Helmut Bechler

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Helmut Bechler
Born	(1898-06-02)2 June 1898 Grün
Died	9 January 1971(1971-01-09) (aged 72) Kassel
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1920) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1915–1920 1934–1945
Rank	Generalmajor
Commands held	85. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Battles of Rzhev Battle of Kiev (1943) Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Helmut Bechler (2 June 1898 – 9 January 1971) was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 85. Infanterie-Division. 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.

Awards and decorations

Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class (20 July 1916)
- 1st Class (21 August 1918)
Wound Badge (1914)
- in Black (30 September 1918)
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (5 March 1935)
Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (14 May 1940)
- 1st Class (8 June 1940)
Eastern Front Medal
Infantry Assault Badge (3 July 1944)
German Cross in Gold (19 December 1941)
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 504 ^[1]
Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (2 April 1944)

References

Citations

↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 107.

Bibliography

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). 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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Generalleutnant Kurt Chill	Commander of 85. Infanterie-Division 22 November 1944 - 15 March 1945	Succeeded by None

v t e Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the 291st Infantry Division

Stab	Werner Goeritz Kurt Herzog¹ (Oak Leaves)

Infanterie/Grenadier-Regiment 504	Harry Andree Helmut Bechler Erich Fehr Otto Koslinko Otto Zimmermann

Infanterie/Grenadier-Regiment 505	Ernst Krohn Karl Lohmeyer Otto Sawatzki Friedrich Vogelsang

Infanterie/Grenadier-Regiment 506	Paul Gurran Eberhard Pasternack Erich Weyel

Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 291	Willy Wichert

¹ Oak Leaves with the XXXVIII Army Corps

Persondata
Name	Bechler, Helmut
Alternative names
Short description	German General and Knight's Cross recipient
Date of birth	2 June 1898
Place of birth	Grün, Germany
Date of death	9 January 1971
Place of death	Kassel, Germany

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