Richard Metzger (officer)

This article is about World War II Wehrmacht officer. For the television host and author, see Richard Metzger.

Richard Metzger
Richard Metzger
Born	(1912-02-06)6 February 1912 Mainz
Died	8 December 1982(1982-12-08) (aged 70) Wiesbaden
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1929–45 1956–69
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	Infanterie-Battalion z.b.V. 561
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive Operation Bagration Bobruysk Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Richard Metzger (6 February 1912 – 8 December 1982) was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberstleutnant in the Bundeswehr. He was also a 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. Richard Metzger was captured by Soviet troops in June 1944 during the Bobruysk Offensive and was released in 1955. In 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr and served until 1969.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
  • in Gold
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
• German Cross in Gold (9 October 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 October 1943 as Major and commander of Infanterie-Battalion z.b.V. 561

References

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 (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)

External links

• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945
• World War 2 Awards.com