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Rudolf Witzig
File:Rudolf Witzig.jpgRudolf Witzig
Born	(1916-08-14)14 August 1916 Röhlinghausen in Wanne-Eickel
Died	3 October 2001(2001-10-03) (aged 85) Oberschleißheim
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1935–45, 1956–74
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Commands	I./Fallschirm-Pionier-Regiment 21 Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 18
Battles / wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of Fort Eben-Emael Invasion of Crete Battle of Tunisia Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Rudolf Witzig (14 August 1916 in Röhlinghausen, Wanne-Eickel – 3 October 2001 in Oberschleißheim) was a German Fallschirmjäger during World War II and Oberst in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient 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. Witzig fought in the German attack against the Belgian fortress Fort Eben-Emael.

Early life and career

Witzig, the son of an engineer, was born on 14 August 1916 in Röhlinghausen, present-day a borough of Herne, at the time in the Province of Westphalia of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1927, the family moved to Kiel where Witzig graduated from a Realgymnasium—a secondary school built on the mid-level Realschule to achieve the Abitur (university entry qualification).

Witzig volunteered for military service in the Wehrmacht on 1 April 1935, as a Fahnenjunker (officer candidate), joining Pionier-Bataillon 16 (16th Pioneer Battalion) at Höxter. Starting in February 1936, he attended the Kriegsschule (military school) at Dresden. Two years later, on 20 April 1937, he was promoted to Leutnant and served as a Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 31st Pioneer Battalion. Witzig volunteered for service in the Fallschirmjäger on 1 August 1938, and joined the Parachute Infantry Battalion under the command of Major Richard Heidrich. A year later, after transferring to the Luftwaffe and then holding the rank of Oberleutnant, he was leader of the Sturmabteilung Koch pioneer platoon. This unit was named after Hauptmann Walter Koch.

World War II

Witzig's greatest military achievement was the capture of Fort Eben-Emael in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael on 10 May 1940; that same day, Oberleutnant Witzig was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)). A special announcement of the Wehrmachtbericht, a propaganda radio report, the first of two such mentions, on 11 May lauded the accomplishments of Witzig and his airborne landing group.

On 16 May 1940, Witzig was promoted to Hauptmann (captain). He was then posted to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM—Ministry of Aviation) in Berlin, serving as Hermann Göring's adjutant in the Stabsamt (headquarters unit) of the RLM from 27 May until 31 July 1940.

Rudolf Witzig led the 9th Company of the Parachute Assault Regiment during the Invasion of Crete. Wounded in the course of the battle, he was transferred from the Luftwaffe hospital in Athens to several other hospitals.

On 10 May 1942, Witzig was placed in command of the Corps Parachute Pioneer Battalion. He received promotion to Major on 24 August 1942. From November 1942, he and his battalion served in Tunisia under the command of Oberst Hasso von Manteuffel, General Friedrich Freiherr von Broich, and General Alfred Bülowius, incorporated into the Barenthin Luftwaffe Regiment. The defensive successes in the northern sector of the Tunisian Front are closely linked with Rudolf Witzig.

Witzig served as the commanding officer of I Battalion, 21st Parachute Pioneer Regiment, from 15 June 1944, and simultaneously as commanding officer of the regiment. Witzig and his unit were mentioned a second time in the Wehrmachtbericht on 8 August 1944, after the destruction of 27 enemy tanks near Kumele.

His last service in World War II was as commanding officer of the 18th Parachute Regiment, from 16 December 1944. He was captured by the British on 8 May 1945 along with his regiment, and went into captivity. Witzig's last honor of the war had come the previous day, when his name was placed on the Honor Roll of the Luftwaffe.

Later life

Rudolf Witzig re-joined the military service in the newly created Bundeswehr of the Federal Republic of Germany on 16 January 1956. He retired on 30 September 1974 holding the rank of Oberst.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (12 May 1940)
  • 1st Class (13 May 1940)
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black (18 October 1941)
• Cuff title
  • "Kreta" (12 November 1942)
  • "Afrika" (6 January 1943)
• Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe (1 August 1943)
• German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Major in the Korps-Fallschirm-Pionier-Bataillon/XI. Flieger-Korps
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 10 May 1940 as Oberleutnant and leader of the Sturmgruppe "Granit" in the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch"
  • 662nd Oak Leaves on 25 November 1944 as Major and commander of the I./Fallschirm-Pionier-Regiment 21
• Mentioned two times in the Wehrmachtbericht
• Mentioned on Honor Roll of the Luftwaffe on 7 May 1945

Promotions

References

Citations

1. ^ Stockert 2011, p. 156.
2. Stockert 2011, p. 160.
3. ^ Thomas & Wegmann 1986, p. 369.
4. ^ Thomas 1998, p. 454.
5. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 519.
6. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 793.
7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 450.
8. Von Seemen 1976, p. 363.
9. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 92.
10. Von Seemen 1976, p. 52.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) . Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military. ISBN 978-0-88740-749-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Stockert, Peter (2011). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 7 (in German) (2nd ed.). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1986). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil II: Fallschirmjäger (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1461-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Williamson, Gordon; Bujeiro, Ramiro (2004). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1939–40. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-641-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Frey, Gerhard; Herrmann, Hajo: Helden der Wehrmacht II - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2003. ISBN 3-924309-62-0.

External links

• "Todesfall: Beileid auf Befehl". Der Spiegel (in German). 20. 1959. ISSN 0038-7452. Retrieved 4 May 2016. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

Template:KCwithOL Template:Knight's Cross recipients of the Fallschirmjäger Template:Knight's Cross recipients in the Bundeswehr and Bundesgrenzschutz

• Biography

• Use dmy dates from January 2012
• 1916 births
• 2001 deaths
• People from the Province of Westphalia
• Fallschirmjäger of World War II
• German Army personnel
• Recipients of the Gold German Cross
• Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
• Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht