Kurt Knispel (20 September 1921 – 28 April 1945) was a Sudeten German tank loader, gunner and later commander, who became the highest scoring tank killer of World War II, with 168 enemy tanks destroyed. Knispel has been relatively unknown for decades because as a non-commissioned officer, he had a lower rank and fewer decorations than most of the tank commanders. Knispel was known for loathing the discipline of military life, not being a member of the NSDAP or moved for decorations. His promotions in the Wehrmacht may have been also frozen after he assaulted an officer who was being specially harsh to soviet prisoners.
September 20, 1921 - Salisfeld (Salisov), czechoslovakia - Kurt Knispel is born
May 15, 1940 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Knispel starts basic training
September 30, 1940 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Knispel finishes basic training
October 1, 1940 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - transfer - 3 ableitung - 29 PZ Rg - 12 Pz Division =(START)
March 12, 1941 - Camp Warthe, near Posen (Poznan) - Training continues at Camp Warthe
March 26, 1941 - Meseritz (Miedzyrzecz) - NE Frankfurt an der Oder - Training continues at Meseritz
May 1(?), 1941 - Warthe District - The division passes through Arys, Rastenburg and Angerburg
June 11, 1941 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Tank and gunning Training complete
June 12, 1941 - Rastenburg - East Prussia - The 12th Panzer Division moves to Rastenburg
June 20, 1941 - East Prussia - The division moves to the border, arriving on June 22nd
June 26, 1941 - Minsk - The 12th Panzer Division enters in Minsk from the north
June 28, 1941 - After advancing to southwest, the division joins Panzergruppe 2
June 30(?), 1941 - North of Minsk - Knispel's unit gets some days to rest
July 7, 1941 - North of Minsk - Back in combat. Knispel's tank is hit twice
July 20, 1941 - between Mogilev and Smolensk - Knispel's unit breaks through between Mogilev and Smolensk and helps surrounding the russians
July 21, 1941 - Babruysk (SE Minsk) - The soviet army attacks the division in Babruysk
August 20, 1941 - Narva - moves out - Northern Sector of the Eastern Front - 12 Pz Div
August 25, 1941 - Highway S of Leningrad - First combats on the Northern sector
August 28(?), 1941 - Mga - Orders to suspend the approach to Leningrad - Attack to Schlisselburg
August 29(?), 1941 - Mga - Knispel's unit is surrounded at Mga
September 5(?), 1941 - West of Schlisselburg - Knispel destroys 4 tanks on the first attack to Schlisselburg
September 8, 1941 - Schlisselburg - Schlisselburg is captured
November 1(?), 1941 - West of Tikhvin - The first combats for Tikhvin start
November 8, 1941 - Tikhvin - Tikhvin is captured, to cut russian supply lines
November 29, 1941 - Tikhvin - Kurt Knispel is awarded the Panzer Assault Badge
December 1, 1941 - Tikhvin - East of Leningrad - Soviet Attack
December 16, 1941 - Tikhvin - Knispel is awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, after a decisive combat
December 19, 1941 - Tikhvin - Soviet attack to take Tikhvin, mostly IL-2 - Germans begin retreating across the Volkhov
December 23, 1941 - On the way to Estonia - As Knispel's unit retreats, it is attacked during all the way, under -38ºC
December 27, 1941 - Narva - Knispel reaches Estonia
January 3, 1942 - Narva - Knispel departs for offensive operations
January 4, 1942 - Kingisepp - Moves out
January 13, 1942 - Volkhov River | Tikhvin - Moves to Front
March 1(?), 1942 - Narva - Back at Narva - Signs of Spring - the unit is reequiped with Pz IV, armed with 75mm cannons
April 17, 1942 - Volkhov River | Tikhvin - Combats in the forest, with many russian snipers - Knispel commands a tank temporarily
May 17, 1942 - Knispel departs for Narva to take a train back to Germany
May 18, 1942 - Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina) - On his way to Germany
May 20(?), 1942 - Narva - Knispel arrives at Narva and takes the train to Germany
May 22(?), 1942 - Elbing | Elblag - On his way to Germany
May 23(?), 1942 - Frankfurt | Oder - On his way to Germany
May 24(?), 1942 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Arrival to destination - Knispel's leave (it would last a week)
