Ortwin Kuske
Encyclopedia
Ortwin Kuske was a Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during World War II
. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
during World War II
.
Ortwin Kuske was born in Militsch in Schlesien.
During World War II he volunteered for the Waffen SS. He was awarded the Knight's Cross while a Untersturmführer
(Second Lieutenant), in command of the 3rd Company, 17th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion together with an attached Heer
unit. It stopped a US armoured advance dead in its tracks whilst 17th SS GvB was involved in defending Metz
.
Metz subsequently fell to the US forces on 22 November 1944 and Kuske was awarded his Knights Cross for "Outstanding bravery and leadership". Testimony to the savagery of this particular event was that 8O% of Kuske's battlegroup was killed or wounded.
Kuske survived the war and died of cancer
on 19 February 1972 in Westerholt
.
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during 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...
. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during 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...
.
Ortwin Kuske was born in Militsch in Schlesien.
During World War II he volunteered for the Waffen SS. He was awarded the Knight's Cross while a Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
(Second Lieutenant), in command of the 3rd Company, 17th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion together with an attached Heer
Heer
Heer is German for "army". Generally, its use as "army" is not restricted to any particular country, so "das britische Heer" would mean "the British army".However, more specifically it can refer to:*An army of Germany:...
unit. It stopped a US armoured advance dead in its tracks whilst 17th SS GvB was involved in defending Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
.
Metz subsequently fell to the US forces on 22 November 1944 and Kuske was awarded his Knights Cross for "Outstanding bravery and leadership". Testimony to the savagery of this particular event was that 8O% of Kuske's battlegroup was killed or wounded.
Kuske survived the war and died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 19 February 1972 in Westerholt
Westerholt
Westerholt is a municipality in the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
.