oh my god !

[milcollector]

a few weeks ago, I bought a bunch of photos, feldpost and documents online.
I thought they were nothing special, just run-of-the-mill army items.
Well, today I received a largish box in the post. To start with I never expecited so much. The seller obviously included a whole bunch of extra bits and pieces.
So I started to exciteldly sift through it all. I began to think surely there must be something decent in amongst this lot, perhaps some technical photos eg. soviet tanks, artillery etc.
Indeed I started to find just that, then suddenly a death card turns up. Surprise, surprise, it is to a Ritterkreuztrager - Franz Amman, awarded the KC in August 1942 Army Group Centre, Russian front.
Wow, my interest was on fire now. The owner of all this must have been related or a close friend of Franz.
So I as I contine to dig through it all, I come across a series of diaries. BINGO - they are named to the man himself - Franz Ammann.
Suddenly, it dawns on me, all this stuff is his personal belongings, dozens of photos, portraits, documents, diaries.
And I only paid about 40 Euro for the lot !!!

I notice on the web that it states Franz Amman was posthumously awarded the KC on 23 August 1942. This is actually incorrect. He died a year later on 18 August 1943.

Does anyone know any more details about this young leutnant who won the Knights Cross ?

[paddywhack]

thats a score for sure!!!!!!!!!any more pics?

[Jos L C]

Now that's what collecting should be..
Seller doesn't care and collector finds something interesting for cheap, it's just textbook old fashion and hard to believe that it's still possible,as a matter of speaking ofcourse..
Well done..

Jos.

[milcollector]

more pics tomorrow. My camera is at home. I am at work.

[Steinar]

nice find. looking forward for more pictures

[Dennis S]

He looks like a young of Marlon Brando

[Steve Campbell]

Very nice, and rare to find. I'm guessing any one piece of such a find would be worth 40 Euro. Let's see more.

[jacquesf]

Awesome and as Jos said this is what collecting should be all about. Jacques

[jmark]

Lucky bugger!

Does anyone know any more details about this young leutnant who won the Knights Cross ?

There's a double-page devoted to him in the Biblio Ritterkreuzträger book. Unfortunately, my scanner's on the fritz at the moment, but all his career details are listed. Here's what's written about the act that earned him the RK:

Leutnant Ammann hielt nordostwärts Orel mit seinen Grenadieren eine beherrschende Höhe gegen immer wiederholte feindliche Angriffe. Am 17. Juli 1943 griffen die Russen dreimal in Bataillonsstärke mit mit Panzerunterstützung an, doch jedesmal schlug Franz Ammann sie an der Spitze seiner Kompanie im Gegenstoß zurück, obwohl die Panzer die Stellungen überrollt hatten. An einem anderen Kampftag warf der Leutnant die in Stellung eingedrungenen Sowjets mehrmals mit wenigen gerade verfügbaren Grenadieren – beim letztenmal mit nur vier Soldaten – wieder aus seinen Gräben.

It's interesting to see that he was wounded on 14, 15 and 17 July 1943, and seems to have remained with his troops. He was awarded the Wound Badge in Gold on 1 August 1943. He was fatally wounded on 18 August 1943. From what I can see, he was wounded 7 times (14.10.41, 29.12.41, 9.7.42, 11.8.42, 14.7.43, 15.7.43 and 17.7.43). Apart from a posthumous Ritterkreuz, he was also promoted to Oberleutnant d.R. on 10.2.44 (with effect from 1.8.43).

Hope that helps.
Jason

[Napalm]

Wow, five including himself headed off a soviet tank atttack...

[Eric JB]

Now that is really a nice find !!!

40 Euro for such a surprice box !

Please show us more.

[Biber]

He looks like a young of Marlon Brando

No, more like a very young Bob Hope with a more subtle nose.

It's this sort of find that keeps collectors going. Congratulations!!!

B

[Nico C]

Great score

[WalterB]

Outstanding, share more of the grouping with us please!!

[W Petz]

Congrats!! Super find!! This explains the unusual addition of the RK on his death card as the same portrait photo does not have the RK as there would be no known taken portraits of him wearing the RK because it was awarded posthumously.