June 5(?), 1942 - Burg, Magdeburg - Transfered to the III.Ableitung - 4th Panzer Regiment - 13th Panzer Division
July 11, 1942 - Dresden - The Battalion (Ableitung) takes the train to the Front, via Dresden
July 12, 1942 - Katowice - Arrival in Katowice, via Breslau
July 13, 1942 - Kraków - Delay during the passage through Kraków
July 15(?), 1942 - Lviv(?) - Travelling to Stalino (Donetsk, Ukraine)
August 4, 1942 - Stalino (Donetsk) - The train of the III Company arrives in Stalino
August 5(?), 1942 - Rostov-na-Donu - Approaching the Front in the Caucasus
August 6(?), 1942 - Salsk (SE Rostov) - Approaching the Front in the Caucasus
August 8(?), 1942 - Kurganinsk, NE Maykop - Kurganinsk is taken
August 9, 1942 - Maykop - The 13th Panzer Division assaults Maykop
August 13, 1942 - Sablinskoye (N of Pyatiosrsk) - Terek River Sector - The 13th Panzer Division is withrawn from the frontline
November 12, 1942 - Gisel - W of Vladikavkaz - The battalion is surrounded and takes heavy casualties, but it is saved by other german units. Knispel comes out of the heavy fighting with 12 enemy tanks destroyed, since the war started.
November 15, 1942 - Gisel - At the same time that weather and snow, aswell as russian resistance, prevents german advance. Knispel's unit receives orders to deliver their tanks and head to Germany to receive new tanks.
Rumours spread about the situation in Stalingrad, but also about the soviet intention of retaking Rostov-na-Donu and cut the german retreat from the Caucasus.
Rumours spread about the situation in Stalingrad, but also about the soviet intention of retaking Rostov-na-Donu and cut the german retreat from the Caucasus.
November 22, 1942 - Rostov-na-Donu - The 3rd Battalion is attached to the 1st regiment, 4th Panzer Division in Von Kleist and Mackensen's 1st PanzerArmee
November 27(?), 1942 - Kraków - Knispel arrives in Kraków on leave
December(?) 1(?), 1942 - Salisov, Altvater Mountains (CZE) - On leave in the Altvater Mountains with his Family
January 10, 1943 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Knispel returns to Putlos Artillery School and is transfered to the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion
January 12(?), 1943 - Salisov, Altvater Mountains (CZE) - Knispel returns to Salisov to enjoy a few more days with his Family
January 24, 1943 - Salisov, Altvater Mountains (CZE) - End of his 14-days licence with is Family
January 31, 1943 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Return to his unit. Training with the Tiger I heavy Tank
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| Knispel on Tiger I |
November 8(?), 1943 - Zhytomyr - The Battalion retreats from Zhytomyr - The City is taken by the russians the following day
November 9(?), 1943 - Berdychiv? - S of Zhytomyr - The Battalion settles outside of Zhytomyr
November 19, 1943 - Zhytomyr - The City is recaptured by the germans
December 30(?), 1943 - Zhytomyr - The Battalion retreats from Zhytomyr - the City is retaken by the russians the following day
January 15, 1944 - Vinnitsa - Knispel's unit under command of Franz Bäke
February 10, 1944 - Schubennyj
February 11, 1944 - Bosovka-Frankovka-Bushanka Road - Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
February 13, 1944 - Chishinzy - Attack by T-34's
February 14, 1944 - Dzhurzhentsy - Advance to the town in 2 columns
February 23, 1944 - Alum-Podolsky - Retreating from Cherkassy and passing through Jambol
March 2, 1944 - Proskurov - Knispel arrives at Proskurov
April 25, 1944 - Sagan (Zagan-POL)?| Putlos - Transfer to the western front - Knispel's unit is reequiped with the King Tiger Heavy Tank
May 9, 1944 - Paderborn - The 503rd Battalion arrives at Paderborn, later to Ohrdruf
May 14, 1944 - Ohrdruf - Knispel tries the KingTiger for the first time
May 15, 1944 - Ohrdruf - Dinner at the Mess with presence of General Guderian
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| Knispel, with the German Cross in Gold |
May 20, 1944 - Ohrdruf - Knispel is awarded the German Cross in Gold, and promoted to Feldwebel
July 8, 1944 - Dreux, France - The Battalion departs for Normandy
July 11, 1944 - Caen, France - Arrival in Normandy
July 18, 1944 - Cagny - During Operation Goodwood
July 30, 1944 - Saint-Pierre sur Dives (SE Caen) - The Battalion is forced to retreat towards St-Pierre.
