SS Rottenführer Gerardus Mooyman is Dutch and the first volunteer from the Germanic countries to be awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. Born in Apeldoorn, Holland, on 23 September 1923 he joined the ranks of the SS in spring 1941. During defensive fighting against strong enemy attacks south of lake Ladoga, SS Rottenführer Mooyman destroyed a total of 17 enemy tanks, first as Gunlayer and then as gun leader and drove back enemy infantry attacks under withering fire.

SS Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche was born on 20 April 1914 in Kittlitz/Oberlausitz, joined the Hitler Youth in 1932 and the SS a year later. After studying at the Bad Tölz officer training school he began his officer's career in the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. On his own intiative SS Sturmbannführer Wünsche prepared a comprehensive tank thrust with his own battle group, destroyed extensive enemy forces and thus relieved the southern flank of his own division.

SS Oberscharführer Hans Reimling was born on 17 January 1918 in Karlsruhe-Mühlberg. A member of the Hitler Youth, he joined the SS in 1937 and a year later signed on for four years with the then SS-Verfügungstruppe. SS Oberscharführer Reimling took part in all the heavy fighting as part of the spearhead; In a short time he destroyed 25 enemy tanks and 8 anti-tank guns. SS Oberscharführer Reimling died a hero's death in March 1943.

SS-Sturmbannführer Erwin Reichel is from Vienna. Son of a university lecturer, he was born on 11 March 1911. he became a member of the Oberland Freikorps in 1929. After several months service in the Austrian Federal Army, he joined the then SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1934. In hard fighting SS Sturmbannführer Reichel managed to halt an enemy tank corps and inflicted heavy losses on the numerically superior enemy. He died a hero's death in February 1943.

SS Oberscharführer Alfred Günther is from Magdeburg. Born on 27 April 1917, he was a printer's apprentice afetr leaving school. Politically active Günther was a member of various youth organisations from the age of 12. At 14 he joined the Hitler Youth and became an SS man in 1937. SS Oberscharführer Günther displayed great bravery during the fighting at Kharkhov. With his assault gun he shot 5 Soviet tanks in flames from a distance of 200m and destroyed the supporting infantry.

SS Untersturmsührer Hermann Dahlke was born on 11 February 1917 as son a white collar worker in Greifswald. In 1933 he joined the Hitler Youth, then later joined the volunteer labour service and then applied to the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. SS Untersturmführer Dahlke, in a snappily executed attack, broke into the enemy's positions south of Kharkov with his platoon, threw back the numerically superior enemy in hand-to-hand fighting and thus made a decisive contribution to the successful advance of his own battalion and the whole battle group. He met a hero's death in July 1943.

SS Sturmbannführer Albert Frey is the son a master baker and was born on 16 February 1913 in Heidelberg. In 1933 he joined the the SS Verfügungstruppe. SS Sturmbannführer Frey distinguished himself first in autumn 1941 in the forming of a bridgehead over the Mius near Taganrog. For this he received the German Cross in Gold. Frey proved himself again in the fighting at Kharkov through his amazing personal courage and careful leadership of his battalion.

SS Standartenführer Gustav Lombard, born the son of a land owner in Klein Spiegelberg/Brandenburg on 10 April 1895, belonged to a Prussian cavalry regiment and joined the Waffen SS shortly after the outbreak of war. SS Standartenführer Lombard, on his own initiative, attcaked strong bolshevist forces with his cavalry regiment at a time when the Soviets themselves were planning a breakthrough of the German lines. The enemy attack was shattered; Lombard succeeded in holding the enemy and taking important strongpoints. Shortly before this Lombard had received the German Cross in Gold.

SS Standartenführer August Zehender was born the son of a railway official in Aalen/Württemberg. After 12 years in the army he joined the ranks of the Waffen SS in 1935. SS Standartenführer Zehender, as commander of a cavalry regiment was successful in a night operation which he undertook on his own initiative in capturing Kholomedina and resisiting all enemy counterattacks. In a further attack against supply dumps and supply lines Zehender was repsonsible for cutting off and destroying enemy forces which had broken through. He has held the German Cross in Gold since autumn 1942.

SS Sturmbannführer Max Hansen is the son of a countryman. He was born on 31 July 1908 in Niebüll/Schleswig and apprenticed to a locksmith. In 1930 he became a member of the NSDAP Party and the SA and a year later the SS. In 1941 he received the German Cross in Gold fighting the Soviets. SS Sturmbannführer Hansen, on his own initiative, broke through to Red Square in Kharkov with his battalion in tough house-to-house fighting and opened the way to the city centre, so that the northern part of Kharkov could be taken.

SS Sturmbannführer Hugo Kraas was born, the son of a teacher, on 25 January 1911 in Witten Ruhr. After army service he joined the Waffen SS in 1935. SS Sturmbanführer Kraas at the head of his battalion captured an important district on the edge of Kharkov and broke through the enemy positions on the northern edge of the city centre. This was a major contribution to his regiment’s successful attack on the centre of the city.

SS Obersturmführer Wilhelm Beck, son of a foreman was born on 19 December 1919 in Bitz/Württemberg. In 1938 he took his Abitur at a NAPOLA school, joined the Reich Labour service and in the same year joined the SS regiment ‘Deutschland’. In 19 days of fighting, SS Obersturmführer Beck and his company succeeded in destroying 120 guns of all calibres and 9 T34s. In the hard tank battles round the outskirts of the city of Kharkov Beck, himself twice wounded, destroyed two T34s with his own tank.

SS Hauptsturmführer Hans Becker was born on 5 November 1911 in Peenemünde, Pomerania and was an intern with a legal practice. In 1932 he joined the NSDAP party and the SA at the same time; a year later he joined the SS and was promoted to Untersturmführer for his bravery during the Poland campaign. In an attack on Alexeyevka, the frontmost defence lien of Kharkov, SS Hauptsturmführer Becker with a few men broke into the enemy’s ranks and captured a strongpoint which was important for the Russian defence.

SS Hauptsturmführer Hermann Weiser was born the son of a foreman in Ottenau/Baden and joiend the Hitler Youth in 1932 and holds the Hitler Youth Honour Medal. At the end of 1937 he joined the SS Regiment Deutschland. SS Hauptsturmführer Weiser distinguished himself as the leader of a reconnaissance unit in the Kharkhov fighting. His personal bravery and decisive leadership led to the quick capture of the strong enemy forces defending the town of Valki.

SS Obersturmbannführer and Police Lieutenant Colonel Friederich-Wilhelm Bock is the son of a pastor and was born on 6 May 1897 in Wreschau/Warthegau. He was a volunteer in the First World War and joined the police in 1922. During a strong Soviet attack on the Narva SS Obersturmbannführer Bock sealed off the open flank of the division with rapidly scratched together and weak artillery forces and in bitter hand-to-hand fighting brought the enemy to a standstill before he reached his goal.