Ritterkreuzträger of 2. Schnellbootsflottille

During the Second World War, the 2. Schnellbootsflottille formed an elite tactical component of the Kriegsmarine operating high-speed fast attack craft, commonly known to the Allies as E-boats, executing aggressive nocturnal anti-shipping strikes, minelaying operations, and coastal escort missions across contested European waters including the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Mediterranean theater under the overarching administrative command of the Führer der Schnellboote. Operating specialized vessels such as the S-31, S-33, and S-180, the flotilla was led by distinguished officers such as Korvettenkapitän Rudolf Petersen and later Korvettenkapitän Klaus Feldt, whose leadership fostered a culture of tactical daring that resulted in numerous sailors and Kommandanten earning prestigious military decorations, including the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, for exceptional bravery against heavily defended Allied merchant convoys and coastal naval forces.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Korvettenkapitän Klaus Feldt (1912-2010) was born on 14 April 1912 in Kiel and entered the Reichsmarine in 1934 after service in the merchant navy, being promoted to Leutnant zur See in 1937 and Oberleutnant zur See in 1939. He initially served as adjutant in the 6. Torpedoboots-Flottille and later commanded a torpedo boat before transferring to the Schnellbootwaffe in the summer of 1940. As Oberleutnant zur See and Kommandant of S 30 in the 2. Schnellbootsflottille he distinguished himself in operations off Norway, the Dutch coast and the English Channel, sinking an enemy destroyer (HMS Exmoor) and four armed merchant vessels totalling 6100 GRT while demonstrating outstanding seamanship and cold-bloodedness in difficult situations; as acting flotilla commander he also led a successful sortie against the southern English coast that sank 13000 GRT of shipping. For these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 25 April 1941 and simultaneously promoted to Kapitänleutnant. After recovering from severe wounds sustained when S 43 struck mines and sank on 27 June 1941, he became Chef of the 2. Schnellbootsflottille in October 1941. Promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 March 1943, he continued to lead the flotilla with great success despite his earlier injuries, personally participating in numerous sorties that resulted in the sinking of 35 ships totalling 92260 GRT as well as two destroyers and two patrol vessels, often operating close to the English coast and in every naval theatre. For this sustained leadership he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 1 January 1944 as the 362nd recipient. His other decorations included the Eisernes Kreuz 2. and 1. Klasse, the Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen with Diamonds, the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, and the Finnish Freedom Cross 4th Class. From February 1944 he commanded the Schnellboots-Lehrdivision until the end of the war, after which he was held in British captivity until August 1945. He died in Wiesbaden on 7 September 2010, having reached the rank of Korvettenkapitän.

Source :
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Schnellootsflottillen/2Flot.htm
http://www.s-boot.net/englisch/sboats-kriegsmarine-organisation.html

Ritterkreuzträger of 5. Schnellbootsflottille

During the Second World War, the Kriegsmarine formed the 5. Schnellbootsflottille, an elite operational unit consisting of high-speed fast attack craft, commonly known to the Allies as E-boats, which were heavily deployed to execute daring torpedo attacks, mine-laying missions, and coastal patrols across contested European waters ranging from the English Channel and the North Sea to the Baltic and the Gulf of Finland. Operating under the strategic command of the Führer der Schnellboote, the flotilla participated in numerous critical engagements against Allied shipping and invasion forces, earning a formidable reputation for tactical mobility and combat effectiveness under the leadership of notable commanders such as Korvettenkapitän Bernd Klug and later Korvettenkapitän Kurt Johannsen, both of whom were recognized for their leadership with prestigious military decorations like the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. The fast attack craft of this unit utilized their shallow drafts, powerful engines, and agile maneuverability to strike enemy convoys and coastal escorts under the cover of darkness or foul weather, frequently operating out of heavily fortified French and Dutch ports before shifting operational theaters later in the conflict to support naval operations in northern waters. Despite facing relentless Allied air superiority, radar tracking, and heavily armed coastal defenses as the war progressed, the personnel of the 5. Schnellbootsflottille maintained intensive combat operations until the final capitulation of Nazi Germany, sustaining significant operational demands while cementing a prominent legacy within the wartime history of the German surface naval forces.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Korvettenkapitän Bernd Klug (1914-1975) was born on 12 December 1914 in Barmen and entered the Reichsmarine in 1933, receiving training as an artillery officer and later serving on Schnellboote. By the outbreak of the Second World War he commanded S 18 and subsequently S 28 in the 1. Schnellbootsflottille. As Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant of S 28 he conducted numerous operations against strongly defended enemy convoys near the English coast and off Norway, sinking a destroyer as well as seven armed merchant vessels totalling 46 500 GRT and damaging several more; for these successes, achieved with consistent courage and combat readiness, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 12 March 1941. Promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 March 1943, he had already taken command of the 5. Schnellbootsflottille in the summer of 1941. While personally leading 56 sorties as flotilla chief, his boats sank sixteen freighters of 36 400 GRT, three destroyers, four patrol vessels and two other warships, with his own command boat contributing a large share of the results. For this outstanding leadership he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 1 January 1944 as the 361st recipient, becoming the first Schnellboot officer so honoured. His other awards included the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse and 1. Klasse, the Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen later with Diamonds, the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, and the Finnish Vapaudenristin 4. luokka. After serving as 1. Admiralstabsoffizier on the staff of the Führer der Schnellboote from mid-1944, he ended the war in captivity and was released in 1946. He later joined the Bundesmarine, rising to the rank of Flottillenadmiral before retiring, and died in Kiel on 15 June 1975.

Source :
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Schnellootsflottillen/5Flot.htm
http://www.s-boot.net/englisch/sboats-kriegsmarine-organisation.html
https://wwwstatic.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/km/sboot/sfl5.htm

Ritterkreuzträger of 99. Infanterie-Division (leichte)

The 99. leichte Infanterie-Division was established in November 1940 as part of the 12. Welle at Wehrkreis IX, carrying out its early assembly and rigorous training at Bad Kissingen under the continuous leadership of Generalleutnant Kurt von der Chevallerie. Formed to serve as a specialized light infantry formation adapted for rugged terrain and rapid cross-country maneuvers, the division primarily comprised Infanterie-Regiment 206, Infanterie-Regiment 218, Artillerie-Regiment 82, Aufklärungs-Abteilung 99, and Panzerjäger-Abteilung 99. In June 1941, the formation was committed to Operation Barbarossa under Heeresgruppe Süd, advancing across the Soviet border into western Ukraine through Galicia. Operating under III. Armeekorps and later XVII. Armeekorps, the division was repeatedly thrown into sharp offensive clashes along the Stalin Line, participating in heavy combat around Zhitomir and pushing steadily east toward the Dnieper River. In September 1941, the division played an active role in the encirclement and storming of Kiev, where commanders like Major Emil Schuler of Infanterie-Regiment 218 distinguished themselves in bitter battles through heavily fortified positions and swampy lake sectors south of the city, while Generalleutnant von der Chevallerie earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1941 for his resolute leadership during the Ukrainian summer campaign. Divisional elements also became implicated in atrocities, including security cordons during the massacre at Babi Yar. Exhausted by continuous operations and severe attrition from months of arduous fighting, the 99. leichte Infanterie-Division was withdrawn from the frontline in the autumn of 1941 and pulled back to Germany, where it was formally disbanded in October and reorganized at Truppenübungsplatz Grafenwöhr to form the nucleus of the newly created 7. Gebirgs-Division for arctic mountain warfare in Finland.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


