Erwin König
Erwin Konig | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Unknown Nazi Sniper |
| Born | Erwin Konig or Heinz Thorvald Unknown Germany |
| Died | 1943 Stalingrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Cause of death | Killed (By Vasily Zaitsev) |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Branch | Wehrmacht Heer or Waffen-SS |
Service years | Unknown |
Rank | Heer Major (Heer), SS-Sturmbannführer (Waffen-SS) |
Conflicts | Battle of Stalingrad |
Erwin König is reportedly a top German sniper who was killed by Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev during the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) on the Eastern Front. However, the only record of him comes from wartime Soviet propaganda and Zaitsev's own memoirs. Surviving German military records contain no mention of any similar person.
Issues that König actually existed include whether he was a Wehrmacht officer or a member of the Waffen SS, was his name Erwin König (Konnings) or Heinz Thorvald, or why the best sniper in the German Army cannot be found in any military archives or Wehrmacht personnel files.
Background
[edit]According to Notes of a Russian Sniper: Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad by Vasily Zaitsev, Erwin (Konings) König was reportedly a German Heer Officer in the Wehrmacht (or the Waffen-SS), who was a director at a German sniper school in Berlin. He was ordered to Stalingrad to kill Zaitsev because the Soviet sniper was so good. Following a three-day cat-and-mouse duel through the city's bombed-out ruins, Zaitsev claimed he killed König after he spotted him hiding under iron sheeting near a wrecked tank.[1][2]
Historical existence
[edit]Due to the lack of any German wartime records proving the existence of König and his achievements, there is historical doubt as to whether he existed at all. According to the official Soviet account, the sniper was SS-major Heinz Thorvald who was considered the best sniper in the entire German military. However, this is contradicted by Zaitsev in his owned autobiography, who named him Erwin Konings.[1] The Soviets state König (Konings) was a top sniping instructor who was ordered to Stalingrad to kill Zaitsev once the Germans learned the Red Army was using Zaitsev's kill counts in their propaganda to boost Soviet morale.[3] Their duel is mentioned by author William Craig in his 1973 non-fiction book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad.[4]
In a post-war visit to Berlin, Zaitsev was allegedly confronted by a woman who told him that she was König's daughter but before any more could be said Zaitsev said he was removed by Soviet handlers to avoid any confrontation.[5]
In popular culture
[edit]A fictionalized account of the duel in the film Enemy at the Gates portrays Erwin König—played by Ed Harris—as the head of the Wehrmacht Sniper School for the Wehrmacht’s Heer (ground army).[6] He is sent to Stalingrad to take on the increasingly aggressive Soviet snipers.[7] Initially he is successful, killing four of Zaitsev's partners, but eventually he is outwitted by the Russian, portrayed by Jude Law.[8]
Ramón Rosanas wrote a comic about the conflict between Zaitsev and König.[9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Zaitsev, Vasily (2010). Notes of a Russian Sniper: Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad. Frontline Books. pp. 157–165. ISBN 978-1848325654.
- ↑ Craig, William (2000). Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Reader's Digest Press. p. 457. ISBN 0141390174. OCLC 613817.
- ↑ "The Mythical German Sniper From the 'Enemy at the Gates' Who Challenged Vasily Zaitsev". warhistoryonline. 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ↑ Naughton, John (28 February 2013). "War mentality: How a man boosted the morale in Stalingrad". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ↑ "Vassili Zaitsev (Russian)". Fakty (in Russian). Archived from the original on July 12, 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
- ↑ MP Film Management. "Famous snipers in history". CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc. p. 10. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ↑ Seitz, Matt Zoller (28 March 2001). "Ed Harris in Enemy at the Gates". NY Press. Straus News. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ↑ Jones, Robert (30 September 2016). "Best Netflix films: top movies to check out now". T3.com. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ↑ Jiménez, Jesús (19 August 2013). "Ramón Rosanas lleva al cómic al famoso francotirador ruso Vasili Záitsev". Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 January 2019.