Ritterkreuzträger of Artillerie (Artillery)

German artillery formed the backbone of Wehrmacht fire support throughout the Second World War, remaining the primary cause of battlefield casualties despite the popular focus on Panzers and aircraft. At the outbreak of hostilities each Infanterie-Division fielded an Artillerie-Regiment consisting of three leichte Abteilungen equipped with the 10,5 cm leFH 18 light field howitzer and one schwere Abteilung armed with the 15 cm sFH 18 heavy field howitzer, for a total of thirty-six light and twelve heavy pieces. These guns, horse-drawn in most formations, provided the continuous barrage needed to break enemy resistance during the Polish campaign of 1939 and the rapid advances through France in 1940. On the Eastern Front from 1941 onward the same Artillerie-Regimenter faced immense challenges of distance, mud and extreme cold; batteries under the command of an Oberst or Oberstleutnant were frequently attached to individual Infanterie-Regimenter for close support, while Heeresartillerie units of the general headquarters pool reinforced critical sectors with additional 10 cm Kanone 18 and 21 cm Mörser 18 batteries. During the defensive battles around Voronezh in 1942 and the subsequent retreat to the Dnjepr, General der Artillerie Ernst-Eberhard Hell, commanding the VII. Armee-Korps, concentrated the fire of several Artillerie-Abteilungen to destroy nearly one thousand Soviet tanks and break through successive encirclements. In Normandy in 1944 Heeresküstenartillerie-Regimenter such as the 1261 under Oberst Gerhard Treipel and independent Abteilungen under Majore employed a mixture of German leFH 18, captured French and Soviet pieces to shell the invasion beaches for days after D-Day. Although outranged by certain Soviet guns and increasingly short of ammunition and prime movers, the crews of the Artillerie-Regimenter continued to deliver devastating concentrations until the final collapse in 1945, demonstrating the enduring tactical importance of well-directed field howitzer fire in both offensive Blitzkrieg and prolonged defensive warfare.

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General der Artillerie Siegfried Thomaschki (1894-1967) was born on 20 March 1894 in Miswalde, East Prussia, as the third child of Protestant pastor Paul Thomaschki and Elisabeth née Schucht. After graduating from the Collegium Fridericianum he entered the Imperial German Army on 4 March 1913 as Fahnenjunker in the 2. Ostpreußisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 52, was commissioned Leutnant in 1914 and served throughout the First World War as battery officer and adjutant, earning the Iron Cross Second and First Class while being wounded three times. Remaining in the Reichswehr he advanced through artillery staff and command posts, becoming Oberst and commander of Artillerie-Regiment 3 by 1939. He led the regiment in the Polish and French campaigns, then as Artillerie-Kommandeur 123 on the northern sector of the Eastern Front, receiving the German Cross in Gold. On 26 January 1942 he assumed command of the 11. Infanterie-Division, being promoted Generalmajor on 1 March 1942. Under his leadership the division stubbornly defended the Kirishi bridgehead on the east bank of the Volkhov River, a narrow foothold only four kilometres wide and two kilometres deep, against 154 Soviet assaults between 5 June and 5 September 1942; this epic defence, later nicknamed the “Verdun of the North,” earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 1 November 1942. Further masterful defensive fighting around Sinyavino in July–August 1942, during which the division was again mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht, led to the award of the Eichenlaub on 11 September 1943 while he was Generalleutnant and still commander of the 11. Infanterie-Division. He subsequently served as Höherer Artillerie-Kommandeur 303, briefly commanded Kampfgruppe Thomaschki, and from December 1944 led the X. Armeekorps in the Courland Pocket, rising to General der Artillerie on 1 March 1945. He surrendered to Soviet forces on 8 May 1945, was convicted as a war criminal and held until 1955. Thomaschki died on 31 May 1967 in Bad Neuenahr.

Source :
https://www.junobeach.org/canada-in-wwii/articles/artillery/german-artillery/

Ritterkreuzträger of 31. Infanterie-Division "Löwen-Division"

The 31. Infanterie-Division, nicknamed the Löwen-Division due to its emblem displaying the Brunswick lion, was established in October 1936 in Braunschweig within Wehrkreis XI. Mobilized in late August 1939 under Generalleutnant Rudolf Kaempfe, the formation originally consisted of Infanterie-Regiment 12, Infanterie-Regiment 17, Infanterie-Regiment 82, and Artillerie-Regiment 31. During the Polish campaign in September 1939, it breached frontier fortifications as part of XVI. Armeekorps under 10. Armee, before being transferred west in 1940 to participate in the invasion of Belgium and France through XI. Armeekorps. In June 1941, reassigned to Panzergruppe 2 under Heeresgruppe Mitte for Unternehmen Barbarossa, the division crossed the Soviet border under Generalmajor Kurt Kalmuekoff, engaging in encirclement actions around Bialystok, Minsk, and Smolensk before driving toward Moscow. Over the following winters, command shifted through several distinguished officers, including Generalmajor Gerhard Berthold, Oberst Friedrich Hoßbach, and later Generalleutnant Kurt Pflieger. The division endured brutal attritional fighting in the Rzhev salient, Orel, and Gomel, suffering heavy casualties while its subordinate infantry regiments were reorganized as Grenadier-Regimenter. In the summer of 1944, during the Soviet Operation Bagration, the unit found itself surrounded near Mogilev and was virtually annihilated alongside the remnants of 4. Armee; its commander, Generalmajor Willifrank Ochsner, went missing and fell into Soviet captivity. Officially disbanded in July 1944, its remnant personnel formed the nucleus of the newly created 31. Grenadier-Division, which fought in Courland and Prussia until final surrender.

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General der Infanterie Friedrich Hossbach (1894-1980), born on 21 November 1894 in Unna, entered the Prussian army as Fähnrich in the 2. Kurhessische Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 82 on 29 October 1913 and was promoted to Leutnant in 1914. He served throughout the First World War, ending as Oberleutnant on the staff of the XVIII. Armee-Korps. Remaining in the Reichswehr after the war, he rose through the ranks and from 1934 to 1938 served as Adjutant der Wehrmacht bei Adolf Hitler, during which he authored the famous Hossbach-Niederschrift recording Hitler's expansionist plans of 5 November 1937. Dismissed in the Blomberg-Fritsch crisis for warning Werner von Fritsch of accusations against him, Hossbach returned to troop command as Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 82. During the Westfeldzug, as Oberst, on 12 June 1940 near Dieppe he personally led a rapid intervention against Allied troops embarking by sea, bringing up a Pak-Zug that forced the transports to flee and enabled the capture of about 4200 British and French soldiers along with substantial materiel; later he secured a bridgehead over the Loire. For these and other successes in the French campaign he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 7 October 1940. Promoted to Generalleutnant, he took acting command of the LVI. Panzerkorps in August 1943 and distinguished himself in defensive fighting near Spass-Demensk, along the Desna river and at Gomel, earning the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 11 September 1943 as the 298th recipient. Advanced to General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the LVI. Panzerkorps, he later commanded the 4. Armee from July 1944 until dismissed by Hitler in January 1945 for ordering a breakout from East Prussia against explicit orders. Surviving an assassination attempt in April 1945, he was captured by American forces, released in 1947, and died in Göttingen on 10 September 1980.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/31st_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 10. SS-Panzer-Division "Frundsberg"

