Hermann Plocher

Hermann Plocher
Born	5 January 1901 Stuttgart
Died	8 December 1980 (aged 79) Murrhardt
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe  German Air Force
Years of service	1918–45 1957–45
Rank	Generalleutnant Generalmajor (Bundeswehr)
Battles/wars	World War I Spanish Civil War World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Hermann Lukas Plocher (5 January 1901 – 8 December 1980) was a Luftwaffe commander during World War II and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves recipient. 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

• Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 May 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (5 June 1940)^[1]
• Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
• German Cross in Cross on 9 April 1942 as Oberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) in the V. Flieger-Korps^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 November 1943 as Generalmajor and commander of the 4. Flieger-Division^[3]
  • 867th Oak Leaves on 8 May 1945 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division^{[4][Notes 1]}

Notes

1. Hermann Plocher's nomination had been finalized by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) and was ready for signature by the end of the war. According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was present in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Plocher was a member of the AKCR.^[5]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 161.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 354.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 598.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 103.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 163.

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.