Walter Lange

Dr. med. dent. Walter Lange
Oak Leaves ceremony on 15 September 1943 at the Führerhauptquartier "Wolfschanze", from left to right: Adolf Hitler, Paul Schultz (hidden), Oberst Dr. med. dent. Walter Lange, Major Theodor Tolsdorff, Oberst Günther Pape, Major Dr. Franz Bäke
Born	(1898-07-14)14 July 1898 Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	30 October 1982(1982-10-30) (aged 84) Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1929) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1916–29 1936–45
Rank	Oberst of the Reserves
Commands held	Grenadier-Regiment 43, Grenadier-Regiment 917
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	dentist

Walter Lange (14 July 1898 – 30 October 1982) was a highly decorated Oberst of the Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient 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 recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

First World War

Walter Lange volunteered in 1916, serving on the Western Front with 422 Regiment.

Inter-war

At the end of the war, Lange remained in the service of the post-war German Army. Promoted to lieutenant in 1923, he resigned to attend dental school in 1929. Lange graduated as a doctor of medical dentistry in 1934. In 1936 he re-enlisted as a reservist and was promoted Captain of the Reserves on 1 July 1938.

Second World War

At the start of the war, he was recalled, taking part in the invasion of Poland with Landwehr Infanterie Regiment 162. In May 1941, Lange was assigned to command of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment, leading it in the invasion of the Soviet Union in June. He then was transferred to Grenadier Regiment 43 in September 1942, leading it in the fighting around Lake Ladoga.

On 10 February 1943 Lange was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel of the Reserves and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The promotion and award were followed by another promotion, to Colonel of the Reserves on 1 July 1943, and the award of Oak Leaves on 13 September 1943, in recognition of his contribution to the fighting around Lake Ladoga. Soon afterward, he was withdrawn from front-line service and assigned to the general officer reserve of the German Army.

Lange assumed command of Grenadier Regiment 917 on 8 May 1944 in the south of France. He was captured by the French on 30 July 1944.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (24 August 1914)
  • 1st Class (8 January 1918)
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (24 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (30 October 1939)
• German Cross in Gold on 14 March 1942 as Major der Landwehr in the III./Infanterie-Regiment 43
• Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (19 November 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 19 January 1941 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 42
  • 300th Oak Leaves on 13 September 1943 as Oberst of the Reserves and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 43

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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)