Wilhelm Schmalz

Wilhelm Schmalz
Born	(1901-03-01)1 March 1901 Reußen
Died	14 March 1983(1983-03-14) (aged 82) Braunfels
Allegiance	Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Army Luftwaffe
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wilhelm Schmalz (1 March 1901 – 14 March 1983) was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Schmalz surrendered to the American troops in May 1945.

Schmalz was accused of war crimes in Italy, among them the Civitella in Val di Chiana massacre on 29 June 1944 where 146 civilians were murdered by soldiers of the Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring. He was trialled but acquitted of the chargers by a court in Rome on 12 July 1950.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (14 September 1939) & 1st Class (16 October 1939)
• German Cross in Gold on 8 February 1942 as Major in Kradschützen-Bataillon 59
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 28 November 1940 as Major and commander of I./Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 11
  • 358th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1943 as Oberst and commander of Panzerbrigade z.b.V. der Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring"

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 [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.