Otto Deßloch

Otto Dessloch
File:Desslochotto.jpg Otto Dessloch
Born	(1889-06-11)11 June 1889
Died	13 May 1977(1977-05-13) (aged 87)
Place of birth	Bamberg
Place of death	Munich
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer Luftwaffe
Years of service	1910-1945
Rank	Generaloberst
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Otto Dessloch (11 June 1889 – 13 May 1977) was a German World War II Luftwaffe general and 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.

Dessloch was born at Bamberg. During World War II Dessloch commanded Luftwaffe units in the Eastern Front. After Paris was liberated by the Allied forces Dessloch commanded an air unit which avenged the liberation by bombing the city destroying civilian targets and killing 200 French civilians on September 1944.

The Yad Vashem Memorial in Israel says, Otto Dessloch is a war criminal.

He died in Munich in 1977.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (20 August 1914)
  • 1st Class (29 September 1915)
• Wound Badge (1914) in Black (15 May 1915)
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
• Cross of Honor
• Clasp of the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (13 May 1940)
  • 1st Class (24 May 1940)
• Pilot/Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 24 June 1940 as Generalmajor and commanding general of the II. Flak-Korps
  • 470th Oak Leaves on 10 May 1944 as Generaloberst and commander in chief of Luftflotte 4
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 August 1943, 9 April 1944, 30 October 1944 and 29 November 1944

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
30 October 1944	An diesem großen Erfolg haben Panzerverbände unter dem Befehl des Generals der Panzertruppe Breith und Verbände einer Luftflotte unter Führung von Generaloberst Deßloch hervorragenden Anteil.	Armored units under the command of General of Panzer Troops Breith and units of an air fleet under the command of Colonel General Deßloch have an outstanding share in this great success.

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. 
• Mitcham, Samuel W. Jr. (2007). Retreat to the Reich. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2003) (in German). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color I Abraham – Huppertz]. Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1. 
• 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 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht