Bio of Hauptmann Wilhelm Henz (1915-1943)

Wilhelm "Willi" Henz

Date of Birth: 01.10.1915 - Eschhofen, Hesse (German Empire)
Date of Death: 30.01.1943 - near Stalingrad (Soviet Union)

Promotions:
00.00.193_ Feldwebel der Reserve
01.10.1939 Leutnant des Beurlaubtenstandes
00.00.194_ Oberleutnant des Beurlaubtenstandes
00.00.194_ Hauptmann des Beurlaubtenstandes

Career:
00.00.194_ Führer 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange der "Prager Burg"
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
08.08.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Leutnant and Führer 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division, for capturing and holding bridge at eastern side of Smolensk with a reinforced company, then holding the position for 6 days against Soviet counterattacks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fast troops - armored troops (including tank hunter detachments), riflemen (motorized), motorcycle riflemen, reconnaissance detachments (motorized), reconnaissance detachments (partially motorized), cavalry regiments and the bicycle detachment of the 1st Cavalry Division - according to Heinz Guderian's conviction, should compensate for strategic deficits, material inferiority and lack of troop strength through operational successes.
 
The Fast Troops had the task of quickly forcing decisive battles of annihilation through fast, mobile operations so as not to be forced into trench warfare. In the first years of the war, this concept worked and large-scale offensive operations brought initial success.
 
The motorcycle riflemen, a highly mobile, effective infantry unit, had to learn as early as 1941 how quickly a concept based on speed can fail. The time pressure behind each new attack was bound to lead to failure in the vastness of a country covering 22 million square kilometers. The BMW and Zündapp motorcycles literally got stuck in the Russian mud and snow - later in the African desert sand - and lost their combat effectiveness. The motorcycle riflemen continued to fight as infantrymen, but were no longer able to cover long distances without their vehicles and thus lost their tactical importance.
 
On June 22, 1941, Willi Henz was one of over 3.5 million German soldiers who attacked the Soviet Union. The officer led the 2nd Motorcycle Rifle Company of the 29th Infantry Division when his army group began its advance eastward from the Bug. For his achievements he was awarded the Knight's Cross in August 1941. In the summer of 1942, he and the troops advanced on the southern section of the Eastern Front to Stalingrad, where the unit was surrounded and destroyed together with the 6th Army. One of the 226,000 dead in the cauldron was Willi Henz, who had tried to escape until the very end.

Leutnant Wilhelm Henz (Führer 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division) being presented with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes by General der Panzertruppe Joachim Lemelsen (Kommandierender General XXXXVII. Armeekorps). The picture was taken during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony near Smolensk, Eastern Front, which were held on 13 August 1941 during Unternehmen Barbarossa. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.



Leutnant Wilhelm Henz (Führer 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division) after the Ritterkreuz award ceremony on 13 August 1941. He received the news of his Ritterkreuz award five days previously (8 August 1941).

Wilhelm Henz.

Reichsminister Joseph Goebbels received 27 Ritterkreuzträger of the Infanterie in the Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda in Berlin, 1 November 1942. These Knight's Cross recipients - who were "aus dem Osten" (coming from the East) - also visited the military training camps of the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) and spoke to the German youth about their experiences at the front. From left to right:

1. Oberleutnant Günter Klappich (Chef 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 60 / 16.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 31 July 1942),
2. Oberleutnant Hans-Gotthard Pestke (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 176 / 61.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 15 November 1941),
3. Oberleutnant Wilhelm Henz (Chef 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 8 August 1941),
4. Hauptmann Max Sachsenheimer (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz on 5 April 1942),
5. Oberleutnant Hans Guhr (Adjutant Grenadier-Regiment 513 / 294.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 10 September 1942),
6. Oberleutnant Gerhard Möws (Chef 3.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 22 / 2.Infanterie-Division [motorisiert]. Ritterkreuz on 1 November 1942),
7. Oberleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Proske (Chef 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 84 / 102.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 12 April 1942),
8. Oberleutnant der Reserve Wilhelm "Willi" Hümmerich (Chef 14.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 80 / 34.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 18 October 1941),
9. Oberleutnant der Reserve Richard Grünert (Chef 3.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 7 / 7.Panzer-Division. Ritterkreuz on 14 October 1941),
10. Oberleutnant Dr.med.vet. Klaus Hilgemann (Chef 13.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 422 / 126.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 18 October 1942),
11. Hauptmann Harald von Hirschfeld (Führer II.Bataillon /Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 / 1.Gebirgs-Division. Ritterkreuz on 15 November 1941),
12. Hauptmann Karl Langesee (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 207 / 97.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz on 10 August 1942). Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

In 3 November 1942, a big delegation of Ritterkreuzträger (German Knight's Cross recipients) visited the Reichsjugendführung, doing inspections of training places and communications with young Hitlerjugend members. This picture was taken when they met the HJ leader, Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann. The identification as follow: 1.Hauptmann Karl Langesee (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 207 / 97.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz in 10 August 1942), 2.Leutnant der Reserve Gerhard Hein (Führer 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 209 / 58.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 3 September 1940 and Eichenlaub in 6 September 1942), 3.Hauptmann Harald von Hirschfeld (Führer II.Bataillon / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 / 1.Gebirgs-Division. Ritterkreuz in 15 November 1941), 4.Hauptmann Erich Löffler (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 57 / 9.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 7 October 1942), 5.Oberleutnant Wilhelm Henz (Kommandeur 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 8 August 1941), 6.Oberleutnant der Reserve Günther Hilt (Führer 7.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 56 / 5.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz in 14 September 1942), 7.Hauptmann Max Sachsenheimer (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz in 5 April 1942), 8. Hauptmann Hans-Gotthard Pestke (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 176 / 61.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 15 November 1941), 9.Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann, and Generalleutnant Friedrich Herrlein (General der Infanterie beim Oberkommando des Heeres. Ritterkreuz on 22 September 1941). Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

Source :
Jason D. Mark photo collection
John M. Donovan photo collection
Michael Scha photo collection
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/03/album-foto-29-infanterie-division-29.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6805734702839819&set=gm.714201243552892&idorvanity=222855636020791
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=193199&hilit=wilhelm+henz
http://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/rk/h.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/35796/Henz-Wilhelm.htm
https://transgalaxis.de/tg.php?page=artikel&dir=shop&param=artnr=wk_soldaten_049&user=odbnuddpifxrgrzeubiw
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/order-of-battle-and-individual-research-forum/638165-rkt-leutnant-wilhelm-henz