Walter Koch (Fallschirmjäger)

Walter Koch (10 September 1910 – 23 October 1943) was a commander of the Fallschirmjäger during World War II who died in mysterious circumstances after openly criticising Adolf Hitler. Koch, who was the recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions during the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael in May 1940, had publicly denounced the Führer's infamous Commando Order, which ordered that all captured enemy commandos were to be executed. Shortly afterwards the '' Oberstleutnant'' and commander of ''Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5'' died in Berlin from injuries allegedly resulting from a motor vehicle collision.

Early career

Walter Koch joined the ''Landespolizei'' as an officer on 3 April 1929. As a '' Leutnant'' he had served in the state police and a police battalion for special purposes (''Polizeiabteilung z.b.V. Wecke''). In 1935 the new commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, transferred this police unit into the reformed Luftwaffe and renamed it the Regiment "General Göring".Quarrie 2005, p. 13.

Airborne service

Koch was promoted to '' Hauptmann'' (Captain) on 20 April 1938. He was then tasked with training a special commando unit dubbed Koch Parachute Assault Battalion ('' Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch"'') for operations in the west.

When '' Fall Gelb'' began in May 1940, his troops saw action during the opening phase of the Battle of France during assaults on the Belgian fortress Eben-Emael, the Maas river and Albert Canal bridges. Koch's commandos successfully captured Fort Eben-Emael and the bridges in Veldwezelt and Vroenhoeven. Only the bridge at Kanne, which was blown up by the Belgian defenders, was not taken by the German paratroopers. For these successful operations, Walter Koch along with ten other ''Wehrmacht'' officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

By May 1941, Koch was promoted to Major and given the command of the re-designated I Battalion, 1st Parachute Assault Regiment (''I./Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1'') The battalion was part of the first attacking airborne waves during the Battle of Crete. Koch led the attack using 53 DFS 230 troop-carrying gliders. Their target was the village of Maleme on the western coast of Crete because its small coastal airfield and Hill 107 commanded the approaches to the island's capital. The German troops faced the New Zealanders of 5 Brigade's 22nd Battalion, with other battalions close behind, under the command of Brigadier Edward Puttick. Although Koch was wounded in the head in the battle for Hill 107 on the first day, his airborne troops quickly achieved their targets.

Koch was promoted to '' Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel) on 20 April 1942. He and the 5th Parachute Regiment (''Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5'') were transferred to Tunisia in mid November 1942.

Death

Shortly after stopping the killing of POWs in North Africa, Koch was wounded in the head. The highly experienced combat leader was sent back to Germany to recover from his wounds; while there he was placed in the '' Führerreserve''. While convalescing he was involved in a car accident, he died in a Berlin Hospital from these injuries in October 1943. However many in his regiment believed that this was no accident and he had been most likely killed by the ''SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt'' because of his outspoken criticism of the Commando Order.

Awards

* Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (12 May 1940)Thomas & Wegmann 1986, p. 139.
** 1st Class (12 May 1940)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 10 May 1940 as '' Hauptmann'' and commander of Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch"
* German Cross in Gold on 31 March 1942 as ''Major'' in the I./Luftlande-Sturm-AbteilungPatzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 240.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Walter
1910 births
1943 deaths
Military personnel from Bonn
Fallschirmjäger of World War II
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Road incident deaths in Germany
People from the Rhine Province
German military personnel killed in World War II