Postwar Signature of Konrad Zeller, who earned the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves with Grenadier-Regiment 380 of the 215.Infanterie-Division
Knight’s Cross for:
On 13.12.1943 the Soviets attacked the so called “Finger position” south of Puschkin, near Leningrad, and were able to capture a portion of it. Zeller independently led his subordinate 10. Kompanie and the attached 2. Kompanie into a counterattack to fully recapture the lost ground. With machine-pistol in hand he succeeded in recapturing most of the lost ground over the course of 3 and a half hours. The last 150m of ground were eventually taken and subsequently lost to a Soviet counterattack. However the following day Zeller continued the attack and recaptured the position for good. He received the Knight’s Cross for this action.
Oakleaves for:
In the defensive battle south of Pskov, on 31.03.1944, the Soviets captured the town of Krapiwinka and from there threatened the road Pskov-Ostrow. In response Hauptmann Zeller repositioned his forces to shield his south flank and launched a counterattack with his reserve company and 6 assault guns from Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 184, and was able to retake Krapiwinka. Two further breakthroughs at Stremutka and Letowo were also defeated that day, with the result that the main defensive line of the regiment could be held.
Over the course of a 7 day period the next April Zeller was involved in defeating a total of 55 Soviet attacks, leading 10 counterattacks in the process. His contributions were a key factor in the German resistance and the consequent holding of the frontline. For these defensive successes he was awarded the Oakleaves to his Knight’s Cross.
