Wilhelm Antrup

Wilhelm Antrup
Born	1 February 1910 Leeden
Died	14 November 1984 (aged 74) Neubiberg
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr)
Years of service	1935–45 1956–68
Rank	Oberstleutnant (Wehrmacht) Brigadegeneral (Bundeswehr)
Unit	Condor Legion Kampfgeschwader 55
Commands held	Kampfgeschwader 55
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of the Netherlands Battle of Belgium Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of the Caucasus Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wilhelm "Willy" Antrup (1 February 1910 – 14 November 1984) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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. Wilhelm Antrup was captured by American troops in May 1945.

In 1956, joined the post war Luftwaffe of the new founded Bundeswehr as an Oberst.^[1] In 1964, he became commander of the Höhere Technische Schule der Luftwaffe (Higher Technical School of the Luftwaffe), which was reorganized to the Technische Akademie der Luftwaffe (Technical Academy of the Luftwaffe) on June 1, 1966. His rank was Brigadegeneral. Antrup was retired in March 1968.^[2]

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (2 January 1942)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 13 November 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 5./Kampfgeschwader 55^[3][4]
  • 655th Oak Leaves on 18 November 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 55^[3][5]

References

Citations

1. ANTRUP, Wilhelm "Willy", ww2awards.com
2. Training institutions of the Luftwaffe
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 193.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 100.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 77.

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.
• Kaiser, Jochen (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger—Band 1 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Bomber Fliers—Volume 1] (in German and English). Bad Zwischenahn, Germany: Luftfahrtverlag-Start. ISBN 978-3-941437-07-4.
• 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

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945