Leutnant
Walter Friedl Spohn (Zugführer in 5.Kompanie / II.Abteilung /
Panzer-Regiment 26 / 26.Panzer-Division) is holding the Ordenskissen
(medal pillow) of Eichenlaubträger Johannes Kümmel, during the latter's
funeral ceremony in Nettuno, Italian Front, March 1944. Oberstleutnant
Kümmel was veteran of the campaigns in Africa who became the Commander
of Panzer-Regiment 26 in September 1943. On 30 January 1944, Kümmel's
regiment was part of the attacking force, which was to destroy the
American landing at Anzio-Nettuno but failed. Second attack on the enemy
forces was to take place on 27 February 1944, but Kümmel didn't take
part in as the day earlier he was killed in a road accident near
Cisterna. Leutnant Spohn himself is also Afrikakorps veteran who was
born in the same year as his Regimentskommandeur (1909) and both served
in Panzer-Regiment 8 during the war in Africa. Spohn received the
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 7 February 1943 (the medal which can be seen
half-visible in his uniform). The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter
Eberhard Dohm of PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) 699.
Afrikakorps
officers conferred in the North African desert. Wearing monocle in the
middle is Oberst Hans Cramer (Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 8 /
15.Panzer-Division), while at right is Hauptmann Johannes Kümmel (Chef
1.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 8 / 15.Panzer-Division). The
picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Klemens Valtingojer of PK
(Propaganda-Kompanie) "Afrika", between July 1941 and April 1942.
Johannes Kümmel was born in Coswig, Saxony on July 21st of 1909. He
joined the Reichswehr in 1928 and quickly obtained a rank of
Unteroffizer (Junior NCO). Kümmel remained in the military as the
Reichswehr became the new Wehrmacht and in 1938 was transferred to the
newly formed 8th Panzer Regiment of the 10th Panzer Division at
Boblingen near Stuttgart, southwestern Germany. In 1939, he was promoted
to the rank of Oberfeldwebel (First Sergeant) and received the command
of panzer platoon in the 1st Company. He commanded the unit during the
Polish Campaign and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on September
27th of 1939. Johannes Kümmel received the award as a recognition for
taking part in numerous operation including knocking out three Polish
light tanks (or probably tankettes). On October 20th of 1939, after the
conclusion of the Polish Campaign, Kümmel was awarded the Iron Cross 1st
Class for knocking out four more enemy tanks during the campaign. Soon
after, he was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant).
On
April 1st of 1940, Johannes Kümmel was promoted to the rank of
Hauptmann (Captain) and received the command of the 1st Company of 8th
Panzer Regiment. During the German offensive in the West of 1940, 10th
Panzer Division was part of Guderian's XIX Panzer Corps, which broke
through at Sedan, fought in the Low Countries and France, finally
reaching the English Channel. Kümmel as the commander of the company
remained at the frontlines and on June 5th of 1940, was slightly wounded
when a mine blew up his tank.
After the defeat of France on June
25th of 1940, Germany was forced to help Italian ally in their
unsuccessful struggle against the British in North Africa. On January
18th of 1941, 8th Panzer Regiment was transferred to the 15th Panzer
Division (formed on February 1st of 1940). The division along with 5th
Leichte (Panzer) Division formed new Deutsches Afrika Korps (German
Africa Corps) commanded by Erwin Rommel, destined for Tripoli. On
February 14th of 1941, leading elements 5th Leichte (Panzer) Division
along with their commander Erwin Rommel landed in Tripoli and were
joined in early May by 15th Panzer Division. Germans found Italians to
be demoralized by the defeats inflicted upon them by British from May of
1940 during fighting in Cyrenaica (Operation Compass). The 8th Panzer
Regiment had 20 Panzerkampfwagen IV, 71 Panzerkampfwagen III and 55
Panzerkampfwagen I, Panzerkampfwagen II and command tanks.
On
June 15th of 1941, British under General Wavell launched Operation
Battleaxe and again fighting took place in Cyrenaica. At Halfaya Pass,
which has been converted to defensive strongpoint, Hauptmann Wilhelm
Bach and his group held his position, while Italian Division Trento held
area Sollum-Capuzzo-Bardia under the command of 15th Panzer Division.
Johannes Kümmel and 8th Panzer Regiment with some 80 tanks were in
reserve between Bardia and Capuzzo. British moved towards Capuzzo and
Sollum, while attacking Bardia with 50 tanks from 7th Armored Division.
