Helmut Renschler

Dr. med. Helmut Renschler
Born	18 April 1920 Bitterfeld
Died	5 November 1999 (aged 79) Bad Homburg
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Hauptmann of the Reserves
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Siege of Leningrad Operation Bagration Lublin–Brest Offensive Vistula–Oder Offensive Battle of the Oder-Neisse
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Helmut Renschler^{[Note 1]} (18 April 1920 – 5 November 1999) 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. Helmut Renschler was captured by American forces in May 1945.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 June 1941)
  • 1st Class (15 October 1941)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal (19 August 1942)
• German Cross in Gold on 24 November 1942 as Leutnant in the 2./Artillerie-Regiment 5^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 15 May 1944 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and chief of the 1./Artillerie-Regiment 5^[2]
  • 770th Oak Leaves on 11 March 1945 as Hauptmann of the Reserves and chief of the 1./Artillerie-Regiment 5^[3]

Notes

1. In German a Doctor of Medicine is abbreviated as Dr. med. (Doctor medicinae).

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 374.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 289.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 82.

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 (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

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht