Alois Kalss

Alois Kalss (18 February 1920 – May 2, 1945) was a Hauptsturmführer in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life
Alois Kalss was born on 18 February 1920, in St Gilgen a village near Salzburg in Austria.

World War II
Kalss volunteered to join the Waffen SS during World War II and was posted to the SS Division Das Reich. He was awarded the Iron Cross I & II class during the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) in July and September 1941. In the Third Battle of Kharkov he was in the 8th Company, SS Panzer Regiment 2 and throughout September 1943 Das Reich Tiger tanks scored heavily against Russian armor. On 23 September Kalss received the German Cross in Gold for his adept leadership of his platoon during the late summer. On 18 September he took command of the Tiger company and was wounded soon afterwards. The Das Reich Tiger company was disbanded and its surviving personnel distributed among the three companies of the forming 102 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion (most Das Reich veterans went to its first company).

Kalss, in command of the 1st Company, together with 102 SS was sent to Normandy to counter the D Day landings. The battalion was involved in the fighting for point 112 and was almost completely destroyed during the fighting. Kalss was awarded the Knight's Cross in August 1944 for his bravery during the fighting in Normandy and had 42 tank kills by July 1944.

In September 1944, The battalion was pulled back Sennelager in Germany to reform, renamed as 502 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion.

Kalss was killed in action on the 2 May 1945, in the vicinity of the Kummersdorfer Forest south of Berlin, when his Tiger received a direct hit from an anti tank gun.

Awards

 * Knight's Cross (23.08.'44)
 * German Cross in Gold (23.09.'43)
 * Iron Cross I (17.09.'41)
 * Iron Cross II (10.07.'41)
 * Panzer Badge in Silver "75" ('44)
 * Panzer Badge in Silver
 * Infantry Assault Badge in Silver (12.05. '42)
 * Tank Destruction Badge in Silver
 * Tank Destruction Badge in Silver ('44)
 * Eastern Front Medal
 * Wound Badge in Gold (23.08.'43)
 * Wound Badge in Silver (31.05.'43)
 * Wound Badge in Black (13.03.'42)
 * Honour Chevron for Old Fighters
 * SS-Death's Head Ring