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 The French government and military authorities had withdrawn southward in the preceding days, leaving the streets largely empty of regular troops.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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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

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

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

Ritterkreuzträger of schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656

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

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


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

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

Ritterkreuzträger of 20. Panzer-Division

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

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


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

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

Ritterkreuzträger of Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL)

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

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INSPEKTEUR DER DEUTSCHEN LUFTVERTEIDIGUNG


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

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

Ritterkreuzträger of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300)

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

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


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

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

Ritterkreuzträger of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) "Eismeer"

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

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


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



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

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

The Meeting Between Hitler and Manstein at Zaporozhye (1943)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

Original Color Photograph of Erich Buschenhagen by Walter Frentz

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

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

Original Color Photographs of Wilhelm Burgdorf by Walter Frentz

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

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