General der Infanterie Kurt von der Chevallerie (1891-1945) was born on 23 December 1891 in Berlin into a Huguenot noble family and entered the Prussian Army as Fahnenjunker in the Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 5 on 24 February 1910, receiving promotion to Leutnant on 11 August 1911. During the First World War he earned the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (1 October 1914) and I. Klasse (12 December 1915), the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern and the Austrian Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse, rising to Hauptmann by September 1918. In the interwar years he advanced to Major (1 February 1931), Oberstleutnant (1 August 1933), Oberst (1 June 1935) and Generalmajor (1 March 1939). At the outbreak of the Second World War he commanded the 83. Infanterie-Division, receiving the Spangen to both Iron Crosses in June 1940; on 10 December 1940 he took command of the newly formed 99. leichte Infanterie-Division and was promoted Generalleutnant on 1 January 1941. For the division’s deep penetration of Soviet defences during the assault on Kiev in September 1941—reaching the lakes west of Myschelowka by 17 September and, after his personal reconnaissance in the foremost line, attaining its objective with unexpected speed on 19 September—he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1941. Appointed to lead the LIX. Armee-Korps at the end of December 1941 and promoted General der Infanterie on 1 February 1942, he received the Eichenlaub (357th award) on 19 December 1943 for outstanding defensive leadership around Neschin in September and north of Kiev in November 1943, where he tied down superior Soviet forces, repeatedly mastered local crises through calm determination and personal bravery, then launched a counter-stroke on 24 November that closed a 40-kilometre gap, encircled and destroyed two Soviet divisions at Korosten. He briefly commanded the 1. Armee in France from June to September 1944, retired on 31 January 1945 and has been listed missing in action near Kolberg since 18 April 1945.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99th_Light_Infantry_Division

Unit Change Ritterkreuzträger

 HEER TO LUFTWAFFE

Generalleutnant Wilhelm Schmalz (1901-1983) was born on 1 March 1901 in Reußen, Saxony, and entered military service in 1919, rising through the cavalry ranks of the Reichswehr as Leutnant (1 February 1923), Oberleutnant (1 February 1928), Rittmeister (1 April 1934) and Major (1 April 1939). He commanded the I. Bataillon of Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 11 during the Polish campaign, receiving the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 14 September 1939 and the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 16 October 1939. As Major and Kommandeur of the I. Bataillon, Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 11 he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 28 November 1940 for actions during the pursuit phase of the Battle of France (Fall Rot): without specific orders he and his troops seized the bridge over the Loire at Allier as well as a crossing at Nevers, preventing the French from establishing a new defensive line along the river and enabling uninterrupted German pursuit operations between the Loire and the Swiss border. Promoted Oberstleutnant (1 February 1942) and Oberst (1 October 1942), he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 8 February 1942 as Kommandeur of Kradschützen-Bataillon 59 and later commanded Schützen-Regiment 11 / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 11. Transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1943, he took command of the Brigade z.b.V. within the Panzer-Division “Hermann Göring” and led Kampfgruppe Schmalz on Sicily; for a brilliant series of defensive actions in the Mount Etna area from Catania to Messina despite shortages of troops and supplies he was awarded the Eichenlaub on 23 December 1943 (357th or 358th award). He became Kommandeur of the Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 “Hermann Göring” in April 1944, was promoted Generalmajor on 1 May 1944 and Generalleutnant on 30 January 1945, and served as Kommandierender General of the Fallschirm-Panzerkorps “Hermann Göring” until the end of the war; after American captivity and acquittal of war-crime charges in 1950 he lived until his death on 14 March 1983.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/01/kutu-loncat-wehrmacht-pindah-antar-unit.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=56211

Ritterkreuzträger of Kampfgeschwader 55 (KG 55) "Greif"

Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif" was one of the most distinguished medium bomber wings of the Luftwaffe during World War II, officially created on 1 May 1939 with its Geschwaderstab based in Giessen under the early leadership of Generalmajor Wilhelm Süssmann. Operating the twin-engine Heinkel He 111 throughout almost the entirety of its frontline service, the Geschwader opened its operational career in the invasion of Poland in September 1939 before carrying out reconnaissance and bombing sorties during the French campaign of May 1940. Transferred to bases in northern France, the wing took a prominent role in the Battle of Britain and the subsequent Blitz, sustaining heavy casualties which included the death of Geschwaderkommodore Oberst Alois Stoeckl on 14 August 1940. In June 1941, the Geschwader deployed east for Operation Barbarossa, serving extensively under Luftflotte 4 across Ukraine, the Crimea, and the Don river bend, where it supported frontline army formations during the encirclement battles of Kiev and Kharkov. By late 1942, its Gruppen were heavily committed to the Battle of Stalingrad, enduring grueling night and day supply runs into the pocket at Pitomnik airfield while suffering severe losses from Soviet fighter interception and antiaircraft artillery. Highly decorated airmen such as Major Heinz Höfer, Hauptmann Werner Artur Schmidt, and Oberfeldwebel Walter Pilz distinguished themselves in hundreds of ground-attack and interdiction missions, earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. In 1943, its specialized 14. (Eis)/KG 55 was formed to attack Soviet rail networks and supply locomotives using modified aircraft. Later participating in the strategic air strike on the American airbase at Poltava in June 1944, the battered bomber unit was finally redesignated as Kampfgeschwader (J) 55 in November 1944 to retrain as a fighter unit for Reich defense, flying combat missions until its dissolution at the conclusion of the war.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberst der Reserve Dr.jur. Ernst Kühl (1888-1972) was born on 18 March 1888 in Breslau and studied law before serving as a Leutnant in the Feldartillerie-Regiment 22 during the First World War, where he earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz; after the war he resumed civilian life as a jurist and Landrat before obtaining a pilot’s licence and joining the Luftwaffe as a reservist in 1936. He flew with Kampfgeschwader 55 from the Polish campaign onward, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse in 1939 and the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz I. Klasse in 1940, the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 20 December 1940, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberstleutnant der Reserve and Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 55. Promoted Oberstleutnant der Reserve on 1 February 1942, he became Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 55 on 27 August 1942 and was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 October 1942 for outstanding leadership of his Gruppe and later the entire Geschwader on the Eastern Front together with his personal completion of 230 operational sorties, many of them against targets in the Stalingrad sector. Elevated to Oberst der Reserve, he continued to command Kampfgeschwader 55 “Greif” through supply flights into the Stalingrad pocket, attacks on the tank factory at Gorki and the refineries at Saratov, and direct support of Operation Citadel; on 7 July 1943 his crews flew 178 sorties in close support of the II. SS-Panzer-Korps near Gremutschi and Krassaja, striking targets as near as 200 metres from friendly lines. For these continued successes of the Geschwader until he relinquished command on 8 August 1943, and for reaching a personal total of 314 missions at an advanced age, Kühl received the Eichenlaub on 18 December 1943 (356th award). He later served as Fliegerführer Nord, Kommandeur of the 3. Flieger-Division and of the 5. Flieger-Division, ending the war as Oberst der Reserve; after British captivity until 1947 he lived in Münster until his death on 2 February 1972, having completed approximately 400 operational sorties in all.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader_55

