Source :
https://www.andreas-thies.de/katalog/A81.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2318518#p2318518
https://gielsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64&product_id=10479
Major Erich Löwe sits atop his Panzer III command tank. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September 1940 as Hauptmann and Chef 3.Kompanie / Panzer-Abteilung 65 / 6.Panzer-Division. Löwe was killed on 23 December 1943 in Losovka, Russia. He was posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant and awarded the Eichenlaub for his Ritterkreuz on 8 February 1944.Source :
Denis Daum photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152986901863424/permalink/1031558694006236/
Oberstleutnant Heinz Bär is considered by many to be the Luftwaffe's greatest ace of World War II. Bär was a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe at the start of the war and flew over 1,000 missions between September 1, 1939 and May 8, 1945. He flew on all fronts and against every type of allied aircraft and by war's end had amassed at least 220 victories. He was second only to Hans-Joachim Marseille in shooting down Brits and Yanks with 124 victories in the west. Bär also shot down 21 four engine bombers and in 1945 scored 16 victories while flying the Me 262 Jet fighter making him the top scoring day pilot in that type. During the course of the war he was shot down 18 times with 14 forced landings and four parachute jumps.
Heinz was born on May 25, 1913 in Sommerfeld near Leipzig. His father was a farmer and Heinz grew up with a love of the outdoors. In the 1920's he became interested in flight and learned to fly gliders graduating to powered aircraft which he first flew in 1930. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 in order to build hours and then become an airline pilot. At the start of WWII Bär was a Unteroffizer flying Me 109's with 1./JG 51. He scored his first victory of a French P-36 on September 25, 1939. He participated in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. On September 2, 1940 he was nursing his damaged Me 109 back to France when a Spitfire finished him off. He bailed out into the English Channel and after swimming for two hours reached a buoy which he clung to until picked up by a German patrol boat later that evening.
With the invasion of Russia in 1941 Heinz deployed to that arena with JG 51 and in two months time his score stood at 60. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in July and the Oak Leaves in August. On June 30th he shot down five Russians and on August 30th he shot down six. The next day he was shot down behind enemy lines and was forced to bail out in high winds. He was punished on landed and then was dragged on the ground for a football field or two before he managed to collapse his parachute. Though he had fractured his spine he evaded capture for two days before making back to German lines. His injuries were so severe that he required an extended stay in hospital. After recovering, he returned to JG 51 and by February 1942 he had 90 victories and had been awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross.
With the war heating up in the Mediterranean Bär was transferred to Sicily and given command of JG 77 where he racked up 45 more victories before being assigned back to Germany to help battle the American heavy bomber threat. January 1944 found him in command of II./ JG 1 and on April 22nd he knocked down a B-24 Liberator to claim his 200th victory. By the time the Allies invaded Normandy in June of 1944 Bär was in command of JG 3 "Udet". He led that unit for the rest of the year. On December 24, 1944 led JG 3 in an attack on American B-17 Flying Fortresses. Four of the heavy bombers were shot down. Among the American fliers killed in the battle was General Fredrick Castle who remained at the controls so that his crew could bail. Operation Bodenplatte, the German attack on Allied airfields on the continent was a fiasco for most Luftwaffe units. JG 3 however, under the leadership of Bär was an exception. Their target was Eindhoven and the RAF and RCAF Spitfire and Typhoon squadrons based there. They wiped out a complete squadron of Typhoons and a large number of Spitfires with Bär notching up victories 203 and 204.
Next Heinz was given command of III./ EG 2 in Lechfeld. III./ EG 2 was an operational training unit for the new Me 262 jet fighter. Now he was flying the fastest and best fighter of the war in a target rich environment. Between January and the end of the war in May he scored 16 victories. On April 27th he was given command of the famed "Squadron of Experts" JV 44. The very next day he scored his last victory of WWII when he dispatched an American P-47 Thunderbolt. "Springtime for Hitler and Germany" depicts Heinz flying his personal Me 262 which he flew with III./ EG 2.
With the fall of Germany Heinz Bär was whisked away by the Americans so that he might impart his knowledge of the Me 262 to them. Returning to Germany, he found it difficult to find employment but in 1950 secured a job in aviation. He was killed in the crash of a light plane on April 28, 1957.
