"Before dawn on the 06.04.1941 Generalmajor Schörner (commander of the 6. Gebirgs-Division) and his troops succeeding in overrunning the enemy
outposts on the snow covered Belaaica mountain through a surprise
thrust. There two enemy bunker lines of the Metaxas Line were
penetrated, and before long the whole division was in position in the
valley before the enemy line at the Krusa mountain.
Later on the 08.04.1941, and on his own initiative, Schörner launched a
surprise attack against the Allied forces on the northern part of the
Krusa mountain. He and his men successfully ejected the defenders from
this area and advanced towards Salonika. In conjunction with the
advancing 2. Panzer-Division, these actions contributed significantly to
the fall of Greece/Macedonia." from his Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross citation, awarded on 20 April 1941.
"Schörner has been in command of the Nikopol bridgehead since the
25.11.1943. The Wehrmachtbericht of 18.02.1944 goes into further detail
as to the achievements of Schörner and his men in this area in their
battles against a relentless enemy. Great difficulties were encountered
during the evacuation of the bridgehead (which began on 04.02.1944) due
to the extremely bad roads and terrain. Through the leadership and
skillful handling of the commanding general (who could always be found
at the hot spots of the front), as well as the bravery and dedication of
his men, it was possible to carry out the planned withdrawal movements
successfully." from his Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves citation, awarded on 17 February 1944.
"Generaloberst Ferdinand Schörner is the commander-in-chief of our troops
fighting in the Courland region, against whom the surge of enemy forces
from the east has failed to overcome for many weeks. Despite already
having been cut off once completely, our troops in Courland have defied
all the odds as the cornerstone of the Eastern front. They embodied the
spirit of their commander-in-chief, and his skillful leadership has
guided them to a victorious outcome over the course of incessant battle
against the hordes of enemies." from his Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords citation, awarded on 28 August 1944.
"Awarded for his leadership during the battles of Army Group North in
late 1944. On 14.09.1944 the Soviets launched a major assault on the
German forces still fighting in Estonia and NE Latvia. Under Schörner’s
leadership these soldiers were able to withdraw from these territories
without significant loss. Schörner also commanded Army Group North
during the first three battles of Courland, throughout which the Soviets
were only able to make minor gains against the German positions (and
then only after heavy losses). Schörner’s iron resolve and frontline
presence no doubt played a role in ensuring the Soviet defeat here, and
for overseeing one of the last German triumphs of the war he would
receive the Diamonds to his Knight’s Cross." from his Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds citation, awarded on 1 January 1945.
Another deadly enemy elite,
Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment