Generaloberst Josef Harpe
Born: 21 Sep 1887 in Buer, District Recklinghausen
Died: 14 Mar 1968 in Nuremberg
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (01 Mar 1910); Fähnrich (17 May 1910); Leutnant (20 Mar 1911); Oberleutnant (18 Apr 1915); Hauptmann (18 Apr 1918); Major (01 Apr 1931); Oberstleutnant (01 Aug 1934); Oberst (01 Jan 1937); Generalmajor (30 Aug 1940); Generalleutnant (15 Jan 1942); General der Panzertruppe (01 Jun 1942); Generaloberst (20 May 1944)
Career:
Entered Army Service (28 Sep 1909)
Fahnenjunker in the 56th Infantry-Regiment Vogel von Falkenstein (28 Sep 1909-01 Oct 1913)
Adjutant of the III. Battalion of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1913-15 Nov 1914)
Leader of the 5th Company of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (15 Nov 1914-21 Nov 1914)
Temporary Regiments-Adjutant of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (21 Nov 1914-31 Dec 1914)
Leader of the 5th Company of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (31 Dec 1914-27 Jan 1915)
Temporary Regiments-Adjutant of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (27 Jan 1915-01 Apr 1915)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1915-20 Aug 1916)
Taken ill - Field-Hospital V/XVI. Army-Corps (20 Aug 1916-15 Sep 1916)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (15 Sep 1916-23 Nov 1917)
Detached to Signals-School of Army-Group Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg in Saarburg (15 Nov 1917-21 Nov 1917)
Temporary Leader of 9th Company of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (23 Nov 1917-16 Jan 1918)
At the same time, Temporary Leader of III. Battalion of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (15 Dec 1917-22 Dec 1917)
Detached to the 43rd Field-Artillery-Regiment (16 Jan 1918-24 Jan 1918)
Detached to the General-Command of XXXVIII. Army-Corps (24 Jan 1918-28 Feb 1918)
Detached to the 43rd Field-Artillery-Regiment (28 Feb 1918-06 Apr 1918)
Detached to the Staff of the 14th Infantry-Division (06 Apr 1918-02 Jun 1918)
Wounded, in Hospital (02 Jun 1918-19 Jun 1918)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (19 Jun 1918-24 Jun 1918)
Transferred into a General Staff Position of the 2nd Naval-Division (24 Jun 1918-20 Dec 1918)
Transferred back into the 56th Infantry-Regiment (20 Dec 1918-18 Jan 1919)
Leader of 6th Company of the 56th Infantry-Regiment (18 Jan 1919-21 Feb 1919)
General Staff Officer with Special Duties with the General-Command of VII. Army-Corps (21 Feb 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred into a General Staff Position of the 3rd Reichswehr-Brigade (01 Oct 1919-16 May 1920)
Auxiliary-Officer with the Staff of Military-District-Command VI (16 May 1920-01 Jun 1921)
Detached to the Weapon-Commands with the 6th Motor-Transport-Battalion, 6th Artillery-Regiment & 5th Mounted-Regiment (01 Jun 1921-10 Sep 1921)
Transferred into the 16th Infantry-Regiment (10 Sep 1921-01 Oct 1921)
Detached to the Staff of 6th Division (01 Oct 1921-01 Oct 1922)
Transferred to the Staff of the Commander of the Troop-Exercise-Grounds Arys and Detached to the 1st Motor-Transport-Battalion (01 Oct 1922-01 Jan 1923)
Detached to the 4th Motor-Transport-Battalion (01 Jan 1923-01 Feb 1923)
Company-Chief 3 of the 4th Motor-Transport-Battalion, Leipzig (01 Feb 1923-15 Feb 1928)
Detached to Course with the Motor Transport Training Command Berlin (04 Jan 1927-01 Apr 1928)
Detached to the RWM (15 Feb 1928-01 Apr 1928)
Advisor in the Inspection of Transport Troops/RWM/In 6 and Adjutant of Generalmajor Otto von Stülpnagel (01 Apr 1928-30 Apr 1931)
Retired (30 Apr 1931)
Discharged from the Army pro Forma because of secret Reichs Military Training in the USSR, from 01 May 1931 to 01 Oct 1933 'Station-Director' of the German Combat Vehicle School Hasan [Organisation Kama]. Its pseudonym Direktor Hacker
Reactivated to Army Service (01 Nov 1933)
With Motor-Transport-Instruction-Command Zossen (01 Nov 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of the I. Battalion of Motor-Transport-Instruction-Command Zossen (01 Oct 1934-15 May 1935)
Commander of the 12th Mounted-Regiment, Dresden (15 May 1935-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of the 3rd Panzer-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-01 Aug 1939)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 1st Panzer-Brigade (01 Aug 1939-18 Sep 1939)
