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Sturmann Karl-Heinz Decker
Born in Konigsberg, Karl-Heinz Decker joined the German army in 1943, trained as a tank crewman and transferred to the 12th Waffen SS Panzer Division in Belgium in 1944. Staying with this elite unit in France during the Allied invasion he fought throughout the Normandy campaign, on D-Day, at Falaise and was eventually taken PoW. He died on 8th December 2015.
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| Sturmann Karl-Heinz Decker - Signed Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Military and Aviation Signatures |
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| Text for the above items : |
The Balabonowka Pocket, Ukraine, 25th-30th January 1944 by David Pentland. Mountain troops and Panther tanks of Heavy Tank Regiment Bake, push towards Oratrow to complete the encirclement of several Red Army Corps. |
First Response by David Pentland. Caen, Normandy, 7th June 1944. Panzer IVGs of 7th Company, 2nd Panzer Battalion, 12th SS Division, supporting Panzer Grenadiers fron the 2nd Battalion, 25th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, in their attack on St Contest and Gamanche. Both objectives were successfully taken, and along with other simultaneous attacks the Canadian advance was stalled in front of Caen. |
Winter Offensive, Ardennes Forest, Germany, December 1944 by David Pentland. Jagdpanther self propelled 88mm anti-tank guns of Heavy Anti-tank Battalion 519 attached to 6th SS Panzer Army during the ill fated Ardennes offensive. Only the 1st company commanded by Hautmann Erwin Kressmann took part in the campaign. |
Race to Frankowka, Ukraine, 10th February 1944 by David Pentland. Panthers of 2nd Battalion 23rd Panzer Regiment, Heavy Tank Regiment Bake led by captured T34s race to capture a vital bridge at Frankowka across the Gniloi Tilitsch. The daring coup de main was successful bringing the relief column one step closer to the besieged pocket at Tscherkassy. |
The Firing Line, North of Malinava Latvia, 22nd July 1944 by David Pentland. Six Tiger I tanks including Albert Kersher and Lt. Otto Carius, of 2nd Company Heavy tank Battalion 502, prepare to take up ambush positions for the soon to arrive Soviet tank brigade. In the ensuing encounter, the Tigers destroyed the entire column of 28 Josef Stalin IIs. |
Help from the sky, near Korsun, Russia, 13th February 1944 by David Pentland. Heavy Tank Regiment Bake was temporarily created as part of the forces gathered to breakthrough to the besieged Army Corps trapped in the Korsun (or Tscherkassy) pocket. Led by Oberstleutnant Dr. Bake it consisted of Heavy Tank Battalion 503, the panther battalion of Panzer Regiment 23, and a battalion of artillery, engineers and mountain troops. This powerful unit was halted just 10km from its objective having run out of supplies, and had to be resupplied by air. |
Escape from Berlin. Germany 3.00 a.m, 2nd May 1945 by David Pentland. Leading one of the last columns attempting to breakout from the doomed city, Georg Diers battered Kingtiger of SS Heavy Tank Battalion 503 smashed through the Soviet roadblock on the far side of the Weidenammer Bridge. |
The Ambush, North of Malinava Latvia, 22nd July 1944 by David Pentland. Six Tiger I tanks including Albert Kersher and Lt. Otto Carius, of 2nd Company. Heavy tank Battalion 502, prepare to take up ambush positions for the soon to arrive soviet tank brigade. In the ensuing encounter, the Tigers destroyed the entire column of 28 Josef Stalin IIs. |
Dash to the Sea, November 1944 by David Pentland. As allied forces pressed inland towards Caen, the 21st panzer Division launched a counterattack along a narrow three mile corridor between the Canadians on Juno beach and the British on Sword. the charge led by fifty tanks of 22nd panzer regiment and supporting Panzer grenadiers was engaged on its eastern flank by heavy British anti tank fire and the bulk of the force was pinned down or destroyed. ultimately only six PZ IVs and a company of infantry mannered to reach the coast at lion sur mer. their stay however was short lived and within a few hours the arrival of the transports and gliders of the British 6th Airborne directly overhead forced the entire division to pull back for fear of being trapped. |
Debut at Caumont, Normandy, 30th July 1944 by David Pentland. Jagdpanthers of 654 Heavy Tank Battalion engage 6th Guards Tank Brigade Churchills. |
