Werner Freiherr von Beschwitz

Maximilian Richard Hans Christoph Werner Freiherr von Beschwitz
Born	19 January 1915 Dresden
Died	25 May 2011 (aged 96)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1936–45 1956–73
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505
Battles/wars	World War II Annexation of Austria Annexation of the Sudetenland Invasion of Poland Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Battle of Greece Operation Barbarossa Battle of Moscow Battles of Rzhev Bobruysk Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Maximilian Richard Hans Christoph Werner Freiherr von Beschwitz^[a] (19 January 1915 – 25 May 2011) was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberst (colonel) in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Beschwitz joined the postwar Bundeswehr in 1956 and retired in 1973 as an Oberst.^[1]

Awards and decorations

• Anschluss Medal (8 November 1938)
• Sudetenland Medal (25 October 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (22 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (27 May 1940)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (9 November 1943)
• Panzer Badge
  • in Silver (24 June 1940)
  • II Class (10 December 1943)
  • III Class (5 December 1944)
• Eastern Front Medal (30 July 1942)
• German Cross in Gold on 15 December 1941 as Oberleutnant in the 7./Panzer-Regiment 3^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Major and commander of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505^[3]

References

Citations

1. Ritterkreuztraeger 1939–1945 German Knight's Cross holders (Ritterkreuz) (in German) Retrieved 18 September 2010
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 40.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 111.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

Footnotes

• ^a Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a former title (translated as Baron), which is now legally a part of the last name. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com