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~SOLD~KONOPKA Gerhard
KONOPKA, Gerhard
* 27.03.1911 Tischtiegel
+ 29.01.1997 Darmstadt
Awarded Knights Cross: 29.08.1943 as: Oberleutnant der Reserve Führer II./GrenRgt (mot.) "Großdeutschland"
Konopka was the first soldier to be awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Gold
This is an excellent book: The Face of Courage: The 98 Men Who Received the Knight's Cross and the Close-Combat Clasp in Gold
Born on March 27, 1911, in the small Brandenburg town of Tirschiefel, Gerhard Konopka entered the Reichsarbeitsdienst at the age of 23. Here the diligent and purposeful young man rose to the rank of officer (officer's rank), and in 1940, 29 years old, was called to serve as an officer candidate for the army.
After training in the traditional infantry regiment 8 as lieutenant of the platoon leader, Konopka participated in the successful Blitzkriege against Poland, Belgium and France. For the leadership of his men with the Iron Cross 2nd class, he experienced in 1941 the conversion of his 3rd infantry to the motorized infantry division.
From the summer of 1941 onwards, Lieutenant Konopka led the guardsmen of his train in skirmishes near Luga, Demyansk, Dlubaburg, and Smolensk, before he had been slaughtered by Roslavl and soon before Moscow. After a setback, a survived wound, and a renewed probation in the Rshew bow, the bravery and leadership of the young officer was rewarded by the transfer to an elite unit. In the spring of 1942, Lieutenant Konopka took command of the staff pioneer train of the infantry regiment "Großdeutschland".
During the week-long battles in the Rshew-Brückkopf west of Moscow twice personally successful with Tellerminen and hand grenades against tanks, Konopka led his pioneers in succession also in the offensive against Voronezh with bravery and overview. Twice he had already been wounded.
When the regiment was assigned as a baton of the army group with the formation of a bridgehead over the Don, the "GD" pioneers once again took their place in the front line. Equipped with storm bombs and covered by artillery and gunmen, the "train Konopka" at Radsorskaya set over the Don and formed a country head in the hostile fire. Opposing a counter-attack of the enemy, advancing grenadiers and tank-hunters could eventually consolidate the position. In December 1942, he was awarded the gold medal for the German Cross in September 1942, and Gerhard Konopka experienced the severe winter battles at Voronezh and north-west of the Stalingrad boiler as head of the 5th Company, before he had a deserved rest after his fourth injury ,
Because of his already four Panzermannichtungs badge (01.09.42, 22.09.42, 23.09.42, 12.10.42) as well as the great experience in the leadership of shocking and melee groups used as a lecturer for armored non-combat courses at infantry schools or at front-end courses, the frontveteran returned in the Summer 1943 back to Russia. While still in charge of the 2nd battalion of his regiment, Konopka experienced the fierce battles of Orel, in the course of which he was able to take the so-called "Yellow Heights" at Alissova at the head of his companies, and in doing so, strong trenches and bunks of the Soviets Out of action. When, the next day, the new HKL of the opponent could be squeezed in the melee, the unfortunately badly wounded battalion leader was sent to the knights' cross and received a prize at the hospital. By the end of the war, a total of 56 soldiers from the elite division received the Knights Cross.
Something in the background was the fact that Lieutenant-General Konopka had only a short time before he became the first soldier of the army to reach the melee range in gold and was awarded 25 June 1943. Since the public was quite uninformed about this new mark of honor, and the prosecutors had little regard for it, it was only in 2003, through the preserved military pass, that he had already reached 50 close combat days ,
Having already been wounded for the seventh time, a Konopka, who had been transported to the main man (01.11.43), returned to his battalion to be immediately wounded again in the autumn of 1943. This time, however, the splinter injuries in both thighs were so serious that the brave soldier could not be written back in front after this ninth wound.
Deeply disappointed, the experienced officer found a new task at an infantry school. In the meantime, his golden melee was the guarantor of the highest attention during his lectures on striking and tanking tactics.
If the insufficient means of the first years of war (hand grenades, mines, fire bottles) had high casualties and led to the widespread "Panzerschreck" under the infantry, the troops in 1943/44 could finally build on more suitable weapons. Armored rifles with armor-piercing ammunition, flame-throwers, magnetic mines, and, of course, the effective armor-fists also made a single-fighter with the corresponding courage a T-34 dangerous. With the badge badge badge already 1942 a special award for this daring was donated. Approximately 14,000 of these badges were awarded until the end of the war.
Gerhard Konopka managed to do this only before March 1945 and received the order as the Major dR (01.04.44), the Grenadierregiment 1 of the hastily set up so-called Reichsarbeits infantry division "Friedrich-Ludwig Jahn" to take over. This federation, which scarcely existed over brigade strength, consisted of the remains of the former 251st Infantry Division, as well as popular storm units, and was hardly suitable for use against experienced Russian troops. In an OKW report there was talk of "very poor training of the troops, almost no news units, little available transport trucks as well as gaps in some basic equipment". Even with the fighting morals it was bad.
At the head of his unit, Konopka fought with the courage of despair before Berlin, and with attempts at relief for the Kessel of Halbe, before he could guide his regiment through the Elbe and the American lines reached. His last commander Franz Weller was later to be the first chief of the new infantry school of the Bundeswehr. Until his retirement, Konopka worked as a self-employed merchant, and later he was present in a large apprenticeship. He passed away on 29 January 1997 in Darmstadt, Germany.
Source: "Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold" by Florian Berger, ritterkreuz.at
Signed postwar photo measuring 3 ½” x 5”
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