Wessel, Walter
- Date of birth:
- April 21st, 1892 (Lauthental/Province of Hanover, Germany)
- Date of death:
- July 20th, 1943 (near Morano/province of Cosenza, Italy)
- Nationality:
- German
Biography
Oberst Walter Wessel was responsible as commanding officer for the massacre at Ciepielów in Poland on September 8th, 1939.
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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberst (Colonel)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 15 (mot.) / 29.Infanterie-Division "Falke" / 2.Armee / Heeresgruppe C
- Awarded on:
- August 15th, 1940
“Oberst Wessel had already outstandingly distinguished himself during the Polish Campaign, where he received the Iron Cross Second & First Class. Following this he went on to continue delivering excellent results during the Western Campaign, and particularly during the operation to strike from the Aisne, across the Rhine-Marne Canal and onto the Langres Plateau. The ultimate goal of this advance was to cross the Saone and Doups rivers and eventually reach the Swiss border.
In this operation it was consistently the energy and leadership of Oberst Wessel himself that enabled his Regiment to overcome all enemy resistance and obstacles in an unstoppable forward drive, which also cost the enemy heavy losses in men and war materiel. In conjunction with two Panzer-Divisionen, Oberst Wessel was the first to reach the Swiss border. Here, acting swiftly, he crushed the enemy resistance at Pontarlier and thereby cut off the retreat route of major elements of the French army towards the west and southeast.”
204th Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberst (Colonel)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 15 (mot.) / 29.Infanterie-Division "Falke" / 2.Panzerarmee / Heeresgruppe Mitte
- Awarded on:
- February 17th, 1942
Awarded for the successful offensive operations of his Regiment during the summer and autumn of 1941 during Operation Barbarossa, in particular during the German advance over the Desna river. His Regiment reached the river at noon on the 31.08.1941, near Murawij. Two Kompanien made the crossing in inflatable boats and formed a small bridgehead, which was expanded. Two days later his Regiment captured Novo Vasilevsky and reached the lower Snobovka stream.
76st Award.
76st Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914)
- Period:
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Period:
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Period:
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Period:
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Sources
- Photo 1: Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv
- Photo: Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv
- - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer, Elite of the Third Reich - The Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-45: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, England, 2003
- Götte, F. & Peiler, H., Die 29.Falke-Division – 1936-1945 29.I.D.-29.I.D. (mot)-29.Pz.Gren.Div., Nebel Verlag GmbH, Eggolsheim, Deutschland, 2003
Photo
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