Ritterkreuzträger who was KIA (Killed in Action)

 1944

Oberleutnant der Reserve Joachim Hundert (1920-1944), a highly decorated German officer of the Wehrmacht, met his end on August 9, 1944, near Głazów in Poland at the young age of 24. Born on January 22, 1920, in Mayen, he rose through the ranks as a reserve officer, ultimately serving as Oberleutnant der Reserve and leader of the 5th Company in Grenadier-Regiment 124. His bravery on the Eastern Front earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) on December 31, 1942, along with other honors such as the Iron Cross. In the fierce defensive battles of summer 1944, amid the Soviet advance, Hundert was killed in action. He was buried at the Gusthof Sobotka-Szlachecha.

Source :
https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/83/ritterkreuz-des-eisernen-kreuzes.htm

Ritterkreuzträger who was Killed in an Accident

 PLANE CRASH

Generaloberst Eduard Dietl (1890-1944). On 23 June 1944, Generaloberst Dietl, the highly decorated commander of the 20. Gebirgsarmee and recipient of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern, perished in a tragic aviation accident when the Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft carrying him, along with General der Infanterie Thomas-Emil von Wickede, General der Gebirgstruppe Karl Eglseer, Generalleutnant Franz Rossi, and several crew members, crashed into a mountainside near the village of Rettenegg in Reichsgau Steiermark amid poor weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of all aboard just two days after his fifty-third birthday as he returned from operations in the northern theater.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Knight%27s_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross_recipients

The Funeral of Hans-Valentin Hube

The death of Hans-Valentin Hube on 21 April 1944 came as a sudden and tragic blow to the German Wehrmacht at a moment when its armored forces on the Eastern Front were under increasing strain. Hube, a battle-hardened general who had lost his right arm during the First World War and earned the enduring nickname “Der Mensch” or “The Man” from his troops for his tough yet fair and courageous leadership, had just reached a pinnacle of recognition. On 20 April, he had been summoned to the Obersalzberg to join Adolf Hitler’s 55th birthday celebrations. There, in a personal audience, Hitler awarded him the rare Diamonds to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross—one of only twenty-seven such distinctions granted during the entire war—and promoted him to the rank of Generaloberst. The honors were bestowed in acknowledgment of Hube’s masterful command of the 16th Panzer Division in the early campaigns against the Soviet Union, his leadership of XIV Panzer Corps during the defense of Sicily and the Salerno landings, and above all his skillful extrication of the 1st Panzer Army from the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket earlier that spring, an operation that saved tens of thousands of German soldiers and their equipment from certain destruction. Rumors even circulated within the high command that Hitler had briefly considered elevating Hube to Commander-in-Chief of the Army itself, though that appointment was ultimately postponed. 

The following morning, 21 April, Hube boarded a Heinkel He 111 transport plane at Reichenhall-Berchtesgaden Airport in Ainring, near Salzburg, intending to fly back to his headquarters on the Eastern Front to resume command of the 1st Panzer Army. The aircraft lifted off normally but crashed shortly after takeoff into the mountainous terrain a few miles from Berchtesgaden. All aboard perished except for Walther Hewel, a senior diplomat traveling on the same flight, who survived with severe injuries. Hube’s adjutant, Major von Schwanenfeld, had been spared only because he was on personal leave and had not joined the flight. The wreckage yielded few intact remains; the sole clearly identifiable fragment of Hube’s body was his black metal prosthetic right arm, a grim reminder of the wound he had carried since 1916. Official reports classified the crash as an accident, yet the timing—mere hours after Hitler’s birthday festivities and amid growing paranoia within the Nazi leadership—prompted quiet speculation among some officers about possible sabotage, echoes later with the still-unexplained plane crash that would killed Generaloberst Eduard Dietl two months after. No concrete evidence ever emerged to support foul play, and the incident was accepted as one of the many wartime tragedies that claimed senior commanders without warning. Hitler himself was reportedly shaken by the news and, in the weeks before his own death in 1945, continued to lament the loss of “Der Mensch,” describing Hube as one of the three finest commanders produced by the Second World War and a general whose straightforward reliability could always be counted upon in the fiercest fighting. 

