Ritterkreuzträger of 12. Infanterie-Division / 12. Volksgrenadier-Division

The 12. Infanterie-Division was established in October 1934 in Schwerin as Infanterie-Division Schwerin and formally redesignated the 12. Infanterie-Division on 15 October 1935 as part of the Wehrmacht expansion, initially organized with three Infanterie-Regimenter, an Artillerie-Regiment, and supporting Aufklärungs-, Panzerjäger-, Pionier-, and Nachrichten-Abteilungen in the standard pre-war Infanterie-Division structure; it participated in the Invasion of Poland in September 1939 and the Battle of France in 1940 before being committed to Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 as part of Army Group Center, where it fought in the battles of Smolensk, the advance on Moscow, the Rzhev salient, and subsequent defensive operations on the Eastern Front, enduring heavy casualties that necessitated multiple reorganizations and reductions in manpower and equipment over the following years; following further severe losses in 1944, the division was withdrawn to Germany and reformed in September–October 1944 as the 12. Volksgrenadier-Division, a late-war infantry formation typically featuring a simplified two-Grenadier-Regiment structure with enhanced automatic weaponry, younger conscripts, and Volkssturm reinforcements, and it was then deployed to the Western Front where it fought in the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest and the Ardennes Offensive under the 5. Panzer-Armee before retreating into central Germany and ultimately being destroyed or captured during the final collapse of the Reich in the spring of 1945.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER

Generalleutnant Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow (1892-1961) was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 August 1940 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 89 within the 12. Infanterie-Division for his outstanding leadership during the campaign in France, where, despite having been wounded by a shell splinter in the earlier Polish campaign, he personally led his Bataillone from the foremost line with exceptional boldness and disregard for enemy fire, most notably during the successful attack across the Scarpe river at Monchy east of Arras on 23 May 1940 that enabled his regiment to achieve its objectives rapidly and with minimal losses. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 21 October 1941, the 37th such award, still serving as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 89 now subordinated to the 16. Armee of Heeresgruppe Nord, for his decisive actions during the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, including breaking through the Soviet border fortifications east of Schoßbach and leading his regiment on a rapid 65-kilometre advance to reach the objective at Szeszupa, forming a bridgehead over the Njemen during the assault on Kowno while capturing two forts against determined resistance from Soviet Kyrgyzstani and Tatar regiments, distinguishing his unit in hard fighting near Putoschka on 15–16 July 1941, and subsequently securing the line Nikitina–Kokotschina from which he repelled repeated Soviet tank-supported breakthrough attempts, thereby contributing significantly to the encirclement of several enemy divisions near Newel. Lützow later commanded the 12. Infanterie-Division and was taken prisoner by Soviet forces during Operation Bagration near Bobruysk in 1944.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)