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Wilhelm Antrup
__NOTOC__ Wilhelm Antrup (1 February 1910 – 14 November 1984) was a German air general. During the Nazi era, he served in the ''Luftwaffe'' and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. In June 1944, Oberstleutnant Antrup led Operation Zaunkoenig, the German bombing and subsequent destruction of the U.S. bomber force deployed to Ukraine to carry out shuttle air raids on Nazi Germany and its allies, known as Operation Frantic. In 1956, joined the post war German Air Force of the newly-founded ''Bundeswehr''. In 1964, he became commander of the ''Höhere Technische Schule der Luftwaffe'' (Higher Technical School of the Luftwaffe), which was reorganized to the ''Technische Akademie der Luftwaffe'' (Technical Academy of the Luftwaffe) on 1 June 1966. His rank was '' Brigadegeneral''. Antrup was retired in March 1968. Awards and decorations * German Cross in Gold (2 January 1942)Scherzer 2007, p. 193. * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leave ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tecklenburg
Tecklenburg () is a town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its name comes from the ruined castle around which it was built. The town is situated on the Hermannsweg hiking trail. The coat of arms shows an anchor and three seeblatts. Geography It is located in the foothills of the Teutoburg Forest, southwest of Osnabrück. Division of the town Tecklenburg consists of 4 districts (with farming communities): Neighbouring municipalities * Ibbenbüren * Westerkappeln * Lotte * Hagen * Lengerich * Ladbergen * Saerbeck History In the 12th century the county of Tecklenburg emerged in the region that is now called the "Tecklenburger Land" in the western foothills of the Teutoburg Forest. From 1263, when the county of Tecklenburg was merged with the neighbouring county of Bentheim, Tecklenburg was ruled by the counts of Bentheim-Tecklenburg. In 1701, Tecklenburg was conquered by the Kingdom of Prussia and subsequently incorporated. Sights T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Kiev (1941)
The First Battle of Kiev was the German name for the major battle that resulted in an encirclement of Red Army, Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II, the capital and most populous city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This encirclement is the largest encirclement in the history of warfare by number of troops. The battle occurred from 7 July to 26 September 1941 as part of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis powers, Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. Despite being referred to as the "Battle of Kiev", the city of Kiev itself played a small and peripheral role in the overall battle. The battle took place over a large area in eastern Ukraine, with Kiev being the focal point of Soviet defenses and of the German encirclement. Much of the Southwestern Front (Soviet Union), Southwestern Front of the Red Army, commanded by Mikhail Kirponos, was encircled, but small groups of Red Army troops managed to escape the Pocket (military), pocket in the days after the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ernst Kühl
__NOTOC__ Ernst Kühl (24 October 1888 – 2 February 1972) served as a German officer in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was honored with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, an esteemed decoration of Nazi Germany. Awards and decorations * Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1939) & 1st Class (1940)Thomas 1997, p. 422. * German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942, as ''Oberstleutnant'' in the II./Kampfgeschwader 55 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ** Knight's Cross on 17 October 1942 as ''Oberstleutnant'' of the Reserve and ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of Kampfgeschwader 55 ** 356th Oak Leaves on 18 December 1943 as ''Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...'' of the Reserves and ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of Kampfgeschwader 55 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geschwaderkommodore
''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or Kapitän zur See (naval captain). A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' will command a ''Geschwader'' (Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...), which in turn contains ''Gruppen'' ( Groups) each commanded by a '' Gruppenkommandeur'' (Group Commander). See also * Organization of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945) References ;Citations ;Bibliography * {{Cite book , last=Isby , first=David C. , year=1998 , title=The Luftwaffe Fighter Force—The View from the Cockpit , location=London , publisher=Greenhill Books , isbn=978-1-85367-327-6 Luftwaffe Luftwaffe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staffelkapitän
''Staffelkapitän'' is a command appointment, rather than a military rank, in the air force units of German-speaking countries. The rank normally held by a ''Staffelkapitän'' has changed over time. In the present-day German ''Luftwaffe'' – part of the ''Bundeswehr'' – the position is usually held by an ''Oberstleutnant'' (lieutenant colonel) or ''Major''. World War II In the ''Luftwaffe'' of the World War II ''Wehrmacht'', a full-strength ''Staffel'' had nine to 12 operational aircraft; as such it was slightly smaller than a full-strength squadron (at least 12 aircraft) in the air forces of other countries. Hence a ''Luftwaffe'' ''Staffelkapitän'' usually held the rank of an ''Oberleutnant'' or ''Hauptmann''. (In other countries, a squadron was normally commanded by, at the very least, a Major or direct equivalent rank, such as an RAF Squadron Leader.) An acting or newly-appointed ''Staffelkapitän'', for the first weeks of their assignment, was known as ''Staffelführ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hauptmann
