Herbert Schwender

Updated on Sep 21, 2024

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Years of service 1930–44 Name Herbert Schwender Rank Oberst		Commands held Grenadier-Regiment 45 Service/branch German Army
Born 22 December 1912 Berlin ( 1912-12-22 ) Allegiance Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany Battles/wars World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Baltic Offensive (1944) Riga Offensive (1944) † Died September 22, 1944, Valga, Estonia Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Herbert Schwender (22 December 1912 – 22 September 1944) was a highly decorated oberst in the Wehrmacht 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. Herbert Schwender was killed on 22 September 1944 in Valga, Estonia.

Awards and decorations

Iron Cross (1939)

2nd Class (6 October 1939)

1st Class (26 June 1940)

Eastern Front Medal

Infantry Assault Badge

Close Combat Clasp

in bronze

in silver

German Cross in Gold on 27 November 1941 as Hauptmann in the III./Infanterie-Regiment 24

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Knight's Cross on 11 March 1943 as Major and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 3

442nd Oak Leaves on 6 April 1944 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 45

Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 February 1944

Gerhard von Seemen, author and researcher of the 1955 published book Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939–1945—The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945, had listed Herbert Schwender as a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. A nomination by the troop was never received by the Oberkommando des Heeres or had been denied during the approval process.

References

Herbert Schwender Wikipedia

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