Source :
Ingo Möbius photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1128875600892291&set=pb.100013095840106.-2207520000..&type=3
https://www.starduststudios.com/heinz-baumlr.html
Source :
https://waralbum.ru/337613/
https://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2016/05/hitler-watching-parade-of-hetzer.html
Source :
Denis Daum photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152986901863424/permalink/1031494657345973
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29953/Griese-Bernhard.htm
Luftwaffe ace Klaus MietuschOn 17 September 1944. Lt. William Beyer (9 victories) of the 361st fighter group USAAF shot down and killed 75 victory German Experten Major Klaus Mietusch for his first official victory after a very well orchestrated duel. Beyer's description of his duel with Mietusch is spectacular, and while he ultimately vanquished his enemy, Beyer paid a respectful tribute to the German in the final lines of his after-action report.
Following the III./JG 26 bounce on the 361 FG this day, the leader of the P-51 flight, Lt. William Beyer picked out one Messerschmitt in the center of the attacking enemy formation, while the rest of the German fighters zoomed back up into the clouds, the diving Bf 109 flown by Major Klaus Mietusch was chased by Beyer. According to Beyers combat combat report, the German pilot in front of him tried everything in the book to get him off his back, finally by lowering his speed he tried to get Beyer to overshoot him, but Beyer lowered his flaps and even his landing gear to have a chance to stay with Mietusch twisting and turning Messerschmitt (a really dangerous maneuver at low level flight, especially since the Bf 109 had much better low speed characteristics than a P-51). And when Mietusch applied full throttle for a zoom-climb, Beyer was able follow him and hit the Bf 109 with one long burst.
Beyer's description of his duel with Mietusch is spectacular, and while he ultimately vanquished his enemy, Beyer paid a respectful tribute to the German in the final lines of his after-action report: "Knowing the caliber of this German pilot, I am sure that if I had taken the time to get off some shots when he was slowing down he could have possibly shot me down or made a getaway".
After registering his 73rd and 74th victories on August 26th, Major Mietusch was again engaged in combat with USAAF P-51 fighters from the 361st Fighter Group near Geldern on 17 September 1944.
After gaining his 75th and final victory over a P-51 Mustang, "Mary Jane", of the 376th FS. flown by Lt. Woodrow W Glover (KIA), Mietusch was shot down and fatally wounded flying "Black 25" in the vicinity of Rath-Aldekerk by another American pilot, Lieutenant William Beyer (9 victories) of the 376th Fighter Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group, USAAF.
75th claim
17.9.44/1455
P-51B-10-NA Mustang
N of Moenchen-Gladbach/Geldern (PQ 05 Ost S/LN-1/LN-7/KN) @ 3500m
No.4 plane in cover flight of 361st FG. Their losses included: P-51B10-NA 42-106944/E9-A "Mary Jane" of 376th FS. Lt. Woodrow W Glover KIA (some sources believe this was Glover)
Mietusch was posthumously awarded the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Eichenlaub) (Nr 653) on the 18th November 1944.
Burial detail: Kriegsgräberstätte Düsseldorf - Nordfriedhof. Feld 112 Row O. Grave 117
In recent years, Beyer´s claim this day has been questioned, as new research points out the fact that Mietusch probably was killed during a belly landing or emergency landing after his machine had sustained battle damage during his earlier engagement, and that this well publicized engagement in fact was more like "shooting rats in a barrel", in other words a air-to-ground rather than an air-to-air victory.
Anyway, this was Lieutenant William R. Beyer first claim of the war, five more would follow just ten days later, making him an USAAF fighter-ace.
Trained as gunner, Beyer joined glider pilot program, and then assigned to Air Cadet training. Assigned to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 376FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Detached Service with 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron. Re-assigned to 376FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 9 kills, in 87 missions. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD).
2 x ME-109's, 7 x FW-190's. On 29-Sep-44, became the 8AF 4th ace in a day, when he shot down 5 x Fw-190's on mission to Kessel Germany.
