Otto-Wilhelm Förster

Otto-Wilhelm Förster
Born	16 March 1885 Ilmenau
Died	24 June 1966 (aged 81) Walsrode
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1903–44
Rank	General der Pioniere
Commands held	VI. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Otto-Wilhelm Förster (16 March 1885 – 24 June 1966) was a highly decorated General der Pioniere in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery and successful military leadership. Otto-Wilhelm Förster retired from active duty in January 1944. He was taken prisoner by the Soviet Union and held until 1955.

Awards and decorations

• Knight's Cross Second Class of the Order of the White Falcon with Swords (Weimar)
• Wilhelm Ernst War Cross (Saxe-Meiningen)
• Cross for Merit in War (Saxe-Meiningen)
• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
• Knight's Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 April 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 93. Infanterie-Division ^[1]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 343.

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.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Otto-Wilhelm Förster @ Axis Biographical Research at the Wayback Machine (archived October 28, 2009)