Karl Wanka

Karl Wanka
Born	(1914-06-01)June 1, 1914
Died	3 May 1980(1980-05-03) (aged 65)
Place of birth	Auschowitz, Bohemia
Place of death	Bad Kissingen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1939–1945
Rank	Major der Reserve
Commands held	I./Grenadier-Regiment 53
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of the Caucasus Lower Dnieper Offensive Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive Operation Bagration Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive East Prussian Offensive Zemland Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Karl Wanka (1 June 1914 – 3 May 1980) was a highly decorated Major der Reserve in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Karl Wanka was captured by American forces in May 1945, he was handed over to Czech forces and was forced to work in a uranium mine until 1956.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 July 1941)
  • 1st Class (15 January 1942)
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 February 1944 as Oberleutnant der Reserve and commander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 446
  • 800th Oak Leaves on 23 March 1945 as Major der Reserve and commander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 53

References

Citations

Bibliography

• 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. 
• 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. 
• Thomas, Franz (1998) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht