Hans-Peter Knaust

Hans-Peter Knaust
from left to right: Walter Model, Kurt Student, Wilhelm Bittrich, Knaust, and Heinz Harmel
Born	7 August 1906 Kiel
Died	22 October 1983 (aged 77) Kevelaer
Buried at	Ohlsdorf Cemetery Field BO/64-Grave 411
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsheer Heer
Years of service	1924–45
Rank	Oberstleutnant
Unit	490. Infanterie-Division
Commands held	Kampfgruppe "Knaust"
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Arnhem Battle of the Bulge
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Hans-Peter Knaust (7 August 1906 – 22 October 1983) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Knaust was born on 7 August 1906 in Kiel in the Kingdom of Prussia. Knaust joined Infanterie-Regiment 4 (4th Infantry Regiment) on 5 March 1924 and was transferred to Infanterie-Regiment 5 (5th Infantry Regiment) on 1 April 1934. Both regiments were subordinated to the 2. Division of the Reichswehr in the Weimar Republic.

Knaust led a Kampfgruppe (battle group) against John Frost's forces in the Battle of Arnhem (17–26 September 1944) during the Western Allies' Operation Market Garden, the ill-fated attempt to capture the bridges over the Rhine.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (24 May 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (21 July 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 28 February 1942 as Major in the II./Schützen-Regiment 4^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 28 September 1944 as Major and commander of Kampfgruppe "Sonnenstuhl" [an alarm unit with the II. SS-Panzerkorps, in the battle area of Arnhem/Netherlands].^[3]
  • 843rd Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Regiment "Knaust" (Divisions Nr. 490).^[3]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 18 April 1945

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 380.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 237.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 452.

Bibliography

• Bennett, David (2011). A Magnificent Disaster: The Failure of Market Garden, the Arnhem Operation, September 1944. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-935149-97-2.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2006). Retreat to the Reich. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2009). The Siegfried Line: The German Defense of the West Wall, September – December 1944. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-4386-0.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.