Rudolf von Bünau (major)
| Rudolf von Bünau | |
|---|---|
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| Birth date | 6 May 1915 |
| Place of birth | Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire |
| Death date | ⚔ 15 August 1943 (aged 28) |
| Place of death | Near Roslavl, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |  National Socialist Germany
|
| Service/branch |  Heer
|
| Years of service | 1935–1943 |
| Rank | Major (posthumously) |
| Commands held | Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Iron Cross Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | ∞ Irmgard Urban |
Rudolf "Rolf" von Bünau (6 May 1915 – 15 August 1943) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht, finally Major and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.
Contents
Life
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Rudolf von Bünau was born in Stuttgart in 1915 and attended the humanistic and practical Gymnasiums in Ludwigsburg and Dresden, where his father taught at the War School. After graduating with Abitur, von Bünau joined the 5th Motorized Transport Battalion in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt as an officer candidate on 1 April 1935. Von Bünau remained with his battalion until after the outbreak of war in 1939. Previously renamed the 5th Reconnaissance Battalion and subordinated to the 2nd Panzer Division, von Bünau took over the position of platoon leader in the battalion's armored reconnaissance company, which had been commanded by Major Kitschmann before the war. The company commander at that time was Captain Schmelzer. Von Bünau then went to the front against Poland on 1 September 1939 and earned both classes of the Iron Cross during the first campaign of World War II.
Subsequently appointed company commander, he participated in the Western, Balkan, and Eastern campaigns. During the campaign against the Soviet Union, von Bünau assumed command of the newly formed 9th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion of the 9th Panzer Division in 1943. During the heavy fighting south of Orel, as part of Operation Citadel, the battalion under von Bünau's command distinguished itself. Subordinate to Kampfgruppe Schmahl, it played a decisive role in the fighting, particularly on 23 July 1943. Although all communication within the Kampfgruppe was lost and the enemy had already broken through on both flanks, von Bünau defended the village of Osskoje for eight hours against attacks supported by artillery and tank fire.
Even with his weapon in hand, he rallied his soldiers for a counterattack and captured the important Hill 226.8, the village of Piskalinka, and the Kastenwald forest. In doing so, he not only prevented an enemy breakthrough, recaptured lost ground, and inflicted heavy losses of at least 800 enemy dead and 13 destroyed heavy tanks, but also created the conditions for the battle group to establish a new defensive front. For this, von Bünau, as captain and commander of Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 9, received the Knight's Cross on 8 August 1943. Just seven days later, Rudolf von Bünau was killed in action.
WWII campaigns
- Poland Campaign
- Western Campaign
- Balkans campaign
- Operation Barbarossa
- Battle of Uman
- Battle of Kiev (1941)
- Battle of Voronezh (1942)
- Battle of Kursk
Death
Captain von Bünau was killed in action on 15 August 1943 near Latyschi, south of Roslavl, in the aftermath of Battle of Kursk, during the heavy defensive battles when the 9th Panzer Division, subordinate to the 2nd Panzer Army, began its retreat westward, Rudolf von Bünau was buried in the Roslavl Heroes' Cemetery (Smolensk Oblast). However, the war graves were later desecrated and leveled by the Red Army. He was posthumously promoted to Major.
Family
Rudolf was the son of General of the Infantry Rudolf von Bünau and his wife Katharina "Käte" Lauffer (1893–1975). His only sibling, brother Günther von Bünau (b. 10 September 1920 in Stuttgart), was a first lieutenant and company commander in the Panzer Regiment 119. He had already fallen on the Eastern Front four months before him, on 21 April 1943.
Marriage
On 21 March 1940, 1st Lieutenant von Bünau married his fiancée Irmgard Maria Urban (b. 18 October 1915 in Fürth; d. 23 December 1993 in Erlangen). The couple would have two children, their first born was daughter Jutta Dagmar (b. 24 April 1941 in Nuremberg). After the war, von Bünau's widow remarried; her new husband was Dr. Hans List (d. 12 February 1993 in Erlangen).
Promotions
- 1 April 1935 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
- 1 April 1937 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
- 1 August 1939 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
- 1 April 1942 Hauptmann (Captain)
- Major posthumously, effective 1 August 1943
Awards and decorations
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th Class
- Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
- General Assault Badge
- Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
- Panzer Battle Badge in Silver
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 August 1943 as Captain and Commander of Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9
Sources
- German Federal Archives: BArch PERS 6/265992