Ritterkreuzträger of 94. Infanterie-Division

The 94. Infanterie-Division was raised in September 1939 as part of the 5. Welle from Wehrkreis IV, drawing recruits primarily from Saxony and Thuringia under the initial leadership of General der Infanterie Hellmuth Volkmann. Subordinated components initially included Infanterie-Regiment 267, Infanterie-Regiment 274, Infanterie-Regiment 276, and Artillerie-Regiment 194. After serving along the western borders and participating in the 1940 Western Campaign, command was assumed by General der Artillerie Georg Pfeiffer in August 1940. In June 1941, the formation embarked on Operation Barbarossa, advancing across southern Ukraine and engaging in bitter combat under 6. Armee during the march toward the Don and Volga rivers. Committed to the brutal urban fighting in Stalingrad within LI. Armeekorps, elements such as Infanterie-Regiment 274 fought intensely around the grain elevator and defensive stronghold Hill 93.2, earning several decorations recorded on tracesofwar.com. Cut off by Operation Uranus in late 1942, Pfeiffer and key cadre personnel were flown out by air, while the surrounded remnants were entirely annihilated inside the Stalingrad pocket by late January 1943. Reconstituted in France during the spring of 1943, the division was reorganized with Grenadier-Regiment 267, Grenadier-Regiment 274, and Grenadier-Regiment 276, before deploying to northern Italy to disarm Italian forces following the Armistice of Cassibile. Under the subsequent command of Generalleutnant Bernhard Steinmetz, it held vital defensive sectors along the Gustav Line, notably confronting Allied assaults near the Garigliano River and Minturno. Retiring northward through central Italy, the formation absorbed surviving troops from depleted units while fighting delaying actions across the Apennine Mountains and the Gothic Line. The division ultimately collapsed during the Allied spring offensive across the Po Valley, bringing its operational history to an end when the remaining personnel surrendered on 22 April 1945.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Major Andreas Thorey (1912-1944) was born on 3 November 1912 in Hitzacker and entered the Reichswehr on 1 April 1932 with Kavallerie-Regiment 3; at the outbreak of war he served as Hauptwachtmeister with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 during the Westfeldzug, earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 21 June 1940, and was promoted to Leutnant on 1 December 1940 before transferring to the Eastern Front in June 1941 where he received the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 18 July 1941 along with the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen. In the summer of 1942, as Oberleutnant and Schwadronsführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 94 of the 4. Gebirgs-Division, he played a major role in the capture of Krasnodar on 10 August 1942, an action for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 April 1943 and simultaneously promoted to Rittmeister; in June 1943 he assumed command of Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 94 and led it in the Kuban bridgehead before distinguishing himself in the defensive fighting west of Melitopol and in the Cherson bridgehead. In October 1943, while tasked with securing the flank of his division against Soviet attacks west of Melitopol, Rittmeister Thorey detected a strong enemy force assembling for an assault, promptly launched a spontaneous flanking counterattack with elements of two of his companies, and personally led from the front to smash the Soviet formation, an achievement that earned him the 349th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 7 December 1943 as Kommandeur of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 94. He continued to command the Abteilung until he was killed in action on 18 April 1944 during the fighting along the Dniester River in the southern sector of the Eastern Front and was posthumously promoted to Major.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/94th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 268. Infanterie-Division

The 268. Infanterie-Division was established on 26 August 1939 in Wehrkreis VII as part of the fourth mobilization wave (4. Welle), composed primarily of personnel from Bavaria with additional contingents from Wehrkreis XVIII. Commanded at inception by Generalleutnant Erich Straube, its original combat organization comprised Infanterie-Regiment 468, Infanterie-Regiment 488, Infanterie-Regiment 499, and Artillerie-Regiment 268, along with Pionier-Bataillon 268, Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 268, and Aufklärungs-Abteilung 268. During the 1939 invasion of Poland, it maintained border security in the Westwall near Zweibrücken and Pirmasens. In the Western Campaign of 1940, the division pierced the Maginot Line in mid-June and established a bridgehead across the Rhine-Marne Canal near Lagarde, remaining as an occupation force around Épinal until redeploying to occupied Poland. In June 1941, under Heeresgruppe Mitte, the division entered Operation Barbarossa, fighting at Białystok, the crossing of the Dnieper near Mogilev, and in the Yelnya and Vyazma encirclement operations during the drive toward Moscow. Generalleutnant Heinrich Greiner assumed command in January 1942 amidst fierce Soviet winter counteroffensives, leading the formation through costly defensive engagements along the Ugra, the Shoshta, and near Yukhnov. Attrition forced the disbandment of Grenadier-Regiment 468 in early 1943. Assigned to XII. Armeekorps during the fighting around Spas-Demensk in August 1943, the division sustained severe casualties stemming from the massive Soviet summer offensive. On 2 November 1943, following crushing losses during retreats toward the Dnieper, the division was formally disbanded; its surviving combatants formed Divisionsgruppe 268 under the 36. Infanterie-Division, while its experienced staff was transferred to form the 362. Infanterie-Division.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberst der Reserve Adolf Weitkunat (1895-1988) was born on 7 February 1895 in Grünfließ, East Prussia, and volunteered for service at the outbreak of the First World War, receiving promotion to Leutnant in Infanterie-Regiment 45 in May 1915 and earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, and the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern before his discharge at war’s end; he then worked as a teacher while remaining a Reichswehr reservist until recalled on 1 August 1938 as Rittmeister der Reserve and assigned as Chef of the 1. Schwadron of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 206, with which he took part in the Polenfeldzug and Westfeldzug, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse on 28 September 1939 and the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse on 11 July 1941. From June 1941 he fought on the Eastern Front, where on 10 October 1941, as Rittmeister der Reserve commanding Aufklärungs-Schwadron 206, he led the rapid seizure of the bridge over the Beresa at Mostowaja; this action prevented retreating Soviet forces from occupying prepared bunker positions along the Volga, spared the XXIII. Armeekorps costly assaults on fortified lines, and enabled the subsequent swift capture of the strongly defended town of Rzhev against numerically superior opposition, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 November 1941. Promoted to Major der Reserve on 1 December 1941 and recovering from a severe wound, he later commanded Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11, led a Kampfgruppe of the 338. Infanterie-Division in the winter of 1942/43, and in the summer of 1943 took command of Kampf-Bataillon 488 of the 269. Infanterie-Division; during the defensive fighting of Heeresgruppe Mitte’s slow retreat that summer his battalion rapidly recaptured a bitterly contested village southwest of Vyazma from Soviet forces and thereafter repeatedly repelled determined attacks by tanks and infantry, achievements that earned him the 346th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 5 December 1943 as Major der Reserve. In 1944 he commanded Kavallerie-Regiment Süd and then Grenadier-Regiment 514, receiving promotion to Oberst der Reserve on 1 August 1944; after the destruction of his regiment in the East he served as Kommandant of the Masurenstellung in East Prussia before entering British captivity at the war’s end, having also been awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber, Nahkampfspange in Bronze, Ostmedaille, and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, and he died on 28 June 1988 in Buchholz in der Nordheide.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/268th_Infantry_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of 206. Infanterie-Division

