page_title: Von Blücher brothers
section_title: Battle of Crete and deaths
hierarchical_section_title: Von Blücher brothers / Battle of Crete and deaths
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Mit dem Ritterkreuz ausgezeichnet Leutnant d.R. Wolfgang Graf v. Blücher. Er nahm unter hervorragendem, persönlichen Einsatz in ungestümen Vorwärtsdrängen ein stark besetztes feindliches Bunkernest. Scherl-Bilderdienst
context_page_description: The Von Blücher brothers were three German brothers and paratroopers of the Luftwaffe who were killed in combat within hours of each other on 21 May 1941 during the Battle of Crete.
context_section_description: On 21 May 1941 during the Battle of Crete Hans-Joachim Graf von Blücher attempted to resupply his brother, Oberleutnant Wolfgang Graf von Blücher, with ammunition when the latter and his platoon were surrounded by members of the British Black Watch. Hans-Joachim, who had arrived early morning with the second wave of paratroopers on his first active deployment, had commandeered a horse, which he attempted to gallop through British lines. He  had almost reached his brother's position before he was shot and killed.
  "...According to the account of the story, the Fallschirmjäger, running short of ammunition and medical supplies, were amazed to see a rider and horse galloping towards them with boxes of supplies. The soldiers of the Black Watch were similarly stunned and only fired at the last moment, hitting both horse and rider. Wolfgang von Blucher asked who the rider was, to be told it was his youngest brother Hans-Joachim, and that he was now dead ... For many years afterwards, a number of poor families living in a shanty village in the area reported seeing a ghostly horse and rider..."
  Wolfgang and his men of the Fallschirmjägerregiment 1, ran out of ammunition. The rest of their platoon was overrun by British armoured vehicles and killed around midday.
  Wolfgang’s younger brother, Leberecht Graf von Blücher, had also arrived with the second wave. He was reported killed in action on the same day but his body was never recovered.
caption: Wolfgang Graf von Blücher
exif: {}