Karl Henze

Karl Henze
Born	20 January 1916 Holzminden
Died	Neunkirchen-Seelscheid
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr)
Years of service	1936–45 ?–1970
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Unit	StG 77 SchlG 102 SchlG 103 SchlG 151
Commands held	SchlG 102 SchlG 103 SchlG 151
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Battle of Britain Battle of Greece Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942) Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Karl Henze (20 January 1916 – 25 September 1985) 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. Karl Henze was taken prisoner at the end of the war and later joined the postwar Luftwaffe retiring as an Oberst. During his career he flew 1098 missions.

Awards and decorations

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1000"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (28 May 1940)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (24 November 1941)
• German Cross in Gold on 13 January 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 15 July 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
  • 481st Oak Leaves on 20 May 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Schlachtgeschwader 77

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com