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Utz, Willibald "Willi"

Date of birth:
January 20th, 1893 (Furth im Wald, Germany)
Date of death:
April 20th, 1954 (Bad Reichenhall, Germany)
Nationality:
German

Biography

Promotions:
February 1st, 1944: Generalleutnant (RDA: -8-).

Career:
August 28th, 1939: Kommandeur, Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100;
February 10th, 1943: Führerreserve OKH;
Aprill 25th, 1943: mdFb 100. Jäger-Division;
July 1st, 1943: Kommandeur, 100. Jäger-Division;
January 1st, 1945: Führerreserve OKH.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 1st, 1939
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 1st, 1939
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100, 5. Gebirgs-Division, Heer
Awarded on:
June 21st, 1941
The following wartime excerpt describes why Utz received the Knight’s Cross…

"In the fighting around Lutra Oberst Utz (commander of Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 100) succeeded in forcing the surrender of the rest of the English (256 officers, 9,103 NCOs and men along with assorted equipment) through the use of an extremely skillful maneuver by his offensive group. He thus played a major role in ending the struggle for Crete. This was accomplished despite a numerical inferiority of 10 - 1. Even earlier than this, during the battle of the Metaxas Line, Utz distinguished himself in breaking through the fortifications around Keikaja, Sattelbunker and Arpaluki. With this completed he was then able to turn north and bring relief to the hard pressed Infanterie-Regiment 125 during the evening of the 08.04.1941."
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
August 7th, 1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
December 31st, 1942
Ärmelband Kreta
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalleutnant (Major-general)
Unit:
Kommandeur, 100. Jäger-Division, Heer
Awarded on:
March 22nd, 1945
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
June 11th, 1941
In the execution of operations on Crete, the commander of a Mountain Division, General Major Ringel, and as commanders of mountain regiments, the Colonels Utz, Jais and Krakau and the commander of a mountain artillery regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Wittmann, along with their subordinate troops had a decisive share.
Wehrmachtbericht

Sources

Photo