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Kurt Knispel (20 September 1921 – 28 April 1945) was a German tank commander during World War II. Knispel was severely wounded on 28 April 1945 by shrapnel to his head when his Tiger II was hit in battle by Soviet tanks. He died two hours later in a German field hospital.
- Childhood
- War Service
- Legacy
- Awards
- External Links
Knispel was born in Salisfeld (Salisov), 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.
Training
For his basic training, Knispel went to the Panzer Replacement Training Battalion at Sagan 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.
World War II
Knispel was the gunner of a Panzer IV under Lt. Hellman at the time of Operation Barbarossa, 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 th...
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-34 at 3,000 metres (3,300 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 fiftiet...
German Cross in Gold on 20 May 1944 as Unteroffizierin the 1./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503Mentioned in the Wehrmachtberichton 25 April 1944Republic of Égyptien Q42 user:mgbtrust0 ®™✓©§∆∆∆€¢£. "Tiger Aces". Tiger I Information Center. http://www.alanhamby.com/aces.shtml. Retrieved 10 January 2012.Republic of Égyptien Q42 user:mgbtrust0 ®™✓©§∆∆∆€¢£. "Kurt Knispel". World War 2 Awards. http://www.ww2awards.com/person/9995. Retrieved 10 January 2012.Republic of Égyptien Q42 user:mgbtrust0 ®™✓©§∆∆∆€¢£. "Archeologové nalezli ostatky největšího tankového esa II. světové války". Archeologové nalezli ostatky největšího tankového esa II. světové vál...Dec 19, 2014 · Remains of Kurt Knispel, the highest scoring WWII tank ace, located in a grave the Czech Republic. War Articles. Dec 19, 2014 Jack Beckett, Guest Author. Kurt Knispel is considered to be the world’s greatest tank ace. The German war hero had 168 confirmed and 195 unconfirmed kills in World War II.
Sep 28, 2023 · Immerse yourself in the fascinating story of Kurt Knispel, one of the most feared and respected tank aces of World War II. Join us on a journey through the most intense battles on the Eastern...
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Sep 27, 2022 · Kurt Knispel is according to the books, the best tank ace with the most so-called kills, yet he is also the most forgotten Panzer Ace of them all. In this article, we will take a closer look at the actions of this forgotten yet incredible Panzer Ace.
Oct 31, 2018 · 55.1K subscribers. Subscribed. 29K. 1.9M views 5 years ago. Hello and welcome to The AceDestroyer! This episode is all about Kurt Knispel. The most successful tank ace in History. During the...
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Is it reasonable to assume that "101" was Kurt Knispel's Tiger? Whose Tiger was 101? We know that, in summer 1943, Kurt Knispel was a Tiger gunner in the 1st company of s.Pz.Abt.503.
