Willy Langkeit

Willy Langkeit (2 June 1907 – 27 October 1969) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. After the war, Langkeit joined the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guards) in 1951, retiring in 1967.[1]

Willy Langkeit
Willy Langkeit (2nd from left)
Born	2 June 1907 Czukten, East Prussia
Died	27 October 1969 (aged 62) Bad Bramstedt, Schleswig-Holstein
Allegiance	Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany  West Germany
Service/branch	Army Bundesgrenzschutz
Years of service	1924–45 1951–67
Rank	Generalmajor (Wehrmacht) Brigadegeneral (Bundesgrenzschutz)
Commands held	Panzer Division Kurmark
Battles/wars	World War II Polish campaign French campaign operation Barbarossa Battle of Stalingrad operation Uranus Battle of Kursk Battle of Berlin
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (10 November 1939) & 1st Class (30 August 1940)[2]
• German Cross in Gold on 1 July 1942 as Major in the II./Panzer-Regiment 36[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 9 December 1942 as Major and commander of I./Panzer-Regiment 36[4]
  • Oak Leaves on 7 December 1943 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Panzer-Regiment 36[5]

Citations

1. 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.
   * Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
2. Thomas 1998, p. 10.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 269.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 233.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 65.

Bibliography