Wolfgang Henner Peter Lebrecht Graf von Blücher (31 January 1917 – 21 May 1941) was a highly decorated ''

Oberleutnant (English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...

'' of the Reserves in the

Fallschirmjäger The () were the airborne forces branch of the Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They were commanded by Kurt Student, the Luftwaffe's second-in-comman ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was also a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...

. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Wolfgang Graf von Blücher was one of three brothers who were killed during the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...

, all three of them on 21 May 1941.

Awards and decorations

* Fallschirmschützenabzeichen *

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

(1939) ** 2nd Class (18 April 1940)Thomas & Wegmann 1986, p. 25. ** 1st Class (24 May 1940) *

on 24 May 1940 as ''

Leutnant () is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...

'' of the Reserves and '' Zugführer'' (platoon leader) in the 2./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1Scherzer 2007, p. 226.

Footnotes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Beevor, Antony (2005). ''Crete: The Battle and the Resistance''. London, England: John Murray (Publishers). ISBN 978-0-7195-6831-2 * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bluecher, Wolfgang Graf Von 1917 births 1941 deaths People from Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II Military personnel from the Province of Saxony Fallschirmjäger of World War II Counts in Germany Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Military personnel from Thuringia