Rudolf Witzig (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Rudolf Witzig joined the 16th Pioneer Battalion in Hxter on April 1, 1935, as an officer candidate. Two years later, on April 20, 1937, he was promoted to Leutnant and served as a platoon leader in the 31st Pioneer Battalion. Witzig volunteered for service in the Fallschirmjger on August 1, 1938, and joined the Parachute Infantry Battalion under the command of Major Richard Heidrich. A year later, after transferring to the Luftwaffe and then holding the rank of Oberleutnant, he was leader of the Sturmabteilung Koch pioneer platoon. This unit was named after Hauptmann Walter Koch. Witzig's greatest military achievement was the capture of Fort Eben-Emael in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael on May 10, 1940; that same day, Oberleutnant Witzig was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. A special announcement of the Wehrmachtbericht on May 11 lauded the accomplishments of Witzig and his airborne landing group. On May 16, Witzig was further honored by an early promotion to Hauptmann.