Walter Sigel Military person

Walter Sigel (12 January 1906 – 8 May 1944) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Walter Sigel died on 8 May 1944 after crashing his Fieseler Storch into the Trondheimfjord.Sigel was the commanding officer of Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 during the Junkers Ju 87 dive bombing demonstration at Neuhammer, present-day Świętoszów, Poland, on 15 August 1939. Observing the demonstration were the senior Luftwaffe commanders, including Generals Hugo Sperrle, Bruno Loerzer, and Wolfram von Richthofen. The lower cloud layer, which was believed to be at 900 metres (3,000 ft), was only 100 metres (330 ft). While Sigel managed to just barely pull out in time, 13 other Ju 87 crews crashed to their death. The event became known as the "Neuhammer Stuka Disaster" (Neuhammer Stuka-Unglück).

Personal facts

Birth date	January 12, 1906
Birth place	Germany , Ulm
Date of death	May 08, 1944
Place of death	Norway , Trondheimsfjord

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Military person

allegiance	Nazi Germany
award	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
military operations	Invasion of Poland North African Campaign Balkan Campaign (World War II) World War II Battle of Crete Battle of Belgium Battle of France Operation Shingle Battle of Gazala Bombing of Wieluń
military branch	German Army (1935–45)
military command	Sturzkampfgeschwader 3
military unit	Sturzkampfgeschwader 3
service start	1934
service end	1944