Fallschirmjäger RKTs - pics and career data

[Fallschirmjäger]

Thanks for the info Peter H,i have posted a few pictures here and i dont think i mentioned always where i got them,but im shure many others too dont aswell,but i will try and say where i got it from.But sometimes when i save them off sites i dont put where i got them etc..,so when come to put them say i cant remember where,so the older ones are fine for now,but i should mention info on further ones right,but if i dont do i get banned or something?,thanks.

[Peter H]

Erich Lepkowski(1919-1975)

From: http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_ima ... &dbid=1155



At one stage in the early 1970s Lepkowski held the world record in parachute jumps.

Lepkowski was awarded the RKT for his 120 km round trip from Brest,to liberate 130 Germans held by the Maquis at Huelgoat.With 45 volunteers he made the dash out of the Brest lines and returned with all in hand.

Lepkowski was later severly wounded in the Brest fighting and captured(a German doctor recovered him from a pile of corpses) and was 60% crippled.This did not stop him from a successful career in the Bundeswehr.

[FANGIO]

Thanks a lot for that pic Peter. Very interesting Lepkowski´s history during WWII, 120Km

[Dieter Zinke]

Thanks a lot for that pic Peter. Very interesting Lepkowski´s history during WWII, 120Km

From an old Bundeswehr-journal

Dieter Z.

[Peter H]

Günther Straehler-Pohl.

Captured Tunisia,May 1943.

From Eric Queen's Red Shines the Sun: A Pictorial History of the Fallschirm-Infanterie.


A later photo also here:

http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_sea ... wert1=6361

[Peter H]

Posted before but a nice photo.Also from Eric Queen's book.

Fritz Prager.He died from cancer in December 1940.

[Peter H]

B.Christensen's new book:

http://www.helion.co.uk/product.asp?str ... P_ID=15900

Re 1FJD:

A total of 129 Knight's Crosses were awarded to men from this division - twice as many as any other German division.

Correct I assume,combining 7 Flieger Div and IFJD totals?

[Bernd R]

Peter,
could be correct only by combining ; and if you say 7. Flieger-Division = 1. FJD.
What is incorrect :

twice as many as any other German division

top divisions : 2. SS-Pz.Div "Das Reich" : 90 KC (72 RK + 15 EL + 3 SW), including 15 unofficial
4. Pz.Div : 84 KC (73 RK + 10 EL + 1 SW) , including 1 unofficial

We are not ready with the Fallschirmjäger in the "awardholders/unit" sticky.
The status if you count all possible of 7. Flieger-Division + 1. FJD :
1. FJD , divisional : 11 (8 RK + 1 EL + 2 SW)
FJR 1 : 25 (23 RK + 2 EL)
FJR 3 : 19 (17 RK + 1 EL + 1 SW)
FJR 4 : 12 (10 RK + 2 EL)
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 22#1007422

FJR 2 (until feb 1943) : 6
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 34#1007234

LL-Sturmabteilung Koch (Eben Emael) : 12
Luftslande-Sturm-Regiment (Kreta) : 11
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 54#1036754

resulting in a number in total of 96 KCs .

So, would be 33 in addition. Not counted yet above are recipients of the several Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. (transport). Questionable that there are such a high number of recipients.

of note also the preliminary list of DKiG recipients, 7. Flieger-Division :
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 59#1054459

of note the "counting" by colleague Requin Marteau :

Au total, 14 unités diverses ont été honorées mais il n'est pas facile d'établir un classement car au cours du temps, des unités ont été intégrées à d'autres. Ainsi, les FJR 1, FJR 2 et FJR 3 qui ont fait parti de la 7. Flieger Division avant d'être intégrés à la 1. FJD ou à la 2. FJD au début de 1943, cela alors même que la 7. Flieger Division devenait 1. FJD. Néanmoins, on peut dire qu'en nombre, la plus honorée est la 1. FJD (créée en mai 1943), avec 45 décorations, suivi de la 7. FJD avec 28 (dissoute en mai 1943, devenu 1. FJD) et de la 2. FJD avec 22. A noter également le Sturmabteilung «Koch» qui a reçu 12 décorations après l'opération montée contre le fort d’Eben-Emael en mai 1940 et le Luftlande Sturm Regiment qui en a également 12 après l'invasion de la Crète en juin 1941

Any hints on mistakes of the above lists are much appreciated.
Would be most interested as well to see the list of the new book.

Bernd

[Peter H]

Thanks Bernd

Fangio has previously posted all FJ RKTs here,from a book extract:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=106108

Regards
Peter

[Peter H]

Siegfried Rammelt

[Peter H]

From Mikey: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=9830

Herbert Schmidt

[FANGIO]

Many thanks for those two last pics Peter, very appreciated.
Best,

FANGIO

[FANGIO]

From an old Bundeswehr-journal

Thanks for that one Dieter!

Günther Straehler-Pohl.

Captured Tunisia,May 1943.

From Eric Queen's Red Shines the Sun: A Pictorial History of the Fallschirm-Infanterie

Thanks for the pic Peter!

Best,

FANGIO

[Peter H]

Gerhard Mertins

From: http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... 7c5b88e41f

Mertins(1919-1993) was an arms dealer after WW2,his company Merex supplying CIA funded weapons to the Contras in Nicarauga.

[FANGIO]

Great!!! a pic of Mertins, didn´t have that one, thanks a lot Peter.
BTW, there´s a chilean webpage with an article about Mertins and his company Merex (text only in spanish). There´s also an after war pic of him.

I think the article is wrong because it states that Mertins belonged to the SS. It also mentions the relations Mertins had with some other former members of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS after the war: Skorzeny, Rudel, Klaus Barbie.
http://www.lanacion.cl/prontus_noticias ... 33634.html

Best,

FANGIO