- Very Scarce Signature of Martin Gross, who earned the Knight’s Cross as Commander of the II./ SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 of the 1.SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler” on July 22nd, 1943. He was also the last Commander of the SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 “Hitlerjugend”. Stunning Postwar Signed Photograph of him with Joachim Peiper!
Ritterkreuz Awarded for: “On the 12.07.1943 the II./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 was attached to the 2. Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment LSSAH, and was on standby just behind the forward infantry positions in the area around Hill 252.2 and the railway line about 2.5 km southeast of Prokhorovka.
At around 08:15 on that day about 150 enemy tanks (mostly T-34s) suddenly broke through the friendly infantry security. They stormed into the Panzer assembly area along a narrow front with great speed and all weapons firing. SS-Sturmbannführer Groß was swift to organize friendly resistance, and did so with such skill that the enemy tanks were surrounded on three sides. He himself fought in the middle of his troops, firing in every direction. Through his courageous example he inspired his entire Abteilung to fight, and in a tank battle that lasted about three hours it destroyed about 90 enemy tanks. The remainder were mostly knocked out in close combat or by friendly artillery. Friendly Panzer losses were minimal.”
