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)

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