Betzel, Clemens
- Date of birth:
- June 9th, 1895 (Ulm/Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
- Date of death:
- March 27th, 1945 (Danzig, Germany)
- Buried on:
- German War Graves Gdansk
Plot: 1A. Row: 1. Grave: 9. - Nationality:
- German (1933-1945, Third Reich)
Biography
Again in service with the Wehrmacht from August 25th 1939.
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1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- September 24th, 1939
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- October 11th, 1939
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberst (Colonel)
- Unit:
- Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 103
- Awarded on:
- March 11th, 1943
Award 326/35
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Generalmajor (Brigadier)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur, 4. Panzer-Division, Heer
- Awarded on:
- September 5th, 1944
“On the 03.07.1944 Generalmajor Betzel and his Division launched a swift attack towards the north via Nieswiec that succeeded in capturing Horodciez and then carrying on beyond this place up to Stolpce. Through this they enabled the 12. Panzer-Division to capture the southern bank of the river near Stolpce and hold open the crossings there.”
3558th Heer Award.
Submitted on August 25th 1944.
Preliminary document dated on September 15th 1944.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- November 3rd, 1944
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Generalleutnant (Major-general)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur, 4. Panzer-Division, Heer
- Awarded on:
- March 11th, 1945
The following wartime excerpt describes why Betzel was awarded the Knight’s Cross…
“On the 03.07.1944 Generalmajor Betzel and his Division launched a swift attack towards the north via Nieswiec that succeeded in capturing Horodciez and then carrying on beyond this place up to Stolpce. Through this they enabled the 12. Panzer-Division to capture the southern bank of the river near Stolpce and hold open the crossings there.”
EL
The following wartime excerpt describes why Betzel was awarded the Oakleaves…
“Generalleutnant Betzel was majorly involved in his Division’s success in preventing the breakthrough attempts by strong Soviet forces in West Prussia. Within 5 days the 4. Panzer-Division eliminated 113 tanks and 41 heavy anti-tank guns. During this time the divisional commander constantly led from the front at the decisive points of the battle, and is thus inextricably implicated in its success. From January to March 1945 his Division was deployed in the areas around Schwetz-Tucheler Moor, Bütow and Karthaus.”
774th Award.
Submitted on February 28th 1945.
Sources
- Photo 1: Gareth Collins
- Photo: Gareth Collins via Axis Biographical Research
- - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
- WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 2004.
- Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- Federl, C., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, Germany, 2000
- Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001
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