Clemens-Heinrich Graf von Kageneck
Encyclopedia
Clemens-Heinrich Graf von Kageneck(17 October 1913 – 18 March 2005) was a highly decorated Major
in the Wehrmacht
during World War II who commanded Panzer-Abteilung 503. 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.
, the oldest of four sons of Generalmajor Karl Graf von Kageneck and Freiin Maria von Schorlemer, daughter of Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer, an Imperial Secretary of Agriculture. His brothers included:
He married Countess Caroline Henckel von Donnersmarck in 1944. The children are:
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during World War II who commanded Panzer-Abteilung 503. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. 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.
Early life
Graf von Kageneck was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the oldest of four sons of Generalmajor Karl Graf von Kageneck and Freiin Maria von Schorlemer, daughter of Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer, an Imperial Secretary of Agriculture. His brothers included:
- Franz Joseph Graf von Kageneck (1915–1941)
- ∞ Princess Elisabeth Maria of BavariaPrincess Elisabeth Maria of BavariaPrincess Elisabeth Maria of Bavaria was a German princess of the House of Wittelsbach...
- Erbo Graf von KageneckErbo Graf von KageneckErbo Graf von Kageneck was a German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe from 1938 to 1942 during World War II. Graf von Kageneck was credited with 67 aerial victories—that is, 67 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft...
(1918–1942), LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
pilot who was credited with 67 victories - August Graf von Kageneck (1922–2004), journalist and writer
- Erbo Graf von Kageneck
He married Countess Caroline Henckel von Donnersmarck in 1944. The children are:
- Marie-Elisabeth Gräfin von Kageneck (born 1945)
- ∞ Franz Graf von Meran
- Beatrix Gräfin von Kageneck (born 1946)
- Karl-Erbo Graf von Kageneck (born 1947)
- ∞ Theresia Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
- Christine Gräfin von Kageneck (born 1949)
- Vinzenz Graf von Kageneck (born 1950)
- ∞ Anne Gräfin von Plauen (born 1968)
- Hans Goso Graf von Kageneck (born 1951)
- Thomas Graf von Kageneck (born 1952, died 1977)
Awards and decorations
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (26 September 1939)
- 1st Class (3 July 1941)
- Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
- in Black
- in Silver
- Eastern Front MedalEastern Front MedalThe Eastern Front Medal, , more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front during the period November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942...
- German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (28 November 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 4 August 1943 as HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
and commander of schweren Panzer-Abteilung 503 - 513th Oak Leaves on 26 June 1944 as HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
and commander of schweren Panzer-Abteilung 503
- Knight's Cross on 4 August 1943 as Hauptmann