The 206. Infanterie-Division, widely recognized by its distinctive ace-of-spades emblem and known as the Pique As division, was established on 17 August 1939 in Insterburg within Wehrkreis I as part of the third mobilization wave (3. Welle) of the German Heer. Raised as a non-motorized infantry formation relying on foot marches and horse-drawn transport, the division originally comprised Infanterie-Regiment 301, Infanterie-Regiment 312, and Infanterie-Regiment 413, supported by Artillerie-Regiment 206, Pionier-Bataillon 206, Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 206, Aufklärungs-Abteilung 206, and Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 206. Under its first commander, Generalleutnant Hugo Höfl, the formation served primarily in reserve behind Heeresgruppe Nord during the invasion of Poland in 1939, followed by coastal and border defense duties before transferring to the West during the final stages of the French campaign in 1940. In June 1941, the division participated in Unternehmen Barbarossa under the XXIII. Armeekorps within the 9. Armee, advancing across Lithuania and northwestern Russia toward the Valdai Hills and Rzhev. It was deeply engaged in the desperate defensive battles around the Rzhev salient throughout 1942, weathering ferocious Soviet winter offensives and Operation Mars. Command transferred to Generalleutnant Alfons Hitter in 1942, with a brief period under Generalmajor Carl André in mid-1943. Severe combat attrition on the Eastern Front led to restructuring: Grenadier-Regiment 312 was dissolved in 1943, with its surviving personnel distributed between Grenadier-Regiment 301 and Grenadier-Regiment 413, while Füsilier-Bataillon 206 and Panzerjäger-Abteilung 206 were incorporated. By June 1944, the division held the fortified perimeter south of Vitebsk under LIII. Armeekorps. Trapped during the catastrophic Soviet Operation Bagration, the formation was encircled, virtually destroyed, and officially dissolved in July 1944, with Generalleutnant Alfons Hitter taken into captivity.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Oberst der Reserve Adolf Weitkunat (1895-1988) was born on 7 February 1895 in Grünfließ, East Prussia, and volunteered for service at the outbreak of the First World War, receiving promotion to Leutnant in Infanterie-Regiment 45 in May 1915 and earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, and the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern before his discharge at war’s end; he then worked as a teacher while remaining a Reichswehr reservist until recalled on 1 August 1938 as Rittmeister der Reserve and assigned as Chef of the 1. Schwadron of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 206, with which he took part in the Polenfeldzug and Westfeldzug, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse on 28 September 1939 and the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse on 11 July 1941. From June 1941 he fought on the Eastern Front, where on 10 October 1941, as Rittmeister der Reserve commanding Aufklärungs-Schwadron 206, he led the rapid seizure of the bridge over the Beresa at Mostowaja; this action prevented retreating Soviet forces from occupying prepared bunker positions along the Volga, spared the XXIII. Armeekorps costly assaults on fortified lines, and enabled the subsequent swift capture of the strongly defended town of Rzhev against numerically superior opposition, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 November 1941. Promoted to Major der Reserve on 1 December 1941 and recovering from a severe wound, he later commanded Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11, led a Kampfgruppe of the 338. Infanterie-Division in the winter of 1942/43, and in the summer of 1943 took command of Kampf-Bataillon 488 of the 269. Infanterie-Division; during the defensive fighting of Heeresgruppe Mitte’s slow retreat that summer his battalion rapidly recaptured a bitterly contested village southwest of Vyazma from Soviet forces and thereafter repeatedly repelled determined attacks by tanks and infantry, achievements that earned him the 346th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 5 December 1943 as Major der Reserve. In 1944 he commanded Kavallerie-Regiment Süd and then Grenadier-Regiment 514, receiving promotion to Oberst der Reserve on 1 August 1944; after the destruction of his regiment in the East he served as Kommandant of the Masurenstellung in East Prussia before entering British captivity at the war’s end, having also been awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber, Nahkampfspange in Bronze, Ostmedaille, and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, and he died on 28 June 1988 in Buchholz in der Nordheide.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/206th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 14. Infanterie-Division "Sächsische Division"

The 14. Infanterie-Division was established in October 1934 in Leipzig under the covert cover name Wehrgauleitung Leipzig, drawing its personnel primarily from Saxony as part of the initial expansion of the Reichswehr into the Wehrmacht. Commanded initially by Generalleutnant Peter Weyer, the division participated in the invasion of Poland in September 1939 as part of Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd, advancing through Upper Silesia toward Warsaw with Infanterie-Regiment 11, Infanterie-Regiment 53, and Infanterie-Regiment 116. In late 1940, the division was motorized and redesignated as 14. Infanterie-Division (mot.), transferring Infanterie-Regiment 116 while retaining its remaining motorized elements for the Western campaign and subsequent preparations for Operation Barbarossa. In June 1941, attached to Panzergruppe 3 under Generaloberst Hermann Hoth within Heeresgruppe Mitte, the formation pushed through Minsk, Vitebsk, and Smolensk before participating in the advance toward Moscow during Operation Taifun, where it engaged in bitter winter defensive battles around Rzhev, Vyazma, and the upper Volga sector. Facing severe infantry attrition and shortages of motorized equipment during continuous defensive attrition around the Rzhev salient, the division was reorganized back into a standard infantry formation in mid-1943, redesignating its subordinate components as Grenadier-Regiment 11, Grenadier-Regiment 53, and Grenadier-Regiment 101, alongside Artillerie-Regiment 14 and Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 14 under the leadership of commanders such as Generalleutnant Flörke. The division remained committed to fierce defensive struggles in the central sector near Smolensk and Vitebsk until the massive Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration, struck Heeresgruppe Mitte in June 1944, inflicting devastating encirclements along the Berezina and around Grodno. Rebuilt as a Kampfgruppe and later reconstituted in East Prussia, the surviving remnants of the 14. Infanterie-Division fought in the Heiligenbeil pocket and along the Vistula Spit until final surrender in May 1945.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberst Kurt Walter (1908-1944) was born on 27 February 1908 and entered military service in 1927 as an Unteroffiziersanwärter with Infanterie-Regiment 11, receiving promotion to Leutnant on 1 October 1938 and assuming active duty. At the outbreak of war he held the rank of Oberleutnant and served as Chef of the 13. Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 32, participating in the campaigns in Poland, the West, and later the Soviet Union. He advanced to Hauptmann and then Major, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 26 September 1939, the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 8 July 1941, two Anerkennungsurkunden des Oberbefehlshabers des Heeres on 8 March and 15 July 1942, mention in the Wehrmachtbericht on 22 June 1942, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 17 August 1942 while serving with II./Infanterie-Regiment 32. The action that brought him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes occurred in September 1942 south of Lake Ladoga, when his division launched an attack northward toward Gaitolovo aimed at linking with the 121. Infanterie-Division to sever a Soviet penetration; as Kommandeur of II./Grenadier-Regiment 32, Walter’s Bataillon formed the spearhead of the advance, forced a corridor through determined enemy resistance, and achieved the link-up on 24 September, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 25 September 1942. Promoted thereafter to Oberstleutnant, he assumed command of Grenadier-Regiment 11 in April 1943. During the defensive battles near Smolensk in mid- to late 1943 his regiment played a decisive part in containing successive Soviet assaults and preventing a breakthrough toward Vitebsk, earning him the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (345th award) on 5 December 1943. On 1 January 1944 he was promoted to Oberst. In the summer of 1944, amid the collapsing front, he formed Kampfgruppe Walter from scattered units southeast of Minsk and attempted to break westward through the forests, abandoning vehicles and non-marchable wounded; he was reported missing in action near Grodno on 3 August 1944.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 24. Infanterie-Division

