Oberstleutnant Joachim Gutmann (November 28, 1902 – December 29, 1969)

August 01, 1928 Leutnant

June 01, 1932 Oberleutnant

December 01, 1935 Hauptmann

November 10, 1938 renamed to Rittmeister

February 01, 1941 Major

xx.xx.1941 received new RDA from January 01, 1941

June 18, 1941, received new RDA from April 01, 1940

April 08, 1942, Oberstleutnant with RDA from April 01, 1942

July 01, 1943, Oberst

April 03, 1923, Joined the 14. / Infanterieregiment 10 (Löbau)

May 01, 1929, 2. / Infanterieregiment 10 (Dresden)

May 01, 1930, (MW) / Infanterieregiment 10 (Dresden)

April 01, 1934, in der 4. (MG) / Infanterieregiment 10 (Dresden)

October 01, 1934, III. / Infanterieregiment 31 (Plauen)

October 15, 1935, Chief of the 4. (MG) / Infanterieregiment 102 (Chemnitz)

October 12, 1937, Chief of the 1. / Infanterieregiment 103 (Jena)

November 10, 1938, Chief of the 1. / Kavallerieschützenregiment 7 (Jena)

February 01, 1940, Ordonnanzoffizier im Stab der 7. Panzerdivision

May 01, 1940, Staff of the 9. Panzerdivision

May 16, 1941, Commander of the II. / Schützenregiment 11

September 15, 1942, Commander of the II. Panzergrenadierregiments 11

December 28, 1942, Commander of the II. Feldausbildungsregiments 381

February 18, 1943, Führerreserve OKH (XVII)

March 01, 1943, ordered to the Sonderstab Panzer

April 01, 1943, Group Leader Panzergrenadiere Staff of the Inspekteurs of the Panzertruppen

January 21, 1944, Commander of the II. Panzergrenadierlehrregiments 1

September 16, 1944, ordered to the Führergrenadierbrigade (bis 27.09.1944)

November 01, 1944, Commander of the II. Panzergrenadierregiments 2

January 30, 1945, Führerreserve OKH (XVII)

April 05, 1945, ordered to the 18. Divisionsführerlehrgang

He received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross in his role as Leader of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 11, 9. Panzer-Division on September 18, 1942.

Oberst Joachim Gutmann, the commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2/2. Panzer-Division, was captured by the Americans during the German attack against Oberwampach (defended by 358th Infantry Regiment, supported by ”A” Company, 712th Tank Battalion and 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion) on 17 January 1945. The AAR of 358th Infantry for 17 January 1945 reads: ”The lead vehicle - an armored scout car containing the infantry CO - was pierced at 10 yard range by one of our tanks. The leader took cover, leaving his command without direction as he was subsequently captured.” (From https://forum.axishistory.com/ by Christer Bergström)

Knights Cross of the Iron Cross formal award document issued to Oberstleutnant Joachim Gutmann on parchment with an integral blank front leaf, Führerhauptquartier, September 18, 1942. The ornately lettered document is executed in India ink and gold with a hand-inked signature of Adolf Hitler at the bottom. The parchment is just the slightest bit wavy, as is very common in such documents, but otherwise fine condition. Award documents for the Knight’s Cross are rare, even though Hitler granted over 7,000 of them. A severe backlog soon developed and, in the end, very few recipients of the award ever received their large formal award documents.

The document is part of a veteran bring-back that we proudly offer here for the very first time. The GI opted to bring 9 single formal documents in one red presentation leather folder (Mappe) which is offered in this auction (USA LOT US3-0100).