Willibald "Willi" Unfried
Date of Birth: 26.06.1919 - Großenried-Feuchtwangen, Bayern (Germany)
Date of Death: 21.07.1994 - Neuendettelsau, Bayern (Germany)
Battles and Operations: Invasion of Yugoslavia (1941), Operation Barbarossa (1941), Crimean Campaign (1941–1942), and Battle of the Kerch Peninsula (1942)
Promotions:
00.00.194_ Feldwebel
Career:
14.08.1940 1.MG-Schütze in 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 213 / 73.Infanterie-Division
Awards and Decorations:
00.09.1941 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.194_ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
04.03.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Gefreiter and 1.MG-Schütze in 9.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 213 / 73.Infanterie-Division. On 15.01.1942 the Infanterie-Regiment 213 launched a counterattack on the town of Bairasch, which was captured after fierce combat. But on the following day the Soviets launched an assault of their own with two regiments at Adzhigol. During this attack it was the actions of Gefreiter Unfried that enabled the enemy forces to be crushed with heavy losses. By his bravery and determination he played a major role in mastering a critical situation and preventing a breakthrough of the German front. For this act, as well as his earlier successes on the Eastern front, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz.
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Bronze
00.00.194_ Krimschild
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Willibald Unfried was born on June 16, 1919 in Großenwied/Feuchtwangen.
On August 14, 1940 he joined the 9th company of the 213th Infantry Regiment, the 73rd Infantry Division and took part in the Balkan and Eastern campaigns. Within his company he was deployed as MG Rifleman 1.
In mid-August 1941 he particularly distinguished himself in a battle near Postolany and was one of the first to conquer the town of Novaya Majachka on September 10, 1941, for which he received the EK II.
In the battles around the Isthmus of Perekop and on the Tatar Wall, he repeatedly distinguished himself by his great bravery and enabled his comrades to advance towards the enemy positions, largely under the protection of their own machine-gun fire.
During the fighting for Kerch, he prevented a Russian counterattack and thus prevented the company from suffering heavy losses. For this he received the Iron Cross 1st Class. The enemy's counterattack near Tambovka on December 31, 1941 could only be prevented by Unfried, as was an attack on Adzhigol on January 16, 1942.
For his bravery and courage, the 22-year-old received the Ritterkreuz on March 4, 1942.
The regimental commander at the time, Oberst Otto Hitzfeld, wrote:
"The leader and supreme commander of the Wehrmacht has awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes to Gefreiter Willibald Unfried. This was awarded to a particularly brave and capable soldier in our regiment. Private Unfried took part in all of the regiment's battles in the east. His intrepidity, which he demonstrated several times, was rewarded. We owe the fact that we were able to achieve great success in attacking and defending against the strongest enemy counterattacks primarily to our incomparable fellow soldiers, especially to the intrepid, tough machine gunners. She was not frightened by the enemy's superior strength or by the incredible hardships of this war with Russia. They are the infantrymen who bear the brunt of the battle, the best soldiers in the world. The high award that Unfried received also recognizes the achievements of all of our brave compatriots in the regiment. But it should also be an incentive for the same soldier virtues. We are all proud and happy with our brave Unfried."
Due to the award of the Ritterkreuz, he was given special leave and was welcomed to his adopted home of Uttenhofen for several days. The following poem was written on the occasion of his visit on May 25, 1942:
Our Ritterkreuzträger
In Crimea - over in the Far East
Our Willibald stood at post with his comrades
So that the homeland can work in peace
Everyone over there is standing his ground today.
Once the Bolsheviks came at seven in the morning
“There’s something to clear out again today!”
That's what our "Willi" thinks and is ready
to give them their final escort.
They had to go back with bloody heads
and our men could breathe again.
They came running a second time
two companies were named.
But they too received a warm welcome
and went as the others had gone before.
But the Russian commissioners didn't give up yet
they constantly chased their men to their deaths.
In the afternoon a whole battalion came,
Our fuses had already gone back to the main battle line.
But our Willibald still remained lying there,
because this was about fighting and winning
"There's still time to go back!"
he thinks and gets ready to welcome the Russians.
A great machine gun and 500 rounds of ammunition,
A whole battalion can come.
He sets aside three drums of 50 each,
to send them a ticket for eternity.
They get closer and closer - they feel alone
and don't even think that there could be a German here.
The tension is extremely nerve-wracking
but he saves it for his effective fire.
Now they are already forming up to attack.
Now do what you can, you son of Franconia!
But it doesn't take long for him to arrive
and spoils the Russians' best trump cards.
The opponent is completely taken by surprise -
Our “Willi” makes sure that no one limps anymore.
But I quickly put another drum on
and held in so that it only stains.
They lie on their stomachs - one then stands up
he also raises his hands - the good man.
"Hello Ruski!" Willi calls her
and shows them the direction with his arm.
30 men come, only a few run away,
"Let them go," thinks Willi, "that's enough for them!"
So he arrives at his company as a victor,
That was a hello - everyone was happy.
Our guide gave him the best reward -
The Knight's Cross now adorns this brave son of Franconia.
He is in our midst today
and I know exactly how happy that makes us.
May heaven continue to protect him
and may the soldier's luck benefit him!
Willibald Unfried died on July 21, 1994 in Neuendettelsau.
Willibald Unfried studio photo.
Willibald Unfried studio photo.
Willibald Unfried with the Ritterkreuz.
Willibald Unfried in a group photo.
A grainy photo of Willibald Unfried.
Ritterkreuzträger Willibald Unfried (holding a bottle) partying with comrades.
Ritterkreuzträger Willibald Unfried (front right) partying with comrades.
Ritterkreuzträger Unteroffizier Willibald Unfried of 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 213 / 73.Infanterie-Division during the attack on the Soviet position near Novorossiysk, a Russian port on the Black Sea, August 1942. He is armed with a captured SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle, against the background of a StuG III Ausf.F (7,5 cm Sturmkanone 40 L/43) from Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 210. Unfried received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 March 1942 for his heroic actions as a machine-gunner during the fierce battles at Bairasch and Adzhigol. Other pictures from this sequence can be seen HERE.
Ritterkreuz Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis (preliminary award document) to Gefreiter Willibald Unfried.
The grave of Willibald Unfried.
Source :
Lionel H. photo collection
Agustin Vazquez photo collection
https://alchetron.com/Willibald-Unfried#willibald-unfried-a220e508-2f51-4f6b-ac41-2d224e35820-resize-750.jpeg
https://www.cafr.ebay.ca/itm/154670848532
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Unfried,_Willibald
https://www.facebook.com/Militaergeschichte18131945/photos/a.109126711510491/124069306682898/?type=3
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=159818&p=1418031&hilit=unfried#p1418031
https://imagesdefense.gouv.fr/fr/catalogsearch/result/?avec_visuel=1&q=unfried
https://imtw.ru/topic/5633-mig-voiny/page__st__50
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Willibald_Unfried
http://www.oakleafmilitaria.com/131pc94.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/38336/Unfried-Willibald-Willi.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20110105190518fw_/http://ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Infanterie/U/Unfried-Willibald.htm
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/photos-and-paper-items-forum/832194-over-10-nice-kc-holders-from-my-collection-to-identify-help-needed/page3#post6515305
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