Willi Fey

Willi Fey
Willi Fey
Born	25 September 1918; Lollar, Germany
Died	29 April 2002 (aged 83); Freiburg, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany; West Germany
Service / branch	Heer; Waffen-SS; Bundeswehr
Years of service	1939–45; 1956–72
Rank	Standartenjunker; Hauptmann
Unit	52nd Infantry Division; 102 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of France; Operation Barbarossa; Falaise pocket; Battle of Berlin;
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Willi "Wilhelm" Fey (25 September 1918 – 29 April 2002) was a Standartenjunker in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II. Following the war, he served in the Bundeswehr and wrote books on armored warfare.

According to Krätschmer, Fey was nominated for the Knight's Cross by the Kampfgruppe Wilhelm Mohnke during the Battle of Berlin. Fey had been tasked with the leadership of an ad hoc tank hunting group made up of soldiers from the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland and 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French). From 22–29 April 1945, he fought with this group in the area from Köpenicker Straße to the central government district that included the Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker. In combat at the Belle-Alliance-Platz, present-day Mehringplatz, Fey destroyed eight Soviet T-34 tanks with the Panzerfaust, taking his total of tanks destroyed in close combat fighting to 14. For these actions he was awarded the Knight's Cross on 29 April 1945.^[1]

Awards

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 April 1945 as SS-Oberscharführer and Panzer commander in the schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502^[2]^{[Note 1]}^{[Note 2]}

^ According to Von Seemen as Panzer commander in the schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502 and leader of a Panzer-Jagdkommando in Berlin.^[3]
^ A lawful presentation via the chain of command to the chief of the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) Wilhelm Burgdorf in Berlin submitted nomination is possible. Also possible is a direct presentation by Adolf Hitler. However no evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The author Veit Scherzer was denied access to files, which could help clarify the case, of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) on the grounds of the Bundesarchivgesetz (German Archive Law). Walther-Peer Fellgiebel wrote in a letter dated 31 August 1976: "...He (Willhelm Fey) after joining the Bundeswehr has request a court of honor against himself. Chairman was our companion recipient of the Oak Leaves former Oberst XXXX (name was made anonymous). This court of honor has accepted him without evidence". The order commission of the AKCR accepted this. Fellgiebel wrote: "...we don't want to claim that we are smarter than the Bundeswehr." Willhelm Fey was a member of the AKCR.^[4]

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)
Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9. {{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)
Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)