The 10. SS-Panzer-Division "Frundsberg" was a German Waffen-SS armoured division formed in early 1943, initially as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 10 and briefly titled "Karl der Große" before receiving its permanent honor name in October 1943 after the 16th-century Landsknecht commander Georg von Frundsberg. Raised mainly from young conscripts drawn from the Reichsarbeitsdienst, the division trained in occupied France under successive commanders including SS-Standartenführer Michael Lippert, SS-Gruppenführer Lothar Debes and SS-Gruppenführer Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld. Its first combat came in April 1944 near Tarnopol in Ukraine, where it helped relieve German forces trapped in the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket. Transferred westward, the division joined the II. SS-Panzerkorps alongside the 9. SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen" and fought in Normandy from late June 1944, opposing British Operation Epsom around Caen, defending Hill 112 during Operation Jupiter, and later participating in the chaotic battles of Operation Bluecoat and the Falaise pocket, suffering heavy losses before withdrawing through Belgium. Reconstituted near Arnhem, it played a key defensive role during Operation Market Garden in September 1944, particularly around Nijmegen, again under SS-Brigadeführer Heinz Harmel, who commanded from April 1944 until late April 1945. After further fighting in Alsace during Operation Nordwind in January 1945, the division returned to the Eastern Front, engaging Soviet forces in Pomerania and Saxony. Encircled in the Halbe Pocket, remnants under SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Roestel broke out, retreated through Moritzburg and reached the Teplice area in Czechoslovakia, where the division surrendered to American forces in May 1945. Its order of battle centred on SS-Panzer-Regiment 10, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 21 and SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 22, supported by reconnaissance, artillery, pioneer and anti-tank units typical of a late-war SS Panzer formation.

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SS-Brigadeführer Heinz Harmel (1906-2000) was born in Metz in the German Empire as the son of a military physician and pursued a career in the armed forces from an early age, volunteering for the SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1935 as an SS-Oberscharführer in the SS-Standarte „Germania“ before becoming a company commander in the SS-Standarte „Der Führer“, with which he fought in the Battle of France in 1940, earning both classes of the Iron Cross; in 1941 he took part in the Balkans Campaign and Operation Barbarossa, assuming command of the SS-Infanterie-Regiment „Deutschland“ of the SS-Division „Das Reich“ in December of that year and receiving the German Cross in Gold on 29 November 1941 for distinguished service. As SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment „Deutschland“, Harmel was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 March 1943 for his outstanding leadership during the fighting south of Kharkov in February 1943, when on his own initiative he personally led a reinforced battalion with a Panzer-Kompanie in a daring night assault through Pereschtschepino, annihilating a surprised Soviet regiment that left some 1500 dead, then expanding the bridgehead by capturing Dimitrijewka-Golubowka after hard combat while directing operations from an armoured radio car under anti-tank fire, actions that halted the enemy advance and enabled the subsequent attack of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division „Das Reich“ on Pawlograd. Promoted to SS-Standartenführer, he received the Eichenlaub on 7 September 1943 for his conduct on 30 July 1943 during the assault against the Soviet Mius bridgehead, where, fighting from the foremost line despite heavy minefields and flanking fire that disabled several Sturmgeschütze, he repeatedly inspired his men to capture Hill 203.9 near Stepanowka and then immediately ordered the I. Bataillon into the heavily defended village itself, continuing the advance on foot after his vehicles struck mines and ensuring a vital penetration that prevented far greater casualties. In April 1944 Harmel took command of the newly formed 10. SS-Panzer-Division „Frundsberg“, becoming one of the youngest divisional commanders in the Waffen-SS; after fighting in Normandy and the Falaise Pocket he led the division in the successful defence against the Allied airborne Operation Market Garden around Nijmegen and Arnhem in September 1944, for which, as SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS, he was awarded the Schwerter on 15 December 1944. Subsequently engaged in Alsace, Pomerania and the Oder front, he was later dismissed from command but formed an ad hoc battle group before surrendering to British forces in Austria in May 1945; after release he lived quietly in Krefeld until his death at the age of 94.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_SS_Panzer_Division_Frundsberg

Ritterkreuzträger of Nachtjagdgeschwader 100 (NJG 100)

Nachtjagdgeschwader 100 (NJG 100) was a Luftwaffe night fighter wing of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, active from 1 August 1943 until its dissolution on 8 May 1945 following the unconditional surrender. Unlike most Geschwader, it lacked a Stab and Geschwaderkommodore, consisting instead of two independently operating Gruppen that primarily combated Soviet night raids on the Eastern Front, with a brief exception involving Unternehmen Bodenplatte in the West in 1945. The I. Gruppe was formed on 1 August 1943 at Bryansk, Orscha and related bases from elements of II.(Eis)/Nachtjagdgeschwader 5, with its 1. Staffel drawn from 12./NJG 5, the 2. Staffel newly created at Stalino, and the 3. Staffel assembled at Schatalowka from parts of 10. and 12./Zerstörergeschwader 1; successive Gruppenkommandeure included Major Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (1–5 August 1943), Major Rudolf Schoenert (to 31 December 1943), Major Alois Lechner (to 23 February 1944), Hauptmann Kurt Bonow (acting), Hauptmann Theodor Bellinghausen and finally Hauptmann August Fischer until the end. The II. Gruppe was established in June–July 1944 at Nisch in occupied Serbia from three Staffeln of Nachtjagdgeschwader 200, initially under Hauptmann Ulrich von Meien and then Major Paul Zorner from late 1944; its Staffeln operated from bases including Gross Beckereck, Malacky and Prague-Rusin. Equipped mainly with Junkers Ju 88, Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Dornier Do 217 night fighters (also using Bf 109, Fw 189 and others), the unit’s Geschwaderkennung was W7. It relocated frequently across the Eastern Front—Orscha, Baranovitschi, Hohensalza, Gerdauen, Prowehren, Danzig and Greifswald—before remnants concentrated in northern Germany and Bohemia. Notable Ritterkreuzträger included Leutnant Gustav-Eduard Francsi of I./NJG 100, Hauptmann Alois Lechner of 1./NJG 100 and Feldwebel Heinrich Wilke of II./NJG 100. Throughout its existence NJG 100 remained focused on intercepting Soviet night harassment and transport aircraft, contributing to the defence of Army Group sectors until the final collapse.

