Hans Reichardt

Hans Reichardt
Born	18 April 1904 Kirchberg
Died	2 February 1945 (aged 36) Steinau an der Oder
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1923–45
Rank	Oberst
Commands held	Kampfgruppe Steinau of the 408. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive Hube's Pocket Vistula-Oder Offensive †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Hans Ludwig Reichardt (18 April 1904 – 2 February 1945) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Hans Reichardt was killed on 2 February 1945 in Steinau an der Oder, during the Vistula-Oder Offensive. He was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 5 March 1945.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (15 May 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (16 May 1940)^[1]
• Wound Badge
  • in Black or in Silver
• Eastern Front Medal
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 24 July 1941 as Major and commander of III./Infanterie-Regiment 192^[2]
  • 762nd Oak Leaves on 5 March 1945 as Oberst and commander of Kampfgruppe Steinau of the 408. Infanterie-Division^[3]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 6 February 1945

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 187.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 286.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 81.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht