Karl Keck
Encyclopedia
Karl Keck was a Sturmbannführer
(Major) in the Waffen SS during World War II
. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
during World War II
.
Karl Keck was born on the 20 January 1914, in Zürich
, Switzerland
. He volunteered to join the SS-VT in May 1933, and was posted to the SS Standarte Deutschland.
In April 1935 he was reassigned to the SS Standarte Germania and selected to become an officer being sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig
until January 1936. As a Leutnant of Schutzpolizei
he transferred to a police company from May 1937 until April 1938. He then joined the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and took part in the Battle of France
where he was awarded the Iron Cross
II class. He next took part in the Balkans
campaign (Operation Marita) and the invasion of the Soviet Union
(Operation Barbarossa
) and was awarded the Iron Cross I class in December 1941, while in command of the Pionier Company.
He was transferred to the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg on the 5 February 1943 as the commander of the 16th (Pionier) Company, 21 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment.
Karl Keck was killed in action near Avenay
on the Western Front
on the 11 July 1944, and awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross for his actions in June 1944.
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major) in the Waffen SS 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...
. He was a 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...
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
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...
.
Karl Keck was born on the 20 January 1914, in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He volunteered to join the SS-VT in May 1933, and was posted to the SS Standarte Deutschland.
In April 1935 he was reassigned to the SS Standarte Germania and selected to become an officer being sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
until January 1936. As a Leutnant of Schutzpolizei
Schutzpolizei
The Schutzpolizei , or Schupo for short, is a branch of the Landespolizei, the state level police of the German states. Schutzpolizei literally means security or protection police but is best translated as Uniformed Police....
he transferred to a police company from May 1937 until April 1938. He then joined the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and took part in 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...
where he was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The 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....
II class. He next took part in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
campaign (Operation Marita) and the invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
) and was awarded the Iron Cross I class in December 1941, while in command of the Pionier Company.
He was transferred to the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg on the 5 February 1943 as the commander of the 16th (Pionier) Company, 21 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment.
Karl Keck was killed in action near Avenay
Avenay
Avenay is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
on the 11 July 1944, and awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross for his actions in June 1944.