Hube’s passing was accorded the full solemnity of a state funeral, reflecting both his personal standing with Hitler and the regime’s desire to honor a figure whose battlefield record had become emblematic of determined resistance. On 26 April 1944, exactly five days after the crash, a grand ceremony took place in Berlin. Hube’s coffin, draped with a swastika flag, lay in state within the Reich Chancellery, where it was viewed by senior Nazi officials and military leaders. Adolf Hitler attended in person, a rare gesture by that stage of the war that underscored the depth of the Führer’s regard for the fallen general. Heinz Guderian, himself a legendary panzer commander and one of Hube’s closest comrades in the armored branch, delivered the eulogy, paying tribute to Hube’s tactical brilliance, his unyielding spirit, and the personal example he had set for the troops under his command. A guard of honor composed of four fellow generals—Walther Nehring, Hermann Breith, Heinrich Eberbach, and Hans Gollnick—stood vigil beside the coffin throughout the service, their presence a visible symbol of the respect Hube commanded within the officer corps. Following the formal rites, Hube was laid to rest with full military honors at the Invalidenfriedhof, the historic Invalids’ Cemetery in Berlin’s Mitte district. His grave lies near those of other prominent figures from the Nazi era, including the Luftwaffe aces Ernst Udet and Werner Mölders, Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau, Gestapo chief Reinhard Heydrich, and armaments minister Fritz Todt. 

The funeral marked the end of a remarkable military career that had spanned two world wars and seen Hube rise from a young infantry officer to one of the Wehrmacht’s most capable armored leaders. His death removed from the battlefield a commander whose innovative tactics and personal courage had repeatedly turned potential disasters into orderly withdrawals, most notably during the desperate fighting at Stalingrad and in the Ukraine. In the broader context of the collapsing German war effort, Hube’s loss was felt acutely by both the high command and the ordinary soldiers who had served under him; many recalled his habit of appearing at the front lines, directing operations with one hand while maintaining an almost superhuman calm amid chaos. Though the precise circumstances of the crash remain shrouded in the fog of wartime records, the state funeral and the public mourning that accompanied it ensured that Hans-Valentin Hube’s name would endure as a symbol of steadfast duty in the final, bitter phase of the conflict. 

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944 (Hube himself died in a plane crash 5 days earlier). This photo was taken by Eitel Lange and shows Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) flanking the bereaved family, who are likely the widow or children of the deceased. In the front row, we can also see three Wehrmacht Marshals sitting at the left end: Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch (Generalinspekteur der Luftwaffe), Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge (Führerreserve Oberkommando des Heeres), and Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef Oberkommando der Wehrmacht). Meanwhile, sitting in the back row, from left to right: General der Flieger Günther Korten (Chef des Generalstabes der Luftwaffe), Generaloberst Friedrich Fromm (Chef der Heeresrüstung und Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres), Konteradmiral Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer (Adjutant der Kriegsmarine beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), SS-Obergruppenführer Julius Schaub (Chefadjutant der Führer), and Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt (Chefadjutant der Wehrmacht beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht).



The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) flanking the bereaved family, who are likely the widow or children of the deceased. In the background we can see Reichsminister Dr. Joseph Goebbels and Reichskommissar Dr. Arthur Seyss-Inquart.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Honored guests at the memorial service, front row from left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Hans-Günther von Kluge (Führerreserve), Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Polizei), Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine), and Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef Oberkommando der Wehrmacht). In the back row between Kluge and Himmler is General der Infanterie Joachim von Kortzfleisch (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando III. Armeekorps in Berlin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis III), while the man with his head bowed between Dönitz and Keitel is Generaloberst Hermann Hoth (Führerreserve).

