Traugott Kempas

Traugott Kempas
File:Traugott.jpg
Born	(1919-08-27)27 August 1919 Trappönen (now Nemanskoe), district of Tilsit-Ragnit, East Prussia
Died	13 March 1945(1945-03-13) (aged 25) near Rosenwalde, East Prussia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1938–45
Rank	Major
Commands held	I. / Grenadier-Regiment 176
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Battle of Narva (1944) East Prussian Offensive Heiligenbeil Pocket †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Traugott Kempas (27 August 1919 – 13 March 1945) was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. 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. He was also awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold one of only 631 awards. He was killed in action on 13 March 1945 in the Heiligenbeil Pocket near Rosenwalde.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (8 July 1941)
  • 1st Class (29 August 1941)
• Wound Badge
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze (1 June 1943)
  • in Silver (Winter 1944)
  • in Gold (8 March 1945)
• Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (25 February 1945)
• German Cross in Gold on 24 April 1944 as Hauptmann in Grenadier-Regiment 176
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 9 December 1944 as Hauptmann and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 176
  • 757th Oak Leaves on 28 February 1945 as Hauptmann and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 176

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• 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. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht