Franz Staudegger

Franz Staudegger (1921–1995) was an Oberscharführer (Staff Sergeant) in the Waffen-SS and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

As a Unterscharführer (Corporal/Sergeant) Franz Staudegger was the first member of the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Tiger tank commanders to win the Knight's Cross

On 7 July 1943, a single Tiger I tank commanded by SS Oberscharfuehrer Franz Staudegger from the 2nd Platoon, 13th Panzer Company, 1st SS Panzer Regiment LSSAH engaged a Soviet group of some 50 T-34 tanks around Psyolknee in the southern sector of the Battle of Kursk. Staudegger used up his entire ammunition supply and destroyed 22 Soviet tanks, while the rest retreated. For his achievement, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross, as first Tiger tank crewman.

He was also summoned to the Führer Headquarters to give Adolf Hitler a detailed account of the tank battle.

Staudegger ended the war in the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion which was present at the Battle of Normandy in 1944 under the command of Michael Wittmann and was later involved in the Battle of the Bulge.