Awards: DFC, SS, AM (12 OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 Bronze star), American Campaign, GC.
Post war: Worked as an instrument mechanic at Merck & Company for 33 years.
Klaus Mietusch, an pilot ace that suffered from shaky self-confidence during his whole career as a fighter pilot told a reporter: "I was a decidedly unskilled, poor fighter pilot, since I could not shoot. Everything happened too fast".
The remedy for his poor shooting was: "Bore in, until the enemy is as large as a barn door in your sights". Although he was shot down ten times, and wounded at least four times, Mietusch never turned down an a mission, and had logged 452 combat sorties at the time of his death.
Major Klaus Mietusch, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26, in 452 combat missions, had gained 75 victories. He claimed 60 of those victories over the Western Front including 13 four-engine bombers.
He was wounded several times and was shot down ten times.
Updated Claims verification of 61 victory claims shows that out of those 61 confirmed victories, 54 of them are actual verifiable losses per Allied loss reports; Mietusch only had 7 unverified claims...
His accuracy is an impressive 88.5%!
Awards:
⚜Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (26 April 1941)
⚜Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
⚜Iron Cross (1939)
2nd Class
1st Class
⚜Wound Badge (1939)
in Black
in Silver
⚜German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"
⚜Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
⚜Knight's Cross on 26 March 1944 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"
⚜653rd recipient of the Oak Leaves on 18 November 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"
William Beyer holding his youth picture during World War IISource :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1472011002826823/permalink/4196915603669669/
https://www.pinterest.es/pin/270638258838826884/
Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) awarded the members of Legion Condor, who just returned from Spain on 31 May 1939, with the Spanienkreuz (Spanish Cross) in Gold. The picture was taken on 5 June 1939 at Camp Döberitz.
Generalmajor Georg von Bismarck (Kommandeur 21. Panzer-Division) with his subordinates. In January 1942 he was transferred to Africa to serve in the Afrikakorps as commander of the 21st Panzer Division. Here he served under Rommel, just like in France one year previously. Bismarck was killed by a mine while leading his Division in the Battle of Alam el Halfa, 31 August 1942. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Generalleutnant.Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_von_Bismarck
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2317462#p2317462
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=616
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Gause
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2317427#p2317427
General der Panzertruppe und Eichenlaubträger Ludwig Crüwell (center, Kommandierender General Deutsches Afrikakorps) discussing the recent North African front situation in the map with his subordinates, February 1942. The Ritterkreuzträger at right is Hauptmann Johannes Kümmel (Chef 1.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 8 / 15.Panzer-Division / Deutsches Afrikakorps), who had been nicknamed "The Lion of Capuzzo" for his heroic defense at the Battle of Capuzzo in the previous months. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Valtingojer from PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) "Afrika".
Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/1340/15bbc36b83cee586254e992772dad01b/
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2317427#p2317427
Source :
https://www.alamy.com/search.html?qt=heraklion%201941&imgt=0
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2317700#p2317700
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-nazi-propaganda-picture-from-may-1941-shows-german-news-photo/1058620538
https://ww2images.blogspot.com/2021/01/fallschirmjager-officers-at-heraklion.html
Bernd von Doering (16 January 1903 – 7 July 1944) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 November 1940 as Major and Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Schützen-Regiment 79 / 16.Panzer-Division. The following wartime excerpt describes why Doering would be awarded the Ritterkreuz: “Major Doering and his Bataillon eliminated strong elements of a fleeing enemy Battalion during the forest battles south of Sedan at Mt. Damion and Mt. Cygne from 17 May 1940 onwards. The subsequent pursuit battles led to the Maas river at Sepvigny. The bridge site at Bourcy was taken despite the presence of a strong garrison, and this victory meant that the Bataillon became the first formation of the 16. Infanterie-Division to reach the southern bank of the Maas. Successful village combat took place in the continued combat south of the Maas, during which 350 prisoners were taken.”
Source :
https://www.geni.com/people/Bernd-von-Doering/6000000034256512852
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29062/Doering-von-Bernd.htm?c=aw
From left to right: Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Friedrich Franek (Kommandeur Reichsgrenadier-Division "Hoch- und Deutschmeister") and Oberst Bernd von Doering (1. Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber Südwest - Heeresgruppe C). The picture was possibly taken in the spring 1944 in the Italian theatre of war.
