Ritterkreuzträger of 36. Infanterie-Division

The 36. Infanterie-Division was formed on 1 October 1936 in Kaiserslautern within Wehrkreis XII and mobilized in August 1939 as part of the first wave, initially assigned to defensive duties along the Westwall near Zweibrücken. Under Generalleutnant Georg Lindemann it advanced in May 1940 with the 16. Armee and VII. Armeekorps through Luxembourg and into France, enduring heavy fighting at Stonne south of Sedan before capturing Verdun on 15 June and continuing to the Toul area. Redesignated 36. Infanterie-Division (mot.) on 1 November 1940 after transferring Infanterie-Regiment 70 and receiving motorized elements, the division under Generalleutnant Otto-Ernst Ottenbacher and later General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick participated in Operation Barbarossa with Heeresgruppe Nord, destroying Soviet armor near Raseiniai on the Dubysa, breaking the Stalin Line north of Ostrow, and fighting at the Luga bridgehead and toward Leningrad. De-motorized and redesignated 36. Infanterie-Division again on 1 May 1943, it continued defensive operations on the central Eastern Front until nearly annihilated at Bobruysk in June 1944 during Operation Bagration. Reformed on 3 August 1944 as 36. Grenadier-Division and renamed 36. Volksgrenadier-Division in October 1944, the division fought on the Western Front until the end of the war in May 1945. Its original structure included Infanterie-Regiment 87, Infanterie-Regiment 118 and Artillerie-Regiment 36 together with supporting units numbered 36.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Generaloberst Georg Lindemann (1884-1963) was born on 8 March 1884 in Osterburg in the Altmark as the son of a Prussian judicial official and entered the Prussian army on 26 February 1903 as Fahnenjunker in the Magdeburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 6, receiving his commission as Leutnant in 1904 and later serving with the Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 13 before assignment to the Großer Generalstab. During the First World War he saw service on both the Western and Eastern fronts as well as in the Balkans, rising to Rittmeister and earning the Iron Cross Second and First Class along with the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern while performing staff duties with various Korps and Armeen. After the war he briefly served with Freikorps units suppressing communist uprisings, then continued his career in the Reichswehr, commanding Reiter-Regiment 13 and later the Kriegsschule Hannover before being promoted to Generalmajor in 1936 and taking command of the newly formed 36. Infanterie-Division. In the 1940 Western Campaign this division under his leadership as Generalleutnant formed the spearhead that broke through the Maginot Line near Douzy on 15 May and, after further hard fighting, captured Hill 304 and the “Dead Man” positions on 14 June, enabling the rapid fall of Fortress Verdun; for these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 August 1940. Promoted to General der Kavallerie, he next commanded the L. Armeekorps in the Balkan Campaign and then in Operation Barbarossa with Heeresgruppe Nord, advancing toward Leningrad. On 16 January 1942 he assumed command of the 18. Armee, was promoted to Generaloberst in July 1942 after the destruction of the Soviet 2nd Shock Army on the Volkhov, and successfully defended the Leningrad front through successive battles south of Lake Ladoga in 1942–43, for which leadership he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 21 August 1943. He briefly led Heeresgruppe Nord from March to July 1944 until relieved after disagreements with Hitler over the defence of Polozk, later serving as Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Dänemark until the German surrender. Held in Allied and Danish captivity until 1948, he lived quietly in Freudenstadt until his death on 25 September 1963.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 52. Infanterie-Division / 52. Feldausbildungs-Division / 52. Sicherungs-Division

The 52. Infanterie-Division was formed on 26 August 1939 in Siegen within Wehrkreis IX as part of the second mobilization wave of the German Heer and initially assigned border security duties along the West Wall in the Saarpfalz and Trier regions before serving as an OKH reserve near Kusel. Under successive commanders beginning with Generalmajor Karl-Adolf Hollidt for a few days in September 1939, followed by Generalleutnant Hans-Jürgen von Arnim until October 1940, Generalleutnant Lothar Rendulic until November 1942 and Generalleutnant Rudolf Peschel until its first dissolution, the division advanced in May 1940 through Luxembourg and Belgium into northern France as part of the 12. Armee, fighting along the Aisne, in Champagne and at Dijon before remaining on occupation duty in France. Transferred eastward in 1941 for Unternehmen Barbarossa, it advanced via Vilnius and Minsk, engaged at Bobruisk and Rogachev, reached the Protva River west of Serpukhov during the drive on Moscow, and later fought defensive battles near Tarussa, Yukhnov, Spass-Demensk and Orel. Severe attrition in the Nevel sector during 1943 reduced it to a Kampfgruppe that was formally dissolved on 1 November 1943, with remaining elements redistributed. The staff was redesignated 52. Feldausbildungs-Division in December 1943 under Generalmajor Albert Newiger and then 52. Sicherungs-Division in April 1944, operating first around Baranavichy before withdrawing into the Courland Pocket; the remnant staff, redesignated Festungskommandantur Libau under Generalleutnant Albrecht Baron Digeon von Monteton, surrendered in May 1945. Its original organization included Infanterie-Regiment 163, Infanterie-Regiment 181, Infanterie-Regiment 205, Artillerie-Regiment 152 and supporting units numbered 152.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Generaloberst Dr.jur. Lothar Rendulic (1887-1971) was born on 23 October 1887 in Wiener Neustadt into a military family of Croatian origin and pursued studies in law and political science at the universities of Vienna and Lausanne before entering the Theresianische Militärakademie in 1907, from which he was commissioned as an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1910. He served throughout the First World War on various fronts, suffering wounds, and after the conflict completed his doctorate in law in 1920 while joining the Austrian Bundesheer, rising through staff and instructional roles and becoming an early member of the illegal NSDAP in 1932, which led to his temporary inactivation in 1936. Reactivated after the Anschluss of 1938 as Oberst in the Wehrmacht, he advanced rapidly, commanding the 14. Infanterie-Division in 1940 and then the 52. Infanterie-Division from late 1940, leading it into the Soviet Union. As Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 52. Infanterie-Division he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 March 1942 for directing a successful counterattack beginning on 9 February 1942 against Soviet forces in the Lidijagrund southwest of Juchnow; over ten intense days his division and attached units repelled thirty-three enemy assaults without yielding ground, destroyed the opposing formations, and reopened the vital supply road northeast of Baruski for the 4. Armee. Promoted further, as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the XXXV. Armeekorps he earned the Eichenlaub on 15 August 1943 for outstanding defensive leadership on the eastern edge of the Orel salient following Operation Citadel, where his forces destroyed hundreds of Soviet tanks, including sixty at pontoon bridges and one hundred twenty more on 14 July, while preempting an attack toward Archangelskoje and contributing to a total claim of eight hundred nineteen enemy tanks destroyed by 20 July. Later as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee he was awarded the Schwerter on 18 January 1945 for overseeing the successful withdrawal of his army from Finland during the Lapland War. He subsequently commanded army groups in Courland, the north, and Ostmark before surrendering in May 1945, was convicted in the 1948 Hostages Trial for actions in Yugoslavia yet acquitted regarding Lapland scorched-earth measures, released in 1951, and died on 17 January 1971.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/52nd_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656

Schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 was a unique Heerestruppe formation of the Wehrmacht, the only heavy tank-destroyer regiment raised during the Second World War. It was established on 8 June 1943 in Sankt Pölten from the Stab of Panzer-Regiment 35 under the command of Oberstleutnant Baron Ernst von Jungenfeld. The regiment controlled three Abteilungen: I. Abteilung (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653) and II. Abteilung (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654), each equipped with 45 Ferdinand (later Elefant) tank destroyers mounting the 8,8 cm PaK 43/2, together with III. Abteilung (Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216) under Major Bruno Kahl armed with Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär assault guns. Two Funklenk-Kompanien operating Borgward IV remote-controlled demolition vehicles were also attached. Deployed to the Eastern Front in June 1943, the regiment was subordinated to XXXXI. Panzerkorps of the 9. Armee for Operation Zitadelle. From 5 July it supported the 86. and 292. Infanterie-Divisionen along the Orel–Kursk railway, claiming hundreds of Soviet tanks and guns while suffering significant mechanical and combat losses. After the failure of the offensive the regiment remained in the Orel sector fighting defensive battles against the Soviet Operation Kutuzov before transferring south to the Zaporozhye and Nikopol bridgeheads. On 1 September 1943 the Abteilungen regained their independent designations, and the regimental structure was dissolved on 16 December 1943 near Nikopol; the remaining elements continued as separate units while the Stab was later used to form Panzer-Brigade 101.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberstleutnant Bruno Kahl (1914-1999) was born on 23 November 1914 in Köln and died there on 27 February 1999. He entered military service in 1933 as Fahnenjunker with Kraftfahr-Abteilung 6 in Gießen, was commissioned Leutnant on 20 April 1935 and served as Nachrichten-Offizier with Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9. Promoted to Oberleutnant in 1938, he became Kompaniechef of Gebirgs-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 48 and took part in the campaigns in Polen and Norwegen. In autumn 1940 he volunteered for the Panzerwaffe and joined Panzer-Regiment 21 of the 20. Panzer-Division, rising to Hauptmann in June 1941 and later commanding its III. Abteilung. On 8 February 1943, as Hauptmann und Kommandeur of III./Panzer-Regiment 21, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for distinguishing himself southeast of Toropez, where after three days of hard fighting his reinforced Abteilung sealed the last exit from a Soviet pocket through a bold thrust launched on his own initiative. In April 1943 he assumed command of Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216, designated III./Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 within the newly formed schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656. For his outstanding leadership of this Brummbär-equipped unit in support of the 86. Infanterie-Division during the Battle of Kursk and the subsequent fighting around Orel, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (270th recipient) on 8 August 1943 as Major. After serving as an instructor with the Bulgarian army and commanding a Panther training course, he took over Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland in late 1944, was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1945, was wounded for the eighth time in April, and entered American captivity near Dachstein, from which he was released in June 1945. In civilian life he later became a director of Bayer AG.

Source :
http://www.old.axishistory.com/list-all-categories/154-germany-heer/heer-regimenter/4483-schwere-panzerjaeger-regiment-656
https://www.team-yankee.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=6387

Ritterkreuzträger of 20. Panzer-Division

The 20. Panzer-Division was formed on 15 October 1940 in Wehrkreis IX around Erfurt and Jena, primarily from elements of the 19. Infanterie-Division together with newly raised armoured units including Panzer-Regiment 21. Its early organisation comprised Schützen-Brigade 20 with Schützen-Regiment 59 and Schützen-Regiment 112, Artillerie-Regiment 92 and supporting battalions. The division saw continuous service exclusively on the Eastern Front. In June 1941 it advanced with Panzergruppe 3 of Heeresgruppe Mitte during Operation Barbarossa, taking part in the battles for Minsk and Smolensk before joining Operation Typhoon toward Moscow. Throughout 1942 and early 1943 it fought defensive actions in the central sector, including the area of Toropez and Orel. In July 1943 the division participated in the northern pincer of the Battle of Kursk as part of XXXXVII. Panzerkorps. After suffering heavy losses it continued to defend around Orel, Bryansk and Vitebsk. During the Soviet Operation Bagration in June 1944 the 20. Panzer-Division was nearly destroyed near Bobruisk while serving as a reserve of the 9. Armee. Reconstituted, it later fought in Romania, East Prussia, Hungary and Silesia. Successive commanders included Generalleutnant Horst Stumpff, Generalmajor Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, Generalmajor Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz, Generalleutnant Mortimer von Kessel and finally Generalmajor Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski. The remnants of the division surrendered to American and Soviet forces in Czechoslovakia in May 1945.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Oberstleutnant Bruno Kahl (1914-1999) was born on 23 November 1914 in Köln and died there on 27 February 1999. He entered military service in 1933 as Fahnenjunker with Kraftfahr-Abteilung 6 in Gießen, was commissioned Leutnant on 20 April 1935 and served as Nachrichten-Offizier with Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9. Promoted to Oberleutnant in 1938, he became Kompaniechef of Gebirgs-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 48 and took part in the campaigns in Polen and Norwegen. In autumn 1940 he volunteered for the Panzerwaffe and joined Panzer-Regiment 21 of the 20. Panzer-Division, rising to Hauptmann in June 1941 and later commanding its III. Abteilung. On 8 February 1943, as Hauptmann und Kommandeur of III./Panzer-Regiment 21, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for distinguishing himself southeast of Toropez, where after three days of hard fighting his reinforced Abteilung sealed the last exit from a Soviet pocket through a bold thrust launched on his own initiative. In April 1943 he assumed command of Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216, designated III./Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 within the newly formed schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656. For his outstanding leadership of this Brummbär-equipped unit in support of the 86. Infanterie-Division during the Battle of Kursk and the subsequent fighting around Orel, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (270th recipient) on 8 August 1943 as Major. After serving as an instructor with the Bulgarian army and commanding a Panther training course, he took over Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland in late 1944, was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1945, was wounded for the eighth time in April, and entered American captivity near Dachstein, from which he was released in June 1945. In civilian life he later became a director of Bayer AG.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Panzer_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL)

The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) served as the high command of the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War, functioning as the operational counterpart to the Oberkommando des Heeres and the Oberkommando der Marine within the overall structure of the Wehrmacht. Established in connection with the formal creation of the Luftwaffe on 26 February 1935, it operated initially under the broader authority of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) headed by Hermann Göring, who held the dual positions of Reichsminister der Luftfahrt and Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe. A major reorganization on 5 February 1944, driven by General der Flieger Günther Korten and General der Flieger Karl Koller, more clearly separated the OKL as a pure military high command from the administrative and industrial functions of the RLM. The OKL directed the Generalstab der Luftwaffe, the Luftwaffenführungsstab, weapons inspectorates including the General der Jagdflieger, quartermaster services and signals units, while training, technical development and civil aviation largely remained under RLM control. Successive Chefs des Generalstabes der Luftwaffe included Generalleutnant Walther Wever, General der Flieger Albert Kesselring, Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Generaloberst Hans Jeschonnek, General der Flieger Günther Korten and finally General der Flieger Karl Koller. Hermann Göring retained overall command until his dismissal on 23 April 1945, after which Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim briefly assumed the role of Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe until the German surrender. The OKL coordinated the Luftflotten and lower formations throughout the war and was dissolved following the unconditional capitulation in May 1945.

