Jozef Turanec

Jozef Turanec (7 March 1892 Sučany – 9 March 1957, Leopoldov) was a Slovak general during World War II. During his military career, he served as a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, later as an officer in the Czechoslovak Army and eventually reaching the post of a 2nd Class General in service of Slovakia.

He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Jozef Turanec served as a general in the Slovak invasion of Poland. He held partial command of the Slovak Fast Division and helped in the command of the expeditionary force during Operation Barbarossa. Turanec was a skilled commander and received the Iron Cross after a Slovak success in the Battle of Rostov in December 1941. After the war, Turanec was sentenced to 30 years in prison for treason. He died in prison in 1957.

Awards

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 August 1942 as Major General and commander of the Slovak Fast Division