The 24. Infanterie-Division was established on 15 October 1935 in Chemnitz within Wehrkreis IV, drawing primarily Saxon personnel and initially comprising Infanterie-Regiment 31, Infanterie-Regiment 32, Infanterie-Regiment 102, and Artillerie-Regiment 24. At the outbreak of World War II, led by Generalleutnant Friedrich Olbricht, the division took part in the Polish Campaign under the 8. Armee, distinguishing itself during the heavy fighting along the Bzura River. In the Western Campaign of 1940, the unit fought in Luxembourg, crossed the Meuse, pierced the Weygand Line, and advanced toward the Cher under Generalleutnant Hans von Tettau. With the launching of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the division crossed the Soviet border as part of Heeresgruppe Süd, taking part in encirclement operations at Uman and Kiev. Transferred to the 11. Armee under General der Infanterie Erich von Manstein, it played a pivotal combat role in the Crimean campaign, participating in the ferocious assault across Severnaya Bay during the grueling siege of Sevastopol in mid-1942 where it suffered over thirty percent casualties. In August 1942, the formation was dispatched north to join Heeresgruppe Nord, where it halted Soviet counteroffensives near Lake Ladoga during the Siniavino battle before enduring protracted defensive warfare during the siege of Leningrad. In the restructuring of late 1942, Infanterie-Regiment 102 was disbanded, while Infanterie-Regiment 31 and Infanterie-Regiment 32 were redesignated as Grenadier-Regiment 31 and Grenadier-Regiment 32. Commanders such as Generalmajor Kurt Versock, Generalleutnant Hans Freiherr von Falkenstein, and Oberst Harald Schultz guided the division through costly retreats through Pskov and northern Latvia. Cut off in autumn 1944 alongside the 16. Armee and 18. Armee, the unit held out through the ferocious defensive battles of the Kurland Pocket until surrendering to the Red Army on 9 May 1945.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Oberst Kurt Walter (1908-1944) was born on 27 February 1908 and entered military service in 1927 as an Unteroffiziersanwärter with Infanterie-Regiment 11, receiving promotion to Leutnant on 1 October 1938 and assuming active duty. At the outbreak of war he held the rank of Oberleutnant and served as Chef of the 13. Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 32, participating in the campaigns in Poland, the West, and later the Soviet Union. He advanced to Hauptmann and then Major, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 26 September 1939, the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 8 July 1941, two Anerkennungsurkunden des Oberbefehlshabers des Heeres on 8 March and 15 July 1942, mention in the Wehrmachtbericht on 22 June 1942, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 17 August 1942 while serving with II./Infanterie-Regiment 32. The action that brought him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes occurred in September 1942 south of Lake Ladoga, when his division launched an attack northward toward Gaitolovo aimed at linking with the 121. Infanterie-Division to sever a Soviet penetration; as Kommandeur of II./Grenadier-Regiment 32, Walter’s Bataillon formed the spearhead of the advance, forced a corridor through determined enemy resistance, and achieved the link-up on 24 September, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 25 September 1942. Promoted thereafter to Oberstleutnant, he assumed command of Grenadier-Regiment 11 in April 1943. During the defensive battles near Smolensk in mid- to late 1943 his regiment played a decisive part in containing successive Soviet assaults and preventing a breakthrough toward Vitebsk, earning him the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (345th award) on 5 December 1943. On 1 January 1944 he was promoted to Oberst. In the summer of 1944, amid the collapsing front, he formed Kampfgruppe Walter from scattered units southeast of Minsk and attempted to break westward through the forests, abandoning vehicles and non-marchable wounded; he was reported missing in action near Grodno on 3 August 1944.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 25. Infanterie-Division / 25. Panzergrenadier-Division

Formed in October 1936 in Ludwigsburg within Wehrkreis V, the 25. Infanterie-Division originated as a standard infantry formation before evolving into one of the Wehrmacht’s most heavily engaged motorized units. During the 1939 invasion of Poland, it served under Generalleutnant Christian Hansen in reserve and border securing roles before actively proving its combat worth in the 1940 French campaign, advancing through the Ardennes, crossing the Aisne, and driving toward the Loire under Generalleutnant Erich-Heinrich Clößner. In late 1940, the division was motorized as 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.), restructuring its core around Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 35, Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 119, and Artillerie-Regiment 25. Committed to Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 under Heeresgruppe Süd, the motorized division fought across Ukraine, driving past Kiev toward the Sea of Azov before transferring to Heeresgruppe Mitte for the push toward Moscow. It spent 1942 in grinding defensive battles near Orel and Bolkhov, during which General der Infanterie Anton Graßer took command. Redesignated as 25. Panzergrenadier-Division in June 1943, the division received Panzer-Abteilung 8 alongside modernized elements like Panzerjäger-Abteilung 125. The division fought around Smolensk and Vitebsk until the catastrophic Soviet summer offensive of 1944, Operation Bagration, where the formation was encircled east of Minsk and virtually annihilated while led by Generalleutnant Paul Schürmann. The remnants were reorganized in Autumn 1944 via Panzer-Brigade 107 in Mielau. Re-formed as a full division, it engaged American forces in the Saar-Palatinate and Alsace during Operation Nordwind. In January 1945, under Generalleutnant Arnold Burmeister, it returned to the Eastern Front, defending along the Oder, counterattacking near Küstrin, and resisting north of Berlin before surrendering to Western Allied forces along the Elbe.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


General der Infanterie Anton Grasser (1891-1976) was a German officer who rose to the rank of General in the Wehrmacht, beginning his military service on 1 October 1913 as an Einjährig-Freiwilliger in the 1. Unter-Elsässisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 132, fighting on the Western Front in the First World War where he was promoted to Leutnant, wounded, and awarded the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 18 June 1915 and I. Klasse on 6 June 1916 along with the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber; after the war he served in the Baden police rising to Polizeimajor before transferring to the Wehrmacht in 1936, becoming Oberstleutnant on 1 March 1938 and commander of I. Bataillon then of Infanterie-Regiment 119 of the 25. Infanterie-Division on 6 February 1940. During the Battle of France he distinguished himself in the fighting around Laon on 19-20 May 1940 by breaking a tank-supported enemy defense through a skillfully launched attack with minimal losses that contributed to German tactical success, then on 5 June 1940 led his regiment in securing a penetration of the grimly defended Weygand Line along the Aisne-Oise canal by an irresistible assault that captured the Malmaison farm on the Chemin des Dames, and on 9-10 June 1940 as commander of a strong Vorausabteilung on the left wing of an Armeekorps he ruthlessly pursued the enemy to and across the Marne, his bold leadership motivating infantry and artillery so that the unit greatly influenced the overall situation, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 June 1940 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 119; promoted to Oberst on 1 March 1941 he led the regiment into the Eastern campaign, took command of the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.) on 25 January 1942 becoming Generalmajor on 1 April 1942 and Generalleutnant on 1 January 1943, the division being redesignated 25. Panzergrenadier-Division, and was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 11 March 1943, the Ostmedaille, Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber and Spangen to his Iron Crosses. For the defensive achievements of his 25. Panzergrenadier-Division in late summer 1943, which fended off all hostile attacks along the Zarewitsch line northeast of Smolensk and later during the retreat toward the Panther Line, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz (344th award) on 5 December 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 25. Panzergrenadier-Division; thereafter he briefly led the LVI. Panzerkorps, was promoted to General der Infanterie on 1 May 1944, commanded the XXVI. Armeekorps, the Armeeabteilung Narwa (later Armeeabteilung Grasser) during the Battle of Narva, and finally the LXXII. Armeekorps before entering captivity in May 1945, being released in 1947, later serving as first Inspekteur of the Bundesgrenzschutz from 1951 until retirement in 1953, his last rank remaining General der Infanterie.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25th_Panzergrenadier_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of 296. Infanterie-Division