The attack was temporarily halted by a single 88mm gun, which destroyed
three leading enemy tanks. The rest of British tanks halted their attack
to regroup and attack again under cover of smoke. This delay allowed
the 8th Panzer Regiment to reach the area of Capuzzo and attack the
enemy with the 1st Panzer Battalion including Kümmel's company with two
short-barrel Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks. They soon knocked-out one
British Matilda II and reinforced by company's Panzerkampfwagen III
tanks continued to fire at the enemy armor. Fierce tank battle resulted
and Johannes Kümmel found himself in the center of it all. During the
battle, panzer commanded by Oberleutnant Peters was hit and he called
Kümmel to ask for covering fire, while leaving their panzer. Johannes
Kümmel soon found himself firing at two enemy tanks, which kept firing
to finish off Peters' panzer. He soon knocked them out and regrouped his
company to attack British anti-tank positions. German panzer destroyed
the enemy positions and the battle soon involved the entire 8th Panzer
Regiment. Then, another group of 20 British Matilda IIs were spotted on
the flank and regiment's commander Hans Cramer ordered Johannes Kümmel
to attack the enemy and protect the flank. With half of his company
including two Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks, Kümmel soon knocked out eight
enemy tanks, putting an end to the British attack. British advance was
halted but both sides suffered heavy losses. Following the action, on
June 18th, Kümmel received his nickname: "Der Löwe von Capuzzo" (The
Lion of Capuzzo) and his tank was decorated with the "roaring lion" by
his fellow soldiers. On July 9th of 1941, Kümmel was awarded the
Knight's Cross following the recommendation by the commander of the 15th
Panzer Division Generalleutnant Neumann-Silkow himself for his heroic
action.
In May of 1942, Johannes Kümmel was given the command of
1st Panzer Battalion in time of the German offensive in Cyrenaica and
into Egypt - Operation Theseus, which was launched on May 26th of 1942.
On June 15th, Kümmel tanks reached the coast and by the evening took
Port Piastrino. On June 21st of 1942, Tobruk garrison surrenders to
Rommel's forces. Following the fall of Tobruk, three more offensive took
place, two launched by the British to drive the Axis out of Egypt and
Cyrenaica and one by the Germans to drive into Egypt. Before the last
British offensive, on October 11th of 1942, Kümmel was awarded the
Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross. In November of 1942, he was given the
command of Panzer Battalion and on December 1st, received a promotion to
the rank of Major. Following his promotion, Kümmel was transferred to
Southern Italy.
Back, in Europe, Kümmel was promoted to the rank
of Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) and was assigned at the
Headquarters of XIV Panzer Corps under General Hans Valentin Hube in
Southern Italy. In October of 1943, he received command of 26th Panzer
Regiment of the 26th Panzer Division, which fought at Salerno and
Cassino areas. On January 30th, Kümmel's regiment was part of the
attacking force, which was to destroy the enemy landing at Anzio-Nettuno
but failed. Second attack on the enemy forces was to take place on
February 27th of 1944, but Kümmel didn't take part in as the day earlier
he was killed in a road accident near Cisterna. On May 20th of 1944,
Johannes Kümmel was posthumously promoted to the rank of Oberst
(Colonel). In his memory, there was a plate erected in his hometown of
Boblingen on April 7th of 1943, honoring Johannes Kümmel as the holder
of Knight's Cross with Oakleaves.
Source :
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/gen13.htm
Mute edited footage originally shot by US Signal Corps cameramen showing men serving with Panzer-Brigade-Norwegen handing over their tanks and self-propelled guns to British army and Norwegian MILORG personnel in the Akershus district outside Oslo circa 10 June 1945 following the unconditional surrender of all German forces in Norway the previous month.
The location is Trandum, the site of a former Norwegian Army training camp. The British officer seen taking the surrender of the commanding officer of Panzer-Brigade-Norwegen (and his adjutant) has been identified as Lt-Colonel O J O'Connor.
The tanks seen in this film are late-mark Panzer III medium tanks armed with either short-barrelled 7.5cm L/24 cannon or the long-barrelled 5cm L/60 cannon and have been fitted with "Schuetzen" 8mm armour plates as protection for their turrets and also in several instances seen here to their hull sides against hollow-charge projectiles. By 1945, the Panzer III was regarded as obsolete by German panzer commanders but no doubt the German garrison in Norway, denied access to more powerful tanks by the Nazi high command on the grounds they were needed on war fronts where combat was taking place, found their presence in its order of battle reassuring.
Many Panzer IIIs and a smaller number of Sturmgeschutz III 7.5cm assault guns were re-acrivated for use by Norwegian armoured units in 1948 and they remained in service until their replacement by US M24 Chaffee light tanks in 1951.
The brigade commander, Oberst Georg Maetschke, can be seen at 1:57.
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%20Panzer%20Brigade%20Norwegen.jpg)
Western campaign, advance. tanks with mounted crew (wearing protective caps a.k.a. panzer beret) in the West (Belgium). The picture was taken in May 1940 by Kriegsberichter Wanderer of KBK Lw 4 (Kriegsberichter-Kompanie Luftwaffe 4).
Heroic battle for Kovel: German medium tanks entered a village held by the Bolsheviks and knocked out the Soviets. now the SS-Panzergrenadiers of the 5. SS-Panzer--Division "Wiking" push up to break the Bolshevik encirclement. The picture was taken in the early spring 1944.