Clearing the Ostsack, Narva Bridgehead, Northern Russia, 6th April 1944 by David Pentland. Tiger I tanks of Albert Kersher and Otto Carius, of 2nd Company. Heavy tank Battalion 502, take part in the second operation designed and led by Graf von Strachwitz (Grossdeutschland Division) to destroy half of the dangerous Soviet bridgehead across the Narva river. The operation was totally successful. |
D-Day Recce by David Pentland. Juno Beach, Normandy, 6th June 1944. Sdkfz 232 armoured cars of 12th SS Reconnaissance Battalion commanded by Obersturmfuhrer Peter Hansmann observe the Canadian beachhead at Juno Beach. His small team was tasked with finding out if an invasion was actually underway and it drove some 80km, arriving at the coast near Tracy at 7.30 in the morning to witness the landings in progress. |
Guard Duty by David Pentland. Tscherkassy Pocket, Russia, 13th February 1944. The two Tiger Is of Feldwebel Heinz Gartner and Oberfahnrich Heinrich Rondorf, of Heavy Tank battalion 503 destroyed a surprise Soviet counter attack by some 15 T-34s from Chishinzy village. By now the relief force Panzer Regiment Bake of which they are part were only a few days away from opening a corridor to the Korsun pocket. By the end of the war these two tank commanders had destroyed 103 and 106 enemy tanks respectively. |
Strike For Gela, Sicily, 11th June 1943 by David Pentland. Tiger I tanks of 2 Kompanie/ Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504, attached to Panzer Division Herman Goring, launch their attack on the main US 7th Army landing beach at Gela, on the first day of Operation Husky. Despite the fact that the Herman Goring troops were untried in battle it was only the devastating effect of allied naval gunfire that stopped them reaching and probably destroying the beach head. |
D-Day Recce by David Pentland. Juno Beach, Normandy, 6th June 1944. Sdkfz 232 armoured cars of 12th SS Reconnaissance Battalion commanded by Obersturmfuhrer Peter Hansmann observe the Canadian beachhead at Juno Beach. His small team was tasked with finding out if an invasion was actually underway and it drove some 80km, arriving at the coast near Tracy at 7.30 in the morning to witness the landings in progress. |
Night Fight, Bollersdorf, East of Berlin, 19th April 1945 by David Pentland. Following a full day of combat Hauptscharfurher Korner of SS Heavy Tank Battalion 503 foiled a night attack by a battalion of Josef Stalin JSII heavy tanks. By the end of the day he had accounted for 76 enemy tanks, over 40 of these on this one day alone. It was his 25th birthday. |
Farewell to a Friend, Normandy, France 5th August 1944 by David Pentland. Kurt Knispel rescues his Commander Hans Fendsack after heavy attacks on the Tiger IIs of 1st Company, Heavy Tank Battalion 503 by allied fighter bombers. Despite being pulled to safety Oberfeldwebel Fendsack died later that night from his wounds. For 4 years they had been friends and comrades. |
Eyes of the Army by David Pentland. Northern France, 22nd May 1940. Sdkfz 222 light armoured cars of the SS Leibstandarte Regiment drive along French lanes on a reconnaissance patrol for the forces of General Heinz Guderian on their advance towards the French coast. |
Oberfahnrich Heinrich Rondorf - Jagdtiger at Bay by David Pentland. Iserlohn, Rhur, 15th April 1945. In the closing days of the war, US forces surrounded the town of Iserlohn. Lying in wait, Oberfanrich Rondorf destroyed 3 of the advancing Shermans, bringing his total score of enemy tanks destroyed to 106 - at least 5 of these in the giant Jagdtiger. This action was the last for Panzerjager Battalion 512, as it surrendered itself and the town the following day. |
Sanctuary by David Pentland. Abbey DArdenne, Normandy, 8th July 1944. Commander of 3rd Company, SS-Panzer Regiment 12, Obersturmfuhrer Rudolf von Ribbentrop, shelters within the walls of the Abbey DArdenne. After a full day of battle against the Canadians, the remaining Panthers of the unit along with Panzer Grenadiers of 25th Reminet managed to halt their advance just in front of the divisional headquarters at the abbey. |
Max and Moritz, Retreat from the Donets, Russia, July to September 1943 by David Pentland. After the battle of Kursk, Heavy Tank Battalion 503 Tiger Is were divided into small groups to protect and support infantry units as they retreated from the Donets river line. A typical example was the team of Rubbel (Max) and Rippl (Moritz) who for several weeks acting independently fended off pursuing Soviet armoured units. Their success was in no small part due to the skill of Rippls gunner, Kurt Knispel. |
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