteer in Spain prior to the outbreak of the war, and in this capacity he gave repeated demonstrations of boldness. He would go on to consistently distinguish himself in the defensive war against the Soviets, and in particular on the 09.09.1941. On this day his Bataillon’s attack through a heavily mined section of forest near Salesi threatened to bog down under flanking fire from a strongly built up Soviet field position that had been reinforced by bunkers. As his own Zugführer had become a casualty, Unteroffizier Zmugg made the independent decision to eliminate this flanking fire via an attack. He subordinated a Panzer to himself, and under its covering fire he penetrated into the field position with an assault group following a fierce hand grenade battle. He rolled up a section of the position, knocked out a bunker and created a breach. This decisive initial success enabled his Bataillon to achieve a tactical victory in a subsequent thrust, which in turn enabled it to reinforce and hold the position of a Panzer-Abteilung that had itself advanced to the fortification belt in the direction of Pudost.”