July 30, 1944 - Saint-Pierre sur Dives (SE Caen) - The Battalion is forced to retreat towards St-Pierre.
August 15, 1944 - Ticheville (E of Falaise) - Hans Fendesack, Knispel's tank commander, is killed by an air-attack with rockets
August 16, 1944 - Ticheville (E of Falaise) - Knispel and comrades repel a french attack to the barn where they sleep
August 20, 1944 - Ticheville (E of Falaise) - Several KingTigers have to be destroyed - the personnel retreats on foot. After saving several crews, many times with long range cannon shots, the last functional KingTiger is Knispel's
August 30(?), 1944 - German border - The personnel of the 503rd arrives in Germany
September 5(?), 1944 - Paderborn - The Battalion is refitted and divided in companies. Knispel departs on leave
September 22, 1944 - Paderborn - The Battalion receives the last of 45 new KingTigers
October 8, 1944 - Paderborn - End of preparations - The Battalion is loaded on trains and departs for Budapest
October 14, 1944 - Budapest - Arrival at Budapest
October 18, 1944 - Törökszentmiklós (E of Szolnok) - Advance to Southeast
October 19, 1944 - Mezötúr - Advance to Southeast
October 20, 1944 - Kisújszállás - Advance to Southeast
October 21, 1944 - Mezötúr - Heavy street fighting
October 31, 1944 - Szolnok | Cegléd - Withrawing to the West
November 1, 1944 - Kecskemét - Combat with IS-2 heavy tanks
December 3, 1944 - Balatonkenese (E of lake Balaton) - moves out
February 11, 1945 - Balatonkenese (E of lake Balaton) - Moves North to participate in Operation Südwind
February 25, 1945 - NW of Budapest
March 15, 1945 - Tohol (Tehla) - SE of Nitra - Soviet attacks and combat until 26-3-1945
March 28, 1945 - Nitra - Extensive damage to KingTigers
March 31, 1945 - Báb Castle - Between Nitra and Trnava - Knispel's KingTiger is hit 24 times!!!
April 1, 1945 - Trnava - Fierce fighting
April 5, 1945 - W of Apfeldorf - March to Schlossberg - attack repelled on Marvaor
April 6, 1945 - Novy Dvor - Withrawing to farm area
April 9, 1945 - Lansdorf Area (E of Vienna) - Withrawing
April 11, 1945 - Lanzhot (CZE) - Combat with soviets
April 12, 1945 - Zisterdorf (SE Laa)| Breclav (CZE) - Relocated to Oil Fields
April 13, 1945 - Breclav (CZE) - 16 soviet tanks knocked out
April 15, 1945 - Wilfersdorf (SE of Laa) - 4 KingTigers back into service by maintenance
April 18, 1945 - Erdberg (W of Bratislava) - Relocated
April 19, 1945 - Erdberg (W Bratislava) - Counterattack to the North - 13 soviet tanks knocked out
April 20, 1945 - Poysdorf
April 22, 1945 - Laa-an-der-Thaya | Vlasatice
April 27, 1945 - Vlasatice - 6 sovier tanks destroyed
April 28, 1945 - Urabau, Czechoslovakia - Knispel is hit and gravely wounded
April 29, 1945 - Vrborec - Kurt Knispel dies of his wounds in hospital, aged 23, ten days before the end of World War II =(END)
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