My avatar is Waffen-SS Kurt 'Panzer' Meyer, commander of the reconnaisance batallion of of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler as well as commander of the 12th SS Panzer division in Normandy. I read his autobiography, 'Grenadiers', a couple years ago.
He was the most exceptional german field commander of the second world war, honoured with Knight's Cross with Swords and Oakleaves. He was a fearless and reckless leader, as well master of panzer tactics, such as the
schwerpunkt asssault. He served in the frontline in Greece, Russia and France for almost five years. At the Falaise gap Two of his Tigers took out something like 120 Canadian sherman tanks in one day.
After his capture in 1944 he became the only person to ever indited for war crimes by Canada. Whilst almost certainly not guility of the ordering the execution of Canadian prisoners he was completely unable to see the invasion of Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,Greece, Holland, Belgium and France as criminal act.
During his interrogation by the Canadians shortly after the war, Meyer viewed the struggle in Normandy as "magnificent in the best Wagnerian tradition. As he described his actions and those of his men, it seemed as though he liked to consider himself as Siegfried leading his warriors to their death."
'Panzer' Meyer (left) shares a joke with his friends.
I don't know why I chose him as an avatar. Maybe it was his smile.