Commander of the 1st Panzer-Brigade (18 Sep 1939-01 Mar 1940)
Commander of Panzer Troop School Wünsdorf (01 Mar 1940-05 Oct 1940)
Commander of the 2nd Infantry-Division (motorised) (05 Oct 1940-10 Jan 1941)
Commander of the 12th Panzer-Division (10 Jan 1941-15 Jan 1942)
Commanding General of XXXXI. Panzer-Corps (15 Jan 1942-15 Oct 1943)
At the same time, Delegated with the Leadership of 9th Army (19 Mar 1943-30 Mar 1943)
At the same time, Delegated with the Leadership of 9th Army (20 May 1943-09 Jun 1943)
Commander-in-Chief of 9th Army (04 Nov 1943-01 May 1944)
Commander-in-Chief of 4th Panzer-Army (01 May 1944-28 Jun 1944)
Delegated with the Temporary Leadership of Army-Group North Ukraine (For the Commander-in-Chief Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model, who from 28 Jun 1944 to 16 Aug 1944 was Delegated with the temporary Leadership of Army-Group Centre for the duration of Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch' leave) (28 Jun 1944-16 Aug 1944)
Delegated with the Leadership of Army-Group North Ukraine (16 Aug 1944-21 Sep 1944)
Commander-in-Chief of Army-Group North Ukraine (21 Sep 1944-24 Sep 1944)
Commander-in-Chief of Army-Group A (24 Sep 1944-17 Jan 1945)
Discharged from Command and placed on Führer-Reserve OKH (Hitler's scapegoat for the Russian breakthrough at the Baranov-Bridgehead) (17 Jan 1945-09 Mar 1945)
Commander-in-Chief of the 5th Panzer-Army (09 Mar 1945-17 Apr 1945)
In US Captivity (17 Apr 1945-14 Apr 1948)
Released (14 Apr 1948)
Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz (418): am 13.08.1941 als Generalmajor und Kommandeur der 12. Panzer-Division
- Eichenlaub (55): am 31.12.1941 als Generalmajor und Kommandeur der 12. Panzer-Division
- Schwerter (36): am 15.09.1943 als General der Panzertruppe und Kommandierender General des XLI. Panzer-Korps
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 19.02.1943 als General der Panzertruppe und Kommandierender General des XLI. Panzer-Korps
- 1914 EK I: 03.09.1915
- 1914 EK II: 21.09.1914
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13.03.1938
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 01.10.1938 mit Spange "Prager Burg"
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II
- Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber
- Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942"
- Grossoffizierkreuz des Kgl. Rumän. Ordens der Krone mit Schwertern
- Wehrmachtbericht: 01.01.1944
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Josef Harpe (21 September 1887 – 14 March 1968) served on the Eastern Front, where he commanded XXXXI Panzer Corps and the 9th Army. From September 1944 to January 1945 Army Group A, when he was relieved of his command due to the inability of German forces to stop the Soviet Vistula–Oder Offensive. He ended the war commanding the 5th Panzer Army on Western Front.
Harpe joined the Prussian Army on 28 September 1909 and fought in World War I. After the war, Harpe remained in the Reichswehr military service. In 1931, under the pseudonym Direktor Hacker, he held a position in the secret German-Russian Tank-School (Kama tank school) in Kazan, Soviet Union. He was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 August 1934 and became commander of Panzer-Regiment 3 on 15 October 1935. He was again promoted on 1 January 1937, and commanded the German 1st Panzer Brigade holding the rank of Oberst. In 1940 he took over as Commandant of the Armoured Troops School No.2 in Wünsdorf.
He served on the Eastern Front, where he commanded, from July 1942 until October 1943 the XXXXI. Panzerkorps and from September 1944 to January 1945 Army Group A. He was relieved of his command due to the inability of German forces to stop the Soviet Vistula–Oder Offensive, which resulted in the Soviet capture of most of Poland. He ended the war as the commander of the 5th Panzer Army on the Western Front. He was held as a prisoner of war by the United States until 1948.
Source :
https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/josef-harpe_5624B06B8B
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Harpe
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generaloberst/HARPE_JOSEF.html
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