Paul-Albert Kausch

Paul Albert Kausch (1911 – 2001) was an Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Kausch was one of the original members of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler which he joined in 1933, in 1935 he was selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig being promoted to Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) upon graduation, 20 April 1936. He spent the next three years as a platoon and company commander in the Totenkopf Regiment as well as being a company commander in the army's 11th Infantry Regiment.

On 20 April 1939, he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer (Captain) and in November 1939, given command of the 5th Battery, SS Totenkopf Artillery Regiment.

During the Battle of France Kausch was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class and in November 1940 he was transferred to the Wiking Division as the Divisional Adjutant.

From August 1941 until January 1942, Kausch was the commander of the 1st Battalion, SS Artillery Regiment Wiking, being promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major) in April 1942.

In February 1943, he was tasked with raising the 11th SS Panzer Battalion Nordland, which was ordered to the Oranienbaumer, Kessel sector during the withdrawal to the Narva. Between Hungerburg and Riga, countless Russian attacks were repelled and Kausch was promoted to Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel).

In July 1944, Kausch was assigned a sector of a swamp along the Lipsustrasse, to defend. With only a small number of men, he held the sector throughout the night, defeating a Russian attack that had broken through the lines and advanced on his own command post. Armed with hand grenades and an StG44 assault rifle, he fought them off and then called down artillery fire on his own position. For this action, Obersturmbannführer Kausch was decorated with the Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944.

In April 1945, Kausch participated in the final large-scale counterattacks eastward from Strausberg that at first had considerable success, but was then forced into a fighting withdrawal to Berlin, Kausch and his men participated in the last battles of Berlin, and Kausch was awarded oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 23 April 1945.

On 28 April 1945, Kausch was severely wounded for the third time and on 1 May 1945, he was captured by the Russians, he remained a prisoner until 16 January 1956, and died in October 2001.