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Major Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (1916-1944) was born on 14 August 1916 in Copenhagen to diplomat Gustav Alexander Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Walburga Freiin von Friesen. After schooling in Switzerland, Bavaria and Freiburg, where he obtained his Abitur, he joined the Hitler Youth and completed Reichsarbeitsdienst before entering the 17. Kavallerie-Regiment in Bamberg in 1937. He soon transferred to the Luftwaffe, trained at the Fliegerschule Braunschweig and was commissioned Leutnant in June 1938. As observer and later pilot with Kampfgeschwader 1 Hindenburg and Kampfgeschwader 51 Edelweiss he flew some 150 combat missions in the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa with Heeresgruppe Nord. In late 1941 he volunteered for the Nachtjagd and became Staffelkapitän of 9./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. His first nocturnal victory came on the night of 6/7 May 1942. Rapid success followed; after 22 confirmed night victories he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 2 October 1942 as Hauptmann. Posted to the Eastern Front as Gruppenkommandeur of IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5, later redesignated I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 100, he achieved multiple victories including seven in one night near Oryol. Awarded the Eichenlaub on 31 August 1943 after 54 victories, he next commanded II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 and II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. On 1 January 1944 he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 and promoted Major, already holding 68 victories. On the night of 21 January 1944, flying a Ju 88 near Berlin, he shot down five British bombers, raising his total to 83 and becoming the Luftwaffe’s leading Nachtjäger. Immediately after the fifth success his aircraft was hit, the left wing caught fire and he ordered his crew to parachute; they survived while he was killed near Lübars by Stendal when his parachute failed to open. Posthumously he received the Schwerter on 23 January 1944 as the 44th recipient, in recognition of his 83 night victories.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachtjagdgeschwader_100

Ritterkreuzträger of 328. Infanterie-Division

The 328. Infanterie-Division was formed on 18 December 1941 as a so-called Walküre-Einheit of the seventeenth wave from training and replacement personnel of the Ersatzheer across Wehrkreise I, II and III, assembling initially at Mielau with Infanterie-Regiment 547, Infanterie-Regiment 548 and Infanterie-Regiment 549, each of two battalions, plus Artillerie-Regiment 328 with two detachments and supporting Divisionseinheiten 328. Under successive commanders Generalleutnant Albert Fett, Generalleutnant Wilhelm Behrens and then Generalleutnant Joachim von Tresckow (with a brief interval under Generalleutnant Karl Böttcher in May 1943), the division marched on foot from Suwałki into the rear of Heeresgruppe Mitte and fought around Rzhev and Zubtsov in 1942, suffering heavy losses that led to its temporary withdrawal. In October 1942 the remnants were transferred to occupied France for rebuilding, where the remaining regiments were redesignated Grenadier-Regiment 548 and Grenadier-Regiment 549, each expanded to three battalions, and a new Grenadier-Regiment 569 was raised, bringing the formation to nine infantry battalions while Artillerie-Regiment 328 was strengthened. The division took part in Case Anton, the occupation of Vichy France, and assumed control of the Marseille sector. Redeployed to the Eastern Front in June 1943 under 1. Panzerarmee of Heeresgruppe Süd, it engaged in defensive fighting near Izium, Kharkiv and Kursk before being largely destroyed during the retreat to the Dnieper. On 2 November 1943 the division was dissolved; its remnants formed Divisions-Gruppe 328 attached to the 306. Infanterie-Division and were later redesignated Grenadier-Regiment 549, which was destroyed in Romania in August 1944. A second, short-lived 328. Infanterie-Division „Seeland“ was raised on 9 March 1945 in occupied Denmark from Genesenden-Bataillone D under Generalleutnant Ernst Richter with Grenadier-Regiment 593, 594 and 595, but it never reached combat readiness before the German surrender.

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Hauptmann Rolf Rocholl (1918-1943) was born on 8 December 1918 in Berlin and entered military service in 1936 as a Fahnenjunker in Panzer-Regiment 5. Promoted to Leutnant on 1 September 1938 and assigned to the 8. Kompanie, he served with the 3. Panzer-Division during the Polish and French campaigns. Subsequently transferred to the 5. leichten Division, which was sent to North Africa and redesignated the 21. Panzer-Division on 1 August 1941, he distinguished himself in the fighting of 1941–42 and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 25 March 1942. Promoted to Hauptmann on 1 June 1942, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 28 July 1942 as Oberleutnant and Führer of the 2. Kompanie, I. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 5. During the 21. Panzer-Division’s attack toward the Via Balbia linking Gazala and Tobruk, he led a reinforced force that discovered a strong British position on Hill 201 west of Acroma, heavily defended by artillery and Flak. After a hard fight he captured the height, enabling the division to block the road and complete the encirclement of the Gazala line. Following the retreat to the Mareth Line he returned to Germany in April 1943 and was appointed Kommandeur of the III. Bataillon, Grenadier-Regiment 569 of the 328. Infanterie-Division on the Eastern Front. In the fierce defensive battles along the Donez in August 1943 his personal leadership proved decisive in holding a commanding hill position and preventing a Soviet breakthrough in the sector. On 23 August 1943 near Isjum, while leading a counterattack, he was fatally wounded by two shots to the chest. Posthumously he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 31 August 1943 as the 287th recipient.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/328th_Infantry_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of 21. Panzer-Division

The 21. Panzer-Division was a German armoured formation of the Wehrmacht that played a significant role across multiple theatres of the Second World War, first as a key component of the Deutsches Afrikakorps in North Africa and later, after its destruction and reconstitution, in the defence of Normandy, Alsace-Lorraine, and the Eastern Front. Originally formed in early 1941 as the 5. leichte Division from elements of the 3. Panzer-Division and other army troops in Wehrkreis III, the unit was shipped to Libya to support Italian forces against the British Western Desert Force. Under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel it participated in the rapid advance that pushed Allied troops back into Egypt in the spring of 1941. On 1 August 1941 the formation was redesignated 21. Panzer-Division. Commanded successively by Generalmajor Johann von Ravenstein, Generalmajor Georg von Bismarck, and others, it fought in Operation Crusader, the capture of Tobruk in June 1942 alongside the 15. Panzer-Division and 90. leichte Division, the First and Second Battles of El Alamein, and the subsequent retreat into Tunisia. Reduced to Kampfgruppen by early 1943, its remnants surrendered on 13 May 1943 near Tunis. The division was reconstituted in France in July 1943 from the Schnelle Brigade West and returning veterans, under Oberst (later Generalleutnant) Edgar Feuchtinger, and equipped largely with converted French vehicles produced by Baukommando Becker, including self-propelled guns of Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200. Stationed near Caen, it was the only Panzer-Division to engage Allied forces on 6 June 1944, counter-attacking toward Sword Beach and opposing British airborne troops at Pegasus Bridge under Major Hans von Luck of Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 125. Throughout the Battle of Normandy it fought around Caen against British and Canadian forces in Operations Epsom, Charnwood, Goodwood, and Bluecoat, suffering heavy losses in Panzer IV tanks before being virtually destroyed in the Falaise Pocket. Reformed again in Lorraine, it contested American advances in Alsace, notably the hard fighting at Hatten and Rittershoffen in January 1945 during Operation Nordwind. Transferred to the Eastern Front, the depleted division under Generalleutnant Werner Marcks fought on the Oder and was finally destroyed in the Halbe Pocket, with survivors surrendering to the Red Army at the end of April 1945.

