Karl Wanka

Karl Wanka
Born	1 June 1914 Auschowitz, Bohemia
Died	3 May 1980 (aged 65) Bad Kissingen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Major of the Reserves
Commands held	I./Grenadier-Regiment 53
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of the Caucasus Lower Dnieper Offensive Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive Operation Bagration Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive East Prussian Offensive Zemland Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Karl Wanka (1 June 1914 – 3 May 1980) was a highly decorated Major 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. Karl Wanka was captured by American forces in May 1945, he was handed over to Czech forces and was forced to work in a uranium mine until 1956.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 July 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (15 January 1942)^[1]
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 February 1944 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and commander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 446^[2]
  • 800th Oak Leaves on 23 March 1945 as Major of the Reserves and commander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 53^[3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 414.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 354.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 83.

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.
• 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.
• Stockert, Peter (2008). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 8 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 8] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662.
• 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.