The 296. Infanterie-Division was established on 6 February 1940 in Wehrkreis XIII as a formation of the 8. Welle, organizing Infanterie-Regiment 519, Infanterie-Regiment 520, Infanterie-Regiment 521, and Artillerie-Regiment 296 alongside supporting divisional troops. Assigned to coastal security duties in northern France after the Western campaign, it was redeployed eastward in the spring of 1941 to participate in Operation Barbarossa. Subordinated to IV. Armeekorps under 17. Armee within Heeresgruppe Süd, the division spearheaded advances across Ukraine, engaging Red Army forces at the frontier, breaking through the Stalin Line, and actively participating in the encirclement during the Battle of Kiev. Commanded during this phase by Generalmajor Wilhelm Stemmermann, its soldiers saw brutal combat around Poltava before the division transferred to Heeresgruppe Mitte in early 1942. There, under the leadership of Generalleutnant Friedrich Krischer, Generalleutnant Karl Faulenbach, and later Generalleutnant Arthur Kullmer, the 296. Infanterie-Division defended the heavily fortified Oryol and Bryansk sectors, repelling successive Soviet counteroffensives. Its infantry regiments were subsequently reorganized into Grenadier-Regiment 519 and Grenadier-Regiment 520, while seasoned personnel distinguished themselves, earning numerous awards of the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold and the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. By late 1943, following prolonged defensive struggles during the Battle of Kursk, the division conducted fighting withdrawals across Gomel toward Belarus. In June 1944, attached to XXXV. Armeekorps of 9. Armee, the division was completely engulfed in the Babruysk pocket during the devastating Soviet Operation Bagration. Encircled along the Berezina River, the exhausted formation collapsed under overwhelming assaults, resulting in heavy casualties and the mass capture of its remaining troops. The 296. Infanterie-Division was officially declared destroyed and formally dissolved on 3 August 1944.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberst Alfred Druffner (1904-1943) was born on 28 May 1904 in Denkendorf and entered the Infanterie-Regiment 13 in 1922, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1927, to Oberleutnant five years later, and to Hauptmann on 11 November 1935 as Führer of the 14. (Panzerabwehr-)Kompanie in the Infanterie-Regiment 109; after the Westfeldzug he became Kommandeur of the II. Bataillon of the Infanterie-Regiment 519, earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 20 December 1940 and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 6 August 1941 early in the Ostfeldzug, followed by the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 27 October 1941 as Major in the II./Infanterie-Regiment 519, the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, and the Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42” on 21 July 1942, before assuming command of the Grenadier-Regiment 519 of the 296. Infanterie-Division in 1942 and advancing to Oberstleutnant; in early 1943, while his regiment was locked in heavy defensive combat north of Orel, Druffner launched a successful counterattack against a bitterly defending Soviet force that outnumbered him three to one, recapturing a commanding hill and then continuing the assault beyond the ordered objective to eliminate a potential threat to the flank, an action for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 April 1943 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 519; promoted to Oberst, he again distinguished himself in the Orel sector during the summer of 1943 when, after enemy forces penetrated the lines to the right of his regiment and threatened the flank and rear of a neighbouring Bataillon, he took his reserve Kompanie and eliminated the threat, and later personally led a handful of Grenadiers into an enemy-occupied village, threw the surprised Soviets out, and pursued them onto the hills on either side, thereby creating a breach in the Soviet defensive network through which a friendly counterthrust achieved complete success, deeds that earned him the posthumous award of the 343rd Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 30 November 1943 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 519 after he was heavily wounded two days later in a Russian attack and died of his injuries on 29 September 1943 in a Lazarett near Orel, his final rank being Oberst.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/296th_Infantry_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of 337. Infanterie-Division / 337. Volksgrenadier-Division

The 337. Infanterie-Division was established on 16 November 1940 in Kempten within Wehrkreis VII as a static formation of the fourteenth Aufstellungswelle, organized primarily around Infanterie-Regiment 688, Infanterie-Regiment 689, Infanterie-Regiment 690, and Artillerie-Regiment 337. Commanded initially by Generalleutnant Karl Spang and subsequently by Generalleutnant Kurt Pflieger, the division served as an occupation force in western France and Brittany until mid-1942. Under the leadership of Generalleutnant Erich Marcks, it transferred to the Eastern Front, where it was integrated into Heeresgruppe Mitte and placed under 9. Armee to endure intense defensive engagements in the Rzhev salient. During the winter fighting and the subsequent withdrawal known as Unternehmen Büffelbewegung in early 1943, the formation fell back toward Dorogobuzh and fortified new lines along the Panther-Stellung. In this critical period, Oberst Otto Schünemann took over command, eventually being promoted to Generalleutnant and awarded the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for steadfast leadership during defensive operations south of the Dnieper. During late 1943, the worn division absorbed remnants of 113. Infanterie-Division as Divisions-Gruppe 113 while reorganizing its core around Grenadier-Regiment 313, Grenadier-Regiment 688, Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 337, and Panzerjäger-Abteilung 337. Command passed to Generalleutnant Walter Scheller in December 1943. Operating with 4. Armee near Orsha and Mogilev, the formation faced total annihilation in the Soviet summer offensive Operation Bagration in June and July 1944. Following catastrophic encircled fighting near the Berezina River, its remnants formed Divisions-Gruppe 337, ultimately serving as the nucleus for 337. Volksgrenadier-Division.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Generalleutnant Otto Schünemann (1891-1944) was born on 6 October 1891 in Doberan and entered military service in 1906 as a volunteer at the Unteroffiziervorschule Jülich, later serving with the 3. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß. He rose through the ranks during the First World War to Offiziersstellvertreter and after 1918 transferred to the police service, returning to the Wehrmacht in 1936 as Major. Promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1938 and to Oberst on 1 December 1940, he took command of Infanterie-Regiment 184 of the 86. Infanterie-Division at the outbreak of war. During the campaign in the East his outstanding leadership proved decisive when, on 15 July 1941, his regiment seized the city of Polozk by a bold strike from the north; this success opened the road for the LVII. Armee-Korps (mot.) to advance toward Newel and Velikiye Luki. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 20 December 1941 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 184. He also received the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres on 28 August 1941 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 11 February 1943. On 1 October 1942 he assumed command of the 337. Infanterie-Division, being promoted to Generalmajor on 1 November 1942 and to Generalleutnant on 1 May 1943. Under his leadership the division conducted prolonged defensive battles south of the Dnieper beginning in April 1943 on both sides of Wassiljewo, then west of Krassnyj southwest of Smolensk from mid-August, and finally south of Ljady in October. For this excellent divisional command he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 28 November 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 337. Infanterie-Division. In late June 1944, during Operation Bagration, he was temporarily entrusted with the leadership of the XXXIX. Panzerkorps after the death of General der Artillerie Robert Martinek. On 29 June 1944 Schünemann was killed in action near Pagost east of the Beresina while leading his corps. He was named in the Wehrmachtbericht of 3 July 1944.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/337th_Infantry_Division

