Josef Schreiber

Josef Schreiber
Born	(1919-12-24)24 December 1919 Mindersdorf/Baden
Died	1 February 1945(1945-02-01) (aged 25) M.I.A Disappeared near Poznań
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Heer
Years of service	1938–1945
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	14th Infantry Regiment
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Josef Schreiber (24 December 1919 – missing as of 1 February 1945) was an Oberfeldwebel in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was the namesake of the Oberfeldwebel-Schreiber barracks in Immendingen which was closed in March 2016.

Bundeswehr's role model

Oberfeldwebel-Schreiber barracks

His actions leading to the presentations of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) made him a role model in the Bundeswehr. During Operation Citadel, on his own initiative, he led an attack against Soviet trenches, forcing the enemy to retreat. In August 1943, supported by 30 soldiers, he again forced the Soviets to retreat at Karachev. On 27 May 1967, the Bundeswehr named the barracks at Immendingen the Oberfeldwebel-Schreiber barracks.[1]

Awards and decorations

• Infantry Assault Badge (16 August 1941)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (10 September 1941)[2]
  • 1st Class (18 September 1941)[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 31 March 1943 as Feldwebel and Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 4./Sturm-Regiment 14[3][4]
  • 309th Oak Leaves on 5 October 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 7./Sturm-Regiment 14[3][5]
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze (?)
  • in Silver (20 October 1943)

References

Citations

1. Knab 1995, p. 83.
2. Thomas 1998, p. 285.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 684.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 389.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 73.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Knab, Jakob (1995). Falsche Glorie: das Traditionsverständnis der Bundeswehr [False Glory: the Bundeswehr's Understanding of Tradition] (in German). ISBN 978-3-86153-089-3.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Stockert, Peter (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 4 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 4] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-932915-03-1.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.