Walter Koch (Fallschirmjäger)
Encyclopedia
Walter Koch was a member of the Fallschirmjäger
during World War II
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for his actions during the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Koch was severely wounded in a road accident as Oberstleutnant
and commander of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5. He succumbed to these injuries in a hospital in Berlin on 23 October 1943.
. As a Leutnant he had served in the state police (Landespolizei
) and Police Battalion for special purposes Wecke (Polizeiabteilung z.b.V. Wecke). In 1935 Hermann Göring
as the new commander-in-chief
of the Luftwaffe
transferred this unit to the Luftwaffe and renamed to Regiment "General Göring"
.
Koch, promoted to Hauptmann
(Captain) on 20 April 1938, was tasked with the formation of a special commando unit dubbed Koch Parachute Assault Battalion (Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch"). This unit trained for special commando operations in the west. The assault battalion saw its first action during the opening phase of the Battle of France
during the assault on the Belgian fortress Eben-Emael
and the Maas river and Albert Canal
bridges. The assault battalion successfully captured Fort Eben-Emael
and the bridges at Veldwezelt
and Vroenhoeven. Only the bridge at Kanne
, which was blown up by the Belgian defenders, was not taken by the German paratroopers. Walter Koch and ten other German officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for this feat.
Koch was promoted to Major and as commander of the re-designated I Battalion, 1st Parachute Assault Regiment (I./Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment 1) and participated in the Battle of Crete
on 20 May 1941. The I Battalion was part of the first attacking wave and were carried in 53 DFS 230
troop-carrying gliders. Their target was on the western coast of Crete, the village of Maleme
, with its small coastal airfield and Hill 107, which commanded the approaches. Facing the German attackers were New Zealanders of 5 Brigade's 22nd Battalion, with other battalions close behind, under the command of Brigadier Edward Puttick. At 07:25 in the morning of the first day of the invasion, Koch was wounded in the head in the battle over Hill 107.
(Lieutenant Colonel) on 20 April 1942, Koch and his 5th Parachute Regiment (Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5) were transferred to Tunis in mid November 1942 and fought their first engagement in Africa at Depienne Airfield
two weeks later. The British 2nd Parachute Battalion
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Dutton Frost
was tasked with securing the airfields at Depienne. Finding the airfields abandoned, Frost in search for other targets had to leave a number of injured men under the protection of a single platoon behind. Detected by Oberstleutnants Koch's patrol, the British paratroopers were quickly defeated and taken prisoner of war
. Koch had his medics treat the wounded and left them behind with water, food and cigarettes before handing them over to regular German ground forces. These German forces, acting in accordance to the Commando Order
, were preparing the execution of the British prisoners. Koch and the commander of the I Battalion, 5th Parachute Regiment Hauptmann Hans Jungwirth arrived just in time to stop the execution, demanding adequate treatment of the prisoners. After a heated debate, the British soldiers were taken to a POW camp.
for his outspoken criticism of the Commando Order
, the order to kill all Allied commando
s immediately. Walter Koch died in a Berlin hospital on 23 October 1943 from injuries sustained in a road accident.
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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...
for his actions during the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
The Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a battle between Belgian and German forces that took place between 10 May and 11 May 1940, and was part of the Battle of the Netherlands, Battle of Belgium and Fall Gelb, the German invasion of the Low Countries and France...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Koch was severely wounded in a road accident as Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
and commander of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5. He succumbed to these injuries in a hospital in Berlin on 23 October 1943.
Military career
Walter Koch joined the police service on 3 April 1929 and in August 1935 transferred to the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe 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....
. As a Leutnant he had served in the state police (Landespolizei
Landespolizei
thumb|[[Germany|German]] police officer in [[Hamburg]]The Landespolizei are the main police forces of Germany. They are under the sole jurisdiction, funded and operated by the states of Germany.-History:...
) and Police Battalion for special purposes Wecke (Polizeiabteilung z.b.V. Wecke). In 1935 Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
as the new commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe 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....
transferred this unit to the Luftwaffe and renamed to Regiment "General Göring"
Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring
The Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring was an élite German Luftwaffe armoured division. The HG saw action in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and on the Eastern front...
.
Koch, promoted to Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann 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...
(Captain) on 20 April 1938, was tasked with the formation of a special commando unit dubbed Koch Parachute Assault Battalion (Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch"). This unit trained for special commando operations in the west. The assault battalion saw its first action during the opening phase of the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
during the assault on the Belgian fortress Eben-Emael
Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
The Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a battle between Belgian and German forces that took place between 10 May and 11 May 1940, and was part of the Battle of the Netherlands, Battle of Belgium and Fall Gelb, the German invasion of the Low Countries and France...
and the Maas river and Albert Canal
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. It connects the major cities Antwerp and Liège and the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. It has a depth of , a free height of and a total length of...
bridges. The assault battalion successfully captured Fort Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, and designed to defend Belgium from a German attack across the narrow belt of Dutch territory in the region. Constructed in 1931–1935, it was reputed to be...
and the bridges at Veldwezelt
Lanaken
Lanaken is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2007 Lanaken had a total population of 24,724. The total area is 59.00 km² which gives a population density of 415 inhabitants per km²....
and Vroenhoeven. Only the bridge at Kanne
Kanne
Kanne is a small town in the southeastern part of the Belgian province of Limburg right on the border with the city of Maastricht in the Dutch province of Limburg. The town has 1156 inhabitants of which a significant part have the Dutch nationality....
, which was blown up by the Belgian defenders, was not taken by the German paratroopers. Walter Koch and ten other German officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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...
for this feat.
Koch was promoted to Major and as commander of the re-designated I Battalion, 1st Parachute Assault Regiment (I./Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment 1) and participated in the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
on 20 May 1941. The I Battalion was part of the first attacking wave and were carried in 53 DFS 230
DFS 230
|-See also:-External links:* http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/dfs230.html* http://www.luftarchiv.de/flugzeuge/dfs/dfs230.htm...
troop-carrying gliders. Their target was on the western coast of Crete, the village of Maleme
Maleme
Maleme is a town and airport to the west of Chania, in North Western Crete, Greece. It is located in Platanias municipality, in Chania prefecture....
, with its small coastal airfield and Hill 107, which commanded the approaches. Facing the German attackers were New Zealanders of 5 Brigade's 22nd Battalion, with other battalions close behind, under the command of Brigadier Edward Puttick. At 07:25 in the morning of the first day of the invasion, Koch was wounded in the head in the battle over Hill 107.
Promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and criticism of the Commando Order
Promoted to OberstleutnantOberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
(Lieutenant Colonel) on 20 April 1942, Koch and his 5th Parachute Regiment (Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5) were transferred to Tunis in mid November 1942 and fought their first engagement in Africa at Depienne Airfield
Depienne Airfield
Depienne Airfield is a World War II airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 12 km northeast of El Fahs, and 53 km southwest of Tunis. The airfield was first used by the German Luftwaffe in 1941 and 1942, and was captured by the British Army by a parachute attack on 3 December 1942...
two weeks later. The British 2nd Parachute Battalion
2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
The Second Battalion, The Parachute Regiment is a battalion-sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade whose Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel Joseph O'Sullivan....
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Dutton Frost
John Dutton Frost
Major General John Dutton Frost CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DL was a British airborne officer best known for being the leader of the small group of airborne forces that actually got to Arnhem bridge during the Battle of Arnhem...
was tasked with securing the airfields at Depienne. Finding the airfields abandoned, Frost in search for other targets had to leave a number of injured men under the protection of a single platoon behind. Detected by Oberstleutnants Koch's patrol, the British paratroopers were quickly defeated and taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Koch had his medics treat the wounded and left them behind with water, food and cigarettes before handing them over to regular German ground forces. These German forces, acting in accordance to the Commando Order
Commando Order
The Commando Order was issued by Adolf Hitler on 18 October 1942 stating that all Allied commandos encountered by German forces in Europe and Africa should be killed immediately, even if in uniform or if they attempted to surrender...
, were preparing the execution of the British prisoners. Koch and the commander of the I Battalion, 5th Parachute Regiment Hauptmann Hans Jungwirth arrived just in time to stop the execution, demanding adequate treatment of the prisoners. After a heated debate, the British soldiers were taken to a POW camp.
Transfer and death
After hospitalization, Koch was placed on the FührerreserveFührerreserve
The Führerreserve was a section set up in 1939 in many army units, in which high officers waited for a new assignment. Also, troublesome officers were sometimes shifted into the Führerreserve, since the High Command believed that they would be less dangerous there...
for his outspoken criticism of the Commando Order
Commando Order
The Commando Order was issued by Adolf Hitler on 18 October 1942 stating that all Allied commandos encountered by German forces in Europe and Africa should be killed immediately, even if in uniform or if they attempted to surrender...
, the order to kill all Allied commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s immediately. Walter Koch died in a Berlin hospital on 23 October 1943 from injuries sustained in a road accident.
Awards
- 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 (12 May 1940)
- 1st Class (12 May 1940)
- 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 (31 March 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight'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...
on 10 May 1940 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 Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch" - Mentioned in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 9 June 1941
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, 9 June 1941 | In the battles in Crete parachute units under the leadership of Major Koch, Hauptmann Altmann Gustav Altmann Gustav Altmann was a member of the Fallschirmjäger during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions during the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military... and Oberleutnant Genz distinguished themselves through boldness and heroic courage. |