Josef-August Fitz

Josef-August Fitz
Born	9 January 1910 Lustenau, Austria-Hungary
Died	1 January 1977 (aged 66) Innsbruck-Arzl
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer Luftwaffe
Years of service	1937–45
Rank	Oberstleutnant
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Josef-August Fitz (9 January 1910 - 1 January 1977) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient 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.

Awards and decorations

• Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar (31 October 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (23 October 1942)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
  • in Gold (21 December 1942)
• General Assault Badge (21 April 1941)
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
  • in Silver
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 11 December 1942 as Hauptmann and commander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 74^[2]
  • 511th Oak Leaves on 24 June 1944 as Major and commander of I./Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 "Hermann Göring"^[2][3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 168.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 310.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 84.

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 (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.

External links

• "Josef-August Fitz". Lexikon der Wehrmacht (in German). Retrieved 17 February 2011.