Kurt Arendt

Kurt Dietrich Paul Arendt (8 October 1917 in Danzig – KIA 9 January 1945 near Bitsch) was a German Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II.

Career

Arendt was born on the 8 October 1917 in Gdansk learned from 1924 to 1926 at the primary school in Danzig-Langfuhr, came up to the 06.03.1936 at the Kronprinz-Wilhelm-gymnasium, where he obtained his school leaving certificate. The 01.10.1936 shooter, he joined the tank defense battalion 21 message train and promoted to the 01.06.1937 to the Cadet corporal. Commanded by the 20.07.1937 up to the 14.08.1937 to the non-commissioned officer candidate course to the tank defense battalion 1 after Goldap, comes Arendt of the 18.10.1937 up to the 02.07.1938 as a Sergeant at the war school in Munich, and then receives a commanding to a weapons training course at the armored troops school from the 04.07.1938 up to the 10.08.1938. Under simultaneous promotion to Lieutenant, Arendt is allocated company of anti-tank Defense Department 21 to the 31.08.1938 of the second, where he takes over the post of the leader of a train. Commander of the 2nd company at that time was Captain Toschonowitz. On the 01.09.1939 to the aide of tank defense battalion 161 appointed at the beginning of the campaign against Poland, which participates in the battles in Poland and later in France. Transported to the 19.07.1940 to first lieutenant, Arendt takes a train I to the 18.09.1940 Department in the Panzer-Lehr Regiment at Panzer troop school Wünsdorf. He has approached this position on the 26.09.1940. In advance of the campaign against the Soviet Union, takes over the post of a train guide in the 7 company of the Panzer Regiment 39 on the 25.05.1941 Arendt and takes part in the following battles in the East. There will receive the transfer then on the 12.08.1941 as a commander of the i. Division of Panzer Lehr Regiment and was appointed to the 16.02.1942 to the company commander at the Army Sergeant School of tank forces (tank gunner) in Eisenach, where he is promoted to the 12.03.1943 to the rank of captain. As such, he participates from the 13.09.1943 up to the 09.10.1943 in a departmental guide course in Division leader School of the Panzer troops in Paris and is transferred to the 28.04.1944 to the Panzer-Abteilung 190 to Italy, where he is transferred to the 15.08.1944 to the Panzer Brigade 107 to be used there as a Panther company commander of the Panzer-Abteilung 2107-Panther. On the 07.11.1944 as Commander of the Panzer-Abteilung 5, the 25th Panzer grenadier Division, appointed Arendt is used on the Western front. Used in the Association of the armored battle group of the Colonel-Lieutenant Huss was the Panzer-Abteilung 5 under Arendt at the 09.01.1945 in the attack took part. Against 11:00 you took from the edge of the forest on the South-Eastern part of the city, but came into heavy defensive fire, whereupon the Commander turned to the battle group North and overran the enemy in the north-eastern part of Hattens. In these battles, Arendt distinguished himself particularly, fell but still on the same day at Bitsch in the district Saargemünd/France. After the proposal to the Knight's cross was at the 16.02.1945 in the army personnel office, Kurt Arendt posthumously received the Knight's cross on the 24.02.1945. A supposed posthumous promotion to major can so far not be demonstrated

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (2 December 1939)
  • 1st Class (1 August 1941)
• Panzer Badge in Silber (18 August 1941)
• War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1944)
• Eastern Front Medal
• General Assault Badge
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 February 1945 (posthumously) as Hauptmann and commander of Panzer-Abteilung 5