Heinz-Oskar Laebe

Heinz-Oskar Laebe
Born	5 February 1913 Peine, Lower Saxony
Died	15 February 1999 (aged 86) Peine
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Polizei, Heer
Years of service	1932–45
Rank	Oberst
Unit	11. Infanterie-Division
Commands held	Grenadier-Regiment 44
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Heinz Oskar Laebe (5 February 1913 – 15 February 1999) was a highly decorated infantry officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II who was one of only 882 recipients who were awarded 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.

Career

Heinz-Oskar Laebe joined the Polizei (police force) of Hamburg in 1932 and was promoted to Leutnant of the Prussian Landespolizei on 1 January 1935.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (2 October 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (10 July 1940)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black (17 March 1943)
• Eastern Front Medal (1 August 1942)
• Infantry Assault Badge in Silver
• Close Combat Clasp in Bronze (8 June 1944)
• Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (28 March 1943)^[1]
• Armband Courland (20 April 1945)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 7 March 1944 as Major and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 44^[2]
  • 854th Oak Leaves on 29 April 1945 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 44^{[3][Note 1]}

Notes

1. Heinz-Oskar Laebe's nomination was prepared for signature by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) by the end of the war. According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation date is an assumption of the AKCR. Laebe was a member of the AKCR.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 1.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 282.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 103.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 151.

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

• "Heinz-Oskar Laebe". World War 2 Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
• "Heinz-Oskar Laebe". Ritterkreuzträger 1939-45 (in German). Retrieved 20 September 2011.
• "Heinz-Oskar Laebe". Lexikon der Wehrmacht (in German). Retrieved 20 September 2011.