German Fallschirmjager von der Heydte's Tank-Hunter Teams

Freiherr von der Heydte volunteered for the Fallschirm-truppen in 1940. He saw action in Crete, Leningrad, El Alamein, Rome and Normandy, winning the Knight's Cross. When Operation Market Garden was launched, von der Heydte assumed command of the disordered elements of Kampfgruppe Walther and, through his own initiative, he redeployed his men into effective positions and assumed tactical command of the units on his flanks, replacing officers with his own to guarantee his orders were followed. He also collected the lightly wounded and reinforced key positions to hold the line.