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Hauptmann Rolf Rocholl (1918-1943) was born on 8 December 1918 in Berlin and entered military service in 1936 as a Fahnenjunker in Panzer-Regiment 5. Promoted to Leutnant on 1 September 1938 and assigned to the 8. Kompanie, he served with the 3. Panzer-Division during the Polish and French campaigns. Subsequently transferred to the 5. leichten Division, which was sent to North Africa and redesignated the 21. Panzer-Division on 1 August 1941, he distinguished himself in the fighting of 1941–42 and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 25 March 1942. Promoted to Hauptmann on 1 June 1942, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 28 July 1942 as Oberleutnant and Führer of the 2. Kompanie, I. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 5. During the 21. Panzer-Division’s attack toward the Via Balbia linking Gazala and Tobruk, he led a reinforced force that discovered a strong British position on Hill 201 west of Acroma, heavily defended by artillery and Flak. After a hard fight he captured the height, enabling the division to block the road and complete the encirclement of the Gazala line. Following the retreat to the Mareth Line he returned to Germany in April 1943 and was appointed Kommandeur of the III. Bataillon, Grenadier-Regiment 569 of the 328. Infanterie-Division on the Eastern Front. In the fierce defensive battles along the Donez in August 1943 his personal leadership proved decisive in holding a commanding hill position and preventing a Soviet breakthrough in the sector. On 23 August 1943 near Isjum, while leading a counterattack, he was fatally wounded by two shots to the chest. Posthumously he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 31 August 1943 as the 287th recipient.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Panzer_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of 198. Infanterie-Division

The 198. Infanterie-Division was formed on 1 December 1939 in the Prague-Pilsen area of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia as part of the 7. Aufstellungswelle from replacement units of Wehrkreis V, initially comprising Infanterie-Regiment 305 and 308 along with leichte Artillerie-Abteilung 235, and expanded in January 1940 by the addition of Infanterie-Regiment 326. Under its first Kommandeur, Otto Röttig, the division took part in Unternehmen Weserübung, occupying Copenhagen and Danish islands on 9 April 1940, with II./Infanterie-Regiment 308 landing by sea and securing key points including Kastellet. After brief occupation duty it moved to France for the final phase of the Westfeldzug and remained on occupation tasks until early 1941, then transferred via Romania and Bulgaria for the invasion of Greece before returning to Romania. From 22 June 1941 it crossed the Prut at Sculeni in Operation Barbarossa with 11. Armee, advanced through the Ukraine toward Dnjepropetrowsk and Rostow, defended the Mius line through the winter of 1941/42, and in 1942 joined Case Blue with 17. Armee, recapturing Rostow, taking Krasnodar and pushing toward Tuapse in the Caucasus. Heavy fighting followed in the Kuban bridgehead, including the battle for the “Little Land” near Noworossijsk where Grenadier-Regiment 305 suffered severe losses in house-to-house combat. After operations at Isjum, participation in Unternehmen Zitadelle and the defence of Charkow, the division was reduced to Kampfgruppe strength during the retreat to the Dnieper and the Korsun-Cherkassy battles of early 1944. Rebuilt in June 1944 with elements of Schatten-Division Böhmen, it was sent to southern France under 19. Armee, endured costly retreats up the Rhône valley after the Allied landings, fought in the Vosges and Alsace, and took part in the failed Unternehmen Sonnenwende against Strasbourg in January 1945. Most of the division was destroyed in the Colmar Pocket in March 1945; the remnants crossed the Rhine, continued token resistance in southwestern Germany and finally surrendered to US forces near Weilheim in Oberbayern in late April 1945.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Generalmajor Paul Schultz (1891-1964) was born on 30 October 1891 in Welzheim and died on 15 September 1964 in Tübingen. He entered military service on 10 July 1912 as Fahnenjunker in the 2. Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen" Nr. 120, was promoted to Leutnant on 17 February 1914, and served in Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 192 during the First World War as Zugführer, Kompanieführer and Bataillonsadjutant, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. and I. Klasse. After demobilization in 1920 he joined the police, rising to Major der Polizei before transferring to the Wehrmacht in 1935 as Major and Kommandeur of a Bataillon in Infanterie-Regiment 35. On 1 December 1939 he became Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 308 (later Grenadier-Regiment 308) within the 198. Infanterie-Division. He led the regiment in Unternehmen Weserübung against Denmark, the Western Campaign, and from June 1941 on the Eastern Front in southern Russia, receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 18 October 1941. Promoted to Oberst on 1 September 1940, he earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 September 1942 for actions at Krasnodar: on the night of 9/10 August 1942, as Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 308, he led an attack past an anti-tank ditch east of the city and, on his own initiative without artillery preparation, stormed the heavily defended suburb of Krasnodar-Pashkovskaya, clearing it block by block and enabling a neighbouring division to enter the northern part of the city. On 26 August 1943 he received the Eichenlaub (284th award) as Oberst and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 308 for defensive fighting east of Belgorod on 24 July 1943, when Soviet forces penetrated his lines three times; he repeatedly counterattacked, once with two Sturmgeschütze, destroying several tanks and restoring the main battle line with his last reserves. Appointed Kommandeur of the Armee-Waffenschule of the 6. Armee on 1 August 1943 and later of the 8. Armee, he was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 March 1944, surrendered to American forces in May 1945, and was released in 1947.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/198th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen"

The 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division „Götz von Berlichingen“ was a Waffen-SS formation raised in October 1943 in southwestern France near Poitiers and Thouars from replacement units, conscripts, Volksdeutsche from Romania and elsewhere, French volunteers, and a cadre drawn from the 10. SS-Panzer-Division „Frundsberg“. Named after the sixteenth-century Imperial Knight Götz von Berlichingen, whose iron prosthetic hand became the divisional emblem, it received its honour title from Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler and was initially commanded by SS-Gruppenführer Werner Ostendorff, with SS-Standartenführer Otto Binge overseeing early organisation. Equipped largely with Sturmgeschütz IV assault guns rather than tanks and still short of vehicles and trained officers by June 1944, the division was ordered north after the Allied landings and first engaged American airborne forces around Carentan and Graignes on 10–13 June. It fought bitterly in the Normandy bocage near Saint-Lô and Coutances, suffered catastrophic losses during Operation Cobra and the Roncey pocket, and was reduced to roughly 8,500 men by late July. Rebuilt with the remnants of SS-Panzergrenadier-Brigaden 49 and 51, it returned to the line in September, contested the Moselle bridgeheads and the Battle of Metz through November, then defended the Saar and Maginot positions. In January 1945 it participated in Operation Nordwind around Rimling under successive commanders including SS-Standartenführer Hans Lingner and Oberst Gerhard Lindner. Driven back across the Rhine in March, the division fought on in Württemberg, at Heilbronn, Nuremberg and along the Danube until its surviving elements surrendered to United States forces near the Achensee in early May 1945.