Source :
Shawn Miller photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152986901863424/permalink/1034537403708365/?__cft__[0]=AZUHOHIVRXlV9ImroR1TxJ_uHewVMX8zB4DIEFFPbjINxA4oevhkY5rf5OvnYcHvlrn3XihgmO1tG-4YFFv2uIfQTKHKiisOlqHUcjJFaqrGBvJPxKA44PmA5CVehOE_DQRcQaWVnz8-sF71FUuld1uW&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Hans Traut is seen leaving the building with other Wehrmacht officers. He is wearing the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes which he received on 5 August 1940 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 90 / 20.Infanterie-Division. He would also added the Eichenlaub for his Ritterkreuz on 23 January 1942 as Oberst and Führer 10. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert).
Source :
Shawn Miller photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=739071026713639&set=gm.1034536447041794
Generalmajor Georg Hachtel
Born: 29 Jun 1894 in Reubach by Gerabronn
Died: 20 Jul 1943 in Reserve-Hospital Konstanz
Promotions:
Leutnant (22 Mar 1913); Oberleutnant (20 Sep 1918); Hauptmann (15 Jul 1934); Major (01 Jan 1937); Oberstleutnant (01 Jun 1940); Oberst (01 Feb 1942); Generalmajor (nacträglich) (01 Jul 1943)
Career:
Entered Army Service (22 Mar 1913)
Leutnant in the 122nd Fusilier-Regiment (22 Mar 1913-1914)
Platoon-Leader, Battalion-Adjutant and Company-Leader (1914-1918)
In British Captivity (23 Aug 1918-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred to the 26th Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1919-01 Oct 1920)
Transferred into the 25th Rifle-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-01 Jan 1921)
Transferred into the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-30 Jun 1923)
Retired (30 Jun 1923)
Reactivated to Army Service (15 Jul 1934)
Company-Chief in the 75th Infantry-Regiment (15 Jul 1934-01 Aug 1935)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 75th Infantry-Regiment (01 Aug 1935-12 May 1938)
Commander of the III. Battalion of the 14th Infantry-Regiment (12 May 1938-30 May 1940)
Adjutant (IIa) with the General-Command of the V. Army-Corps (30 May 1940-20 Jun 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (20 Jun 1941-28 Aug 1941)
Commander of the 258th Infantry-Regiment (28 Aug 1941-16 Oct 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH (16 Oct 1942-01 Feb 1943)
Commander of the 56th Jäger-Regiment (01 Feb 1943-20 Jul 1943)
Died while on home leave (20 Jul 1943)
Awards & Decorations
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (30 Apr 1943)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (05 May 1942)
Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor/HACHTEL_GEORG.html
Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=254860
Alfred Jodl was born in Wurzburg on May 10, 1890. His father was a retired Bavarian artillery captain who had been compelled to leave active duty because of his intended marriage to a Franconian girl from a simple milling and farming family. Alfred was one of the five children produced by this union. There were three daughters, all of whom died at an early age, and another son, Ferdinand, who rose to the rank of general of mountain troops during World War II.
Educated in cadet schools, young Alfred Jodl joined the Bavarian Army as a Faehnrich (senior officer cadet) in the 4th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment in 1910. He attended the Bavarian War School in Munich (1910–1912) and was commissioned to second lieutenant on October 28, 1912. Shortly thereafter he married his first wife, Countess Irma von Bullion of an established Swabian family, despite the objections of her father, Colonel Count von Bullion. The countess, who was five years Alfred’s senior, was an intelligent and vivacious socialite whom he dearly loved.
