| Heinz Birnbacher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 May 1910 |
| Died | 5 December 1991 (aged 81) |
| Place of birth | Villach |
| Place of death | Villach |
| Allegiance |
 Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service |
1930–1945 1956–1973 |
| Rank |
Korvettenkapitän (Wehrmacht) Konteradmiral (Bundeswehr) |
| Unit | destroyer Z-23 |
| Commands held |
1. Schnellbootflottille destroyer Z-25 destroyer Z-24 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Walter Robert Karl Heinz Birnbacher (26 May 1910 in Villach – 5 December 1991 in Villach) was a German officer in the Kriegsmarine during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. After World War II he served in the Bundesmarine attaining the rank of Konteradmiral.
Awards[]
- Sudetenland Medal (20 September 1940)[1]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (20 December 1939)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Wound Badge in Black (15 May 1940)[1]
- Fast Attack Craft War Badge (16 December 1940)[1]
- German Cross in Gold (10 November 1942)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 June 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and chief of the 1. Schnellbootsflottille[2]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 9 March 1941
- Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 3rd Class (4 November 1941)[1]
- Destroyer War Badge (27 April 1943)[1]
- Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz (September 1970)[1]
Wehrmachtbericht reference[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 9 March 1941 | Bei dem im gestrigen Wehrmachtsbericht bekanntgegebenen großen Erfolg der Schnellbootwaffe haben sich die unter der Führung des Korvettenkapitäns Petersen, des Kapitänleutnants Birnbacher und des Oberleutnants zur See Wuppermann stehenden Schnellbootverbände besonders ausgezeichnet.[3] | In yesterdays in the Wehrmacht report announced huge success of the fast attack craft force, have fast attack craft units under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Petersen, the Captain Lieutenant Birnbacher and Lieutenant at Sea Wuppermann particularly distinguished themselves. |
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Dörr, Manfred (1995) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 1: A–K]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2453-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- (in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag. 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links[]
- "Carl-Heinz Birnbacher" (in German). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45. http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Kriegsmarine/B/Bi/Birnbacher-Heinz.htm. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- "Carl-Heinz Birnbacher" (in German). Deutsches Marinearchiv. http://www.deutsches-marinearchiv.de/Archiv/1935-1945/Personen/Ritterkreuz/a-e/birnbacher.htm. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
The original article can be found at Carl-Heinz Birnbacher and the edit history here.