Willibald Borowietz

Willibald Borowietz
Born	(1893-09-17)17 September 1893
Died	1 July 1945(1945-07-01) (aged 51)
Place of birth	Ratibor
Place of death	Camp Clinton
Buried at	Fort Benning
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1919) Nazi Germany (to 1943)
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–1919 1935–1943
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	15. Panzer-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Moscow Tunisian Campaign
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Police Officer

Willibald Borowietz (17 September 1893 – 1 July 1945) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. 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. Borowietz was captured when the Afrika Korps surrendered to Allied forces. He was held as a POW by the United States and died in their captivity in an auto accident. His wife, Eva Ledien, was of Jewish descent. She committed suicide in October 1938 so that their children could be Aryanized. This freed Willibald to follow his career. Eva's sister, Käthe (Ledien) Bosse, was killed in Ravensbrück concentration camp on 16 December 1944.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (6 October 1914)
  • 1st Class (25 June 1915)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black (4 May 1918)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (21 December 1935)
• World War Commemorative Medal with Swords (Hungary, 1936)
• War Commemorative Medal 1915/1918 with swords (Bulgaria, 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (25 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (11 June 1940)
• Certificate of Recognition of the Commander of the Army for outstanding performance on the battlefield (1941)
• General Assault Badge (14 April 1941)
• Eastern Front Medal (1 August 1942)
• Armband Afrika (1943)
• Silver Medal of Military Valor
• German Cross in Gold (4 June 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 24 July 1941 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Schützen-Regiment 10
  • 235th Oak Leaves on 10 May 1943 as Generalmajor and commander of 15.Panzer-Division
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht (12 April 1941 and 11 May 1943)

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Saturday, 12 April 1941	Bei dem Vorstoß einer Panzerdivision auf Üsküp am 6. und 7. April haben sich Oberst Apell, Kommandeur einer Schützenbrigade, und Oberstleutnant Borowiezt, Kommandeur einer Panzerjägerabteilung, besonders ausgezeichent.	Oberst Apell, commander of a Schützenbrigade, and Oberstleutnant Borowiezt, commander of a Panzerjägerabteilung, distinguished themselves on 6 and 7 April during the advance of a Panzer-Division on Skopje.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. 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 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945
• Willibald Borowietz @ Axis Biographical Research

Military offices
Preceded by Generalmajor Gustav von Vaerst	Commander of 15. Panzer-Division 11 November 1942 – 13 May 1943	Succeeded by Unit Surrendered