Kurt Knispel
Encyclopedia
Kurt Knispel was a Sudeten German Heer
panzer loader, gunner and later commander, and was the highest scoring tank ace of World War II
with a total of 168 confirmed tank kills; the actual number, although unconfirmed, may be as high as 195. He is counted with Johannes Bölter
, Ernst Barkmann
, Otto Carius
and Michael Wittmann
as being one of, if not the, greatest tank aces of all time.
, a small settlement near the town of Zuckmantel
in Sudetenland
, Czechoslovakia
. He spent most of his childhood in nearby Niklasdorf
. After completing his apprenticeship in an automobile factory in 1940, Knispel applied to join the armoured branch of the German Army.
in Lower Silesia
. There he received basic infantry training before tank training on the Panzer I
, Panzer II
, and Panzer IV
. On 1 October 1940, he was transferred to the 3rd Company of the 29th Panzer Regiment, 12th Panzer Division. Knispel completed his training as a loader and gunner in a Panzer IV. Training lasted until 11 June 1941 and consisted of courses at Sagan and Putlos.
, where he participated in the initial assault as part of Panzergruppe 3, LVII Army Corps (later LVII Panzer Corps), commanded by General Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen
. Knispel saw action from Yarzevo to the gates of Stalingrad, in the north around the Leningrad-Tikhvin area and also in the Caucasus
under Eberhard von Mackensen
.
Knispel returned to Putlos at the end of January 1943 and became familiar with the new Tiger I
tanks. At this time, Knispel was credited with 12 kills.
From Putlos, a group of men was sent to the 500th Panzer Battalion at Paderborn
. This group, led by Oberfeldwebel Fedensack, was to become the 1st Company of the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion which fought at Kursk
as flank cover for the 7th Panzer Division (Armee Abteilung Kempf). Knispel saw further action during the relief attack on the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
, Vinnitsa, Jampol, and Kamenets-Podolsk. Transferred from the east, the company was re-equipped with Tiger II
s and fought around Caen
and in the retreat from Normandy
. From there, the unit was transferred back to the Eastern Front
and saw action around Mezőtúr
, Törökszentmiklós
, Cegléd
, Kecskemét
and the Gran bridgehead, Gyula
, Nitra
, Bab Castle (In one action, Knispel reported 24 enemy hits on his Tiger II), Laa
and finally Wostitz
, where he was killed in action. Ten days after his death, the war ended.
at 3000 metres (3,280.8 yd). He fought in virtually every type of German tank as loader, gunner and commander. He was awarded the Iron Cross
, First Class, after destroying his fiftieth enemy tank and the Tank Assault Badge
in Gold after more than 100 tank battles. When Knispel had destroyed 126 enemy tanks (with another 20 unconfirmed kills), he was awarded the German Cross
in Gold. He became the only non-commissioned officer of the German tank arm to be named in a Wehrmacht communique
. As commander of a Tiger I and then a Tiger II, Knispel destroyed another 42 enemy tanks.
Though he was recommended for it four times, Knispel never received the coveted Knight's Cross, a standard award for most other World War II German tank aces. Unlike some other commanders, Knispel was not consumed by the pursuit of decorations and did not suffer from a "sore throat", Heer slang for those who lusted after the Knight's Cross. When there were conflicting claims for a destroyed enemy tank, Knispel always stepped back, always willing to credit success to someone else.
Knispel's slow promotion is attributed to several conflicts with higher nazi authorities (for instance, he assaulted an Einsatzgruppen
officer whom he saw mistreating Soviet POWs) and general lack of military bearing, sporting a goatee and hair longer than regulations. Only his impressive track-record saved him from ending up in a military prison.
Heer (1935-1945)
The Heer was the Army land forces component of the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945, the latter also included the Navy and the Air Force...
panzer loader, gunner and later commander, and was the highest scoring tank ace of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with a total of 168 confirmed tank kills; the actual number, although unconfirmed, may be as high as 195. He is counted with Johannes Bölter
Johannes Bölter
Hauptmann Johannes Bölter was a German Heer tank commander during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, Ernst Barkmann
Ernst Barkmann
Ernst Barkmann was a German Waffen-SS soldier and panzer ace. Barkmann fought and rose to fame during World War II for his actions in command of Panther tanks.-Early life:...
, Otto Carius
Otto Carius
Lieutenant Otto Carius was a German Heer tank commander during World War II and is credited with destroying more than 150 tanks. He is also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
and Michael Wittmann
Michael Wittmann
Michael Wittmann was a German Waffen-SS tank commander during the Second World War. Wittmann would rise to the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer and was a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross holder....
as being one of, if not the, greatest tank aces of all time.
Childhood
Knispel was born in Salisfeld (Salisov)Zlaté Hory
Zlaté Hory is a town in the Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic, on the border with Poland. It has a population of 4,447 . The town was founded in 1224.Administrative parts: Rejvíz, Horní a Dolní Údolí and Ondřejovice...
, a small settlement near the town of Zuckmantel
Zlaté Hory
Zlaté Hory is a town in the Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic, on the border with Poland. It has a population of 4,447 . The town was founded in 1224.Administrative parts: Rejvíz, Horní a Dolní Údolí and Ondřejovice...
in Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. He spent most of his childhood in nearby Niklasdorf
Mikulovice (Jeseník District)
Mikulovice is a village and municipality in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 2,813 ....
. After completing his apprenticeship in an automobile factory in 1940, Knispel applied to join the armoured branch of the German Army.
Training
For his basic training, Knispel went to the Panzer Replacement Training Battalion at SaganZagan
Zagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland...
in Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
. There he received basic infantry training before tank training on the Panzer I
Panzer I
The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German ' , abbreviated . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 101 .Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production in 1934...
, Panzer II
Panzer II
The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II...
, and Panzer IV
Panzer IV
The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
. On 1 October 1940, he was transferred to the 3rd Company of the 29th Panzer Regiment, 12th Panzer Division. Knispel completed his training as a loader and gunner in a Panzer IV. Training lasted until 11 June 1941 and consisted of courses at Sagan and Putlos.
World War II
Knispel was the gunner of a Panzer IV under Lt. Hellman at the time of Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, where he participated in the initial assault as part of Panzergruppe 3, LVII Army Corps (later LVII Panzer Corps), commanded by General Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen
Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen
General Adolf-Fiedrich Kuntzen was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II who served as the Commanding General of the LXXXI Army-Corps under Erwin Rommel in Normandy in 1944....
. Knispel saw action from Yarzevo to the gates of Stalingrad, in the north around the Leningrad-Tikhvin area and also in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
under Eberhard von Mackensen
Eberhard von Mackensen
Friedrich August Eberhard von Mackensen was a German general who served in World War II, and one of 882 German recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
.
Knispel returned to Putlos at the end of January 1943 and became familiar with the new Tiger I
Tiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
tanks. At this time, Knispel was credited with 12 kills.
From Putlos, a group of men was sent to the 500th Panzer Battalion at Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
. This group, led by Oberfeldwebel Fedensack, was to become the 1st Company of the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion which fought at Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
as flank cover for the 7th Panzer Division (Armee Abteilung Kempf). Knispel saw further action during the relief attack on the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
The Korsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive led to the Battle of the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket which took place from 24 January to 16 February 1944. The offensive was part of the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive...
, Vinnitsa, Jampol, and Kamenets-Podolsk. Transferred from the east, the company was re-equipped with Tiger II
Tiger II
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B,Panzerkampfwagen – abbr: Pz. or Pz.Kfw. Ausführung – abbr: Ausf. .The full titles Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf...
s and fought around Caen
Battle for Caen
The Battle for Caen from June-August 1944 was a battle between Allied and German forces during the Battle of Normandy....
and in the retreat from Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. From there, the unit was transferred back to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
and saw action around Mezőtúr
Mezotúr
Mezőtúr is a town of Hungary, in the county of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, 88 m. southeast of Budapest by rail. It possesses important potteries. Large herds of cattle are reared on the communal lands, which are productive also of wheat, rapeseed and maize...
