Walter Krauß

Walter Krauß
Born	11 March 1917 Erlangen
Died	17 July 1943 (aged 26) Orel
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer (1934–37) Luftwaffe (1937–43)
Years of service	1934–43
Rank	Major (Posthumously)
Unit	Aufklärungsgruppe (Heer) 21 Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
Commands held	III./StG 2
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Walter Krauß^{[Note 1]} (11 March 1917 – 17 July 1943) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients 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. Walter Krauß was killed on 17 July 1943, after Soviet bombers attacked the German airfield at Orel. He was posthumously promoted Major and on 3 January 1944 was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

Awards and decorations

• German Cross in Gold on 24 April 1942 as Oberleutnant in the Stabs-Staffe/Sturzkampfgeschwader 2^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 16 November 1942 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 2.(H)/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 21^[2]
  • 363rd Oak Leaves on 3 January 1944 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"^[2]

Notes

1. His name, in German, is spelled with a "sharp S"; see ß.

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 252.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 472.

Bibliography

• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• 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.