| Gerhard Matzky | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 19, 1894 |
| Died | 9 June 1983 (aged 89) |
| Place of birth | Küstrin |
| Place of death | Bad Godesberg |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service/branch |
Heer Bundeswehr |
| Years of service |
1912–1945 1956–1960 |
| Rank |
General der Infanterie (Wehrmacht) Generalleutnant (Bundeswehr) |
| Commands held |
21. Infanterie-Division XXVIII. Armeekrops XXVI. Armeekorps |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards |
Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Other work |
Bundeswehr Chairman of the Association of German soldiers |
Gerhard Matzky (19 March 1894 – 9 June 1983) was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Gerhard Matzky was captured by British troops in 1945 and was released in 1948. In 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr and served until 1960.
Awards and decorations[]
- Iron Cross of 1914
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class (1915)
- Wound Badge
- in Black
- in Silver
- Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Iron Cross of 1939
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- War Merit Cross with Swords
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 April 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 21. Infanterie-Division[1]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (11 April 1944)
- Grand Merit Cross with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany (Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern) (April 1967); previously Cross of Merit (1960)
Wehrmachtbericht reference[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 11 April 1944 | Südlich Pleskau griffen die Sowjets auch gestern nicht wieder an. Seit dem 31. März 1944 haben hier deutsche Truppen unter dem Oberbefehl des Generals der Artillerie Loch und unter Führung von Generalleutnant Matzky die Durchbruchsversuche weit überlegener feindlicher Infanterie- und Panzerverbände vereitelt und dem Feind hohe Menschen- und Materialverluste zugefügt.[2] | The Soviets again did not attack south of Pskov yesterday. Since 31 March 1944, German troops under the overall command of General of Artillery Loch and led by Lieutenant General Matzky have prevented the breakthrough attempts of far superior enemy infantry and tank units and inflicted high human and material losses to the enemy. |
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links[]
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The original article can be found at Gerhard Matzky and the edit history here.