Jodl saw action as an artillery officer on both the French and Russian fronts in the Great War of 1914–1918. During the first month of the war he was wounded by a grenade splinter but soon recovered and returned to the front in December. Promoted to first lieutenant in January 1916, he served as a battery commander in the 19th Field Artillery Regiment (1916–1917), the Austro-Hungarian 72nd Honved Field Cannon Regiment (1917), and the 10th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment (1917). He returned to the 19th as regimental adjutant in May 1917. His last World War I assignment was as adjutant, 8th Bavarian Artillery Command (Bavarian Arko 8) (December 1917–December 1918). Jodl remained in the army after the war, and after commanding batteries in four different regiments in the Augsburg area, he began clandestine General Staff training in 1921. His superiors were very happy with his performance, and a typical officer fitness report from his period described him as “very thoughtful, decisive, energetic, a good sportsman, eager, an excellent leader and suitable for higher command.” During the Weimar era, Jodl attended the University of Berlin (1923–1924), served on the staff of the 7th Infantry Division in Munich (1924–1927), commanded a battery in the 7th Mountain Artillery Regiment at Landsberg/Lech (1927–1928), and served as a General Staff training officer with the 7th Infantry Division (1928–1932). Promoted to captain in 1921 and major in 1931, he received an appointment to the operations branch of the Troop Office (Truppenamt), as the secret General Staff was called, on June 1, 1932.
Jodl was a highly respected officer; however, his unbridled enthusiasm for Hitler and the Nazi Party created a chasm between himself and many other officers—a gap that was never bridged. In 1935 Jodl (by then a colonel) entered the Armed Forces Office (Wehrmachtamt), and when Hitler created the High Command of the Armed Forces (OKW), Jodl took charge of the National Defense Office. A few weeks later, in March, 1938, Lieutenant General Max von Viebahn suffered a nervous breakdown because he feared war would result over the Austrian crisis. Jodl replaced him as chief of operations of OKW.
Colonel Jodl took on his new task with enthusiasm and leveled harsh criticisms at the army generals (such as Ludwig Beck) who, following a Hitler talk on August 10, claimed Germany was not ready for war. Jodl, writing in his diary, called the generals’ attitude “pusillanimous” and wrote that they should focus on military strategy, not political decisions. He further noted that it was a tragedy that the whole nation supported the Fuehrer with one exception: army generals. He castigated the generals for not recognizing Hitler’s “genius.” Without question, Jodl had unbridled faith in Hitler and truly believed the Fuehrer was politically infallible.
Although Jodl now assumed Hitler would utilize the OKW Operations Staff to plan his military campaigns, the Fuehrer turned instead to OKH (Oberkommando des Heeres, the High Command of the Army) in the early planning stages. Meanwhile, Jodl was promoted to major general in 1939 and assumed command of the 44th Artillery Command (which became the 44th Infantry Division) in Vienna in November 1938. An avid mountaineer, Jodl became hopeful when General Keitel (the chief of OKW and brother of the chief of the Army Personnel Office) discussed the possibility of Jodl’s receiving command of the 2nd Mountain Division in early October 1939; however, he did not get to command this or any other mountain division because the war intervened.
On August 23, 1939, Keitel telegraphed Jodl to return to OKW as chief of operations; there he would conduct the planning for the attack on Poland (Case White). Jodl would remain in this post throughout the war, receiving a promotion to general of artillery in 1940 and to colonel general on January 30, 1944 (the 11th anniversary of the Nazis’ assumption of power). He bypassed the rank of lieutenant general altogether. He enjoyed his first personal conversation with Hitler on the Fuehrer’s train during the Polish campaign and remained loyally at Hitler’s side until the end of the war.
Due to the fact that Hitler turned to OKH to direct the campaigns against Poland (1939) and France (1940), Jodl made the decision to support Hitler whenever disagreements arose between OKH and the Fuehrer. According to his deputy, Walter Warlimont, Jodl initiated an order in May 1940, directing the 1st Mountain Division to turn south (i.e., carry out a Hitler order) without OKH approval. Such an action—in direct violation of the military principle of unity of command—is evidence of both Jodl’s outspoken support for Hitler, as well as of his frustration (shared by his superior, Keitel) with the lack of command authority of the OKW.
Operation Weser (the invasion of Norway) finally gave OKW an opportunity to exercise direct operational control. The Fuehrer sealed Weser for OKW by appointing General of Infantry Nikolaus von Falkenhorst as commanding general of the operation and as commander of Group XXI. Normally, such command assignments were made by OKH and then sent to Hitler for routine approval. Hitler further decreed that Falkenhorst was to serve directly under him and that Falkenhorst’s staff be composed of officers from all three services. Consequently, Weser came directly under Hitler’s command through the OKW.
