Voigtsberger, Heinrich Paul Hermann

Date of birth:: February 10th, 1903 (Untermhaus, Gera, Germany)
Date of death:: March 17th, 1959 (Wittlich, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Heinrich Voigtsberger entered the Army on 10/1/1922 as an aspirant officer in the II. Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment.
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1926 and in 1930 to Oberleutnant.
In 1935 he became a Hauptmann Chief of 1st Company, 2nd Machine Gun Battalion and in 1939 he was assigned as commander of the 2nd MG-Battalion.
In 1940 he was promoted to Major and transferred to Africa under Marshal Erwin Rommel.
In the Summer of 1941 he was seriously wounded in Cyrenaika and was awarded the Ritterkreuz for his bravery in the battles around Marsa el Brega.
After recovering he was assigned command of the 60th Infantry Regiment, and was promoted to Oberstleutnant in 1942. For the performances of his regiment in the battle for Dnjepr-Brückenkopfes Saporoshje he received the Oak Leaves of the Iron Cross.
He was transferred to France in 1944 fighting against the Normandy invasion.
In January 1945 he took command of the 309th Infantry Regiment in the east and was promoted to Generalmajor.
He was captured by British Forces and released in 1947.

Promotions:
1922: Junker
1923: Fähnrich
1925: Oberfähnrich
1926: Leutnant
1930: Oberleutnant
1935: Hauptmann
1940: Major
1942: Oberstleutnant
1943: Oberst
1945: Generalmajor

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Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: February 20th, 1940

Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: April 21st, 1941

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Major
Unit:: Commander MG-Bataillon 2
Awarded on:: July 9th, 1941

Awarded for his achievements in the first siege of Tobruk. As commander of MG-Bataillon 2 he was able to break into the outer ring of fortifications around the city and capture the height of Ras el Madauuar (Hill 209), forming a salient in the defenses that would be a thorn in the side of the garrison for some time to come.

Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:: Commander Grenadier-Regiment 60 (mot.)
Awarded on:: December 9th, 1943

Awarded for his command achievements over the course of the second half of 1943, which included the following actions...
1) The heavy fighting on 24.08.1943, where 147 Soviet tanks were destroyed in the sector of his regiment over the course of several hours.
2) Launching a bold counterattack into the flanks and rear of a Soviet tank unit that had broken through German lines towards the Dnieper, which was subsequently destroyed.
3) On 14.10.1943 the German defense in the Zaporozhye began to break down and the defending German infantry divisions lost their cohesion. Voigtsberger's division was ordered to cover their retreat to the western bank of the Dnieper. Grenadier Regiment 60 (mot.) was in the center of this position, defending the asphalt road that led from the steelworks to the dam. His troops fought bravely and were able to build up a new defensive line, and even when Soviet tanks infiltrated through a gorge and showed up right in front of the regimental command post he maintained control of the situation, destroying them with Sturmgeschütze and Panzerjäger. His troops were the last to cross over to the west bank of the Dnieper and the dam was then blown shortly afterwards according to plan.

351st award