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. The military attachés of the foreign countries were honored guests at this state ceremony. The picture was taken by Ernst Schwahn.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. The military attachés of the foreign countries were honored guests at this state ceremony.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) saluting the deceased. Hitler rarely attended a funeral (especially late in the war), unless the deceased was considered a really important person. So special was Hube's favor in Hitler's eyes that he made the time to attend this ceremony.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) delivered the eulogy, while generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin. From left to right: General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (Führerreserve), General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps), General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps), and General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (Inspekteur der Panzertruppe beim Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres). The picture was taken by Eitel Lange and was first published on 3 May 1944.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) performing the marshall salute, while generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin. From left to right: General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps), General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (Inspekteur der Panzertruppe beim Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres), General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (blocked by Eberbach, Führerreserve), and General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps). Two panzer officers are holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) performing the Hitler salute at Hube's lying in state, while generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin. From left to right: General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps), General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (Inspekteur der Panzertruppe beim Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres), General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (Führerreserve), and General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps). Two panzer officers are holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow). This picture was first published in "Das 12 Uhr Blatt", 27 April 1944 edition.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) performing the Hitler salute at Hube's lying in state, while generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin. From left to right: General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (Führerreserve), General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps), General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps), and General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (Inspekteur der Panzertruppe beim Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres).

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin, carried by non-commissioned officers of the Panzertruppen, to the gun carriage after the state ceremony at the Neue Reichskanzlei. The two escort generals at left are General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (Führerreserve) and General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps), while the two escort generals at right are General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps) and General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (Inspekteur der Panzertruppe beim Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres). The picture was taken by Ernst Schwahn.

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin, carried by non-commissioned officers of the Panzertruppen, to the gun carriage after the state ceremony at the Neue Reichskanzlei. The two escort generals at left are General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (Führerreserve) and General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps), while the two escort generals at right are General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps) and General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (Inspekteur der Panzertruppe beim Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres).

The funeral ceremony of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube which was held in Berlin on 26 April 1944. Generals and recipients of high and highest decorations for bravery escort the coffin, carried by non-commissioned officers of the Panzertruppen, to the gun carriage after the state ceremony at the Neue Reichskanzlei. The two escort generals at left are General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (Führerreserve) and General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring (Kommandierender General XXIV. Panzerkorps). In the center behind the coffin is Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), while at far right is Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge (Führerreserve).

From left to right: Unknown Heer officer, General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps), Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt (Chefadjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando II. Armeekorps in Stettin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis II), and General der Infanterie Joachim von Kortzfleisch (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando III. Armeekorps in Berlin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis III). The picture was taken during the funeral of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube in Berlin, 26 April 1944.

The grave of Hans-Valentin Hube at the Invalidenfriedhof, Berlin. The cemetery address is Scharnhorststraße 25 (or sometimes listed as 9 or 33 in sources), 10115 Berlin-Mitte, near the Berlin-Spandauer-Schifffahrtskanal. Coordinates for the cemetery: approx. 52.53194°N, 13.37111°E. It is open to the public and one of Berlin's oldest cemeteries (founded 1748), historically used for Prussian military veterans and later notable figures. Hube's grave still exists and can be visited. The original tombstone was replaced in 2000 (a simpler or restitution-style marker is now there), but the burial site remains undisturbed. Photos from 2007 and 2013 show the grave marker in the cemetery.

Source:
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 713 - 3 May 1944
David Stahel, Hitler’s Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023)
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/36625/dee40d08bd916e4c667770046a213080/
https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/?q=hans%20hube&mode=gallery&view=horizontal
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=hans+hube#
https://www.bpk-bildagentur.de/shop
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/10/album-foto-terbaik-hans-valentin-hube.html
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Valentin_Hube 
www.findagrave.com/memorial/31534926/hans-valentin-hube
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/huber-hans-valentin-officer-colonel-general-germany29-10-news-photo/543888483
www.ww2gravestone.com/people/hube-hans-valentine-der-mensch/

The Death of Fallschirmjäger Walter Koch (1943)

On 23 October 1943, Oberstleutnant Walter Koch, one of the most celebrated commanders of the German Fallschirmjäger, died at the age of thirty-three in a Berlin hospital from injuries sustained in a road accident while convalescing from earlier wounds received in combat. Koch had risen rapidly through the ranks of the Luftwaffe’s airborne forces, earning the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his audacious leadership of the glider-borne assault on Fort Eben-Emael and the Albert Canal bridges during the 1940 invasion of Belgium. By 1941 he commanded the first battalion of the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment during the airborne invasion of Crete, where he was wounded in the head while fighting for Hill 107 near Maleme airfield. Promoted to Oberstleutnant in April 1942, he took command of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 and led it into the Tunisian campaign in late 1942. There, in the fighting around Depienne airfield, his troops captured British paratroopers of the 2nd Parachute Battalion. Koch personally intervened to prevent their summary execution under Hitler’s infamous Commando Order, ordering medics to treat the wounded prisoners, providing them with food, water, and cigarettes, and ensuring they were sent to a prisoner-of-war camp rather than shot. His open criticism of the order, combined with his refusal to carry it out, reportedly led to his placement in the Führerreserve upon his return to Germany.

