Kurt Gröschke

Kurt Gröschke
Kurt Gröschke
Born	(1907-07-17)17 July 1907 Berlin-Charlottenburg
Died	26 March 1996(1996-03-26) (aged 88) Odenthal
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1937–1945
Rank	Major of the Reserves
Commands held	II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Kurt Gröschke (17 July 1907 – 26 March 1996), was a German Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (20 October 1939)
  • 1st Class (22 May 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 21 June 1943 as Major in the II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 9 June 1944 as Major and commander of the II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1
  • 693rd Oak Leaves on 9 January 1945 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 29 July 1944

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
29 July 1944 (Addendum)	In den schwere Kämpfen im Raum St. Lo – Lassay haben sich in den letzten Wochen in Abwehr und Gegenangriff besonders ausgezeichnet: Die 17. SS-Panzergrandier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" unter Führung ihres schwer verwundeten Kommandeurs Brigadeführer Ostendorff und seines Vertreters Standartenführer Baum, die 353. Infanterie-Division unter Führung ihres Divisionskommandeurs Generalleutnant Mahlmann, das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 unter seinem Kommandeur Major Heinz Becker, das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 9 unter seinem Kommandeur Major Kurt Stephani und das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15 unter seinem Kommandeur Oberstleutnant Gröschke.	In the heavy fighting of the recent weeks in the St. Lo - Lassay area have particularly distinguished themselves in defense and counter-attacks: The 17th SS-Panzer- Grandier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" led by their severely wounded commander Brigadeführer Ostendorff and his representative Standartenführer Baum, the 353rd Infantry Division, led by their divisional commander Lieutenant General Mahlmann, the Parachute Regiment 5 under his commander Major Heinz Becker, the Parachute Regiment 9 under his commander Major Kurt Stephani and the Parachute Regiment 15 under its commander Lieutenant Colonel Gröschke.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Kurowski, Franz. Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger. Schiffer Military. ISBN 0-88740-749-8.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

Military offices
Preceded by Generalmajor Sebastian-Ludwig Heilmann	Commander of 5th Fallschirmjäger-Division 12 March 1945 – April 1945	Succeeded by disbanded