The operation was planned principally by Jodl and his staff. The German invasion of Norway caught the British (who were themselves planning to occupy Norway) completely by surprise. Although the campaign succeeded, a particularly tense situation developed when the British destroyed 10 German destroyers that had escorted Major General Eduard Dietl’s landing force to Narvik in northern Norway. The British also landed a large number of troops north of Narvik on April 14. A worried Hitler frantically ordered that Dietl’s troops be instructed to fall back to the south.
Jodl realized the folly of Hitler’s judgment. To abandon the battle merely because the enemy threatened the Narvik position might endanger the entire campaign. Jodl pointed out to Hitler that a march south would not only be impossible, but could well result in considerable loss of airplanes, which would then have to land on frozen lakes to resupply the mountain troops. Hitler, having calmed down, agreed to postpone a decision. However, on April 17, the navy suggested that Dietl’s group might be destroyed and thus rekindled Hitler’s anxieties. Even Goering entered the fray against OKW, claiming there was now no way the Luftwaffe could assist Dietl.
Hitler came completely apart and, screaming, ordered Dietl’s withdrawal from Narvik (after promoting him to lieutenant general). Jodl’s staff was astounded. Lieutenant Colonel Bernhard von Lossberg, of the OKW planning staff, refused to send the order to Dietl, and Jodl confronted the Fuehrer directly. Pounding the table with his fist, Jodl told Hitler that Dietl’s group should fight where it stood and not give up. Jodl emphasized that the position had not been lost and should not be passively surrendered. Hitler finally succumbed to Jodl’s stubbornness and allowed Dietl to remain at Narvik. By the end of the month, it was clear that Jodl had been correct and that the Germans were winning the Norwegian campaign. Hitler was pleased and asked Jodl to join him for lunch. For the next two years, Jodl sat at Hitler’s table for meals. The Fuehrer had great confidence in Jodl’s military judgment as a result of Operation Weser, and, for his part, Jodl’s faith in Hitler remained unimpaired.
Alfred Jodl thus became invited into the so-called inner circle of Adolf Hitler. This entourage consisted primarily of civilians; furthermore, as Albert Speer told Dr. Mueller, all were silent, loyal admirers who would listen for hours on end to the Fuehrer’s monologues. Jodl’s participation caused the OKW general considerable grief, for it separated him from his staff; and, since he was a soldier, Jodl considered himself to be merely a “guest.” Nonetheless, he basked in the glory of Germany’s victories in 1940.
Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Soviet Russia, added another front for the German armed forces. Jodl was skeptical of the prospects for success (Keitel openly objected to the attack), but the OKW chief of operations believed the Fuehrer’s genius would defeat the hated Bolshevist empire. Barbarossa was an OKH theater, while OKW’s task was to make certain that Hitler’s directives were followed. At the situation conferences Hitler turned more and more to Jodl for advice, rather than to General Franz Halder, the OKH chief of staff, even though OKH directed operations in the campaign. A Byzantine atmosphere emerged at Hitler’s headquarters with Jodl and other staff officers on center stage with Hitler. As a result, Jodl “became divorced from his own staff” and even “contrived to bypass Keitel and establish a direct relationship with Hitler.” Jodl was drawn to Hitler by the Fuehrer’s willpower, revolutionary thinking, and initial successes. Jodl believed Hitler had a “sixth sense” and would continue to achieve great victories.
The strategic decisions regarding the Eastern Front brought about the first crisis between Hitler and Jodl. In August 1942, when Jodl defended Halder against Hitler’s criticisms, Hitler flew into an almost uncontrollable rage and never again joined Jodl at meals or shook hands with him. A second, more serious crisis occurred in September, when Hitler became impatient with the lack of progress of Field Marshal Siegmund Wilhelm List’s Army Group A in the Caucasus sector. The Fuehrer sent Jodl to List’s headquarters to investigate the situation and to press for a faster advance. To Hitler’s surprise and anger, Jodl returned and defended List’s analysis of the situation. An argument ensued between the two men, resulting in Hitler’s decision to replace Jodl with General Friedrich Paulus after the expected victory at Stalingrad. This victory, of course, never came. Paulus surrendered to the Russians, and Jodl remained at OKW.
