Michael Pössinger (18 January 1919 – 23 May 2003) was a German

bobsled Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of 2 to 4 athletes make timed speed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobs ...

der who competed in the early 1950s. He won a complete set of medals in the four-man event at the

FIBT World Championships The IBSF World Championships (known as the FIBT World Championships until 2015), part of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, have taken place on an annual basis since FIBT World Championships 1930, 1930. Starting with 2002, no Wo ...

with a gold in 1951, a silver in

1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...

, and a bronze (tied with

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

) in

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...

. Pössinger finished sixth in the four-man event at the

1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( or ), were a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which ...

Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo (; , ; historical ) sometimes abbreviated to simply Cortina, is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomites, Dolomitic) Alps in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Pössinger served in the mountain troops of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

and was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was lower in precedence than the Grand C ...

. The battalion under his command was responsible for burning to death 21 civilians at Kefalovryso, Greece on 10 July 1943.

World War II

Michael Pössinger joined the mountain troops of the

in October 1937, and took part in the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

(1939) and the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

(1940). He was awarded the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...

on 19 July 1940. In 1941, he fought in the Balkans Campaign and

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

. In 1941 Pössinger participated in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1941 at

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and won a Silver Medal.In 1946, the results were cancelled by the

FIS FIS or fis may refer to: Science and technology * '' Fis'', an ''E. Coli'' gene * Fis phenomenon, a phenomenon in linguistics * F♯ (musical note) * Flight information service, an air traffic control service * Frame Information Structure, a S ...

because of the limited number of participants from only German-friendly countries during

.Berger 2004, p. 364. At the end of 1941 he was put in charge of a

Ski Skis are runners, attached to the user's feet, designed to glide over snow. Typically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partially secured heel. For climbing slopes, ski skins c ...

company in the 1st Mountain Division. For two months it operated behind Russian lines, attacking supply positions and other strong points, returning to his own lines in February 1942. He continued leading the company in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

until he was severely wounded in the summer of 1942. On 16 February 1943 Pössinger was awarded the

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leade ...

in Gold. Promoted to ''

Hauptmann () is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''. Background While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...

'' on 1 October 1943 he was put in command of the ''I. Battalion'' of the 98th ''Gebirgsjäger-Regiment''.Berger 2004, p. 365. I. ''Battalion'' of the 98th Gebirgsjäger-Regiment was responsible for burning to death 21 civilians at Kefalovryso, Greece on 10 July 1943. Historian Hermann Frank Meyer assumes that the actions were personally led by Pössinger. In October 1944, Pössinger was put in charge of the II. Battalion of the ''Grenadier-Regiment 1123''. For his autonomous counter-attack and break through at

Allenstein Olsztyn ( , ) is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. The population of the city was estimated at 169,793 residents Olsztyn is the largest city ...

, he was awarded the

. In May 1945 he received the Close Combat Clasp in Gold. He surrendered to the American forces in May 1945.Berger 2004, p. 366. After World War II he initially worked as a business man. On 26 April 1956 he joined the ''

Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...

'' with the rank of ''

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

''. From October 1961 to October 1965 he was commander of the ''Mountain and Winter Combat School'' in

Mittenwald Mittenwald () is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria. Geography Mittenwald is located approximately 16 kilometres to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the river Isar, ...

. He commanded the VKK 653 (''Verteidigungskreiskommando''—District Defense Command of the German Army) in Murnau until March 1975 and retired from the ''Bundeswehr'' on 31 March 1975.

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

(1939) ** 2nd Class (24 September 1939)Thomas 1998, p. 163. ** 1st Class (16 June 1940) *

Infantry Assault Badge The Infantry Assault Badge () was a German military decoration awarded to Waffen-SS and ''Wehrmacht Heer'' soldiers during the Second World War. This decoration was instituted on 20 December 1939 by the Commander-in-Chief (''Oberbefehlshaber'' ...

(13 April 1942)Thomas & Wegmann 1994, p. 169. *

Wound Badge The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...

(1939) ** in Black (6 June 1942) ** in Silver (15 October 1942)Thomas & Wegmann 1994, p. 170. ** in GoldBerger 2004, p. 362. *

Eastern Front Medal The Eastern Medal (), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (), was a military award of the ''Wehrmacht'' which was created by ordinance of Adolf Hitler on 26 May 1942. The Eastern Medal was awarded to any member of the ''W ...

(1 October 1942) * Five Tank Destruction Badges for Individual Combatants *

in Gold on 16 February 1943 as ''

Oberleutnant (English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...

'' in the ''6./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98''Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 357. *

Close Combat Clasp The Close Combat Clasp () was a World War II Nazi Germany, German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 for participation in Hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters. Intended primarily for infantry, other German Army ( ...

** in Bronze on 21 June 1943) ** in Gold on 1 May 1945 for 50 days in close combat * Croatian

Military Order of the Iron Trefoil The Military Order of the Iron Trefoil, also known as the Croatian Cross, was the highest military decoration of the Independent State of Croatia. It was awarded for "acts of war, achieved by personal incentive, for efforts and good leadership i ...

3rd Class with Oak Leaves (18 May 1944) *

** Knight's Cross on 19 July 1940 as ''

Leutnant () is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...

'' of the Reserves and company commander in the ''16./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98''Scherzer 2007 p. 600. ** 759th Oak Leaves on 28 February 1945 as ''

'' and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 1123 * Romanian Order of the Crown * Cross of Merit on ribbon (1997)

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * Meyer, Hermann Frank (2008). ''Blutiges Edelweiß. Die 1. Gebirgs-Division im Zweiten Weltkrieg'' (in German). Berlin, Germany: Ch. Links Verlag. . * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Possinger, Michael 1919 births 2003 deaths People from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district) Bobsledders from Upper Bavaria Bobsledders at the 1956 Winter Olympics German male bobsledders Gebirgsjäger of World War II German Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians German Army officers of World War II Olympic bobsledders for the United Team of Germany Military personnel from Bavaria 20th-century German sportsmen