Postwar Signature of Knight’s Cross Holder Friedrich “Fritz” Henke. Henke earned the Ritterkreuz as platoon leader in the 3. Batterie/ SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1 “LSSAH”
Fritz Henke was a platoon leader in the StuG battalion of the LSSAH in late 1943. Near the end of that year, on the 29.12.1943, Henke was helping protect a group of friendly infantry when a small tank attack was launched. He destroyed 2 tanks, but this initial incursion was soon followed up by a much heavier assault. Thus followed a fierce battle that lasted the whole day. On one occasion, he knocked out a Soviet command tank from which the enemy commander escaped, only to be hit by a pistol shot by Henke. By the end of the day he had destroyed a total of 21 tanks and 11 AT guns. For his notable success, without much friendly support at that, he was later presented with the Knight’s Cross. He had destroyed 38 tanks in total by this time.
