Heidrich, Richard

Date of birth:: July 28th, 1896 (Lawalde-Löbau/Saxony, Germany)
Date of death:: December 22nd, 1947 (Hamburg, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Finally reached the rank of General der Fallschirmtruppen.

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1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: May 25th, 1941

1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: May 25th, 1941

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: June 9th, 1941

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:: Kommandeur, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3, 7. Flieger-Division, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: June 14th, 1941

Awarded the Knight’s Cross for his actions during the Battle of Crete. In this time Heidrich and his men tied down strong Allied forces in the middle of the island and thereby created the possibility for the western group at Maleme to capture the airfield and consequently enable reinforcements to be flown in.

202nd Award.

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:: Kommandeur, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3, 7. Flieger-Division, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: March 31st, 1942

Award 3/32.

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: December 24th, 1943

Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Generalleutnant (Major-General)
Unit:: Kommandeur, 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: February 5th, 1944

Awarded for distinguishing himself along with his Division during the battle for Ortona.

382nd Award.

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: March 25th, 1944

Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Generalleutnant (Major-General)
Unit:: Kommandeur, 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: March 25th, 1944

Awarded for his actions during the early fighting at Monte Cassino. On the 15.03.1944 he succeeded in effectively concentrating friendly artillery fire onto Cassino itself, with the result that the Allied assembly areas for their upcoming attack were smashed.

55th Award.

Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: June 29th, 1944

Sources

Photo 1: Axis Biographical Research
Photo: Axis Biographical Research
- FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
- Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- das-ritterkreuz.de