Rudolf Witzig

Infobox Military Person
name=Rudolf Witzig
born=birth date|1916|8|14|df=y
died=dda|2001|10|3|1916|8|14|df=y
placeofbirth=Röhlinghausen in Wanne-Eickel
placeofdeath=Oberschleißheim


caption=Rudolf Witzig
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (to 1945)
flagicon|West Germany West Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1935-1945, 1956-1974
rank=Major (Wehrmacht)
Oberst (Bundeswehr)
commands=I./Fallschirm-Pionier-Regiment 21
Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 18
unit=
battles=World War II
*Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
*Invasion of Crete
*Battle of Tunisia
*Eastern Front
awards=Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
German Cross in Gold
Iron Cross {1st & 2nd class}
laterwork=Bundeswehr

Rudolf Witzig (born 14 August 1916 in Röhlinghausen, Wanne-Eickel; died 3 October 2001 in Oberschleißheim) was a highly decorated German Fallschirmjäger and Oberst in the Bundeswehr. He is most well known for his action against the Belgian fortress Fort Eben-Emael.

Military career

Rudolf Witzig joined the 16th Pioneer Battalion in Höxter on 1 April 1935 as an officer candidate. Two years later, on 20 April 1937, he was promoted to "Leutnant" and served as a platoon leader in the 31st Pioneer Battalion. Witzig volunteered and applied for service in the "Fallschirmjäger" on 1 August 1938 and joined the Parachute Infantry Battalion under the command of "Major" Richard Heidrich. A year later, after transferring to the Luftwaffe, now holding the rank of "Oberleutnant", he was leader of the "Sturmabteilung Koch" pioneer platoon. This unit was named after "Hauptmann" Walter Koch.Kurowski 1995, p. 275.]

Witzig's greatest military achievement was the capture of Fort Eben-Emael in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael on 10 May 1940. A special announcement of the Wehrmachtbericht on 11 May lauded the accomplishments of Witzig and his airborne landing group. Already the day before on 10 May he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On 16 May he was further honored by an early promotion to "Hauptmann".

Rudolf Witzig led the 9th Company of the Parachute Assault Regiment during the Invasion of Crete. Wounded in the course of the battle, he was transferred from the Luftwaffe hospital in Athens to several other hospitals.

Witzig was placed in command of the Corps Parachute Pioneer Battalion on 10 May 1942 and was promoted to "Major" on 24 August 1942. From November 1942 he and his battalion served in Tunisia under the command of "Oberst" Hasso von Manteuffel, General Friedrich Freiherr von Broich and General Alfred Bülowius and were incorporated into the Barenthin Luftwaffe Regiment. The defensive successes in the northern sector of the Tunisian Front are closely linked with Rudolf Witzig.

Witzig later served as the commanding officer of I. Battalion, 21st Parachute Pioneer Battalion on 15 June 1944 and at the same time was put in command of the regiment. Witzig and his unit were mentioned a second time in the Wehrmachtbericht on 8 August 1944 after the destruction of 27 enemy tanks near Kumele.

His last World War II service position was commanding officer of the 18th Parachute Regiment of which he took command on 16 December 1944. With this unit he went into captivity on 8 May 1945. His last honor of World War II came on 7 May when Witzig was placed on the Honor Roll of the Luftwaffe.

Later life

Rudolf Witzig re-joined the military service in the newly created "Bundeswehr" of the Federal Republic of Germany on 16 January 1956. He retired on 30 September 1974 holding the rank of "Oberst".

Awards

* German Cross in Gold (17 October 1943)
* Iron Cross
** 2nd Class (10 May 1940)
** 1st Class (10 May 1940)
* Wound Badge (1939) in Black (18 October 1941)
* Ground Combat Badge of the Luftwaffe (1 August 1943)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (10 May 1940)
** 662. Oak Leaves (25 November 1944)
* Mentioned two times in the Wehrmachtbericht
* Mentioned on Honor Roll of the Luftwaffe on 7 May 1945

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

References

* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Kurowski, Franz. "Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger". Schiffer Military, 1995. ISBN 0-88740-749-8.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
* "Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941" (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
* "Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. May 1945" (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

;External links
* [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/W/WitzigR.htm Lexikon der Wehrmacht]

Persondata
NAME=Witzig, Rudolf
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=German World War II Fallschirmjäger
DATE OF BIRTH=August 14, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH=Röhlinghausen, Germany
DATE OF DEATH=October 3, 2001
PLACE OF DEATH=Oberschleißheim, Germany