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Fritz AmlingGerman tank ace of World War II
Date of Birth: 16.01.1916
Country:  Germany |
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Biography of Fritz Amling
Early Life and Military ServiceFritz Amling, a German tank ace of World War II, was born on January 16, 1916, in East Prussia, Prussian Holland, into a farmer's family. After completing his education, Amling was conscripted into the Wehrmacht on October 1, 1937, and joined the 24th Artillery Regiment. Even before the war, on May 10, 1939, he was promoted to the rank of junior sergeant and participated in the campaigns in Poland and France as part of the 24th Infantry Division.
World War II
Following the start of the war against the Soviet Union, Amling's rank was further elevated to senior sergeant on October 1, 1941. He was then assigned to the Eastern Front, specifically the 202nd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion (Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 202), which was under the command of Major Hans Marder and part of Army Group Center.
From the fall of 1942, the 202nd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion became part of the XXXIX Tank Corps of the 78th Infantry Division. On December 11-12, 1942, they were sent to the Podosinovka-Zherebtsovo-Kholm-Talitsa-Staroye Murzino-Khlepen area to stabilize the critical situation resulting from the Soviet offensive operation known as "Mars."
The Heroic Stand and Awards
During the battle, Amling, serving as the gun commander of the 3rd Battery, and his gunner Bruno Guskowski, successfully defended their position, destroying 42 Soviet tanks within 48 hours. In the first day of the Soviet offensive alone, Amling managed to disable 24 tanks, with 5 of them being destroyed in just one minute. Although he was wounded during the fight, he continued to fire at the enemy.
On December 11, 1942, Fritz Amling was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his remarkable feat. The telegram from the Fuhrer's headquarters arrived on the evening of December 11, and the official award ceremony took place on December 24, 1942, in Sychyovka.
Later Years and Death
On March 1, 1943, Fritz Amling was transferred to the 300th Reserve Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion in Neisse, where he trained the troops. He continued his military service until the end of the war.
Fritz Amling passed away on March 6, 1994, in Mainz. His heroic actions and exceptional skill as a tank ace during World War II will always be remembered.