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SCHWERTERTRÄGER


SS-Oberführer Otto Baum (1911-1998) was born on 15 November 1911 in Stetten near Hechingen as the son of a merchant and after attending Realgymnasium studied agriculture for two semesters at the University of Hohenheim from 1930 to 1932 before joining the Allgemeine SS in Stuttgart in November 1933 and later attending the SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig. He served initially in the SS-Standarten "Germania" and "Der Führer," then as Kompaniechef of the 7. Kompanie in the SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler," participating in the Polish campaign of 1939 and the Western campaign of 1940. In March 1941 he transferred to the SS-Division "Totenkopf" and assumed command of the III. Bataillon of the SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3, fighting on the Eastern Front including the Demjansk pocket during Operation Barbarossa. As SS-Sturmbannführer he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 8 May 1942 for successfully defending his sector near Salutschje against overwhelming Soviet attacks from late February 1942, personally leading a counterthrust with hastily assembled men that eliminated enemy penetrations into Schumilkino and Salutschje, restoring the frontline by morning and preventing seizure of the vital Kobylkino–Schubino road that would have enabled the enemy to supply and reinforce forces around Gruppe Eicke, with over 300 Soviet dead counted before the positions. Promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer he later commanded the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 "Totenkopf" (also referred to as "Thule") and earned the 277th Eichenlaub on 22 August 1943 for bold leadership during the fighting around Kharkov in early 1943, including a decisive thrust across the Ternowka that linked with the SS-Division "Das Reich," aggressive advances that helped encircle elements of the Soviet 3rd Tank Army yielding large captured materiel, and the rapid seizure of Rogan and Tschugujew that closed the ring around Kharkov, as well as further distinguished actions at Beresoff and in the Psel bridgehead during the Kursk offensive where he was wounded yet remained with his troops. After recovery he rose to SS-Standartenführer and in June 1944 took command of the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" in Normandy, distinguishing himself around Saint-Lô, while simultaneously leading the 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich" from late July; he received the 95th Schwerter on 2 September 1944 for success in freeing significant encircled German elements on the Invasion Front during Operation Cobra by halting the American advance and guiding the western portion of the 7. Armee in a breakthrough back to friendly lines east of the Vire. Later commanding the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Reichsführer-SS" in Italy and Hungary, he reached the rank of SS-Oberführer, surrendered near Völkermarkt in May 1945, was interned by the British until December 1948, and died on 18 June 1998 in Hechingen-Stetten.

Source :
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/17._SS-Panzergrenadier-Division_%E2%80%9EG%C3%B6tz_von_Berlichingen%E2%80%9C

Ritterkreuzträger of Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 "Hermann Göring"

The Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring originated in February 1933 as the Polizeiabteilung z. b. V. Wecke under Major der Schutzpolizei Walther Wecke, a special police unit formed by Hermann Göring as Prussian Minister of the Interior to secure loyalty to the new regime and suppress political opponents in Berlin. Expanded into the Landespolizeigruppe General Göring and transferred to the Luftwaffe in September 1935 as the Regiment General Göring, it provided bodyguard and Flak duties while elements underwent parachute training that later formed the core of the first Fallschirmjäger units. Under Oberst Paul Conrath from June 1940, the formation participated in the occupations of Austria, the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia, then saw limited action in Poland before contributing Kampfgruppen and Flak batteries to the 1940 campaigns in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, where its 8.8 cm guns proved highly effective against tanks. Motorized as Regiment (mot.) Hermann Göring in 1941, it fought with distinction in Operation Barbarossa attached to the 11. Panzer-Division, notably at Brody, Kiev and in the Uman pocket where Oberleutnant Karl Rossmann’s battery earned the Ritterkreuz. Expanded to Brigade Hermann Göring and then Division Hermann Göring in 1942 with army panzer specialists and Fallschirmjäger remnants, elements of Kampfgruppe Schmid were committed to Tunisia in early 1943 and largely destroyed upon the Axis surrender in May. Rebuilt as Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, it defended Sicily against the Allied landings of July 1943, counter-attacking at Gela before evacuating to the mainland. In Italy the division contested the Salerno beachhead, the Volturno-Termoli line and Anzio, while Oberstleutnant Julius Schlegel organised the evacuation of Monte Cassino’s art treasures. Redesignated Fallschirm-Panzer-Division in February 1944 under Generalmajor Wilhelm Schmalz, it continued fighting until withdrawn in July, thereafter combining with Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 2 Hermann Göring to form Fallschirm-Panzerkorps Hermann Göring. Transferred to the Eastern Front, the corps engaged at the Vistula, during the Warsaw Uprising and later at Bautzen before surrendering to the Red Army near Dresden on 8 May 1945.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


General der Fallschirmtruppe Paul Conrath (1896-1979) was born on 22 November 1896 in Rudow near Berlin and entered military service on 10 August 1914 as a Kriegsfreiwilliger and Offiziersanwärter in the 4. Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment in Potsdam, transferring in October 1914 to the Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 44 on the Western Front where he saw action at Verdun, the Somme and in Flanders; promoted to Leutnant on 1 March 1917 he served as Abteilungs-Ordonnanz-Offizier in the 4. Badischen Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 66 until the war’s end. After leaving the army in January 1919 he joined the Prussian Security Police in Berlin in 1920, rising through platoon and Hundertschaft command to Major by the early 1930s, and on 1 April 1935 was transferred as Major into the Luftwaffe, serving as Adjutant to Hermann Göring before commanding batteries in Flak-Regiment 12 and the III. leichte Flakabteilung of the Luftwaffen-Regiment “General Göring.” Reappointed Chefadjutant and promoted to Oberstleutnant in 1938 and Oberst in March 1940, he assumed command of the Luftwaffen-Regiment “General Göring” on 1 June 1940, leading it through the campaign in the West and then, redesignated Regiment (mot.) Hermann Göring, into Operation Barbarossa from 22 June 1941; for his successful leadership of the Flak-Regiment (mot) “General Göring” on the Eastern Front, including actions in the Battle of Brody and the tank fighting at Dubno where one of his Batterien was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September 1941 as Oberst. Promoted Generalmajor on 15 June 1942 he expanded the formation into the Luftwaffen-Brigade and then Division “Hermann Göring,” later Panzer-Division “Hermann Göring,” which fought in Tunisia and Sicily; for the division’s achievements there he was awarded the Eichenlaub (276th) on 21 August 1943 as Generalmajor and Kommandeur of the Panzer-Division “Hermann Göring.” Advanced to Generalleutnant on 1 September 1943 he continued to lead the unit, renamed Fallschirm-Panzer-Division “Hermann Göring,” in the Italian campaign including Monte Cassino until relieved on 15 April 1944 and appointed Kommandierender General of the Ausbildungs- und Ersatztruppen of the Fallschirm-Armee and Inspekteur der Fallschirmtruppe; promoted General der Fallschirmtruppe on 1 January 1945, he entered brief American captivity after the capitulation of 8 May 1945 and was soon released, dying in Hamburg on 15 January 1979.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Fallschirm-Panzer_Division_Hermann_G%C3%B6ring

