Karl Heinz Lichte

Karl Heinz Lichte
Born	28 August 1920 Wanne-Eickel, Germany
Died	24 January 2005 (aged 84) Bielefeld, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1940–1945
Rank	Hauptsturmführer
Unit	5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross German Cross in Gold Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class Panzer Badge in Silver Wound Badge in Gold Tank Destruction Badge x 2

Karl Heinz Lichte (28 August 1920 – 24 January 2005) was a Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in the Waffen-SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Karl Heinz Lichte was awarded the Knight's Cross while in command of the 5th Company, 5th SS Panzer Regiment, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking on the 6 May 1945.^{[1][Note 1]}

Notes

1. No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. According to Walther-Peer Fellgiebel the Knight's Cross was presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich, which would make it an unlawful presentation. Fellgiebel states the sources Hermann Buch, the former IIa (personnel administration) of the 2. SS-Division "Das Reich", and Wilhelm Kment, the adjutant of Heinrich Himmler and liaison officer to the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office). Buch had nothing to do with this presentation (note from 25 June 2004). The 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking was not under the command of Dietrich in the respective timeframe. Krätschmer presents a presentation date of 25 March 1945 and von Seemen the 25 April 1945.^[2] Fellgiebel has changed this to the 6 May 1945. It has to be speculated whether Fellgiebel did this to hide the presentation among the Dietrich awards. Unfortunately Karl-Heinz Lichte, member of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR), did nothing to help clarify the situation. Two letters from the general manager of the AKCR had been sent to Lichte, the first on 24 July 2004 and the second on 22 August 2004.^[3]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 290.
2. Von Seemen 1976, p. 222.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 153.

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.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3371-7.
• 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.