Joseph von Radowitz (general)

Joseph von Radowitz
Born	29 July 1899 Frankfurt am Main
Died	1 June 1956 (aged 56) Bad Wiessee
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany  West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1917–19, 1924–45, 1955–56
Rank	Generalleutnant (Wehrmacht) Generalmajor (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	23. Panzer-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Joseph Maria Hermann Ernst Peter Hans von Radowitz (29 July 1899 – 31 May 1956) was a Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II and Generalmajor of the Bundeswehr. He was also the last recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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 (1914)
  • 2nd Class (1917)^[1]
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (6 October 1939)^[1]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 1st Class (26 June 1940)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 29 February 1944 as Oberst in Panzergrenadier-Regiment 28^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 17 September 1944 as Oberst and leader of the 23. Panzer-Division
  • (882nd) Oak Leaves on 9 May 1945 as Generalleutnant and commander of 23. Panzer-Division^{[3][Note 1]}
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 October 1944

Notes

1. Joseph von Radowitz's nomination for the Oak Leaves was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop on 30 April 1945 and approved by all intermittent commanding officers. Major Joachim Domaschk ruled that the nomination was insufficient and disapproved on 1 May and recommended "Decision by Chief of OKW". The file contains no indication whether this decision was ever taken. A teleprinter message was sent on 2 May to the nominating unit, the cavalry corps, and further messages to the commanding officers of the Panzer AOK 2 and Heeresgruppe Süd: "...was disapproved because ... the Führer criteria for the presentation guidelines have not been met. I.A. signed Maisel" The sequential number "882" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR), the presentation date by Fellgiebel.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 177.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 364.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 104
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 164.

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 Miltaer-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.