Johann-Heinrich Eckhardt

Johann-Heinrich Eckhardt
Born	3 December 1896 Felsberg, Hesse
Died	15 May 1945 (aged 48) Winterberg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	211. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Annexation of the Sudetenland Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Siege of Leningrad Battle of Kursk Operation Bagration Lublin–Brest Offensive Prague Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Johann-Heinrich Eckhardt (3 December 1896 – 15 May 1945) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant 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. Johann-Heinrich Eckhardt was captured by American troops on 8 May 1945 and died in custody on 15 May 1945.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (20 October 1915)^[1]
  • 1st Class (2 March 1917)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg (1 December 1917)
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (22 May 1918)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (18 December 1934)
• Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 October 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (29 May 1940)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal (15 August 1942)
• German Cross in Gold on 25 January 1942 as Oberst in Jäger-Regiment 38^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 20 May 1942 as Oberst and commander of Jäger-Regiment 38^[3]
  • 644th Oak Leaves on 3 November 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 211. Infanterie-Division^[4]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (3 September 1944)

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 140.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 97.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 142.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 77.

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.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com