Original Color Photograph of Karl Böttcher

Generalleutnant Karl Böttcher (1889-1973) was born on 25 October 1889 in Thorn in West Prussia and died on 21 October 1973. Entering the Königlich Preußische Armee as Fähnrich in 1909, he served as an artillery officer throughout the First World War, earning both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz. Remaining in the Reichswehr after 1918, he advanced steadily and by the outbreak of the Second World War held the position of Artillerie-Kommandeur 104. Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 March 1940, he took part in the Western campaign before transferring with his staff to North Africa, where he served under Erwin Rommel in the Deutsches Afrikakorps. In the autumn of 1941 he commanded an independent Kampfgruppe within the Panzergruppe Afrika. Between 24 and 28 November 1941 his Kampfgruppe successfully repelled a breakthrough attempt by superior enemy forces equipped with tanks directed against Tobruk. Had the Allied thrust succeeded, the siege of Tobruk would have been lifted; however, through Böttcher’s skilful leadership and continuous presence in the foremost line the enemy advance was halted until the arrival of the main forces of the Afrika-Korps. For this decisive defensive achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 December 1941, shortly after being appointed Kommandeur of the 21. Panzer-Division on 1 December. Illness forced him to relinquish command in February 1942, after which he was promoted to Generalleutnant. He later commanded the 326. Infanterie-Division and the 347. Infanterie-Division before serving as Höherer Artillerie-Kommandeur 305. Captured by Western Allied forces on 8 May 1945, he remained a prisoner until June 1947.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_B%C3%B6ttcher
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28619/B%C3%B6ttcher-Karl-Heinrich.htm?__cf_chl_rt_tk=STYZyCvqqeOSuqdZhK1k_MCX7ooJbFyiY8X5IsAN0wY-1790517705-1.0.1.1-9thBrzgSfe6TXJwcP9o3N.DKQQwp_VadBH2YblqO4BE

The Fall of Paris and the German Victory Parade of 14 June 1940

On the morning of 14 June 1940, the capital of France, declared an open city to spare it from destruction, fell without resistance to the advancing forces of the Wehrmacht. The French government and military authorities had withdrawn southward in the preceding days, leaving the streets largely empty of regular troops. The first German units entered the city in the early hours, establishing control over key points including the Place de la Concorde and the area around the Arc de Triomphe. What followed was a series of formal marches and parades intended to mark the historic occupation of the city that had eluded German arms in 1914 and had been the scene of French triumph in 1918.

Among the formations that moved into the heart of Paris that day was the 30. Infanterie-Division, commanded by Generalleutnant Kurt von Briesen. The division had been advancing from the north as part of the broader pursuit by the 6. Armee. Originally intended to bypass the capital and continue southward after the French forces, the formation altered its route once it became clear that Paris offered no opposition. Patrols confirmed the absence of defending troops, and Generalleutnant von Briesen ordered elements of his division into the city center.

By mid-morning the 30. Infanterie-Division was formed for a ceremonial march along the broad Avenue Foch, one of the grand approaches leading toward the Place de l’Étoile and the Arc de Triomphe. Generalleutnant Kurt von Briesen, mounted on horseback and wearing the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes awarded for his earlier actions in Poland, took up a position to review his troops. Columns of infantry, accompanied by a military band, advanced in disciplined ranks past their commander. The soldiers marched with rifles at the shoulder, steel helmets gleaming in the summer sun, their step measured and precise. Photographic records captured the long files of Feldgrau uniforms stretching along the avenue, with the Arc de Triomphe visible in the background and the German war flag already flying from the monument.

The parade of the 30. Infanterie-Division was both a divisional ceremony and part of the larger demonstration of German presence in the city. Generalleutnant von Briesen saluted each unit as it passed, the men responding with the prescribed military greeting. The event was filmed and photographed extensively by Kriegsberichter of the Propagandakompanien, images that would soon circulate widely in the German press as symbols of the rapid victory in the West. After the march, elements of the division continued through the city and resumed the advance southward, their temporary diversion through Paris complete.

While the 30. Infanterie-Division conducted its review on the Avenue Foch, other formations moved along the principal axes of the capital. Columns advanced down the Champs-Élysées toward the Place de la Concorde, the vast square dominated by the Luxor Obelisk and framed by the classical façades of the Hôtel de la Marine and the Hôtel Crillon. German military vehicles had reached the Place de la Concorde as early as 06:30 that morning, and a command post was quickly established nearby. By late morning the square had become the focal point for a larger formal parade.

At the Place de la Concorde, senior commanders of Heeresgruppe B assembled to take the salute. Generaloberst Fedor von Bock, Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe B, arrived to review the passing troops. Beside him stood General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler, commanding the 18. Armee, whose formations had played a significant role in the advance on the capital. Other officers present included Generalmajor Bogislav von Studnitz, who would serve as the first German Stadtkommandant of Paris, as well as additional generals from the Heer and Luftwaffe. The assembled commanders watched as infantry, motorized units, and supporting elements marched past the obelisk, the sound of boots and the music of military bands echoing across the square.

The route of the main columns linked the two principal sites of the day’s ceremonies. Troops moved between the Place de l’Étoile, where the 30. Infanterie-Division had been reviewed by Generalleutnant von Briesen, and the Place de la Concorde, where Generaloberst von Bock and his subordinates received the march-past. German sentries were posted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe, and the eternal flame continued to burn as soldiers of the Wehrmacht paid their respects according to military custom. Swastika banners appeared on public buildings, and loudspeakers announced the new regulations, including a curfew, to the remaining civilian population.

