Hans-Joachim Kappis

Hans-Joachim Kappis
Born	9 December 1908 Saalfeld, East Prussia
Died	31 December 1970 (aged 62) Oberkalbach
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1937–45
Rank	Hauptmann of the Reserves
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Riga Offensive (1944) East Prussian Offensive Heiligenbeil Pocket
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Hans-Joachim Kappis (9 December 1908 – 31 December 1970) was a highly decorated Hauptmann of the Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II. 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.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (30 August 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (10 December 1942)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 8 September 1944 as Leutnant of the Reserves in the 8./Grenadier-Regiment 45^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 18 February 1945 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and deputy leader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 45^[3]
  • (849th) Oak Leaves on 28 April 1945 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 45^{[4][Note 1]}

Notes

1. The sequential numbers greater than 843 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.^[5]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 347.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 219.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 206.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 85.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 102–111.

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 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.