Peter Arent

Peter Nikolaus Arent (26 June 1917 in Püttlingen – Killed in action 3 December 1942 in El Bathan) was a German Oberfeldwebel in the Fallschirmjäger during World War II.

Career
Upper Hunter (NCO) arent became known as leader of the squad 3, Koch Parachute Assault Battalion (Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch") and "Bunker buster" during the assault on the fortress of Eben-Emael, 1940, during the Western campaign through his performance. Arent has noted this use in his personal memoirs: "Before going into the sailor I turned to my friend Merz and him a sharpened that he must take over the squad, if I should fail. Upper Hunter Sapper, a very tricky glider pilot, flew our wooden box. He whistled happily to himself. We thought not to believe our ears. So, he flew as if it were an hour record on top of the water, and not in the battle. He was however start as well as we, as again and fly back, did not exist. When the sluggish ju 52 reported that the destination is reached, Sapper Magik our bird, and we hunted in wide, then more closely and narrowing circles the target, which formally to us raise Serina seemed. For a split second I saw shadowy two or three other sailors on the small lookout past scurry. Fire was heard, it crashed loudly everywhere, and some splinter klackerten through the tension, without compromising our sailors. The landing was clean after a hard catch, and Sapper sat about 50 metres from our target - the casemate 12 - the bird away on the floor. 'Out and ran!', I cried. My men grabbed weapons and explosives. We ran through the incipient infantry fire of the Belgians, and I heard the gasping breaths of my men. Behind me, Merz sprinted, he carried a load of 2.5 kilos. Then, we had reached that tank Dome, which was our goal. Merz set the shaped charge, and I lit it. Ten seconds were now time to jump before the charge apart crashed down. We threw us into a hollow. The seconds are ticked, and then a hard blast rumbled through the frantic Geklacker of rifles and the chattering bursts of MG. The tank dome was through, the here standing 7.5 cm gun became useless. We had met the first part of our order." [1]  He took part also in the Poland campaign and in the swashbuckling company "Mercury".

North African campaign
In November 1942, several German and Italian divisions from France and Italy were moved to Tunisia, where they were grouped into the 5th Panzer army under the command of General der Panzertruppe Hans-Jürgen von Arnim. These were from late November until December 1942 in northwestern of Tunisia in defensive battles with approaching from Western Allied troops, which first led to the withdrawal of the allies after initial success of the attacker.

Arent belonged to the first wave of the parachute-Jäger-Regiment 5, the later Jäger-Regiment "Hermann Göring", which was moved to North Africa in November 1942, to strengthen the german Italian Panzer army "Africa" in the North African campaign and Tunisia campaign called. II. battalion/FJR 5 was the Paratroopers brigade "Ramcke" (proven during the second battle of El Alamein) of German Africa Corps allocated during the rod, I. and III. / FJR 5 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Koch (together with the Corps parachute pioneer battalion of XI flying corps under Maj. Rudolf funny) with ju 52 were sent to Tunisia. Here, the paratroopers were supported by the air force and a Heavy Panzer battalion (501). The family Obituary Sergeant arent fell on December 3, 1942 in El Babu, after he and his men conquered the Trajanische bridge over the Medjerda in Chemtou/Chemtou (North-West Tunisia) and held against a massive British effort. He died in the fighting at the height of 154. On 4 December attacked supported paratroopers including El Babu and Tebourba tanks and the air force (mainly dive bomber), expelled the strong Anglo-American forces and thus secured the Tunisian area of retreat of the DAK.

Resting place
Peter Nikolaus Arent buried in the war cemetery of in Bordj-Cedria. End Grablage: Court MOR OSSARIO 4A, table 5.

Knight's cross
Some sources arent has been proposed RK only, others that he received posthumously, but later without justification from the list was deleted. There are also sources that claim the posthumous awarding of RK would have been an invention of the writer and military historian Franz Kurowski. Fixed stands, arent was proposed in 1941 for his performance at the battle of Crete for the high order, did not a ceremony at this time however.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class
 * 1st Class
 * Army Parachutists Badge
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 December 1942 (posthumously) as Oberfeldwebel and Pionier-Zugführer in the Stabskompanie/Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5