Herbert Rieckhoff

Herbert Rieckhoff
Born	25 December 1898 Berlin
Died	30 November 1948 (aged 49) Esslingen
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Deutsches Heer (1915–18) Reichswehr (1918–20) Luftwaffe (1934–45)
Years of service	1915–20 1934–45
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	Kampfgeschwader 30 Kampfgeschwader 2
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Invasion of Yugoslavia Battle of Greece Battle of Crete Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Siege of Leningrad
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Police officer, Author "Trumpf oder Bluff? 12 Jahre Deutsche Luftwaffe" Published by Inter Avia, Geneva, 1945

Herbert Rieckhoff (25 December 1898 – 30 November 1948) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Herbert Rieckhoff was captured by Allied troops in May 1945 and was released in 1948.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (8 January 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 July 1941 as Oberst and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 2^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 27 July 1943 as Oberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) of Luftflotte 1^[2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 291.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 378.

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.