Willy Langkeit

Willy Langkeit
Born	2 June 1907 Schuchten
Died	27 October 1969 (aged 62) Bad Bramstedt
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Heer Bundesgrenzschutz
Years of service	1924–45 1951–67
Rank	Generalmajor (Wehrmacht) Brigadegeneral (Bundesgrenzschutz)
Commands held	Panzer Division "Kurmark"
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Brody (1941) Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Rostov (1941) Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Kursk Battle of Smolensk (1943) Lower Dnieper Offensive First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive Battle of the Seelow Heights Battle of Halbe
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Willy Langkeit (2 June 1907 – 27 October 1969) was an Generalmajor 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. Willy Langkeit was taken prisoner by American troops in May 1945 and transferred to British custody later that month. He was held until 1947 and later joined the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guards) in 1951, retiring in 1967.

Willy Langkeit, 2nd from left

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (10 November 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (30 August 1940)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
• Eastern Front Medal
• Panzer Badge
  • in Silver
  • Level II (25)
  • Level III (50)
  • Level IV (75) (30 April 1945)
• Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class (30 May 1944)
• German Cross in Gold on 1 July 1942 as Major in the II./Panzer-Regiment 36^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 9 December 1942 as Major and commander of I./Panzer-Regiment 36^[3]
  • 348th Oak Leaves on 7 December 1943 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Panzer-Regiment 36^[4]
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Order of St. John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg)

See also

• List of officers and commanders in the Battle of Stalingrad

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 10.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 269.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 233.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 65.

Bibliography

• Erlau, Peter (1964). Flucht aus der weissen Hoelle, Kulturhistorischer Verlag Dr. Riegler, Stuttgart.
• 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.
• Kurowski, Franz (2010). Panzer Aces III: German Tank Commanders in Combat in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA USA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0654-4.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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
• "Bundesgrenzschutz-Bitte Einmarsch". Der Spiegel (in German). 1953. Retrieved 2 September 2015.