"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the
enemy, on February 1, 1944, near Cisterna di Littoria,
Italy. When a heavy German counterattack was launched against his
battalion, Pfc. Knappenberger crawled to an exposed knoll and went into
position with his automatic rifle. An enemy machine gun 85 yards away
opened fire, and bullets struck within 6 inches of him. Rising to a
kneeling position, Pfc. Knappenberger opened fire on the hostile crew,
knocked out the gun, killed 2 members of the crew, and wounded the
third. While he fired at this hostile position, 2 Germans crawled to a
point within 20 yards of the knoll and threw potato-masher grenades
at him, but Pfc. Knappenberger killed them both with 1 burst from his
automatic rifle. Later, a second machine gun opened fire upon his exposed
position from a distance of 100 yards, and this weapon also was
silenced by his well-aimed shots. Shortly thereafter, an enemy 20mm
antiaircraft gun directed fire at him, and again Pfc. Knappenberger
returned fire to wound 1 member of the hostile crew. Under tank and
artillery shellfire, with shells bursting within 15 yards of him, he
held his precarious position and fired at all enemy infantrymen armed
with machine pistols
and machine-guns which he could locate. When his ammunition supply
became exhausted, he crawled 15 yards forward through steady machine gun
fire, removed rifle clips from the belt of a casualty, returned to his
position and resumed firing to repel an assaulting German platoon armed
with automatic weapons. Finally, his ammunition supply being completely
exhausted, he rejoined his company. Pfc. Knappenberger's intrepid action
disrupted the enemy attack for over 2 hours."
From PFC Knappenberger's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on May 26, 1944.
May you be at peace,
Brian
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