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INSPEKTEUR DER DEUTSCHEN LUFTVERTEIDIGUNG


Oberst Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Herrmann was born on 1 August 1913 in Kiel and died on 5 November 2010 in Düsseldorf. He joined the Hamburger Polizei in May 1933 and transferred to the Luftwaffe on 1 August 1935. After training he served with Kampfgeschwader 253, later Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever". From 1936 to 1937 he flew as a bomber pilot with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, completing about 50 missions. At the outbreak of the Second World War he flew with 7. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 4 over Poland and Norway. On 20 June 1940 he became Staffelkapitän of 7./KG 4 and took part in the Battle of Britain. For his achievements as a bomber pilot, including attacks on Polish concentrations in the Kutno pocket and the fortress at Drøbak during the Norwegian campaign, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 October 1940 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 7./Kampfgeschwader 4. His Staffel later transferred to Kampfgeschwader 30. In April 1941, operating from Sicily, he scored a direct hit on the ammunition freighter Clan Fraser in the harbour of Piraeus; the resulting explosion destroyed eleven ships totaling over 40,000 GRT and rendered the port unusable for months. As Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 30 he attacked Arctic convoys, including PQ-17. In 1942 he joined the Luftwaffenführungsstab. Concerned by the limitations of conventional night fighters, he developed the "Wilde Sau" tactic of using single-engined day fighters over illuminated cities at night. He formed and commanded Jagdgeschwader 300, scoring nine victories against four-engined bombers. For the Clan Fraser attack, the creation of Wilde Sau tactics and his aerial victories he received the Eichenlaub on 2 August 1943 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 300. Appointed Inspekteur der deutschen Luftverteidigung, he was awarded the Schwerter on 23 January 1944 as Oberst for his nine victories and innovative fighter tactics. He later commanded the 1. Jagddivision and 9. Flieger-Division and initiated the Rammjäger of Sonderkommando Elbe. Altogether he flew roughly 320 to 370 combat missions, sank twelve ships of about 60,000 to 70,000 GRT, and was shot down four times. Captured by Soviet forces in May 1945, he remained a prisoner until October 1955. After studying law he practised as a Rechtsanwalt in Düsseldorf.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberkommando_der_Luftwaffe

Ritterkreuzträger of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300)

Jagdgeschwader 300 was a Luftwaffe fighter wing formed on 26 June 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann under Oberstleutnant Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Herrmann, redesignated Stab/JG Herrmann on 18 July and officially as Stab/JG 300 on 20 August 1943. Created to implement the Wilde Sau night-fighting tactic devised by Herrmann, it employed single-engine day fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109G and Focke-Wulf Fw 190A against RAF Bomber Command raids. Pilots relied on searchlights, target-indicator flares and ground fires for illumination rather than radar, operating freely over the target area. The first major action occurred on the night of 3/4 July 1943 during the raid on Cologne. Initially comprising three Gruppen (I. Gruppe at Bonn-Hangelar, II. Gruppe at Rheine and III. Gruppe at Oldenburg), a IV. Gruppe was added later from I./Jagdgeschwader 76. Successive Geschwaderkommodore included Oberstleutnant Kurt Kettner, Oberstleutnant Walther Dahl, Major Anton Hackl and finally Major Günther Rall. From mid-1944 the wing shifted primarily to daylight operations in the Defence of the Reich, intercepting USAAF bomber streams, though night sorties continued sporadically. JG 300 claimed approximately one thousand aerial victories, mostly four-engine bombers, but suffered severe losses, with hundreds of pilots killed, missing or wounded. The Geschwader remained active until the end of the war in May 1945, when its remaining elements dissolved or surrendered.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberst Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Herrmann was born on 1 August 1913 in Kiel and died on 5 November 2010 in Düsseldorf. He joined the Hamburger Polizei in May 1933 and transferred to the Luftwaffe on 1 August 1935. After training he served with Kampfgeschwader 253, later Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever". From 1936 to 1937 he flew as a bomber pilot with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, completing about 50 missions. At the outbreak of the Second World War he flew with 7. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 4 over Poland and Norway. On 20 June 1940 he became Staffelkapitän of 7./KG 4 and took part in the Battle of Britain. For his achievements as a bomber pilot, including attacks on Polish concentrations in the Kutno pocket and the fortress at Drøbak during the Norwegian campaign, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 October 1940 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 7./Kampfgeschwader 4. His Staffel later transferred to Kampfgeschwader 30. In April 1941, operating from Sicily, he scored a direct hit on the ammunition freighter Clan Fraser in the harbour of Piraeus; the resulting explosion destroyed eleven ships totaling over 40,000 GRT and rendered the port unusable for months. As Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 30 he attacked Arctic convoys, including PQ-17. In 1942 he joined the Luftwaffenführungsstab. Concerned by the limitations of conventional night fighters, he developed the "Wilde Sau" tactic of using single-engined day fighters over illuminated cities at night. He formed and commanded Jagdgeschwader 300, scoring nine victories against four-engined bombers. For the Clan Fraser attack, the creation of Wilde Sau tactics and his aerial victories he received the Eichenlaub on 2 August 1943 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 300. Appointed Inspekteur der deutschen Luftverteidigung, he was awarded the Schwerter on 23 January 1944 as Oberst for his nine victories and innovative fighter tactics. He later commanded the 1. Jagddivision and 9. Flieger-Division and initiated the Rammjäger of Sonderkommando Elbe. Altogether he flew roughly 320 to 370 combat missions, sank twelve ships of about 60,000 to 70,000 GRT, and was shot down four times. Captured by Soviet forces in May 1945, he remained a prisoner until October 1955. After studying law he practised as a Rechtsanwalt in Düsseldorf.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_300

Ritterkreuzträger of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) "Eismeer"

Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5), known as the “Eismeer” Geschwader, was a Luftwaffe fighter wing formed in January 1942 specifically for operations in the extreme north of Europe. It originated from the redesignation of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 already stationed in Norway, with further Gruppen added during the spring and summer of that year. Placed under the command of Luftflotte 5, the unit was responsible for the air defence of occupied Norway, northern Finland and the approaches to the Arctic convoys. Its aircraft, primarily Messerschmitt Bf 109 and later Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters, operated from bases such as Petsamo, Kirkenes, Alakurtti, Stavanger-Sola and Trondheim under the tactical control of Fliegerführer Nord-Ost and Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen. Throughout 1942 and 1943 the Geschwader engaged Soviet fighters and bombers over the Murmansk front while also intercepting British and American aircraft attacking Norwegian ports and shipping. Among its most successful pilots was Leutnant later Hauptmann Heinrich Ehrler of 6. Staffel, who received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September 1942 after 64 victories and the Eichenlaub on 2 August 1943 after 112 claims. Other notable aces included Theodor Weissenberger and Walter Schuck. By mid-1943 JG 5 had reached its greatest strength with fourteen Staffeln. In late 1943 parts of the unit were transferred south, I. Gruppe moving to Romania for the defence of the Ploiești oilfields under Luftflotte 1. The remaining elements continued Arctic operations until 1944, after which the Geschwaderstab and surviving Gruppen were drawn into the defence of the Reich. Major Heinrich Ehrler served briefly as Geschwaderkommodore before being transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 flying the Messerschmitt Me 262. JG 5 remained operational until the final weeks of the war, its record reflecting the unique demands of polar-front air combat under Luftflotte 5.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Major Heinrich Ehrler (1917-1945) was born on 14 September 1917 in Oberbalbach and grew up as one of twelve children in a laborer’s family. He entered military service with the Wehrmacht in 1935, serving initially in the artillery and then with Flak units, including participation in the Spanish Civil War with the Condor Legion. In early 1940 he transferred to the Jagdwaffe, completed flight training, and on 1 February 1941 was posted to the 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77, later redesignated as part of Jagdgeschwader 5 “Eismeer.” Operating mainly from bases in Norway and Finland against Soviet forces on the Arctic Front, he scored his first aerial victories in 1941. After achieving eleven victories he became Staffelkapitän of the 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 in July 1942. On 4 September 1942, as Leutnant, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for 64 aerial victories. Promoted to Hauptmann, he took command as Gruppenkommandeur of a Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5 in mid-1943. For reaching 112 victories he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 2 August 1943, the 265th award of its kind. On 1 August 1944 he was appointed Kommodore of Jagdgeschwader 5 and promoted to Major. On 12 November 1944, during the British attack that sank the battleship Tirpitz, Ehrler took off with only his Rottenflieger instead of the full unit and was unable to intervene; he was subsequently court-martialled, stripped of command, and sentenced to imprisonment, though the sentence was later suspended. In February 1945 his friend Theodor Weissenberger brought him to the newly formed Jagdgeschwader 7 for front-line probation flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, with which he claimed about eight further victories. On the morning of 4 April 1945 near Stendal, Major Ehrler shot down two Allied bombers; out of ammunition, he radioed Weissenberger that he would ram a third and then deliberately collided with it, destroying the bomber and perishing in the crash. Credited with 208 aerial victories in over 400 combat missions, mostly on the Eastern Front, he was buried at Stendal.



Major Theodor Weissenberger (1914-1950) was born on 21 December 1914 in Mühlheim am Main and grew up as the son of a plant nursery owner, developing an early passion for aviation as a glider pilot with the Deutscher Luftsportverband before volunteering for the Luftwaffe in October 1936 with the 2. Kompanie of Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 14 in Detmold. Promoted to Feldwebel der Reserve on 1 December 1940, he reached a front-line unit only in August 1941 with the Zerstörerstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 in Norway, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and scoring his first aerial victory, a Polikarpov I-153, on 24 October 1941 near Murmansk. After claiming 23 victories as a Zerstörer pilot and receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, he transferred in September 1942 to 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 “Eismeer,” converting to the single-engine Bf 109. On 30 October 1942 he achieved ace-in-a-day status with five victories that raised his total to 38, earning him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 November 1942 as Leutnant in 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5. Promoted to Oberleutnant on 1 June 1943 and appointed Staffelkapitän of 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 on 15 June, he continued his exceptional success over the Arctic Front; on 4 July 1943 he claimed seven victories in a single mission, including his 100th, and on 25 July he added victories 108 to 112. Following this 112th aerial victory he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 2 August 1943 as the 266th recipient of the Wehrmacht, still serving as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5. He later commanded 6. Staffel, then II. Gruppe and I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5, scored his 200th victory on 25 July 1944 over Normandy, converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262, led I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 and finally served as Kommodore of Jagdgeschwader 7 as Major from January 1945. Credited with 208 aerial victories—175 on the Eastern Front and 33 in the West, including eight with the Me 262—on more than 500 combat missions, he married Cilly Vogel in early 1945 and after the war took up motor racing, only to die on 11 June 1950 in a crash during the opening lap of the XV Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_5

The Meeting Between Hitler and Manstein at Zaporozhye (1943)

On 8 September 1943, Adolf Hitler flew to the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Süd in Zaporozhye (also rendered Saporoschje or Zaporizhzhia), in southeastern Ukraine. The visit marked his final journey to the Eastern Front. That same day, news of Italy’s capitulation reached German high command, casting a heavy shadow over the discussions. The conference brought together Hitler, Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein, Commander-in-Chief of Heeresgruppe Süd, Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist, Commander-in-Chief of Heeresgruppe A, and General der Infanterie Richard Ruoff, whose 17. Armee still held the isolated Kuban bridgehead.

The strategic situation confronting Heeresgruppe Süd had deteriorated sharply since the failure of Operation Citadel in July. Soviet forces of the Voronezh, Steppe, Southwestern, and Southern Fronts had launched successive offensives that eroded German positions east of the Dnieper. Manstein’s armies had suffered heavy losses: by late August the army group reported approximately 133,000 casualties against only some 33,000 replacements. Divisions were under strength, reserves were scarce, and the front stretched thinly across the Donets Basin and the approaches to the lower Dnieper.

Earlier meetings had produced little resolution. On 27 August 1943 Hitler had conferred with Manstein at Vinnitsa. Manstein insisted that without substantial reinforcements the Donets region could not be held and that a timely withdrawal to the Dnieper was essential. Hitler refused both the reinforcements and a general retreat. A further conference at Führer headquarters in East Prussia on 3 September 1943, attended by Manstein and Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge of Heeresgruppe Mitte, proved equally fruitless. Generaloberst Kurt Zeitzler, Chief of the General Staff of the Army, supported Manstein’s assessment, warning that the choice was no longer whether the Donets area could be retained, but whether it would be abandoned alone or together with an entire army group.

Manstein’s teleprinter message of 7 September renewed the pressure. He reported that the enemy had already committed fifty-five divisions and two tank corps against Heeresgruppe Süd, drawing forces from other sectors of the Eastern Front, with additional formations still approaching. He demanded decisive action if the army group were to retain control of the situation. The following day Hitler arrived at Zaporozhye, having summoned Kleist and Ruoff as well.

At the conference Manstein again laid out the gravity of the position. He stressed the exhaustion of the troops, the numerical superiority of the Soviet forces, and the danger that a collapse of the northern wing of Heeresgruppe Süd would expose Heeresgruppe A. On the northern wing of 6. Armee a gap of some twenty-eight miles had already been torn open, held only by the remnants of two divisions. Manstein argued that the right wing of the army group could no longer be restored forward of the Dnieper and that only a rapid withdrawal behind the river offered any prospect of reconstituting a coherent defensive front.