Source :
https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/?q=panzer&mode=gallery&view=horizontal
This picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Seinig, and it shows German Panzer IIIs of 10. Panzer-Division in the Battle of the Kasserine Pass. The Battle of Kasserine Pass was a significant military engagement during World War II that took place in the Kasserine Pass, located in western Tunisia, in February 1943. The battle was fought between German and Italian forces under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and the Allied forces of the United States, led by General Lloyd Fredendall. The battle began on February 14, 1943, when the German forces launched a surprise attack on the US troops, catching them off guard and causing chaos and confusion. The inexperienced US soldiers were outmatched by the experienced German troops and suffered heavy casualties as they were pushed back. Over the next several days, the Germans continued their advance, and it seemed as though the Allies would be defeated. However, General George Patton was brought in to take command of the situation, and he immediately set about reorganizing the US forces and implementing new tactics. Under Patton's leadership, the US forces were able to turn the tide of the battle. They began to make progress against the German forces and were eventually able to push them back, securing a victory for the Allies. Although the Allied forces suffered significant losses during the battle, it was a turning point in the war and marked the first major defeat of the Germans in North Africa. The Battle of Kasserine Pass highlighted the importance of leadership, tactics, and experience in warfare, and it demonstrated the need for the Allies to improve their military capabilities in order to defeat the Axis powers..jpg)
"Kampfgruppe
von Strachwitz" - part of Heeresgruppe Nord - had different elements
through March and April 1944. At that time, Strachwitz was also "Höherer
Panzerführer bei der Heeresgruppe", and his task was keeping the few
Panzers and Panzergrenadier companies together in counterattacks. In
March 1944, Panzerverband Strachwitz was given to the 11.
Infanterie-Division. In April 1944, it was given to the 61.
Infanterie-Division and the 122. Infanterie-Division.
Panzergruppe Strachwitz contained ad-hoc units as follow:
V.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment "Großdeutschland" (Tigers)
Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle (5 Panzer IV)
Füsilier-Bataillon. 61
Füsilier-Bataillon 122
III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 410
Pionier-Bataillon 122
2.Kompanie / schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 502
1.Kompanie / Pionier-Bataillon 652
1.Kompanie / Pionier-Bataillon 676
From KTB (Kriegstagebuch) XXXXIII. Armeekorps:
19.03.1944
10:45 p.m : Oberst Graf Strachwitz will be assigned to Gen.Kdo.
[XXXXIII.A.K.] as adviser on tank and assault gun deployment for the
upcoming attack.
02.04.1944 12:00 p.m : As part of the preparations
for the attack, Gen.Kdo. [XXXXIII.A.K.] from III./Gren.Rgt.410,
Pi.Btl.122, 2./s.Pz.Abt.502, V./Grossdeutschland and parts of the
Pz.Gren.Div.Feldherrnhalle formed the "Panzerverband Oberst Graf
Strachwitz".
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Johann-Detloff "Hans" Eberhardt Magnus von Cossel
Date of birth : 1 July 1916 (Swakopmund, German South-Western Africa)
Date of death : 22 July 1943 (Kromy, Orel, Soviet Union)
Promotions:
00.00.1934 Fahnenjunker
00.00.1935 Fähnrich
00.00.1936 Oberfähnrich
01.04.1937 Leutnant
01.10.1939 Oberleutnant
01.03.1942 Hauptmann
01.05.1943 Major
Career:
06.04.1934 Completed basic training in Reiter-Regiment 6
00.00.193_ Transferred to Reiter-Regiment 7 (reorganized as Panzer Regiment 2 in 1935)
10.11.1938 Zugführer in 6.Kompanie / Panzer-Regiment 35
01.04.1939 Führer 6.Kompanie / Panzer-Regiment 35
00.09.1939 Seriously wounded during the campaign in Poland
00.07.1941 Chef 6.Kompanie / Panzer-Regiment 35
04.07.1941 Seriously wounded during the campaign in Russia and flown to Berlin hospital
23.07.1941 Returned to his unit
00.09.1941
Wounded during the Battle of Kiev. His wounds were so severe that he
was not able to return to his unit until spring of 1942
01.11.1942 Führer I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 35
01.01.1943 Kommandeur I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 35
21.07.1943 Kommandeur Kampfgruppe "Von Cossel"
22.07.1943 Fatally hit by bombs from Soviet bombers during counter attack
Awards and Decorations:
00.09.1939 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
22.09.1939 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
20.12.1939 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.19__ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse
00.00.194_ Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
19.08.1941 Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS #237
08.09.1941
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberleutnant and Führer 1.Kompanie
/ I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 35 / 4.Panzer-Division
00.12.1941 Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
05.05.1943 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
29.08.1943
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #285 (posthumously), as
Major and Kommandeur I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 35 /
4.Panzer-Division
Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/index.php?thread/41920-ritterkreuztr%C3%A4ger-cossel/
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjptPL13878AhWnSmwGHZrYBUQQFnoECCkQAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ritterkreuztraeger.info%2Frkel%2Fc%2FEL285Cossel.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1xKONdegz6SHERR4C-d-Zc
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/C/CosselJDv.htm
http://www.mediafire.com/?8v47wshl6aiki
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/3218/Cossel-von-Johann-Dettleff-Hans-Detloff.htm
http://voncossel.blogspot.com/
