Salz, Wilhelm "Willi"

Date of birth:: September 14th, 1915 (Duisburg/Rhine Province, Germany)
Date of death:: January 30th, 2011 (Duisburg/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

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Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant)
Unit:: 6. / Infanterie-Regiment 502
Awarded on:: March 25th, 1942

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
Unit:: Führer 6. / Grenadier-Regiments 502 / 290.Infanterie-Division
Awarded on:: September 10th, 1944

Awarded for his actions during the battle of Polotsk. After the II./Grenadier-Regiment 502 had suffered heavy losses, Leutnant Salz collected the scattered remnants of the various Kompanien and also subordinated three Sturmgeschütze (found near Fedkova) to him. With these forces he penetrated into the Soviet positions and recaptured the German main battle line which had been lost the day before. He then held it against counterattacks from both the front and the rear. Despite this success, for which he would later be recognized for appropriately, the newly-won line couldn’t be held and the Germans pulled back later on.

Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Silver version

Nahkampfspange in Silber

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Sources

Photo 1: Willi Schumacher
Photo: Willi Schumacher collection
- Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
- Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001
- Ritterkreuztraeger 1939 - 1945