Herbert Beyer

Herbert Beyer
Born	(1913-08-04)4 August 1913 Lübeck
Died	4 September 1966(1966-09-04) (aged 53) Neuss/Nordrhein-Westfalen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine (to 1940) Template:Luftwaffe
Years of service	1931–45
Rank	(Wehrmacht) Major
Unit	Hessen 4th Fallschirmjäger regiment
Commands	1st Battalion, 4th Fallschirmjäger regiment
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of Monte Cassino
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Herbert Christoph Karl Beyer (4 August 1913 – 4 September 1966) was a decorated major in the Fallschirmjäger during World War II.

Originally in 1931 he joined the Kriegsmarine , and served with it until under several roles, including that of a naval aviator, until 1940 when he transferred to the Luftwaffe. From 1941 to 1942, he trained as a paratrooper or in German, Fallschirmjäger. By the end of his training he was a tank hunter platoon commander. By May 1942, he was a company commander of the 4th regiment. By 1944 he commander of the first battalion of the 4th regiment. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for effectively leading his battalion at the battle of Monte Cassino from March 16 to the 19th, against vast numbers of Allied forces. For this feat he was also promoted to the rank of major. Beyer was captured towards the endof the war.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 August 1943)
  • 1st Class (21 January 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 as Hauptmann and commander of the I./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4

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)
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military. ISBN 978-0-88740-749-9.
• 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1986). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil II: Fallschirmjäger (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1461-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)