The events of 14 June 1940 were carefully staged for both immediate effect and later propaganda use. The presence of Generalleutnant Kurt von Briesen at the head of the 30. Infanterie-Division on the Avenue Foch provided striking visual images of a divisional commander reviewing his men in the heart of the captured capital. The subsequent or concurrent arrival of Generaloberst Fedor von Bock and the higher command at the Place de la Concorde underscored the strategic significance of the occupation, placing the leadership of Heeresgruppe B at the symbolic center of the city. Together these ceremonies marked the formal assertion of German control over Paris, eight days before the armistice negotiations at Compiègne would bring the campaign in France to its official close.

The streets of the capital, emptied by the mass exodus of civilians in the preceding week, offered a stark stage for the marches. What remained of the population watched largely in silence from sidewalks and windows. For the German soldiers who participated, the day represented the culmination of the Blitzkrieg campaign that had begun less than five weeks earlier. For the history of the Second World War, the parades of 14 June 1940—beginning with the 30. Infanterie-Division under Generalleutnant Kurt von Briesen on the Avenue Foch and extending to the review by Generaloberst Fedor von Bock and other generals at the Place de la Concorde—stood as the most visible expression of the Wehrmacht’s triumph in the West.

Generaloberst Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B) speaks with French General Henri-Fernand Dentz at Place de la Concorde on the day Paris fell into German hands, June 14, 1940. To the right of Von Bock is Generalleutnant Hans von Salmuth (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe B).



The German victory parade at Place de la Concorde, Paris, on June 14, 1940. Front row from left to right: General der Kavallerie Georg Stumme (Kommandierender General XXXX.Panzer-Korps), General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler (Oberbefehlshaber 18.Armee), and Generaloberst Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B). On the far left is Generalmajor Erich Marcks (Chef des Generalstabes 18.Armee), while closest to the camera is Generalleutnant Hans von Salmuth (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe B).

The German victory parade at Place de la Concorde, Paris, on June 14, 1940. From left to right: General der Kavallerie Georg Stumme (Kommandierender General XXXX.Panzer-Korps), Generaloberst Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B), and Oberleutnant der Reserve Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff-Steinort (Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B).

Source :
https://artsandculture.google.com/search?q=hugo+jaeger&hl=en
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/10/koleksi-ratusan-foto-berwarna-dari-life.html

Original Color Photographs of Erich Bärenfänger

Major Erich Bärenfänger (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50.Infanterie-Division) in a picture taken on 13 February 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Schwerter award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Bärenfänger formally received the Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 23 January 1944 for outstanding defensive leadership during the heavy fighting on the Kerch Peninsula in late 1943 and early 1944. Between 13 and 17 November and again from 4 to 6 December 1943 his battalion repeatedly repulsed successive Soviet assaults while he remained at the front despite sustaining his sixth and seventh wounds. When a fresh Soviet offensive opened on 10 January 1944, Bärenfänger personally led a counter-attack that recaptured the vital height 125.6 north of Kerch, specifically northeast of Bulganak. At the same time his men held the equally contested neighbouring height 133.3 with bitter determination through several days of close combat until the enemy was finally driven back. These actions, conducted under continuous pressure against superior forces, prevented a local breakthrough and stabilised the divisional sector at a critical moment. For this combination of personal bravery, tactical initiative and successful defence of key positions Bärenfänger was awarded the Schwerter as the 45th recipient overall and only the 16th officer of the Heer to receive the decoration, simultaneously being promoted to Oberstleutnant. The award recognised not a single isolated deed but the sustained excellence of his battalion command throughout the prolonged and costly fighting for the eastern Crimea.

Major Erich Bärenfänger (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50.Infanterie-Division) in a paradeanzug or waffenrock. Introduced on 29 June 1935 as the standard dress and ceremonial tunic for the German Heer, the Waffenrock revived traditional Prussian tailoring within the modern Wehrmacht military hierarchy. Crafted from fine feldgrau wool or superior tricot gabardine, the garment was cut thigh-length and form-fitting, purposely designed without external pockets to present a perfectly seamless, clean silhouette during formal gatherings and parades. It fastened down the center with an eight-button front closure and featured a stand-and-fall collar made of dark blue-green cloth, noticeably higher than standard field issue. Elaborate silver-white embroidered Litzen mounted on backing cloth in the wearer's Waffenfarbe adorned the collar, while decorative Ärmelpatten were stitched onto the dark green Swedish cuffs beneath dual cuff buttons. Branch-specific Waffenfarbe piping outlined the collar edge, front flap, cuffs, and scalloped rear skirt vent. Rank was denoted through Schulterklappen for enlisted soldiers and Unteroffiziere, while an officer wore woven aluminum Schulterstücke alongside an embroidered silver Brustadler. For grosser Gesellschaftanzug, soldiers paired the tunic with stone-gray trousers piped in branch colors, a Schirmmütze, aiguillette, white gloves, full medals, and a ceremonial dress sword or Seitengewehr, substituting the Stahlhelm and high marching boots for outdoor parades. Wartime economic restrictions caused official manufacturing to halt around 1940, yet existing pieces remained widely worn throughout the war. The picture was taken between June 1943 and January 1944.

Hauptmann Erich Bärenfänger (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50.Infanterie-Division) in a picture taken in May/June 1943 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Bärenfänger formally received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 May 1943 for his outstanding leadership and personal bravery during the heavy fighting along the Terek river in the Caucasus and the subsequent withdrawal to the Kuban bridgehead. In the winter of 1942–1943 the division, operating under the 11. Armee, had advanced deep into the Caucasus but found itself increasingly isolated as Soviet forces launched powerful counter-offensives. Bärenfänger’s battalion repeatedly held critical positions under intense pressure, launching timely counter-attacks that disrupted enemy penetrations and prevented the collapse of local defensive lines. His tactical skill in coordinating infantry assaults, often at the head of his men in close combat, enabled the orderly extraction of German and allied units from the Terek sector toward the more defensible Kuban positions. On one notable occasion, when a neighbouring Romanian formation was overrun and the division’s flank threatened, he immediately organised a decisive counter-thrust that restored the situation and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers. These actions, carried out under constant artillery fire and against numerically superior forces, preserved the cohesion of the battalion and contributed significantly to the successful establishment of the Kuban bridgehead. For this combination of personal courage and effective command he was decorated with the 243rd award of the Eichenlaub and simultaneously promoted to Major. The recognition underlined his reputation as one of the most capable junior infantry leaders on the Eastern Front at that stage of the war.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/search.php?keywords=B%C3%A4renf%C3%A4nger&t=46430&sf=msgonly
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1637/B%C3%A4renf%C3%A4nger-Erich.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/

Ritterkreuzträger with Schützenschnur (Marksmanship Lanyard)

