Date of birth:

April 15th, 1911 (Frankfurt am Main/Hessen, Germany)

Date of death:

March 1st, 1984 (Bad Laer/Osnabrück, Germany)

Service number:

SS-Nr.: 6.684 // NSDAP-Nr.: 454.840

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Promotions:
01.02.1931: SS-Anwärter
00.00.1931: SS-Mann
10.03.1935: SS-Untersturmführer
09.11.1936: SS-Obersturmführer
30.01.1940: SS-Hauptsturmführer
30.01.1943: SS-Sturmbannführer
09.11.1944: SS-Obersturmbannführer

Career:
00.00.1931: entered the SS
00.03.1934-00.03.1935: SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz
10.05.1935: SS-Ustuf, Zugführer, 1. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler"
00.09.1939: campaing in Poland
00.10.1939: SS-Ostuf, Führer, 1. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, LSSAH
27.05.1940: WIA
20.11.1941: SS-Hstuf, Chef, 5. (schwer.) Kompanie, LSSAH, severely WIA and sent to a Lazarett
00.12.1941: SS-Hstuf, Stabsoffizier, Inspektion 6, Kraftfahrttruppen, SS-FHA - Kdr, SS-Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung in Weimar-Buchenwald
01.06.1942-04.07.1942: SS-Hstuf, Kommandeurslehrgang, Panzertruppenschule Wünsdorf
00.07.1942: SS-Hstuf, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 'Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'
30.01.1943: SS-Stubaf, Kdr, II. Abteilung, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, 1. SS-Panzer-Division 'Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'
03.07.1943: proposed for the RK by Georg Schönberger approved by Theodor Wisch the 13.07.1943 - Operation Zitadelle
00.02.1944: Kdr, SS-Panzer-Ausbildungs-und-Ersatz-Regiment, Dondangen, Latvia
01.07.1944: Führer, Kampfgruppe 'Groß', SS-Panzer-Brigade 'Gross', SS-Panzer-Brigade 'Seelager' - Seelager, Riga, Kurland
00.08.1944: Führer, Kampfgruppe 'Gross', Kampfgruppe 'Strachwitz', 18. Armee - Mitau, Tallinn
00.09.1944: Führer, Kampfgruppe 'Gross', Kampfgruppe 'von Lauchert', 3. Panzer-Armee - East Prussia
00.11.1944: refit with troops from Truppenübungsplatz Sennelager and Truppenübungsplatz Windau and 6. Panzer-Armee and SS-Panzer-Brigade 'Westfalen'
00.12.1944: Kdr, SS-Panzer-Regiment 26 "Reichsmarschall", 26. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division
00.02.1945: Operation Südwind - Gran, Hungary
00.03.1945: Kdr, SS-Panzer-Regiment 12, 12. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 'Hitlerjugend', I. SS-Panzer-Korps, 6. SS-Panzer-Armee - Hungary
00.04.1945: fightings near Wien, Austria

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Awarded on:

February 1934

Awarded on:

December 1st, 1935

Awarded on:

1935

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

April 1st, 1939

Awarded on:

1939

Awarded on:

1939

Awarded on:

1939

Awarded on:

1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)

Awarded on:

October 1st, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Führer, 5. Kompanie, LSSAH

Awarded on:

May 1940

WIA 27.05.1940 + 20.11.1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 20th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Awarded on:

October 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Awarded on:

1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)

Awarded on:

July 16th, 1942

Nr. 2.020

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

in silver

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)

Unit:

Führer, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, 1. SS-Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler"

Awarded on:

March 28th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)

Unit:

Kommandeur, II. Bataillon, SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, 1. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”, Heeresgruppe Süd

Awarded on:

July 22nd, 1943

Groß’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“On the 12.07.1943 the II./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 was attached to the 2. Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment LSSAH, and was on standby just behind the forward infantry positions in the area around Hill 252.2 and the railway line about 2.5 km southeast of Prokhorovka.

At around 08:15 on that day about 150 enemy tanks (mostly T-34s) suddenly broke through the friendly infantry security. They stormed into the Panzer assembly area along a narrow front with great speed and all weapons firing. SS-Sturmbannführer Groß was swift to organize friendly resistance, and did so with such skill that the enemy tanks were surrounded on three sides. He himself fought in the middle of his troops, firing in every direction. Through his courageous example he inspired his entire Abteilung to fight, and in a tank battle that lasted about three hours it destroyed about 90 enemy tanks. The remainder were mostly knocked out in close combat or by friendly artillery. Friendly Panzer losses were minimal.

This exceptional deed justifies the high award of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross for SS-Sturmbannführer Martin Groß. He is worthy to be decorated as such.”

Submitted on July 18th 1943.
Preliminary document and decoration on July 26th 1943 to Heeresgruppe Süd.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1945

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - MOONEY, PETER, Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd, 2010.
  - Federl, C., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, Germany, 2000
  - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
  - Schneider J.W., Their Honor was Loyalty!, R. James Bender Publishing, 1977
  - Royal Decree No. 2020/16 July 1942, Romania
  - Microfilm Publication A3343. US National Archives. - Question about Martin Gross (LAH) - Axis History Forum