Although Hitler treated Jodl with a cold shoulder for a while, the Fuehrer came to realize that Jodl was indispensable. For his part, Jodl remained loyal to Hitler and continued to carry out his orders. Indeed, the relationship between the two strengthened during the remainder of the war. To his credit, however, Jodl flatly refused to issue Hitler’s Commando Order, which called for the execution of captured enemy commando troops. Nonetheless, even though he realized that after Stalingrad the war could not be won, Jodl believed he must continue to obey and support his supreme commander.
The spring following the Stalingrad disaster Jodl suffered a personal tragedy. His loving wife went to Koenigsberg to undergo major spinal surgery. In part, the Jodls picked this city because it was farther from Allied air bases than any other German city and had not been attacked by enemy bombers. When the Allies launched their first major bombing raid against this East Prussian city, Frau Jodl was forced to seek protection in a cold and damp air raid shelter. As a result, she contracted double pneumonia, which, in her already weakened condition, proved fatal shortly thereafter.
Later that year, in November, Jodl married Louise von Benda, who had admired him for some time. She stood by him throughout his agonizing postwar trial at Nuremberg and took it upon herself to successfully vindicate her husband at the Hauptspruchkammer proceedings in Munich in 1953.
During the final 18 months of the war, Jodl continued to labor at Fuehrer Headquarters. The general suffered minor injuries during the July 20, 1944, explosion at the Rastenburg headquarters when Count von Stauffenberg narrowly missed assassinating the dictator. The blast drew both Keitel and Jodl closer to the Fuehrer. Jodl remained with Hitler in Berlin until late April 1945, when he left for Admiral Doenitz’s command post. Ironically, one of the last orders Hitler issued (April 25) placed supreme command authority in the hands of OKW. It came too late and was a clear reminder of how the dispersion of authority hampered the German war effort. By then defeat was certain, and Hitler recognized that his loyal commanders were, as he told Goebbels, exhausted.
The end came soon after Jodl left the Fuehrer Bunker. Colonel General Alfred Jodl bore the responsibility of signing the document by which Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. He did so at Rheims on May 7, 1945, with tears rolling down his face.
Jodl (along with Doenitz and his government) was arrested on May 23, 1945, and held for trial at Nuremberg. His defense was honest and befitting a soldier who carried out his duties. As Albert Speer wrote, “Jodl’s precise and sober defense was rather imposing. He seemed to be one of the few men who stood above the situation.” Under interrogation, Jodl insisted that a soldier cannot be held responsible for political decisions and stated that Hitler’s decisions were absolute. He faithfully followed the Fuehrer, he said, and believed the war to be a just cause. The tribunal, however, rejected his arguments, found him guilty, and sentenced him to death by hanging. While at Nuremberg, Jodl dictated a letter to the wife of his defense counsel, concluding with the following words: “He [Hitler] had himself buried in the ruins of the Reich and his hopes. May whoever wishes to condemn him for it do so—I cannot.” At 2 a.m. on October 16, 1946, Colonel General Alfred Jodl was hanged. Later that morning his body was cremated, and his ashes were secretly scattered beside an anonymous stream somewhere in the German countryside. Despite this fact, a cross bearing Jodl’s name and rank may be seen in the family plot at the Fraueninsel Cemetery near the Chiemsee. His first wife is buried to the right of his empty grave; his second wife (who died in 1998) lies on the other side.
Source :
"Hitler's Commanders: Officers of the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe, the Kriegsmarine, and the Waffen-SS" by Samuel W. Mitcham and Gene Mueller
http://www.bridgemanart.com/en-GB/asset/321754/german-photographer-20th-century/general-alfred-jodl-escorted-by-british-soldiers-on-his-way-to-sign-the-unconditional-surrender-on-behalf-of-the-wehrmacht-in-the-headquarter-of-the-western-allies-reims-7th-may-1945-b-w-photo?search_context=%25searchContext%25
Generaloberst Georg-Hans Reinhardt (Oberbefehlshaber 3. Panzerarmee) decorating Leutnant Albert Ernst in front of his unit and commander Major Horst-Wolf Hoppe, schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 519 (Nashorn), January 1944.
