Walter Ohmsen | |
|---|---|
 Walter Ohmsen on 14 June 1944 | |
| Born | 7 June 1911 Elmshorn |
| Died | 19 February 1988 (aged 76) Kiel |
| Allegiance |  Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service/ |  Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service | 1929–45 1956–67 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant (M.A.) (Wehrmacht) Fregattenkapitän (Bundeswehr) |
| Unit | battleship Schleswig-Holstein Gorch Fock cruiser Königsberg |
| Commands | Crisbecq Battery |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Federal Cross of Merit 2nd Class |
| Other work | government employee |
Walter Ohmsen (7 June 1911 – 19 February 1988) was a highly decorated Oberleutnant zur See in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. On 6 June 1944 the Western Allies launched Operation Overlord, the amphibious invasion of Normandy, France. Ohmsen was the first German defender of Fortress Europe to sight the invasion force. His battery engaged in heavy fighting and subsequently Ohmsen was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for the defense of the Crisbecq Battery against the American 4th Infantry Division, which landed on Utah Beach. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recognised extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.