While recovering from a head wound—accounts differ on whether it stemmed from the earlier Crete fighting or from a subsequent incident during the Tunisian operations—Koch was involved in a motor-vehicle collision. He was rushed to a hospital in Berlin, where, despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries on 23 October 1943. Official reports described the death as the result of the traffic accident, yet within his regiment the circumstances quickly became the subject of suspicion. Many of his men believed the “accident” was staged by the SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt as retribution for his outspoken denunciation of the Commando Order and his defiance of Hitler’s directives. No formal investigation ever confirmed foul play, and the precise details of the collision were never publicly clarified, leaving the episode shrouded in the wartime atmosphere of paranoia and reprisal that marked the later years of the Nazi regime. Some contemporary accounts even suggested the injuries may have originated from a plane crash in Tunisia, but the predominant narrative, supported by postwar historical research, centers on the car accident during his convalescence.

Details of Koch’s funeral itself remain sparse in surviving records, as was often the case for officers who died under ambiguous circumstances amid the escalating pressures of total war. No large-scale public ceremony or detailed contemporary press accounts have been preserved, likely because the regime preferred to avoid drawing attention to internal dissent or the suspicious deaths of decorated heroes. What is known is that his body was transported from Berlin to his hometown of Bonn, where he was laid to rest with military honors befitting a Knight’s Cross recipient and a pioneer of airborne warfare. He was interred at the Nordfriedhof (North Cemetery) in Bonn, in the designated war-graves section, specifically Section 16, Graves 7/8. The grave was later shared with his wife Marie (sometimes referred to in records as Berta Koch-Bucholz, whom he had married in 1937), who survived him by nearly three decades and was buried beside him upon her death on 14 November 1972 at the age of eighty-seven. Nearby in the same war-graves area lies the grave of General der Infanterie Kurt Kühme. Postwar, the site became a quiet place of remembrance; one documented gesture came from a former Allied opponent—referred to in some accounts simply as “Beachy”—who, years after the conflict, arranged for remembrance crosses to be placed on Koch’s grave as a mark of respect between former adversaries.

Koch’s death marked the end of a remarkable but tragically brief career that had helped define the early successes and brutal realities of German airborne operations. From the daring glider assaults of 1940 to the desperate fighting in North Africa, he embodied the aggressive spirit of the Fallschirmjäger while also demonstrating a measure of humanity that set him apart from the regime he served. The lingering questions surrounding his final days—whether accident or assassination—have ensured that his story continues to intrigue historians and veterans alike, even as his final resting place in Bonn remains a modest testament to a soldier whose life was cut short in the shadow of suspicion and secrecy.

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. A former member of Sonderverband 288 is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).



Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Source:  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/koch-walter/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Koch_(paratrooper)
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/23975/Koch-Walter.htm
https://tellthemofus.uk/oberstleutnant-walter-koch-kommandeur-fllschirmjaeger-regiment-5.  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/order-of-battle-and-individual-research-forum/14174987-whose-medals-are-these
Quarrie, Bruce. *German Airborne Troops 1939–45*. Osprey Publishing, 1983 (cited in relation to Koch’s career and death circumstances)
Quarrie, Bruce. *Fallschirmjäger: German Paratrooper 1935–45*. Osprey Warrior Series 38, Osprey Publishing, 2001
Kurowski, Franz. *Deutsche Fallschirmjäger 1939–1945* (various editions; referenced in secondary sources discussing Koch’s North African actions and subsequent fate)

Ritterkreuzträger who Died in Stalingrad

KIA (KILLED IN ACTION)

Hermann Seitz (19 April 1902 - 20 December 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 12 April 1942 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20 (motorisiert) / 126.Infanterie-Division
Eichenlaub #140 on 31 October 1942 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 63 / 17.Panzer-Division
KIA 20.12.1942 near Gromoslawka in the Stalingrad area.



