Wilhelm Kohler

Wilhelm Kohler
Born	26 January 1917 Tübingen
Died	30 September 2002 (aged 88) Stuttgart
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1936–45 1956–75
Rank	Major i.G. (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	Grenadier-Regiment 195
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Yelnya Offensive Battle of Moscow Battles of Rzhev Battle of Aachen
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wilhelm Kohler (26 January 1917 – 30 September 2002) was a highly decorated Major i.G. in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Wilhelm Kohler was captured by French troops in April 1945, and was released in July. He later joined the Bundeswehr in 1956 and served til retirement in 1975.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (3 July 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (23 July 1941)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
  • in Gold
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 10 December 1942 as Hauptmann and commander of a Kampfgruppe / Grenadier-Regiment 195^[2]
  • 607th Oak Leaves on 4 October 1944 as Hauptmann and Ordonnanz-Offizier Kampfgruppe / 9.Panzer-Division^[3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 390.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 219.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 75.

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.
• 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.