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Landgraf, Franz

Date of birth:
July 16th, 1888 (Munich, German Empire)
Date of death:
April 19th, 1944 (Stuttgart, Germany)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:
Commande 4. Panzer-Brigade
Awarded on:
June 16th, 1940
The following wartime excerpt (dated 30.08.1940) describes why Landgraf received the Knight’s Cross…

“On the 05.05.1940 Oberst Franz Landgraf smashed through the enemy’s main battle line with his reinforced Panzer-Brigade under the most difficult of circumstances. By doing so he had a decisive share in achieving the deep penetration into the enemy position that already succeeded on the very first day of operations. Over the course of much fierce combat his Brigade eliminated 7 enemy batteries and knocked out 65 hostile tanks (of which some were totally destroyed). This important victory would not have been possible without the outstanding leadership and personal bravery of Oberst Landgraf, who himself had to change his command Panzer twice after the previous vehicle had been knocked out by gunfire.”
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Sources

  • - Scherzer, 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 (2007)
    - Die Tapfersten

Photo