Hitler initially resisted a general retreat. He authorised only a partial pull-back on the extreme southern wing and continued to insist on holding economically and politically significant points, among them the manganese deposits near Nikopol and the approaches to the Crimea. Prestige and the desire to retain a foothold east of the Dnieper still weighed heavily in his calculations. Nevertheless, the cumulative reports of the commanders present, combined with the wider crisis marked by Italy’s defection, produced a shift. Hitler conceded that Heeresgruppe Süd might withdraw toward the Dnieper if the situation made it “absolutely necessary.” He also promised additional divisions, to be taken if required from Heeresgruppe Mitte, in order to secure the Dnieper crossings, and he finally agreed to evacuate the Kuban bridgehead, thereby releasing forces of the 17. Armee that had been tied down in a remote and increasingly irrelevant theatre since the previous year’s Caucasus campaign.

The concessions remained limited and conditional. Full authority for a coordinated withdrawal of Heeresgruppe Süd to the so-called Panther Line along the Dnieper was not granted until a subsequent meeting at Führer headquarters on 15 September 1943. In the interval Manstein pressed his case further in writing. In a letter to Hitler he repeated the demand for rapid withdrawal and closed with a pointed observation: had the necessary reinforcements been provided in good time, the present crisis, which could decide the outcome in the east and thereby the war itself, might have been avoided. Few senior officers had ever addressed the Führer in such direct terms.

The conference at Zaporozhye thus represented a reluctant and incomplete acknowledgment by Hitler of the operational realities facing his southern armies. It did not restore the initiative to German arms, nor did it prevent the subsequent Soviet advance to and across the Dnieper. Yet it marked a turning point in the relationship between the Führer and his most capable field commander on the Eastern Front. Manstein obtained a measure of the freedom of manoeuvre he had long sought, while Hitler’s personal visit underscored both the seriousness of the crisis and the limits of his willingness to relinquish control. Within weeks the German forces would begin their fighting withdrawal to the great river, abandoning the Donets industrial region and preparing for the defensive battles that would follow on the west bank.

The atmosphere of the war conference at the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Süd in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, on 8 September 1943. From left to right: SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Darges (persönlicher SS Adjutant bei Adolf Hitler), Oberstleutnant Gerhard Engel (Adjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Oberst im Generalstab Joachim Meichßner (Chef der Organisationsabteilung im Wehrmachtführungsstab), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), and General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres).

The atmosphere of the war conference at the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Süd in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, on 8 September 1943. From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), and Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A).

The atmosphere of the war conference at the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Süd in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, on 8 September 1943. From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A), dan Generalleutnant Hans Röttiger (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe A).



The atmosphere of the war conference at the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Süd in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, on 8 September 1943. From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), dan Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A).

The atmosphere of the war conference at the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Süd in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, on 8 September 1943. From left to right:SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Darges (persönlicher SS Adjutant bei Adolf Hitler), Oberstleutnant Gerhard Engel (Adjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), dan Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A).

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/11/album-foto-adolf-hitler-sebagai-ahli.html
https://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675078957_Hitler-visiting-von-Manstein_Zaporozhye-Airfield_Ukraine_Eastern-Front
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbi6PFjG-M

Original Color Photograph of Erich Buschenhagen by Walter Frentz

General der Infanterie Erich Buschenhagen (Kommandierender General LII. Armeekorps) in a picture taken in July 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. In the spring of 1944 General Buschenhagen, serving as Korpskommandeur within the 6. Armee of Heeresgruppe Südukraine, faced a critical threat on the lower Dniester front. Strong Soviet forces had established dangerous bridgeheads west of Butor and in the pronounced river bend at Koschniza, positions from which the Red Army could expand its lodgements and threaten the entire German defensive line in southern Ukraine and northern Romania. On 10 and 11 May 1944 Buschenhagen launched a carefully coordinated counter-offensive under the provisional designation Gruppe Buschenhagen. Employing the available infantry, artillery and limited armoured support of his corps, he directed concentric attacks that rapidly compressed and then annihilated the Soviet bridgeheads. In the course of these two days of intense fighting the LII. Armeekorps destroyed seven Soviet rifle divisions together with substantial elements of an artillery division and a Flak division, capturing large numbers of prisoners, guns and heavy weapons. The successful elimination of these bridgeheads restored the integrity of the Dniester line at a moment when the front was under severe pressure and prevented a potentially decisive Soviet breakthrough. For this outstanding command achievement Buschenhagen was mentioned by name in the Wehrmachtbericht of 12 May 1944 and, on 4 July 1944, received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as the 521st recipient of the higher grade of the decoration. The award recognised not only the tactical skill displayed in the rapid destruction of the enemy lodgements but also the operational significance of securing the southern sector of Heeresgruppe Südukraine in the critical weeks preceding the major Soviet summer offensives of 1944.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2050789&hilit=buschenhagen#p2050789
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/3041/Buschenhagen-Erich-Otto-Ludwig-General-der-Inf.htm

Original Color Photographs of Wilhelm Burgdorf by Walter Frentz

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf (Chefadjutant der Wehrmacht beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) in a picture taken in 1945 by Walter Frentz. Burgdorf, serving as Chef des Heerespersonalamtes as well as Chief adjutant to Adolf Hitler since October 1944, remained at the Führer’s side throughout the final weeks of the Battle of Berlin in 1945. As Soviet forces encircled the capital in mid-April he moved permanently into the Führerbunker beneath the Reichskanzlei, attending the daily briefings where fragmented reports of collapsing fronts and failed relief attempts were presented. On 28 April, after news arrived that Heinrich Himmler had opened unauthorized surrender talks with the Western Allies, Burgdorf was appointed to the improvised military tribunal that examined Hermann Fegelein, Himmler’s SS-Verbindungsoffizier and Eva Braun’s brother-in-law; the proceedings under General Wilhelm Mohnke ended without formal sentence when Fegelein proved too intoxicated to stand trial. The following day, 29 April 1945, Burgdorf, together with Joseph Goebbels, General Hans Krebs and Martin Bormann, witnessed and signed Hitler’s politisches Testament and private will. He steadfastly rejected any notion of capitulation, on one occasion drawing his pistol against the radio commentator Hans Fritzsche who proposed contacting the Soviets. After Hitler’s suicide on 30 April and the subsequent deaths of the Goebbels family, Burgdorf and Krebs remained in the bunker. In the early hours of 2 May 1945 the two generals committed suicide by simultaneous gunshots to the head; their bodies were discovered by advancing Red Army troops inside the Führerbunker complex shortly thereafter, marking the end of Burgdorf’s unwavering service to the Führer in the last days of the Third Reich.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/search.php?keywords=burgdorf&t=46430&sf=msgonly
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/

Ritterkreuzträger of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505

The schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 was formed on 29 January 1943 in Wehrkreis III from personnel of the 3. and 26. Panzer-Division as an independent Heerestruppe heavy tank battalion originally intended for deployment in North Africa. Initially organized with two companies and later expanded to three, it received its first Tiger I tanks alongside supporting Panzer III vehicles and trained in Belgium before transferring to the Eastern Front near Orel in early May 1943 under the command of Major Bernhard Sauvant. On 1 July 1943 the Abteilung fielded 31 Tigers and 15 Panzer III for Unternehmen Zitadelle as part of the 9. Armee within Heeresgruppe Mitte, advancing on the northern face of the Kursk salient where it destroyed over one hundred Soviet tanks in the opening days despite heavy attrition from mines that reduced operational strength sharply. After the offensive stalled the unit continued defensive and counter-attack operations in the Smolensk, Rosslavl, Vitebsk and Orscha sectors through the winter of 1943–44, reporting 446 enemy tanks destroyed by the end of January 1944. In mid-1944 it was subordinated to the 5. Panzer-Division during the Soviet summer offensive and suffered severe losses before withdrawal to Ohrdruf in July for complete re-equipment with 45 Tiger II Königstiger tanks between late July and August. Redeployed to East Prussia and northern Poland in September 1944 under the 2. Armee, the Abteilung supported the 24. and 5. Panzer-Division in heavy defensive fighting around Nasielsk, the Narew, Nemmersdorf and later the approaches to Königsberg. By mid-March 1945 only a handful of Tiger II remained operational; the remnants surrendered to the Red Army on the Curonian Spit around 15 April 1945. Over its existence the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 claimed approximately nine hundred enemy tanks destroyed against the loss of 126 of its own vehicles, establishing a favourable kill ratio while serving exclusively on the Eastern Front.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberstleutnant Bernhard Sauvant (1910-1967) was born on 25 March 1910 in Kutten, East Prussia, and entered the Reichswehr in 1930, joining Panzer-Regiment 36 in 1936. As Chef der 1. Kompanie he took part in the Polish campaign, the Battle of France and the Balkan operations before advancing into the Soviet Union. By August 1942 he commanded the I. Abteilung of Panzer-Regiment 36 within the 14. Panzer-Division and fought his way to the outskirts of Stalingrad. On his own initiative he directed a successful penetration of the northern sector of the Stalingrad tractor factory on 14 October 1942 after earlier attempts had failed, contributing decisively to its capture the following day. Later that month he assumed leadership of Kampfgruppe von Pannwitz, assembling twelve repaired tanks manned by workshop personnel; without waiting for higher orders he destroyed the bulk of the Soviet 61st Cavalry Division near Scharnutovski on 26 November and the next day struck the rear of the 81st Cavalry Division north of Kotelnikovo, again annihilating most of the formation. For these actions he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 November 1942 as Major. After a period of convalescence he took command of the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 in February 1943 and led it during Unternehmen Zitadelle at Kursk. Deployed between the 6. Infanterie-Division and the 9. Panzer-Division, he met a major Soviet armoured counter-attack with only ten operational Tiger tanks, skilfully exploiting their superior range and armour to destroy forty T-34s. This success earned him the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 28 July 1943, the 260th award of the decoration. Severely wounded on 13 August 1943, he later returned to command Panzer-Regiment 36 and fought in the Courland Pocket until the end of the war, reaching the rank of Oberst. Sauvant died in Ludwigsburg on 15 April 1967.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=272781

Ritterkreuzträger of 14. Panzer-Division

The 14. Panzer-Division was formed in August 1940 in Wehrkreis IV around Dresden by converting the 4. Infanterie-Division and incorporating Panzer-Regiment 36 from the 4. Panzer-Division, creating a fully armoured formation with Schützen-Regiment 103, Schützen-Regiment 108, Kradschützen-Bataillon 64, Artillerie-Regiment 4 and supporting units. After training it took part in the Balkan campaign of April 1941, advancing from Hungary into Yugoslavia and reaching Sarajevo by mid-month before returning to Germany to prepare for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Assigned to Heeresgruppe Süd and Panzergruppe 1, the division crossed the Bug on 22 June 1941, fought through Ukraine, participated in the Battle of Kiev, crossed the Don near Rostov and held positions along the Mius. In 1942 it fought at Kharkov and advanced with Heeresgruppe B toward Stalingrad, where it was subordinated to the 6. Armee under Generaloberst Friedrich Paulus and became trapped in the encirclement. After bitter fighting in the industrial districts and suburbs the division was completely destroyed by February 1943. Reformed in Brittany, France, in the spring of 1943, it returned to the Eastern Front in November under Heeresgruppe Süd, later receiving Panther tanks and an additional Sturmgeschütz battalion. In August 1944 it was transferred to Heeresgruppe Nord and committed to the Courland Pocket in Latvia, where it remained until the final collapse. In the last weeks of the war remaining elements were reorganised into two panzer brigades; some personnel were evacuated by sea and surrendered to Western forces, while the bulk of the division capitulated to Soviet troops on 10 May 1945.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Oberstleutnant Bernhard Sauvant (1910-1967) was born on 25 March 1910 in Kutten, East Prussia, and entered the Reichswehr in 1930, joining Panzer-Regiment 36 in 1936. As Chef der 1. Kompanie he took part in the Polish campaign, the Battle of France and the Balkan operations before advancing into the Soviet Union. By August 1942 he commanded the I. Abteilung of Panzer-Regiment 36 within the 14. Panzer-Division and fought his way to the outskirts of Stalingrad. On his own initiative he directed a successful penetration of the northern sector of the Stalingrad tractor factory on 14 October 1942 after earlier attempts had failed, contributing decisively to its capture the following day. Later that month he assumed leadership of Kampfgruppe von Pannwitz, assembling twelve repaired tanks manned by workshop personnel; without waiting for higher orders he destroyed the bulk of the Soviet 61st Cavalry Division near Scharnutovski on 26 November and the next day struck the rear of the 81st Cavalry Division north of Kotelnikovo, again annihilating most of the formation. For these actions he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 November 1942 as Major. After a period of convalescence he took command of the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 in February 1943 and led it during Unternehmen Zitadelle at Kursk. Deployed between the 6. Infanterie-Division and the 9. Panzer-Division, he met a major Soviet armoured counter-attack with only ten operational Tiger tanks, skilfully exploiting their superior range and armour to destroy forty T-34s. This success earned him the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 28 July 1943, the 260th award of the decoration. Severely wounded on 13 August 1943, he later returned to command Panzer-Regiment 36 and fought in the Courland Pocket until the end of the war, reaching the rank of Oberst. Sauvant died in Ludwigsburg on 15 April 1967.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Panzer_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of Panzer-Lehr-Division

The Panzer-Lehr-Division was an elite armoured formation of the German Heer created on 30 December 1943 from highly experienced training and demonstration units drawn principally from the Panzertruppenschule I and Panzertruppenschule II. Assembled in the Nancy-Verdun area of France under the command of Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein, it was the only Wehrmacht Panzer-Division fully equipped with tanks and armoured halftracks for its Panzergrenadiere, giving it exceptional mobility and firepower. After participating in Operation Margarethe in Hungary in March-April 1944, where it absorbed the Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 901, the division returned to France as part of the OKW armoured reserve. On the eve of the Allied landings it mustered nearly 15,000 men, more than 100 Panzer IV and nearly 80 Panther tanks. Committed to the Normandy front on 8 June 1944, it fought fiercely around Caen and Tilly-sur-Seulles, then shifted west to oppose the American advance near Saint-Lô. The massive aerial bombardment preceding Operation Cobra on 25 July 1944 virtually destroyed the division, reducing it to a handful of tanks and a few hundred combat troops. Partially rebuilt in Germany, it joined the Ardennes offensive in December 1944 as part of the 5. Panzer-Armee, advancing toward Bastogne and the Meuse before being halted by determined Allied resistance. After further attrition in the Rhineland, the remnants of the Panzer-Lehr-Division were encircled in the Ruhr Pocket and surrendered to American forces on 15 April 1945, ending the existence of one of the most powerful and costly armoured units fielded by the Wehrmacht in the final year of the war.