Georg Hesse (30 September 1907 - 22 September 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 31 December 1941 as Major and Führer III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment (motorisiert) 120 / 60.Infanterie-Division (motorisiert)
KIA 22.09.1942 in the Stalingrad area.



Bruno Chrobeck (9 October 1895 - 10 December 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 4 July 1940 as Major and Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 54 / 18.Infanterie-Division
KIA 10.12.1942 near Dimitriyevka in the Stalingrad area.



Franz Berger (6 August 1916 - 29 December 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 19 July 1940 as Feldwebel der Reserve and Stoßtruppführer in 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 130 / 45.Infanterie-Division
KIA 29.12.1942 near Rasguljajewka Station in the center of Stalingrad.



Hans-Georg Brandt (4 November 1903 - 4 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 22 January 1943 (posthumously) as Oberstleutnant and Führer Infanterie-Regiment 577 / 305.Infanterie-Division
KIA 04.01.1943 in the north of Stalingrad.



Wilhelm "Willi" Braun (6 February 1902 - 22 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 20 January 1943 as Major and Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 576 / 305.Infanterie-Division
KIA 22.01.1943 in the north of Stalingrad.



Alexander von Hartmann (11 December 1890 - 26 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 8 October 1942 as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 71. Infanterie-Division
KIA 26.01.1943 during the Battle of Stalingrad. Before his death Hartmann stated, "I intend to go to my infantry in the front line...I will seek death among their ranks. Captivity for a general is dishonourable." He was killed instantly when he was shot in the head while standing upright on the railway embankment firing "shot after shot from his rifle.".



Wilhelm Henz (1 October 1915 - 30 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 8 August 1941 as Leutnant and Führer 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division
KIA 30.01.1943 during the escape attempt in Stalingrad.



Alfred Franke (20 September 1918 - 9 September 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 29 October 1942 (posthumously) as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer in 2.Staffel / I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53)
KIA 09.09.1942 in the north of Stalingrad after dog-fighting with a Soviet Il-2 Shturmovik flown by Kapitan Pavel S. Vinogradov (694 IAP, 228 ShAD).



Berthold Grassmuck (13 January 1917 - 18 October 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 19 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer in 2.Staffel / I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52)
KIA 18.10.1942 after his aircraft was shot down by Soviet Flak over Stalingrad.



Fritz Bliesener (24 January 1920 - 25 November 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 20 December 1941 as Leutnant and Flugzeugführer in 5.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 55 (KG 55)
KIA 25.11.1942 during bombing mission in the Great Don Bend, Stalingrad.

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MIA (MISSING IN ACTION)


Dr.med.dent. Paul Gloger (2 April 1896 - 18 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 25 January 1943 as Major and Kommandeur Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 244
MIA 18.01.1943 in Stalingrad (based on his Personalakte and Volksbund database).



Hermann Dormann (11 October 1912 - 22 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 4 January 1943 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 64 / 16.Panzer-Division
MIA 22.01.1943. His name has been added to the German War Cemetery Rossosjka.



Josef Galle (7 January 1914 - 28 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 25 January 1943 as Wachtmeister and Geschutzführer in 3.Batterie / Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 244
MIA 28.01.1943 after captured by the Soviets during the fighting in Stalingrad.



Wilhelm Böck / Boeck (15 March 1897 - 23 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 20 January 1943 as Oberst and Kommandeur Artillerie-Regiment 176 / 76.Infanterie-Division
MIA 23.01.1943 in Stalingrad and officially declared dead in 1953.



Ludwig Häfner (17 February 1921 - 10 November 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 21 December 1942 (posthumously) as Leutnant and Flugzeugführer in 6.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) "Udet"
MIA 10.11.1942 with Bf 109G-2 Werknummer 13631 coded "Yellow 6" while undertaking a low level attack on a Russian airfield at Kolobovka, 80 km east of Stalingrad when hit by Anti-Aircraft fire.

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DOW (DIED OF WOUNDS)


Alfred Engfer (30 November 1915 - 3 September 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 13 September 1942 (posthumously) as Hauptmann and Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 523 / 297.Infanterie-Division
DOW 03.09.1942 in the Kriegslazerett VIII/533 at Konstantinovka, after severely wounded at Stalingrad on 01.09.1942.



