Franz Kieslich

Franz Kieslich
Born	17 March 1913 Bochum
Died	31 August 2012(2012-08-31) (aged 99)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1935–1945 1956–1969
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit	StG 168 StG 77 SG 77
Commands held	III./SG 77
Battles/wars	World War II Annexation of Austria Annexation of the Sudetenland Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Kiev (1941) Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942) Siege of Leningrad Battle of Stalingrad Crimean Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Police officer

Franz Kieslich (17 March 1913 – 31 August 2012) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. 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. During his career, Franz Kieslich was credited with flying 1078 missions, sinking 10 ships totaling 23,000 BRT, a destroyer and a submarine.

Awards

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen (22 February 1937)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1000"
• Anschluss Medal (16 December 1938)
• Sudetenland Medal (1 October 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (5 May 1941)
  • 1st Class (10 August 1941)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (18 May 1944)
• Eastern Front Medal (13 August 1942)
• Crimea Shield (15 March 1943)
• German Cross in Gold on 10 July 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 7./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 5 January 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 7./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
  • 619th Oak Leaves on 10 October 1944 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Schlachtgeschwader 77

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1995). Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 (in German). Motorbuch, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Luftwaffe 1939-1945 History

Military offices
Preceded by Hauptmann Georg Jakob	Commander of III. Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 1 January 1943 – 18 October 1943	Succeeded by Unit merged into Schlachtgeschwader 77
Preceded by Previously Sturzkampfgeschwader 77	Commander of III. Schlachtgeschwader 77 18 October 1943 – 20 February 1945	Succeeded by Hauptmann Gerhard Stüdemann