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Schultz, Heinrich

Date of birth:
November 9th, 1919 (Josefowo/Posen, Germany)
Date of death:
January 18th, 1945 (Konin, Poland)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Some sources contain the name Heinrich Schulz.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Gefreiter (Lance Corporal)
Unit:
Flammenwerferschütze 3. / Pionier-Bataillon 161
Awarded on:
October 18th, 1941
Awarded for his actions during the German capture of the island of Ösel in mid-1941 (Operation "Beowulf"). The Germans were able to capture the capital of the island on the 21.09.1941, and by the 24.09.1941 they stood poised to capture the heavy fortified Sworbe peninsula.

During the course of this attack, on the 27.09.1941, Schultz distinguished himself by knocking out five Soviet bunkers. In conjunction with his comrades he was able to eliminate four more with hand grenades. On the afternoon of the same day, he engaged two more bunkers with his flamethrower with the result that a large number of enemy prisoners were taken. In the course of the day's fighting Schultz would be wounded in action, but remained with his unit.

A few days later, when friendly infantry became bogged down before a Soviet bunker line, Schultz decided on his own initiative to take matters into his own hands. Alone, and with only a pistol and hand grenades, he was able to bypass the Soviet bunkers and attack them from the rear. In this way he put a hostile machine-gun out of action and brought in several prisoners.

Gefreiter Schultz had thus played a major role in crushing the Soviet resistance on the Sworbe peninsula, which in turn led to the success of the German operation on Ösel. He would be appropriately recognized for this.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Unteroffizier
Unit:
3. / Pionier-Bataillon 161
Awarded on:
October 31st, 1942
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

Sources

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