Ritterkreuzträger of 86. Infanterie-Division

The 86. Infanterie-Division was established on 26 August 1939 as part of the second mobilization wave (2. Welle) in Wehrkreis VI, drawing personnel primarily from Westphalia and the Lower Rhine. Structurally centered on Infanterie-Regiment 167, Infanterie-Regiment 184, Infanterie-Regiment 216, Artillerie-Regiment 186, and Divisionseinheiten 186, the formation initially manned border defenses along the Westwall before taking part in the 1940 Western Campaign across Luxembourg, Belgium, and northern France. Following occupation duties along the French Atlantic coast, the formation transferred east for Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 under Heeresgruppe Mitte, advancing through Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Smolensk. Led initially by Generalleutnant Joachim Witthöft, the division pushed toward the outskirts of Moscow during Operation Typhoon, fighting fierce autumn actions around the Volga reservoir before holding off violent Soviet winter counteroffensives. On 1 January 1942, Generalmajor Helmuth Weidling assumed command, leading the division through intense, grueling attrition in the Rzhev salient throughout 1942 and early 1943, where soldiers earned numerous Knight’s Cross decorations documented on tracesofwar.com. In July 1943, the division participated in Operation Zitadelle as part of the northern pincer of 9. Armee near Ponyri and Olkhovatka, suffering crippling losses against dense Soviet fortifications. Subsequent retreats across the Dnieper and brutal defensive actions around Gomel shattered its remnants. Consequently, on 3 November 1943, the High Command formally disbanded the battered division, reallocating its surviving combat elements into Divisionsgruppe 86 under Korps-Abteilung E, while divisional staff and support troops were redeployed to form 361. Infanterie-Division. Through years of bitter conflict, the 86. Infanterie-Division exemplified the trajectory of German infantry units, evolving from early successes to catastrophic destruction on the Eastern Front.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Generalleutnant Otto Schünemann (1891-1944) was born on 6 October 1891 in Doberan and entered military service in 1906 as a volunteer at the Unteroffiziervorschule Jülich, later serving with the 3. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß. He rose through the ranks during the First World War to Offiziersstellvertreter and after 1918 transferred to the police service, returning to the Wehrmacht in 1936 as Major. Promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1938 and to Oberst on 1 December 1940, he took command of Infanterie-Regiment 184 of the 86. Infanterie-Division at the outbreak of war. During the campaign in the East his outstanding leadership proved decisive when, on 15 July 1941, his regiment seized the city of Polozk by a bold strike from the north; this success opened the road for the LVII. Armee-Korps (mot.) to advance toward Newel and Velikiye Luki. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 20 December 1941 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 184. He also received the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres on 28 August 1941 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 11 February 1943. On 1 October 1942 he assumed command of the 337. Infanterie-Division, being promoted to Generalmajor on 1 November 1942 and to Generalleutnant on 1 May 1943. Under his leadership the division conducted prolonged defensive battles south of the Dnieper beginning in April 1943 on both sides of Wassiljewo, then west of Krassnyj southwest of Smolensk from mid-August, and finally south of Ljady in October. For this excellent divisional command he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 28 November 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 337. Infanterie-Division. In late June 1944, during Operation Bagration, he was temporarily entrusted with the leadership of the XXXIX. Panzerkorps after the death of General der Artillerie Robert Martinek. On 29 June 1944 Schünemann was killed in action near Pagost east of the Beresina while leading his corps. He was named in the Wehrmachtbericht of 3 July 1944.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of 87. Infanterie-Division

The 87. Infanterie-Division was established on 26 August 1939 in Altenburg within Wehrkreis IV as part of the second mobilization wave, initially led by Generalleutnant Bogislav von Studnitz. Comprising Infanterie-Regiment 185, 187, and 188 alongside Artillerie-Regiment 187, the formation served border security duties before actively engaging in the Western Campaign in May 1940. Assigned to the invasion of Belgium and northern France, the formation earned historical distinction on 14 June 1940 when its vanguard became the first German division to enter Paris after it was declared an open city. Following occupation duties along the coast, the division was transferred to the east to participate in Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 under Heeresgruppe Mitte. Advancing through Belorussia, the division fought intensely in the battles of Bialystok-Minsk, Smolensk, and the Vyazma pocket, pushing directly toward Moscow where it suffered grueling casualties in the harsh winter counteroffensives. Throughout 1942 and 1943, under leadership that included General der Artillerie Walther Lucht, Generalleutnant Werner Richter, and General der Artillerie Walter Hartmann, the division was heavily committed to attritional defensive battles around Rzhev, Vyazma, and Nevel, with its regiments reorganized as Grenadier-Regimenter. As documented by historical archives and award records on TracesOfWar, its soldiers earned numerous decorations such as the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes during fierce local counterattacks. By late 1943 and 1944, under Generalleutnant Mauritz Freiherr von Strachwitz and later Generalmajor Helmuth Walter, the exhausted division retreated northward into the Baltic states under Heeresgruppe Nord, fighting in Vitebsk and Latvia. Cut off by massive Soviet offensives in the autumn of 1944, the division became trapped inside the Courland Pocket, where it endured multiple defensive battles until its final surrender to the Red Army in May 1945.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


General der Artillerie Walter Hartmann (1891-1977) was born on 23 July 1891 in Mülheim an der Ruhr and entered the Saxon Army on 1 October 1910 as Fahnenjunker in the 1. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 12. Promoted to Leutnant in 1912 and Oberleutnant in 1916, he served on the Eastern Front in the First World War, earning both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz and other decorations before being taken into the Reichswehr as Hauptmann in 1921. Rising through the ranks as Major in 1932, Oberstleutnant in 1936 and Oberst in 1938, he commanded Artillerie-Regiment 24 in the Polish and Western campaigns. Appointed Artilleriekommandeur 140 in November 1940, he took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. On 15 July 1941, while directing artillery fire from the foremost line under intense enemy fire to support the breakthrough of the 100. (leichte) Infanterie-Division through the Stalin Line at Koserowka, he was severely wounded and lost his left arm and left leg. For this decisive action he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 August 1941 as Oberst and Artilleriekommandeur 140, followed by promotion to Generalmajor on 1 October 1941. After a long recovery he returned to duty at his own request, commanding Division z.b.V. 407 and later the 390. Feldausbildungs-Division, and was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 February 1943. From April 1943 he led the 87. Infanterie-Division in the Welish sector. Despite his double amputation he personally directed counterattacks to seal Soviet penetrations in September 1943, for which he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 30 November 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 87. Infanterie-Division. Promoted to General der Artillerie on 1 May 1944, he commanded the XXXXIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps in Crimea before taking over the VIII. Armeekorps on 1 September 1944. For his energetic leadership in holding the Oder front from Cosel to Oppeln against strong Soviet assaults in January and February 1945 through repeated local counterthrusts, he received the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub on 18 March 1945 as General der Artillerie and Kommandierender General of the VIII. Armeekorps. He briefly commanded the XXIV. Panzerkorps in April 1945, entered American captivity at the end of the war and was released in 1947. Hartmann died in Hameln on 11 March 1977.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/87th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ritterkreuzträger of Arko (Artillerie-Kommandeur)

