During World War 2, the Wehrmacht sent messages over the radio singling out a few men out of the millions serving, and it was the highest honor any soldier of any rank could receive. Throughout the entire conflict, only one non-commissioned officer of the German tank arm was named in the Wehrmacht Radio communique: Kurt Knispel.
Although he was the best Panzer ace, with a reported 168 tank kills, he never received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross despite being recommended four times.
Knispel had a knack for breaking the rules, sported long hair and a beard, and had a particular disdain for abusive SS officers, which earned him more than a few enemies within the ranks.
Even so, he is widely considered the most successful tank ace of World War 2. And yet, the affable rulebreaker is also the most forgotten Panzer ace of them all…
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