Date of birth:

June 14th, 1910 (Ingolstadt/Bavaria, Germany)

Date of death:

July 14th, 1976 (Erding-Klettham/Bavaria, Germany)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Heribert Raithel was cited to receive the "Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes" between April 17th, 1945 and April 20th, 1945. The award was awarded to him on May 19th, 1945 by General der Panzertruppen Balck. Due to the fact that by order of Dönitz, no decorations were permitted to be awarded after May 8th, 1945 and by "Erlass des Führers" from September 27th, 1944, no decorations were permitted to be awarded to prisoners of war, the awarding was not formally correct.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Kommandeur, II. Abteilung, Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 95, 5. Gebirgs-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

June 13th, 1941

The following wartime excerpt describes why Raithel received the Knight’s Cross…

“Hauptmann Raithel has distinguished himself through his repeated, independent command decisions regarding the actions of his Batterie against those centres of resistance most dangerous to our own infantry. His exemplary personal conduct was crucial for the breakthrough of the Division through the Metaxas Line.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 95, 5. Gebirgs-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

July 14th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Igor Poul
• - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1993.
  - Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945
  Helmut Weitze
  - Ritterkreuzarchiv III/2013, Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Bayreuth, 2013, ISSN 1866-4709