, Törökszentmiklós
Törökszentmiklós
Törökszentmiklós is a town in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary. It is the third largest settlement in the county.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 23,145 people ....
, Cegléd
Cegléd
Cegléd is a city in Pest county, Hungary, approximately southeast of the Hungarian capital, Budapest.-Name:There are discussions going on about the origin of the name of the town...
, Kecskemét
Kecskemét
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them and almost equal distance from the two...
and the Gran bridgehead, Gyula
Gyula, Hungary
Gyula is a city in Békés county in south-eastern Hungary. It lies close to the border with Romania, on the river Fehér-Körös.-History:The first recorded reference to Gyula was in a document dated 1313 which mentions a monastery called Gyulamonostor . By 1332 the settlement around the monastery was...
, Nitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
, Bab Castle (In one action, Knispel reported 24 enemy hits on his Tiger II), Laa
Laa an der Thaya
Laa an der Thaya is a town in Lower Austria, Austria near the Czech border. The population in 2001 was 6137.In June 2005, about 250 townspeople and 80 visitors from the US, Israel and Europe with historical family links to former Jewish citizens of Laa an der Thaya assembledwith Mayor Fass to...
and finally Wostitz
Vlasatice
Vlasatice, formerly known as Wostitz, is a village and municipality in the Brno-Country District of the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic....
, where he was killed in action. Ten days after his death, the war ended.
Legacy
With 168 confirmed (possibly as high as 195) kills, Knispel was by far the most successful tanker of the Second World War and is even credited with knocking out a T-34T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
at 3000 metres (3,280.8 yd). He fought in virtually every type of German tank as loader, gunner and commander. He was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, First Class, after destroying his fiftieth enemy tank and the Tank Assault Badge
Panzer Badge
The Panzer Badge was a German medal awarded to armour troops during World War II. It was introduced during World War II in December 1939 .- History :The Tank Combat Badge, or Panzer Badge, first existed in the German Army during World War I, and was later...
in Gold after more than 100 tank battles. When Knispel had destroyed 126 enemy tanks (with another 20 unconfirmed kills), he was awarded the German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold. He became the only non-commissioned officer of the German tank arm to be named in a Wehrmacht communique
Wehrmachtbericht
The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
. As commander of a Tiger I and then a Tiger II, Knispel destroyed another 42 enemy tanks.
Though he was recommended for it four times, Knispel never received the coveted Knight's Cross, a standard award for most other World War II German tank aces. Unlike some other commanders, Knispel was not consumed by the pursuit of decorations and did not suffer from a "sore throat", Heer slang for those who lusted after the Knight's Cross. When there were conflicting claims for a destroyed enemy tank, Knispel always stepped back, always willing to credit success to someone else.
Knispel's slow promotion is attributed to several conflicts with higher nazi authorities (for instance, he assaulted an Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
officer whom he saw mistreating Soviet POWs) and general lack of military bearing, sporting a goatee and hair longer than regulations. Only his impressive track-record saved him from ending up in a military prison.
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
1st and 2nd Class - Tank Destruction BadgeTank Destruction BadgeThe Tank Destruction Badge was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by an hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award...
in Gold - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (20 May 1944) - Mentioned in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 25 April 1944
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 25 April 1944 | Der Unteroffizier Knispel in einer schweren Panzerabteilung im Osten schoß in der Zeit von Juli 1942 und März 1944 101 Panzer ab. | The non-commissioned officer Knispel in a heavy tank detachment in the east destroyed 101 tanks in the timeframe from July 1942 and March 1944. |