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SCHWERTERTRÄGER


Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein (1899-1970) was born on 14 January 1899 in Würzburg and died there on 30 January 1970. He entered the Bavarian Army on 5 June 1917 as Fahnenjunker in the 9. Infanterie-Regiment „Wrede“, served on the Western Front, earned the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse, and continued in the Reichswehr after 1918, rising through staff positions. At the start of the Second World War he served as Ia of the 10. Panzer-Division in Poland and later as Ia of the XIX. Armeekorps under Heinz Guderian in France and during Operation Barbarossa with Panzergruppe 2. On 5 October 1941 he became Chef des Generalstabes of the Deutsches Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel. For his decisive leadership during the battles around Sidi Rezegh and the subsequent withdrawal to El Agheila in November 1941, when he temporarily commanded the Korps after its general was incapacitated and guided it through critical situations as both staff officer and field leader, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 December 1941 as Oberstleutnant i.G. He later served as Chef des Stabes of Panzerarmee Afrika and, from March 1943 as Generalmajor, Deutscher Chef des Stabes of the 1. Italienisches Armee under Giovanni Messe in Tunisia. For his skilled staff work that helped the Italian army hold the southern Tunisian front, especially during the major Allied offensive against the Enfidaville Line beginning on 20 April 1943, he was awarded the Eichenlaub on 6 July 1943 (258th award). Evacuated from Africa due to illness before the final surrender, he briefly commanded the 3. Panzer-Division on the Eastern Front, then on 4 February 1944 took command of the newly formed Panzer-Lehr-Division, becoming Generalleutnant on 1 May 1944. After the Allied landings in Normandy he led the division in intense fighting around Tilly, Hottot and Saint-Lô; over three weeks of heavy combat, particularly on 14, 19 and 25 June 1944, he repeatedly mastered crises and prevented British breakthroughs at the last moment, for which he received the Schwerter on 20 July 1944 (81st award) as Generalleutnant und Kommandeur of the Panzer-Lehr-Division. He later commanded LIII. Armeekorps, surrendered in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945, was released from captivity in 1947, and assisted in historical studies and the editing of Rommel’s papers.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_Lehr_Division
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Panzerdivisionen/PzLPD.htm

Ritterkreuzträger of 125. Infanterie-Division

The 125. Infanterie-Division of the German Heer was raised in October 1940 as part of the 11. Aufstellungswelle at the Truppenübungsplatz Münsingen in Wehrkreis V, drawing cadre elements from the 5. Infanterie-Division, the 260. Infanterie-Division and portions of the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.), and it soon acquired the unofficial nickname Wiesel-Division. After initial training the division participated in the Balkan campaign of spring 1941 under the 2. Armee before transferring to the Eastern Front for Operation Barbarossa, where it served with Heeresgruppe Süd and the 17. Armee, taking part in the Kesselschlachten of Uman and Kiev in the summer and autumn of 1941 and suffering roughly three hundred killed and eighteen hundred wounded in the opening months of fighting in Ukraine. Placed under the 1. Panzerarmee, the division then held positions along the Mius Front through the winter and spring of 1942. During Fall Blau it returned to the 17. Armee, fought fierce house-to-house battles for Rostow am Don and the Don bridges at Bataisk in July 1942 under Generalleutnant Wilhelm Schneckenburger, then advanced into the Caucasus with the V. Armeekorps, helping capture Noworossijsk and operating in the Kuban bridgehead. In late 1942 command passed to Generalleutnant Helmut Friebe; the division remained in the Kuban and Crimea through 1943, was reorganized as a Division neuer Art 44, and in early 1944 was committed with the 6. Armee at the Nikopol bridgehead. Heavy losses during the Soviet Nikopol-Kriwoi Rog operation led to its formal dissolution on 13 March 1944 after the breakout from the pocket, the surviving elements forming Divisionsgruppe 125 which was absorbed into the 302. Infanterie-Division.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Generalmajor Karl Göbel (1900-1945) was born on 20 January 1900 in Adelschlag, Bavaria, and entered military service on 22 June 1918 as a Kriegsfreiwilliger in the Ersatzbataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 13 during the final months of the First World War. After demobilization he rejoined the Reichswehr, rising slowly through the ranks from Unteroffizier in 1922 to Oberfeldwebel by 1927 before leaving service in 1930. Reinstated as an E-Offizier with the rank of Oberleutnant on 1 March 1935, he advanced to Hauptmann and later commanded companies in Infanterie-Regiment 119 and Infanterie-Regiment 460, participating in the Westfeldzug. Promoted to Major, he took command of the III. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 420 within the 125. Infanterie-Division, seeing action in the Balkanfeldzug and on the Eastern Front. On 22 July 1942, as Major and Kommandeur of that Bataillon, Göbel led a decisive assault on the Soviet defensive ring north of Rostov, overcoming a heavily defended anti-tank ditch northwest of Hill 113.1; when the attack faltered he personally inspired his men to press forward, clearing bunkers in close combat, securing the route to the hill, and on his own initiative advancing to Krasnyj Krim, thereby breaking the outer defensive ring around Rostov and earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 September 1942. Subsequently entrusted with the Führung of Infanterie-Regiment 420 (later Grenadier-Regiment 420), he became its full Kommandeur and was promoted to Oberstleutnant. In May 1943, during defensive fighting near Krymskaja in the Kuban bridgehead, Oberstleutnant Göbel demonstrated outstanding leadership by encircling and destroying strong enemy forces that had penetrated his lines, for which he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz (252nd award) on 8 June 1943 and promotion to Oberst. After further commands including Grenadier-Regiment 305 and attendance at a Divisionsführer-Lehrgang, he assumed Führung of the 299. Infanterie-Division from late 1944. Severely wounded on 16 February 1945 during operations in East Prussia, he died of his wounds on 2 March 1945 in a Lazarett in Esslingen am Neckar and was posthumously promoted to Generalmajor.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/125th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger with Kraftfahrbewährungsabzeichen (Driver Proficiency Badge)

