Schäfer, Friedrich "Fritz" (Kampfgeschwader 200)

Date of birth:: August 12th, 1919 (Buer/Gelsenkirchen, Germany)
Date of death:: September 2nd, 1992 (Cologne, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

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Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant)
Unit:: 4. Kompanie, Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1
Awarded on:: April 9th, 1942

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:: Staffelführer, 4. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 200, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: October 24th, 1944

Awarded for the role he played in the Battle of Vercors, the German operation to crush a group of French Maquis in mid-1944. During the operation Schäfer commanded two companies of Fallschirm-Bataillon “Jungwirth”, who landed directly on top of the plateau in 20 gliders on 23.07.1944. These forces, along with other German Kampfgruppen, eventually overwhelmed the resistance fighters after a hard fight.