Career
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 World War World War II Ortwin Kuske was born in Militsch in Schlesien. During World World War II he volunteered for the Waffen Steamship He was awarded the Knight"s Cross while a Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant), in command of the 3rd Company, 17th Steamship Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion together with an attached Heer unit Metz subsequently fell to the United States forces on 22 November 1944 and Kuske was awarded his Knights Cross for "Outstanding bravery and leadership".
Testimony to the savagery of this particular event was that 80% of Kuske"s battlegroup was killed or wounded.
Kuske survived the war and died of cancer on 19 February 1972 in Westerholt. Bibliography.