() is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''. Background While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally translates to 'head-man', which is also the etymological root of ''captain'' (from Latin , 'head'). This rank is equivalent to the rank of captain in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-2 in NATO. : Currently, there is no female form within the German military (such as ''Hauptfrau''): the correct form of address is "''Frau Hauptmann''." More generally, a Hauptmann can be the head of any hierarchically structured group of people, often as a compound word. For example, a is the captain of a fire brigade, while refers to the leader of a gang of robbers. Official Austrian and German titles incorporating the word include , , , and . In Saxony during the Weimar Republic, the titles of , and were held by senior civil servants. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Cross
The War Order of the German Cross (), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leadership; and in silver for distinguished non-combat war service. The German Cross in Gold ranked higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, while the German Cross in Silver ranked higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords. Eligibility The German Cross was issued in two versions: gold and silver (the color of the laurel wreath around the swastika). The gold version was awarded to military personnel for repeated acts of bravery in combat, or of military leadership, with 6–8 acts as a rule of thumb. The silver version was awarded for multiple distinguished services in the war effort and was considered a continuation of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the insignia of the medieval Teutonic Order and borne by its knights from the 13th century. As well as being a military medal, it has also been used as an emblem by the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, and the of the Weimar Republic, while the ''Balkenkreuz'' (bar cross) variant was used by the ''Wehrmacht''. The Iron Cross is now the emblem of the , the modern German armed forces. King Frederick William III of Prussia established the Iron Cross award on 17 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars (EK 1813). The award was backdated to the birthday (10 March) of his late wife, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Louise, who was the first person to receive it (posthumously). The Iron Cross was also awarded during the Franco-Prussian War ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shuttle Bombing
Shuttle bombing is a tactic where bombers fly from their home base to bomb a first target and continue to a different location where they are refuelled and rearmed. The aircraft may then bomb a second target on the return leg to their home base. Some examples of operations which have used this tactic are: * The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942: 16 B-25s of the 17th Bombardment Group bombed Tokyo from the , with the intent to land in various locations in Eastern China. * The Battle of Stalingrad, September 1942: Luftflotte 4 of the Luftwaffe employed shuttle bombing tactics during the intense aerial bombardment of the city in the early days of the battle. * Operation Bellicose, June 1943: On the night of 20/21 June the RAF bombers departed from their bases in the United Kingdom and bombed Friedrichshafen, landing in Algeria, where they refuelled and rearmed. On the return leg they bombed the Italian naval base at La Spezia. * Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission, 17 August 1943: The 4t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nazi Era
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. The Third Reich, meaning "Third Realm" or "Third Empire", referred to the Nazi claim that Nazi Germany was the successor to the earlier Holy Roman Empire (800–1806) and German Empire (1871–1918). The Third Reich, which the Nazis referred to as the Thousand-Year Reich, ended in May 1945, after 12 years, when the Allies defeated Germany and entered the capital, Berlin, ending World War II in Europe. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Nazi Party began to eliminate political opposition and consolidate power. A 1934 German referendum confirmed Hitler as sole ''Führer'' (leader). Power was centralised in Hitler's person, and his word became the highest law. The government was not a coordinated, cooperat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knight's Cross Of The Iron Cross With Oak Leaves
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was lower in precedence than the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, the Grand Cross was never awarded at-large to Nazi German military and paramilitary forces. The Grand Cross's sole award was made to '' Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring in September 1939, making the Knight's Cross (specifically, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds grade) the ''de facto'' highest award among the decorations of Nazi Germany. The Knight's Cross was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of military valour. Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the : the (army), the (navy) and the (air force), as well as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in a Soviet victory. The Battle of Kursk is the single largest battle in the history of warfare. It ranks only behind the Battle of Stalingrad several months earlier as the most often-cited turning point in the European theatre of the war. It was one of the costliest battles of the Second World War, the single deadliest armoured battle in history, and the opening day of the battle, 5 July, was the single costliest day in the history of aerial warfare in terms of aircraft shot down. The battle was further marked by fierce house-to-house fighting and hand-to-hand combat. The battle began with the launch of the German offensive Operation Citadel (), on 5 July, which had the objective of pinching off the Kursk salient with attacks on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
