Georg von Plettenberg

Georg Graf von Plettenberg
Born	11 July 1918 Haus Alst, Krs Steinfurt
Died	29 July 1980 (aged 62) Dortmund
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1937–45 1956–74
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	schwere Kavallerie-Abteilung 4
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev (1941) Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of Stalingrad Italian Campaign Operation Frühlingserwachen
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Georg Graf von Plettenberg^[a] (11 July 1918 – 29 July 1980) was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberst in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient 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. Georg Graf von Plettenberg was captured in May 1945 by Allied troops and was held until 1946. He joined the Bundeswehr in 1956 and retired in 1974.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (4 June 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (13 July 1942)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
  • in Silver
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 12 August 1944 as Rittmeister and commander of schwere Kavallerie-Abteilung 4^[2]
  • 730th Oak Leaves on 5 February 1945 as Rittmeister and commander of schwere Kavallerie-Abteilung 4^[3]

Footnotes

• ^a Regarding personal names: Until 1919, Graf was a title, translated as Count, not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany since 1919, it forms part of family names.

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 160.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 278.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 80.

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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• 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.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht