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Michael Pössinger (18 January 1919 – 23 May 2003) was a German bobsledder who competed in the early 1950s. He won a complete set of medals in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships with a gold in 1951, a silver in 1954, and a bronze (tied with Sweden) in 1953. During World War II he was a highly decorated ''Gebirgsjäger'' and one of only 98 soldiers to have been awarded both the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ((ドイツ語:Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)) and Close Combat Clasp in Gold (). He was also awarded the Oak Leaves () to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He is highly praised for his role in saving a Jewish family from deportation in Hungary, against the direct orders of a noncommissioned SS Officer. Pössinger also finished sixth in the four-man event at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. ==World War II== Michael Pössinger joined the 6th Company of the ''Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98'' on 1 October 1937. On 1 April 1939 he was promoted to ''Unteroffizier''. He participated in the Invasion of Poland as commander (''Zugführer'') of the ''Panzerjägerzug'' of the 16th Company. On 20 April 1940 he was promoted to ''Leutnant'' and took part in the Battle of France. On 6 June 1940 he distinguished himself when during the course of a French counteroffensive he destroyed seven enemy tanks and damaged another four within 40 minutes. For this action he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 July 1940. Promoted to ''Oberleutnant'' on 1 October 1940 he fought in the Balkans Campaign. From June 1941 he was part of the invasion force in Operation Barbarossa.〔Berger 2004, p. 363.〕 In 1941 Michael Pössinger participated in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1941 at Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy and won a Silver Medal.〔In 1946, the results were cancelled by the FIS because of the limited number of participants from only German-friendly countries during World War II.〕 Shortly after the Ski Championships Pössinger got himself into trouble with Nazi officials. At a bar he and another officer came to the aid of a leg-amputated fellow soldier who was being harassed. A fistfight broke out which Pössinger ended by drawing his side-arm. It turned out that one of the Nazis was the local NSDAP ''Gauleiter''. The affair ended with a three-year promotion ban for Pössinger.〔Berger 2004, p. 364.〕 At the end of 1941 he received an order from the Commanding Officer of the 1st Mountain Division to form a Ski company. For two months he operated behind Russian lines, attacking supply positions and other vital strong points, returning to his own lines in February 1942. He continued leading his company in the Caucasus until he was severely wounded in the summer of 1942.〔 After a period of convalescence he returned to his company. He received the order to conduct a flanking maneuver against the Russian lines in the Kulchor pass (part of the Kodori Valley). His company became separated from the rest of the German forces. After three days of bitter fighting he managed to return to the German lines. On 16 February 1943 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. Promoted to ''Hauptmann'' on 1 October 1943 he was put in command of the ''I. Battalion'' of the 98th ''Gebirgsjäger-Regiment''.〔Berger 2004, p. 365.〕 I. ''Battalion'' of the 98th Gebirgsjäger-Regiment was responsible for burning to death 21 civilians at Kefalovryso, Greece on 10 July 1943. Hermann Frank Meyer assumes that the actions were personally led by Pössinger.〔Meyer 2008, pp. 171, 647.〕 In late 1944 Pössinger got into trouble again with his superiors when he received an order from ''Generalleutnant'' Walter Stettner to attack a Russian strongpoint. Pössinger refused to carry-out the order on the grounds of not having any artillery support, too many and well concealed enemy fortifications and the approach for his battalion was too steep. Relieved of his command, his successor also refused to carry out the order. Stettner then ordered another battalion to attack. The attack failed badly, the replacement battalion taking heavy casualties, justifying Pössinger's assessment.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Michael Pössinger」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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