Siegfried Knappe

Siegfried Knappe (15 January 1917 – 1 December 2008) was an officer in the German Army (Heer) during World War II. Towards the end of the war, Knappe was stationed in Berlin, where he gave daily briefings at the .

Biography As a young artillery lieutenant (Leutnant der Artillerie) in Panzer Group Kleist, Siegfried Knappe participated in the Invasion of France. Knappe was decorated for actions that took place on the night of 14 June 1940.

Although Knappe was the Battalion Adjutant and it was not his duty to man the gun, he moved up to the front with the infantry. Because the area was wooded, the 105 mm gun had to be brought up and fired almost at point blank range directly into the house. The German infantry was hidden behind a building by the bridge, where the gun was maneuvered, but in order to fire all seven crew members would be exposed to machine gun fire. On the mark, the gun was moved, aimed, and fired. Three of the seven crew members were wounded but the machine gun nest was destroyed. This action opened the road for the infantry. There he wrote his memoir, Soldat. (Soldat is German for soldier.)

In media The Oscar-nominated film Downfall (2004), about German dictator Adolf Hitler's last days, was based in part on Knappe's memoirs. He is also portrayed in the movie Downfall, as the adjutant to General Weidling.

Awards and decorations Sudetenland Medal Wound Badge (1939) in Black in Silver Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class 1st Class General Assault Badge Eastern Front Medal