Dr.jur. Adolf Baum (28 October 1916 - 4 December 1942)
Ritterkreuz on 21 December 1942 (posthumously) as Oberleutnant and Chef 5.Batterie / Flak-Regiment 37 (motorisiert)
DOW 04.12.1942 in the Lazarett Krakau, Poland, after severely wounded at Stalingrad.

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SUICIDE

Günther Angern (5 March 1893 - 2 February 1943)
Ritterkreuz on 7 August 1940 as Oberst and Kommandeur 11.Schützen-Brigade / 11.Panzer-Division
Committed suicide 02.02.1943 after the failure of the plan of escaping the encirclement by passing through the frontlines wearing captured Red Army uniforms accompanied by Russian Hiwis.

Source :
"Island Of Fire: The Battle For the Barrikady Gun Factory In Stalingrad November 1942 - February 1943" by Jason D. Mark
https://aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?s=300&q=france&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_type=&search_only=
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/02/daftar-peraih-ritterkreuz-dalam.html
https://www.armedconflicts.com/Gloger-Paul-t184397
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/1100778333892432359/
http://www.jg52.net/ritterkreuztraeger/berthold-grasmuck/
http://www.rathay-biographien.de/persoenlichkeiten/G/Galle_Josef/galle_josef.htm
https://www.stalingrad.net/german-hq/knight-cross-winners/knightcrosskia.htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/search.asp?q=STALINGRAD
https://web.archive.org/web/20110104203633/http://ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Luftwaffe/Startseite-Luftwaffe.htm
https://wiki.ibb.town/Hermann_Dormann

Bio of Generalmajor Max Lemke (1895-1985)

Max Lemke

Date of Birth: 07.04.1895 - Schwedt/Oder, Brandenburg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 29.05.1985 - Hannover, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Buried: Stadtfriedhof Seelhorst beigesetzt; Feld A 20, Grab 162/163

Battles and Operations: Battle of France (1940), Operation Barbarossa (1941), Battle of Białystok–Minsk (1941), Battle of Smolensk (1941), Battle of Moscow (1941), Battle of Kursk (1943), Operation Bagration (1944), Bobruysk Offensive (1944), Courland Pocket (1944), East Prussian Offensive (1944-1945), Battle of the Oder-Neisse (1945), and Battle of Bautzen (1945)

Promotions:
00.01.1918 Leutnant der Reserve
01.07.1936 Oberleutnant der Reserve
01.03.1937 Rittmeister (E)
01.07.1940 Major
01.09.1942 Oberstleutnant
01.09.1943 Oberst
20.04.1945 Generalmajor

Career:
01.08.1914 Entered Army Service (Reserves)
01.08.1914 - 00.00.1914 War Volunteer in the Königs-Ulanen-Regiment (1. Hannoversches) Nr. 13
00.00.1914 - 00.00.1918 Platoon-Leader & Ordinance-Officer with the Regiment-Staff with Cavalry, Infantry & Mortar Units
18.12.1918 Retired from the military
00.02.1935 Entered Army Service (Reserves)
00.02.1935 - 01.03.1937 Reserve-Officer-Exercise with the 8th Motor-Transport-Battalion
01.03.1937 Supplemental-Officer
01.03.1937 - 26.08.1939 Adjutant Ausbildungsleiter Berlin 3 / Landwehrkommandeur Berlin
26.08.1939 - 01.12.1939 Adjutant Infanterie-Regiment 386 / 218.Infanterie-Division
01.12.1939 Active-Officer
01.12.1939 - 00.03.1941 Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 218
00.03.1941 - 26.01.1943 Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17
26.01.1943 - 19.10.1944 Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25
19.10.1944 - 15.11.1944 15. Divisionsführer-Lehrgang in Hirschberg
15.11.1944 - 05.01.1945 Führerreserve
05.01.1945 - 22.01.1945 Führer 7. Panzer-Division
09.02.1945 - 12.05.1945 Führer Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 "Hermann Göring"
12.05.1945 - 18.06.1945 In Captivity
18.06.1945 Released

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.191_ 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.191_ 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.193_ Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914-1918
00.00.193_ Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV.Klasse (4 jahre)
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 (Sudetenland Medal)
00.00.19__ 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
18.10.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Major and Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17 / 17.Infanterie-Division
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
23.06.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

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Max Lemke joined the cavalry as a military volunteer on May 12, 1914 in the Uhlan Regiment 13 (Hannover) and served as an officer in the First World War. In January 1918 he became a lieutenant in the reserve and left the army on December 18, 1918.

