Franz Gössmann

Franz Gössmann
Born	8 December 1909 Sulzwiesen
Died	4 April 1945 (aged 35) Messelhausen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Oberfeldwebel
Unit	Grenadier-Regiment 199 "List"
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman First Battle of Kharkov Battle of Voronezh (1942) Lower Dnieper Offensive Cherkassy Pocket Operation Bagration Mogilev Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Franz Gössmann (8 December 1909 – 4 April 1945) was a highly decorated Oberfeldwebel in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and 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.

Awards and decorations

• West Wall Medal
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (9 July 1941)
  • 1st Class (20 July 1942)
• Wound Badge
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze (?)^[1]
  • in Silver (?)^[1]
  • in Gold (1 February 1945)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold (25 September 1943)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 May 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 199 "List" ^[2]

References

Citations

1. Berger 2004, p. 135.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 165.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.