Source :
ECPAD Archives, courtesy of Blanluet Christophe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152986901863424/permalink/1005385896623516/?__cft__[0]=AZUdu3HqhWwDa8d8rNDAyblzAvOgA-IcmIuXXDtyKqLkm3mMwsMVuEyQ7BOPJXBDvJpiu0DpQP2RriiSLJC3IXC4awRkMGn89-bFXRyciwJ7By7vJFLjjVIghx36PCGEaJy1Uu40EC6mz4jlP8Y_-DxW&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Hauptmann Hans von Bargen (right), from Schlachgeschwader 3, with wounded comrade (possibly his Bordfunker). Bargen received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Adjutant / Technishes Offizier of 1.Staffel / I.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (StG 3). The medal was awarded after flying 200 ground attack sorties. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Siegfried Doege.Source :
ECPAD Archives, courtesy of Blanluet Christophe
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10158976401033308&set=gm.1017324252096347
Oberleutnant Fritz Dinger (Staffelkapitän 4.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53) in Sicily, Italy, 1943.
Fritz Dinger was born on 20 August 1915 at Ottweiler in Saar. He joined the Luftwaffe pre-war and trained as a fighter pilot. Dinger was posted to JG 53 in August 1939. Unteroffizier Dinger was assigned to 4./JG 53. He participated in the French campaign and the Battle of Britain. On 16 August 1940, Feldwebel Dinger was shot down and wounded. He was forced to come down in the sea 50km north of Cherbourg where he was rescued by the German air-sea rescue service. He was promoted to the rank of Leutnant on 1 November 1940. Operating over the Eastern front, Dinger gained his first victory on 1 July 1941. By the end September he had raised his total to 11. On 5 October, he force-landed Bf 109 F-4 (W.Nr. 7187) near Solugubowka following aerial combat. Dinger escaped injury. In October 1941, II./JG 53 was relocated to the North Sea coast based at Leeuwarden in Holland. Dinger claimed a RAF Blenheim twin-engined bomber shot down on 27 October to record his 12th victory. II./JG 53 were relocated to Sicily in December 1941. He claimed six RAF fighters shot down over and around Malta during spring 1942 (13-18). On 26 July 1942, Dinger was transferred to I./JG 53 based on the Eastern front. Leutnant Dinger was assigned to 1./JG 53. During the summer months of 1942, Leutnant Dinger claimed 30 Russian aircraft shot down, including 29 victories from 1 to 22 September alone. On 15 October 1942, Dinger was appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 53 based on Sicily in the Mediterranean theatre. Leutnant Dinger was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 December for 49 victories. He was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant a short while later. On 4 June 1943, he recorded his 60th victory. Dinger was killed by bomb fragments in an allied bombing raid of Scalea on 27 July 1943. Fritz Dinger was credited with 67 victories in over 600 missions. He recorded 41 victories over the Eastern front.
At a Tunisian airport Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (center), Supreme Commander South in the Mediterranean, presented the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes to Leutnant Fritz Dinger (left, Staffelführer 4.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 53 "Pik-As"). To the right is Oberstleutnant Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn (Geschwaderkommodore Jagdgeschwader 53 "Pik'As"). Dinger formally received the Ritterkreuz dated 23 December 1942. The medal was awarded after achieving 49 aerial victories over the course of 500+ sorties.
At a Tunisian airport Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (right),
Supreme Commander South in the Mediterranean, presented the Ritterkreuz
des Eisernen Kreuzes to Leutnant Fritz Dinger (center, Staffelführer
4.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 53 "Pik-As"). To the left is Oberstleutnant
Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn (Geschwaderkommodore Jagdgeschwader 53
"Pik'As"). Dinger formally received the Ritterkreuz dated 23 December
1942. The medal was awarded after achieving 49 aerial victories over the
course of 500+ sorties.
