Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Unteroffizier (Junior Officer)

Unit:

Gruppenführer, 6. Kompanie, II. Bataillon, Schützen-Regiment 3, 3. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

November 28th, 1940

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

“On the night of the 14./15.06.1940 Unteroffizier Moder and his motorcycle squad drove through dense French columns and into the village of St. Florentin. There friendly Panzers and Panzer-Pioniere were unable to go further due to French vehicle barriers, and so Unteroffizier Moder and his men dismounted and ruthlessly fought their way into the defending French forces as the first men to do so. Over the course of two hours of bitter close-quarter combat at night (with blank weapons no less), he and his men killed or disarmed countless French troops. To cap it all off, he blocked the retreat route of a French column (consisting of 50 trucks and 2 operational tanks) that was attempting to pass through St. Florentin. This forced the column to surrender to him.

Unteroffizier Moder decisively contributed to the ability of our assault group (consisting of Panzers, Pionieren and motorcycle troops) to seize 4 bridges and a large railway system during this night. Over 1000 prisoners and 200+ vehicles were also captured at the same time. Unteroffizier Moder thereby played a major role in ensuring that the Division’s forward advance was not held up in St. Florentin.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 30th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 20th, 1939