Matthäus Hetzenauer
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2016) |
Matthäus Hetzenauer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 December 1924 3rd Mountain Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Matthäus Hetzenauer (German pronunciation: [maˈtɛːʊs ˈhɛtsənaʊ̯ɐ], 23 December 1924 – 3 October 2004) was an Austrian sniper in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He served in the 3rd Gebirgsjäger Division on the Eastern Front of World War II, and he was with 345 confirmed kills the most successful German sniper. In Nazi Germany, confirmed kills were only valid in the presence of an officer, so Hetzenauer's estimated kills are many times higher. His longest confirmed kill was reported at 1,100 meters (1,200 yards).[1] Hetzenauer received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 April 1945.[2]
Early life
Matthäus Hetzenauer was born on 23 December 1924 in the
Military career
Hetzenauer trained as a sniper from March to July 1944 at the Truppenübungsplatz Seetaler-Alpe in
.On 6 November 1944, he suffered head trauma from artillery fire and was awarded the Wound Badge three days later.
Hetzenauer was captured by Soviet troops the following month, and served five years in a Soviet prison camp.
He died on 3 October 2004. His wife Maria died in 2006.[6]
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 September 1944) & 1st Class (25 November 1944)[7]
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black (9 November 1944)[7]
- Infantry Assault Badge in Silver (13 November 1944)[7]
- Sniper's Badge in Gold (3 December 1944; one of three recipients)[7]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 April 1945 as Gefreiter and sniper in the 7./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 144[8][2]
Notes
Citations
- ^ Sadowski 2015, Chapter 3: A Brief History of Military Snipers.
- ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 388.
- ^ "Sonnleithof". kitzbueheler-alpen.com/en. Kitzbühler Alpen. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ Sadowski 2015, chptr 3 A Brief History of Military Snipers.
- ^ Thomas & Wegmann 1993, p. 306.
- ^ "Hetzenauer, Matthäus".
- ^ a b c d Thomas & Wegmann 1993, p. 307.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 225.
References
English
- Sadowski, Robert A. (2015). Shooter's Bible Guide to Tactical Firearms: A Comprehensive Guide to Precision Rifles and Long-Range Shooting Gear. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63220-935-1.
German
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- 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 (in German). Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1993). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VI: Die Gebirgstruppe Band 1: A–K (in German). Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2430-3.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