The Schützenschnur, or Marksmanship Lanyard, was a proficiency award introduced on 29 June 1936 by the Oberkommando des Heeres for the Heer to recognize outstanding shooting skills among enlisted personnel. Initially established in four grades, or Stufe 1 to 4, it applied to Infantrymen serving in Infantry, Mountain troops, Motorized Infantry, Parachutists and similar units as well as to Artillerymen, replacing earlier Reichswehr sleeve stripes. On 17 October 1938 a revised version expanded the system to twelve successive grades and extended eligibility to Armored troopers of the Panzertruppe. The lanyard acknowledged demonstrated ability with the rifle, light machine gun, heavy machine gun, anti-tank weapon, 2 cm anti-aircraft gun, and the firing of infantry, artillery and tank guns. Constructed of wound aluminium wire, it featured a metal plaque at the upper end whose design varied by branch: early grades displayed a silver shield with the Wehrmacht eagle, higher grades added crossed swords and an oak-leaf wreath, while the uppermost levels used gilt fittings; successive acorns or similar devices indicated the achieved Stufe. Awarded exclusively to Mannschaften and Unteroffiziere, the Schützenschnur could neither be applied for nor worn by Offiziere. It was suspended from beneath the right shoulder strap and fastened to the second upper front button of the uniform, permitted on all orders of dress except the battle dress. Accompanying certificates formalized each award. Issuance ceased on 14 February 1941 with the intention of resuming it after a successful conclusion of the war, yet the decoration remains a distinctive emblem of Wehrmacht marksmanship tradition drawn from long-standing Prussian military practice.

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HEER


Feldwebel Herbert Barz (1916-2002) was born on 16 March 1916 in Hagen and entered military service in the Heer, advancing steadily through the ranks as Gefreiter from 1 October 1938, Obergefreiter from 21 April 1940 and Stabsgefreiter from 1 October 1942. Assigned as Richtschütze in the 3./schwere Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 519, a Heerestruppe equipped primarily with the heavily gunned but lightly armored Nashorn (initially designated Hornisse) self-propelled tank destroyers armed with the potent 8,8 cm Pak 43, he served on the Eastern Front under Heeresgruppe Mitte. The Abteilung first saw combat near Witebsk from late December 1943, where it achieved remarkable success in defensive engagements against Soviet armor, claiming some 290 enemy vehicles destroyed by February 1944 at the cost of only six total losses. As the skilled gunner responsible for accurate long-range fire from the open fighting compartment, Barz contributed decisively to these results through precise targeting that exploited the Nashorn’s superior gun performance at distances often exceeding 2000 meters. During the catastrophic Soviet summer offensive of Operation Bagration in 1944 the unit suffered the complete loss of its remaining Jagdpanzer, yet Barz’s outstanding personal achievements as Richtschütze in the preceding intense anti-tank battles earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 18 July 1944 while still holding the rank of Unteroffizier; he was promoted to Feldwebel on 5 January 1945. Recognized as a tank ace for his cumulative destructions of enemy armored vehicles, Barz survived the remainder of the war and the subsequent years of reconstruction, living until 5 May 2002 in Murrhardt. His career exemplifies the critical role of highly trained enlisted gunners in the specialized heavy tank-destroyer formations that sought to offset numerical inferiority through technological and tactical proficiency on the Eastern Front.

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

Ritterkreuzträger of 36. Infanterie-Division / 36. Infanterie-Division (mot.)

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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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Generalmajor Alexander Conrady (1903-1983) was born on 16 July 1903 in Neu-Ulm and died on 21 December 1983 in Augsburg. He entered the Reichswehr on 1 April 1923 as Fahnenjunker in the 19. (Bayerisches) Infanterie-Regiment, advancing through the ranks to Leutnant in 1926, Oberleutnant in 1929, Hauptmann in 1934, Major in 1940, Oberstleutnant in 1942, Oberst later that year and finally Generalmajor in 1944. After staff duties with the 27. Infanterie-Division during the Polish and French campaigns, he joined the 36. Infanterie-Division on the Eastern Front, becoming Kommandeur of the I. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 118 in August 1941. For his leadership during the heavy defensive battles east of Rshew from 11 to 21 August 1942, when as temporary commander of Infanterie-Regiment 118 he rapidly repositioned his forces across difficult terrain under enemy pressure, repelled more than sixty attacks, held every metre of ground and inflicted heavy losses, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 October 1942 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur I./Infanterie-Regiment 118 (motorisiert). In October 1942 he took permanent command of the regiment, soon redesignated Grenadier-Regiment 118. During the defensive fighting after the Battle of Kursk, on 14 July 1943 near Orel his regiment faced an assault by 180 tanks and strong infantry; though wounded, Oberst Conrady remained in command, and despite being overrun several times the unit continued stubborn resistance for weeks under his skilful and courageous direction, for which he was awarded the Eichenlaub on 22 August 1943. He later led the 36. Infanterie-Division until his capture by Soviet forces on 1 July 1944 during Operation Bagration near Bobrujsk, remaining a prisoner until his release in October 1955.



General der Infanterie Hans Gollnick (1892-1970) was born on 22 May 1892 at Domäne Gursen in Kreis Flatow, Westpreußen, and died on 15 February 1970 in Hamburg. He entered the Kaiserliche Armee on 22 March 1912 as Fahnenjunker in the 3. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 129, becoming Leutnant in 1913. During the First World War he served with the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 21, was severely wounded at Tannenberg in August 1914, received both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz, and ended the war as Oberleutnant and regimental adjutant. Retained in the Reichswehr, he rose steadily through the ranks and by 1 October 1938 had been promoted to Oberst. At the outbreak of the Second World War he commanded the Infanterie-Regiment 76 of the 20. Infanterie-Division (mot.) in the Polish campaign, including the action at Krojanty, and later in the Westfeldzug. Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 June 1941, he assumed command of the 36. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert) on the Eastern Front on 15 October 1941. For distinguishing himself during his division’s defensive battle northeast of Sytschewka from 4 to 11 August 1942 in the Rzhev sector he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 21 November 1942. Advanced to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1943, he continued to lead the formation, by then redesignated 36. Panzergrenadier-Division. He received the Eichenlaub (282nd award) to the Ritterkreuz on 24 August 1943 for further proving himself an able commander in the defensive fighting east of Orel, especially at Sheljabug on 14 July and Podmasslowo from 15 to 18 July 1943, when the 262. Infanterie-Division was also subordinated to him as temporary Gruppe Gollnick. Thereafter he commanded the XXXXVI. Panzerkorps, was promoted to General der Infanterie on 1 October 1943, and from May 1944 led the XXVIII. Armeekorps in East Prussia, serving as Festungskommandant of Memel and commander of Armee-Abteilung Samland before the war’s end; after the capitulation he briefly administered German troops in the Flensburg area under British authority until his release in February 1946.

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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)