Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Walther Gerhold. Schreiber-Obergefreiter Walther Gerhold (08.06.1921 † 02.03.2013) earned the Ritterkreuz on July 6, 1944 as Schreiber-Obergefreiter und Einmanntorpedofahrer in Kleinkampf-Flottille 361. Good Condition.
“The 23 year old Schreiberobergefreiter Walter Gerhold, from Sauerland, is the first lone fighter from the Kriegsmarine to be awarded the Knight’s Cross for sinking a British cruiser of the ‘Aurora Class’ under the most difficult of conditions. Commanding his human torpedo, Gerhold passed by six British destroyers at very close range, broke through the security ring and attacked a cruiser lying behind it following a skillful and calculated approach. The ship went down after suffering a major boiler explosion. Due to his bravery before the enemy Gerhold was also promoted to Schreibermaat.”
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I’ve ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950’s until he passed away.
