Willibald Utz

Willibald Utz (20 January 1893 – 20 April 1954) was a German general during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Willibald Utz
Grave in Bad Reichenhall
Born	20 January 1893 Furth im Wald
Died	20 April 1954 (aged 61) Bad Reichenhall
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Army
Years of service	1913–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	100th Jäger Division 2nd Mountain Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Balkan Campaign Battle of Crete Siege of Leningrad Hube's Pocket Battle of the Dukla Pass Siegfried Line Campaign
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Life and career

Willibald Utz was born in Furth im Wald in Bavaria on 20 January 1893. In 1913, at the age of 20, he entered the Bavarian Army as an ensign, and by September 1914 he had been commissioned lieutenant. After serving in World War I he joined the inter-war Reichswehr. By the outbreak of World War II in 1939 he was commander of the 100th (mountain) (Gebirgsjäger) Regiment,[1] and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his leadership of this regiment during the invasion of Crete during May and June 1941.[2]

In April 1943, Utz was appointed commander of the newly reconstituted 100th Jäger Division, which had been destroyed at the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. Promoted to major general (generalmajor) on 1 July 1943, he held his command on the Eastern Front from March to December 1944.[3]

Now a lieutenant general (generalleutnant),[3] he took over command of the 2nd Mountain Division on 9 February 1945 when its previous commander was wounded. After fighting on the Western Front in the Saar-Moselle Triangle, his new command, earlier in the war considered an elite unit, was well below strength and combat effectiveness. The division finished the war in Württemberg where Utz surrendered it to the Western Allies.[4]

Awards and decorations

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 June 1941 as Oberst (colonel) and commander of Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 100 during the Battle of Crete.[2]

Notes

1. Lucas 1980, p. 219.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 348.
3. Mitcham, Jr 2007, pp. 247–248.
4. Mitcham, Jr 2007, pp. 263–264.

References

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Lucas, James (1980). Alpine Elite: German Mountain Troops of World War II. Jane's Publishing. ISBN 0531037134.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Mitcham, Jr, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle, Volume Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3437-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)