Johannes Lutz

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Johannes "Johann" Lutz
File:Johann Lutz Portrait.jpg
Born 11 March 1920
Laisacker
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Augsburg
Allegiance  Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service/branch Heer
Bundeswehr
Years of service 1938–45, –1976
Rank Leutnant (Wehrmacht)
Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit 116th Panzer Division
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Johannes "Johann" Lutz[Note 1] (11 March 1920 – 26 August 2005) was a highly decorated Leutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also known as the Panzerknacker of Battle of Hürtgen Forest and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Lutz was captured by US forces in April 1945 and was held until November 1945.

1926–45

Between 1926 and 1938 Lutz visited the school where he was trained for his profession.[clarification needed] On 1 April he was subscribed to the 'Reichsarbeitsdienst', where he served for the 'Reicharbeitsdienstabteilung' 2/285 in Scheinfeld.[citation needed]

On 1 October 1938 he quit the service. Shortly after this on November the 17th 1938 he entered the service of the 'Wehrmacht' at the 7th Infantry-Regiment 63 in Ingolstadt. There he was trained as a machine gunner. From the on-set of the war he participated in the Invasion of Poland as a MG-1 gunner. During the Battle of France he acted as a group leader. On 11 October 1940 the second battalion was incorporated into the 'Kradschützenbataillon'.[citation needed]

At the beginning of the campaign in the Soviet Union, Lutz was the leader of the 3rd infantry group to the 'Kradschützenbatallion 17'. As early as the 2 July 1941 he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class. Later on Lutz was transferred to the 6th 'Panzergrenadier-Regiment 63', where he served as the leader of a company. At Orel Lutz was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class, on the 28 August 1942. In 1943 Lutz was trained as an officer at the gun-school in Ohrdruf in Thuringia and in Groß Glienicke near Berlin. In 1944 he participated in a master course for technical tank officers at the Panzertruppenschule Krampnitz. After the beginning of the Invasion of Normandy in 1944 Lutz was assigned as a troop leader for the first troop of the 'Divisionsbegleitkompanie' of the 116th Panzer Division. With the division he fought at Arnhem and later in the bloody battles in the Eifel.[citation needed]

In the combat zone of Aachen he was awarded with the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 December 1944 for the occupation and protection of Vossenack. During this fight in Hürtgenwald he destroyed 5 US Tanks within one day. Following this the first troop of the 'Divisionsbegleitkompanie' was signed into the 'Ehrenblatt' of the 116 tank division. After this Lutz became company leader and first lieutenant and fought in the Ruhr Pocket. On 20 April 1945 Lutz became an American prisoner of war, at this point he served as adjutant to the combat commander in the Harz mountains.[citation needed]

Awards and decorations

Notes

  1. According to Christian Federl, Walther-Peer Fellgiebel, Gerhard von Seemen and Veit Scherzer his first name is Johannes.[1][2][3][4] The image of his tank destruction badge ownership certificate lists him as Johann.

References

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Federl 2000, p. 190.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 299.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Von Seemen 1976, p. 230.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 520.

Bibliography

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External links