Wilhelm Schmalz

Wilhelm Schmalz
Born	1 March 1901 Reußen
Died	14 March 1983 (aged 82) Braunfels
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer Luftwaffe
Years of service	1919–45
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring Fallschirm-Panzer-Korps Hermann Göring
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Voronezh (1942) Allied invasion of Sicily Allied invasion of Italy Operation Shingle Operation Diadem Lublin–Brest Offensive Battle of Radzymin (1944) Gumbinnen Operation Vistula–Oder Offensive Heiligenbeil Pocket Battle of Bautzen (1945)
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wilhelm Schmalz (1 March 1901 – 14 March 1983) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients 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. Wilhelm Schmalz was captured by American troops in May 1945, he was accused of war crimes in Italy, but after 5 years the charges were dropped.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (14 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (16 October 1939)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal
• Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe
• German Cross in Gold on 8 February 1942 as Major in Kradschützen-Bataillon 59^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 28 November 1940 as Major and commander of I./Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 11^[3]
  • 358th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1943 as Oberst and commander of Panzerbrigade z.b.V. der Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring"^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 262.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 410.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 308.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 65.

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.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color III Radusch – Zwernemann] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-22-5.
• 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

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht