German Soldiers

A battalion commander with 78 days of close combat!

Recipient of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold and the Knight's Cross...
Major Georg Wenzelburger (* 22 December 1910 in Uhingen; † 18 January 2000 in Grafenberg) from the Grenadier Regiment 1098 of the 549th People's Grenadier Division.

Georg Wenzelburger joined the 13th Infantry Regiment of the Reichswehr in Ulm as a volunteer in 1930. By 1939 he had risen to the rank of sergeant. In 1940 he was deployed as a platoon leader in the 5th Infantry Division in the Western campaign. He was promoted to sergeant due to his achievements. In 1941 he had to complete a total of eight days of close combat. At the beginning of 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant in the reserve. He was appointed company commander in northern Russia and led the company in the battles for Kholm and in the relief of the Demyansk pocket. At Savkino he succeeded in destroying a surrounded Russian battalion. This was his 16th day of close combat. In 1942 he had a total of 7 days of close combat. In the spring of 1943, the now reserve first lieutenant was appointed deputy leader of the 2nd Battalion. He led the battalion during the Ladoga battles. In March 1943 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. In August 1943 he was temporarily deployed as a combat group leader in the 38th Jäger Regiment in the 8th Jäger Division on Lake Ilmen. In 1943 he had 12 days of close combat. In the spring of 1944 he returned to his old company. When his soldiers successfully formed a bridgehead at Gluchy during the relief attack for the Kovel pocket, the company commander received two awards: the clasp of honor and the certificate of recognition from the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. In 1944 he was promoted to captain of the reserve. In August 1944 he was commander of the 2nd Battalion in the 1093rd Grenadier Regiment of the 547th People's Grenadier Division. He was deployed in East Prussia under the regimental commander Lieutenant Colonel Emil Rentschler. On October 18, 1944, he was seriously wounded for the first time. His battalion had to endure heavy fighting in the battles on the Schönheide, in Zellmühle, Wartenstein and Warnen. In November 1944 he completed his 50th day of close combat. After he had held a position at Wirballen, without any further support from his regiment against superior numbers, when the battalion was already partially cut off, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on December 26, 1944. Particularly hard and costly trench warfare around Kilgis, Kreuzburg and Zinten followed in early 1945. When he received the gold close combat clasp, he had already completed 70 days of close combat. In the spring of 1945, he was promoted to major in the reserves. On March 26, 1945, the 78th day of close combat was entered in his pay book. That was the second highest number in the entire Wehrmacht. In April 1945, after a necessary follow-up operation, he was taken prisoner by the US in a military hospital. He was released again in July 1945.
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