Clear photograph of Knight's Cross recipient of the Waffen-SS Obersturmführer Otto Schneider. Schneider was awarded the Knight's Cross as Führer 7. / SS Panzer-Regiment 5 (5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") on 4.5.1944.
This portrait came out of a soldier's grouping. He belonged to Regimentsstab / Panzer-Regiment 5 (5. SS-Division "Wiking") and had more than 25 Panzer assault days.
See tracesofwar.com for more details:
“In order to rescue the LVI. Panzer-Korps, who had been trapped for three weeks solid at Kovel, elements of the 5. SS-Pz.Div. Wiking were assigned for a relief operation.
In the early morning hours of 05.04.1944, 7./SS-Pz.Rgt. 5 moved east from Moszczona with the aim of breaking through to Kovel. The Kompanie commander, SS-Obersturmführer Schneider, decided not to wait for the support of our own artillery and Panzergrenadiers. He made the independent decision to take advantage of the favourable battle situation and decided to attack anyways. In doing so he surprised the enemy. He successfully destroyed a strong anti-tank position that the enemy had built up close to Dubova and thereby opened access to Kovel for the following troops. With his Kompanie he advanced into the northern sector and met strong enemy infantry. These were crushed, and at 14:00 hours the first clear path through the encirclement at Kovel had been cleared.
Schneider was exceedingly hard and tough, and led at the head of his Kompanie during the fighting. He showed a dogged determination in finding a way through and was a role model of bravery and operational readiness for his subordinates.
During the course of the fighting his tank was knocked out. Nevertheless he immediately got up again, took command of a different tank, and continued to lead his Kompanie.
In the course of the battle Schneider's Kompanie destroyed or captured the following...
- 1 Anti-aircraft battery (8.5 cm) with 4 guns
- 27 Heavy anti-tank guns 7.62 cm
- 1 Assault Gun
- 4 Heavy mortars
- 5 Light anti-tank guns
- 4 Light anti-aircraft vehicles
- Numerous infantry weapons."
