Gerhard Simons (born 5 February 1921) is an officer who served in the German army during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (medals recognising extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership). His grandfather, Walter Simons, was a German lawyer and politician who served as Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic in 1920–21. His father, Hans Simons, a lawyer and later professor of political science at The New School, emigrated to the United States following the Machtergreifung, the Nazi seizure of power in 1933.
Knight's Cross on 29 February 1944 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves in the Regiments-Nachrichten-Zug/Artillerie-Regiment 240[2][Note 1]
547th Oak Leaves on 11 August 1944 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and leader of Stabs-Batterie/Artillerie-Regiment 240 and Regiments-Nachrichtenoffizier[3][4]
Notes[]
↑According to Scherzer as platoon leader in the Nachrichten-Zug/Artillerie-Regiment 240.[3]
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
Thomas, Franz (1998) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
1 Oak Leaves with the 45th Volksgrenadier-Division2 Knight's Cross with Grenadier-Regiment 391, Oak Leaves and Swords with Grenadier-Regiment 399 3 Oak Leaves with Grenadier-Regiment 146 (65th Infantry-Division)