In March 1937 he was reactivated as a captain (E) (patented on May 1, 1934) and became an adjutant to the Berlin 3 training manager at the Berlin Landwehr commander. On September 1, 1939, he joined the 386 Infantry Regiment in the 218th Infantry Division as an adjutant. In December 1939 he took over Aufklärungs-Abteilung 218, which had been set up by the Landwehr Commander in Berlin. With the dissolution of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 218 on March 17, 1942, he became head of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17. On September 1, 1942, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

From January 16, 1943 he was commander of the 25th Panzer Grenadier Regiment and became a colonel here on September 1, 1943. From October 8, 1944 to November 15, 1944 he took part in a division commander course.

He commanded the 7th Panzer Division from January 5th to 23rd, 1945. From February 9th until the end of the war he was commander of the parachute tank division “1. Hermann Goering.” In February 1945 the division fought under his leadership first in the Lower Silesian Operation and then from mid to late April 1945 in the Cottbus-Potsdam Operation. On April 20, 1945 he was promoted to major general.

He was a POW from 12 May 1945 until 18 June 1945. After the war he was an active member of the "Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger" (Association of Knight's Cross Recipients) and a scientific representative in Hanover. Weeks before his death, he celebrated his 90th birthday on Sunday, April 7, 1985 in the Hanover-Kleefeld retirement home in the company of around 130 invited guests, relatives, friends, comrades and acquaintances.

Generalmajor a.D. Max Lemke, the last living member of the King's Uhlan Regiment (1st Hannoversches) No. 13, died in Hanover in 1985 and, like his wife, was buried in the Seelhorst city cemetery; Final grave location: field A 20, grave 162/163. The gravestone has since been removed (as of 2018). A parade of honor from the Bundeswehr marched in front of the big funeral procession, followed by comrades from the OdR Hanover section at the widow's side.

Max Lemke as a Major with the Ritterkreuz.



Max Lemke.



Max Lemke.



At least three Ritterkreuzträger are shown in this picture: Oberst Max Lemke (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 / 12.Panzer-Division), Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord), and General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps). The SS officer behind Lemke is DKiGträger SS-Hauptsturmführer Rudolph Maeker (Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord). The picture was probably taken in February 1944 during the visit of Field Marshal model to the operational area of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 near Leningrad.


Officers of Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 "Hermann Göring". From left to right: unknown, Major Karl Roßmann (Kommandeur Fallschirm-Panzer-Regiment "Hermann Göring"), Oberleutnant Rupert Kraus (Führer 2.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / Fallschirm-Panzer-Regiment "Hermann Göring"), and Oberst Max Lemke (Führer Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 "Hermann Göring"). The picture was taken between February 1945 and April 1945.



Retired SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille received the 1957 version of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten (Knight's Cross with the oak leaves, swords and diamonds) from the OdR (Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger e. V.) in November 1958. Retired Generalmajor Max Lemke puts on the high order.



The news about the death of retired Generalmajor Max Lemke.

Ritterkreuz action of Max Lemke.

Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis (Preliminary Certificate) of Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (18 October 1941) and Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (23 June 1942) for Major Max Lemke (Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17 / 17.Infanterie-Division).

Source :
https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/max-lemke_2C54AF3802
https://www.andreas-thies.de/auktionen/70-751582
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Lemke,_Max
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Lemke
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor2/LEMKE_MAX.html
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Max_Lemke
https://reibert.info/threads/fotografii-voennosluzhaschix-vermaxta-s-rycarskim-krestom-zheleznogo-kresta.319758/page-86
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/11086/Lemke-Max.htm
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-uniforms-and-equipment/luftwaffe-flying-corps-uniforms-traditions-and-equipment/675711-interesting-photo-id-officer#post5608633