Koenen, van, Friedrich

Date of birth:: June 28th, 1916 (Danzig, Germany)
Date of death:: August 20th, 1944 (Vizegrad, Croatia)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Friedrich van Koenen died on 20th August 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur 4.Jäger-Regiment "Brandenburg".

Promotions:
01-04-1937 Leutnant
1941 Oberleutnant
01-01-1943 Hauptmann
01-01-1944 Major

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Hauptmann (Captain)
Unit:: Kommandeur III. / 4.Regiment "Brandenburg"
Awarded on:: September 16th, 1943

On the evening of the 26.12.1942 a small group of 20 Brandenburger commandoes led by Hauptmann Koenen took off in three gliders from the airbase at Bizerta. Their mission was to destroy the railway bridge at Sidi-bou-Baker (near the Wadi-el-Kabir), located deep behind Allied lines in south Tunisia. The gliders landed wide of the target due to opposing AA fire, but the Brandenburgers were nonetheless able to make their way there and blow the bridge as planned. The group then started a 200 km trek through the desert until reaching the nearest Italian strongpoint at Maknassi.

For conducting this operation successfully, and without losing a single man from his unit, Koenen would be decorated with the Knight’s Cross.