During the Second World War, the German Heer utilized a specialized tactical headquarters designation known as Artillerie-Kommandeur, commonly abbreviated as Arko, to oversee, coordinate, and concentrate artillery assets at the corps level. Established primarily as independent command staffs belonging to the general headquarters reserve pool known as Heerestruppen, an Arko headquarters was not permanently bound to a rigid organizational order of battle with fixed subordinate fighting regiments; instead, it acted as a modular and highly adaptable command echelon assigned to an Armeekorps, Gebirgskorps, or Panzerkorps. Commanded typically by an experienced artillery officer holding the rank of Oberst or Generalmajor, and occasionally General der Artillerie, the Arko functioned as the senior tactical advisor on gunnery matters to the Kommandierender General of the corps. The primary responsibility of an Arko was orchestrating devastating massed fire support across diverse sectors of engagement, synchronizing divisional formations like the Artillerie-Regiment with independent motorized, heavy, and observation battalions such as heavy Artillerie-Abteilungen, Nebelwerfer rocket units, and Beobachtungs-Abteilungen. Beyond battlefield fire concentration, the Arko controlled the corps artillery communications network, managed ballistic plotting boards, directed counter-battery tasks against enemy positions, coordinated reconnaissance with Luftwaffe aviation assets, and regulated crucial ammunition supply pipelines. Across the Blitzkrieg campaigns and intense defensive struggles on the Eastern Front, Normandy, and Italy, officers serving in Arko postings directed complex barrage systems that shaped mechanized mobile tactics, earning prestigious decorations like the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold and the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for tactical excellence in heavy combat before German administrative reorganizations later phased many of these headquarters into higher Artillerie-Divisions.

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ARTILLERIE-KOMMANDEUR 140 (ARKO 140)


General der Artillerie Walter Hartmann (1891-1977) was born on 23 July 1891 in Mülheim an der Ruhr and entered the Saxon Army on 1 October 1910 as Fahnenjunker in the 1. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 12. Promoted to Leutnant in 1912 and Oberleutnant in 1916, he served on the Eastern Front in the First World War, earning both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz and other decorations before being taken into the Reichswehr as Hauptmann in 1921. Rising through the ranks as Major in 1932, Oberstleutnant in 1936 and Oberst in 1938, he commanded Artillerie-Regiment 24 in the Polish and Western campaigns. Appointed Artilleriekommandeur 140 in November 1940, he took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. On 15 July 1941, while directing artillery fire from the foremost line under intense enemy fire to support the breakthrough of the 100. (leichte) Infanterie-Division through the Stalin Line at Koserowka, he was severely wounded and lost his left arm and left leg. For this decisive action he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 August 1941 as Oberst and Artilleriekommandeur 140, followed by promotion to Generalmajor on 1 October 1941. After a long recovery he returned to duty at his own request, commanding Division z.b.V. 407 and later the 390. Feldausbildungs-Division, and was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 February 1943. From April 1943 he led the 87. Infanterie-Division in the Welish sector. Despite his double amputation he personally directed counterattacks to seal Soviet penetrations in September 1943, for which he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 30 November 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 87. Infanterie-Division. Promoted to General der Artillerie on 1 May 1944, he commanded the XXXXIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps in Crimea before taking over the VIII. Armeekorps on 1 September 1944. For his energetic leadership in holding the Oder front from Cosel to Oppeln against strong Soviet assaults in January and February 1945 through repeated local counterthrusts, he received the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub on 18 March 1945 as General der Artillerie and Kommandierender General of the VIII. Armeekorps. He briefly commanded the XXIV. Panzerkorps in April 1945, entered American captivity at the end of the war and was released in 1947. Hartmann died in Hameln on 11 March 1977.

Source :
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artilleriekommandeur

Ritterkreuzträger of 260. Infanterie-Division

Formed in Karlsruhe within Wehrkreis V on August 26, 1939, during the fourth Aufstellungswelle mobilization wave, the 260. Infanterie-Division originally comprised Infanterie-Regiment 460, Infanterie-Regiment 470, Infanterie-Regiment 480, and Artillerie-Regiment 260. Initially deployed to the Upper Rhine under the leadership of Generalleutnant Hans Schmidt, the formation spent the 1940 Western campaign primarily held in reserve before serving on occupation duty across northern France. In July 1941, the division transferred east to join Heeresgruppe Mitte for Operation Barbarossa, distinguishing itself during heavy engagements across Bobruisk and the bridgehead over the Desna at Kisselewka before joining the offensive push toward Moscow. During the bitter winter crisis along the Protva and Kremenki positions, severe attritional combat battered the division, leading Generalleutnant Walther Hahm to assume command in January 1942 as its infantry battalions were progressively reorganized and reduced. Renamed Grenadier-Regiment units in late 1942, its combat elements later endured fierce defensive attritional battles around Spas-Demensk, Roslavl, and the Dnieper through 1943, where soldiers like Hauptmann Felix Ostermann mounted daring counterattacks against superior Soviet armor. By early 1944, the division stood deployed along the Pronya sector in eastern Belarus attached to the XXXXVII. Panzerkorps and later the XII. Armeekorps under the 4. Armee. When the massive Red Army Operation Bagration struck on June 22, 1944, the division fell back toward the Berezina under suffocating encirclement pressure. Commanded by Generalmajor Günther Klammt, remnants made a final desperate breakout effort alongside Grenadier-Regiment 470 rearguards east of Minsk, where the division was shattered, its commander captured, and the formation officially dissolved.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


General der Infanterie z.V. Hans Schmidt (1877-1948) was born on 28 April 1877 in Ulm and died on 5 June 1948 in Stuttgart. He entered the Württembergische Armee on 11 July 1895 as Fahnenjunker in the Infanterie-Regiment „Alt-Württemberg“ (3. Württembergisches) Nr. 121, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1896. During the First World War he served as Bataillonskommandeur and later as Major on the staff of the 9. Infanteriedivision, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. and I. Klasse, the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern, the Bayerischer Militärverdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern und mit Krone, the Ritterkreuz I. Klasse des Friedrichs-Orden mit Schwertern, the Württembergisches Dienstehrenzeichen I. Klasse, the Hanseatenkreuz Hamburg and the Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration. Retained in the Reichswehr, he advanced to Oberstleutnant in 1922, Oberst in 1926 and Generalmajor in October 1929 before retiring in 1931 with the Charakter as Generalleutnant. Reactivated in 1939, he became the first Kommandeur of the 260. Infanterie-Division, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse on 31 December 1939 and I. Klasse on 4 July 1940; he was promoted Generalleutnant zur Verwendung on 1 September 1940. In the opening phase of the campaign in the East the division under his command became the first large formation to reach the Desna on 1 September 1941; despite threatened flanks Schmidt ordered Infanterie-Regiment 470 to force a night crossing and establish a bridgehead at Kisselewka near Chernigov, expanding it the following day by the capture of Wibli and thereby establishing the link with Heeresgruppe Süd, an achievement for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 22 September 1941 as Generalleutnant zur Verwendung and Kommandeur of the 260. Infanterie-Division. He relinquished the division at the turn of 1941/42 and on 1 January 1942 assumed command as Kommandierender General of the IX. Armeekorps, being promoted General der Infanterie in February 1942. For continued distinguished leadership he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 6 November 1942. During the hard defensive fighting of the summer of 1943 around Spas-Demensk and Newel the IX. Armeekorps under his direction held its positions against repeated Soviet assaults; this successful defensive performance earned him the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (334th award) on 24 November 1943 as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the IX. Armeekorps. Placed in the Führerreserve in October 1943 and formally retired, he was later recalled and ended the war as Oberbefehlshaber of the 24. Armee.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/260th_Infantry_Division