Wilde, Heinz

Date of birth:: December 26th, 1915 (Eichwalde/Brandenburg, Germany)
Date of death:: August 19th, 2013 (Lüdenscheid/Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Stabsintendant der Reserve
Unit:: Divisions-Intendant, 353. Infanterie-Division, Heer
Awarded on:: September 21st, 1944

On the 28.07.1944 the 353. Infanterie-Division ordered its supply troops to retreat southwards via Avranches in order to reach a more secure position. On the evening of the next day Stabsintendant Wilde met up with a number of other German groups that were approaching the city, but by this time it had already been occupied by US forces that were themselves pressing on southwards. Wilde thus took command of the German forces in the vicinity and assembled whatever combat worthy elements he could find. Reinforced by the available heavy weapons (namely an armoured car, an 8.8 cm Pak gun and a quadruple Flak), the group struck southwards in order to break out to friendly lines. It required several attempts, but eventually this task was accomplished under Wilde’s leadership. He would thus be awarded the Knight’s Cross in recognition of this feat.

At the time of the action, Heinz Wilde served as Führer of a Kampfgruppe.