The Kraftfahrbewährungsabzeichen, known in English as the Driver Proficiency Badge, was a German military decoration instituted on 23 October 1942 by Adolf Hitler to recognise the service and reliability of drivers of military transport vehicles during the Second World War. It was awarded to personnel of the Wehrmacht, including members of the Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, as well as civilian drivers under Wehrmacht command and foreign volunteers, but not to members of allied forces or posthumously. Qualification required proven service from 1 December 1940 onwards in designated operational zones such as the former Yugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, areas east of the 1940 Soviet border, Finland, northern Norway, Lapland and North Africa, with later extensions to Sicily, Corsica, southern Italy and Albania. The badge was issued in three classes according to repeated fulfilment of the criteria under difficult conditions: the bronze grade for the initial period of service, the silver for a second equivalent period and the gold for a third. The required number of operational days varied by role, typically ninety days for Kradmelder and motorcycle reconnaissance or dispatch riders, one hundred and twenty days for drivers of front-line supply or combat vehicles, and between one hundred and thirty-five and one hundred and eighty-five days for drivers of other transport, staff, column or rear-area vehicles. Days spent under enemy fire, on especially long daily distances, over difficult terrain or in extreme climatic conditions counted towards the total. The award could be withdrawn in cases of reckless driving or failure to maintain the assigned vehicle properly. The design, created by SS-Oberführer Werlin, consists of a circular laurel or oak-leaf wreath approximately forty-one to forty-four millimetres in diameter enclosing a stylised steering wheel of the type fitted to an Opel Blitz truck; it was stamped from iron or zinc alloy, finished in the appropriate metal colour and sewn onto a cloth backing for wear on the lower left sleeve of the uniform tunic, two centimetres above any specialist trade badge. Notably, the design contained no Hakenkreuz. Approximately sixty-five thousand badges were conferred in total. After 1945 wear of Third Reich decorations was prohibited, yet in 1957 the Federal Republic of Germany re-authorised a denazified version of the Kraftfahrbewährungsabzeichen for qualified veterans, thereby acknowledging the logistical contribution of military drivers under the most demanding wartime conditions.

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WAFFEN-SS


SS-Oberscharführer Hugo Ruf (1920-1945) was born on 30 December 1920 in Herten near Lörrach in Baden and entered the Waffen-SS in 1939, serving throughout the Second World War until his death. He rose to the rank of SS-Oberscharführer and served as Zugführer in the 3. Schwadron of SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 within the 5. SS-Panzer-Division „Wiking“. During operations on the Eastern Front he earned the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse, the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse, the Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber and other decorations reflecting his experience as a tank commander. His most distinguished action occurred on 13 August 1944 near Sulejow. When Soviet forces broke through the German front with overwhelming strength and seized the village, severing contact with the neighbouring 5. Jäger-Division and threatening the establishment of a new defensive line, the infantry was too depleted to form more than a thin chain of resistance nests. Ruf and his Zug were ordered to cover the eastern edge of the Lochow wood. Upon arrival he independently decided to attack Sulejow itself without infantry support in order to gain a foothold from which he could shield the regrouping German infantry. After hard fighting he reached the village centre, destroyed a Pakfront of ten 7.62 cm guns, and then engaged an enemy tank assembly of some twenty to thirty vehicles in the woods to the south and southeast. When eight enemy tanks with mounted infantry counter-attacked he destroyed them all, together with a large part of the accompanying infantry; a further seven tanks advancing from the south were likewise eliminated. Holding the southern edge of the village for two days against repeated assaults, Ruf prevented any further penetration that would have compromised the newly forming German line west of Sulejow. In the course of this defensive battle his four Panzer IV tanks accounted for fifteen enemy tanks, twelve anti-tank guns, six heavy mortars and approximately three hundred Soviet soldiers. His decisive initiative restored the connection to the neighbouring division and enabled the infantry to reorganise. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 October 1944. Ruf continued to serve with the division until the final weeks of the war and was killed near Celle on 2 May 1945 at the age of twenty-four; he is buried in the Field of Honor at the City Cemetery Celle, row 13, grave 45.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_Proficiency_Badge

Ritterkreuzträger with Feldmütze M42

The Feldmütze M42 was a German Army overseas field cap introduced on 21 July 1942 specifically for Mannschaften and Unteroffiziere of the Heer as a practical improvement over the earlier Feldmütze M34 and M38 Schiffchen models, primarily to provide better protection against the harsh cold of the Eastern Front. Its design drew inspiration from the Bergmütze worn by Gebirgstruppen but omitted the visor entirely, resulting in a soft, foldable side-cap shape constructed from field-grey wool or wool-rayon blend fabric. Distinctive features included deep fold-down side and rear panels with a scalloped front edge that could be lowered to cover the ears, neck and lower face for warmth and then secured under the chin by means of two pebbled metal buttons positioned vertically at the front; when raised, these panels remained fastened neatly by the same buttons. Small metal ventilation grommets were fitted on each side just below the crown seam to allow air circulation. Insignia typically consisted of a machine-woven national eagle (Wehrmachtsadler) above a black-white-red cockade, often combined on a single T-shaped or trapezoidal BeVo patch stitched to the front, although separate eagle and cockade pieces were also used; Waffenfarbe piping or soutache was generally omitted on enlisted versions in accordance with wartime simplification orders. Interior linings were usually of light grey or grey-green cotton or rayon, frequently stamped with maker codes, size and year of manufacture. Black-wool variants were produced for Panzertruppen crews. Although intended to supersede the earlier Schiffchen, the Feldmütze M42 never completely replaced it in service and continued to be worn alongside both older and newer patterns until the end of the war. By late 1943 the more practical Einheitsfeldmütze M43 with its fixed visor and simplified construction had begun to appear in large numbers, yet the M42 remained a common sight among front-line units of the 170. Infanterie-Division and many other formations of the Heer throughout 1943–45, reflecting the ongoing material shortages and the need for adaptable cold-weather headgear on every front from the steppes of Russia to the Western theatre.

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HEER


Oberfähnrich Ernst Kruse (1915-1944) was born on 1 October 1915 in Egeln near Magdeburg and entered the Schützen-Regiment 3 at the end of 1935, receiving promotion to Feldwebel in March 1938. He participated in the campaigns in Poland, France and the Soviet Union. For personal bravery in the fighting around Machino during the winter of 1941/42 he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 19 January 1942 as Feldwebel in the 7./Schützen-Regiment 3. Serving as Zugführer of the 7. Kompanie in Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 of the 3. Panzer-Division, he made a decisive contribution to the successful crossing of the Don in summer 1942 and especially distinguished himself on 29 July 1942 when the regiment stormed Proletarskaja; advancing far ahead with his Zug, he enabled the rapid penetration of his Bataillon into the town, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel. On the morning of New Year’s Day 1943, while the regiment held positions along the Kura stream near Aga Batyr, Soviet forces launched a sudden attack through dense mist after the German withdrawal had begun the previous night; enemy tanks overran the foremost defensive line, yet Oberfeldwebel Kruse immediately counter-attacked with his Zug without any artillery support, destroyed several tanks in close combat and sealed off the penetration, thereby preventing a Soviet breakthrough into the rear of the Division and permitting the planned retreat to continue. For this outstanding leadership and bravery he was decorated with the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz as the 245th recipient on 17 May 1943. After a period as instructor in the homeland he returned to the front on 23 September 1944 as Oberfähnrich and Ordonnanzoffizier of the II. Bataillon, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3, and fell on 5 October 1944 during the assault on Ozbanice at the Soviet bridgehead near Serock.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2021/07/foto-tokoh-third-reich-yang-mengenakan.html