Sunday, February 26, 2023

Bio of Generalleutnant Harry Hoppe (1894-1969)

Arthur Harry Karl Hoppe

Date of Birth: 13.02.1894 - Braunschweig, Niedersachsen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 23.08.1969 - Wetzlar, Hesse (West Germany)

Religion: Evangelical
Height: 5’ 8” (173cm)
Hair color: Fair
Eye color: Blue
Wife: Christine Hoppe

Promotions:
24.03.1915 Gefreiter
31.03.1915 Unteroffizier
09.04.1915 Vizefeldwebel
24.04.1916 Leutnant der Reserve
18.03.1918 Leutnant
01.04.1925 Oberleutnant
01.10.1929 Hauptmann
01.10.1935 Major
01.06.1938 Oberstleutnant
01.07.1941 Oberst
01.12.1942 Generalmajor
01.06.1943 Generalleutnant

Career:
08.08.1914 Entered the Army as a War Volunteer in the Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.92.
15.09.1914 In the field with Reserve Infantry Regiment 208.
24.10.1914 Wounded/in hospital.
22.12.1914 Allocated to the Replacement Battalion of Reserve Infantry Regiment 208.
18.02.1915 - 14.04.1915 Detached to the Fahnenjunker Course in Döberitz.
13.04.1915 Named a Reserve Officer Aspirant.
21.04.1915 In the field with the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment.
05.06.1915 Sick/in hospital.
20.08.1915 Allocated to the II. Replacement Battalion of the Guard Fusilier Regiment and transferred to the Replacement Depot of the XXXX Reserve Corps.
29.11.1915 In the field with Reserve Infantry Regiment 261.
01.10.1916 Leader of the 2nd Company of Reserve Infantry Regiment 261.
09.04.1917 Wounded/in hospital.
30.08.1917 Again, Leader of the 2nd Company of Reserve Infantry Regiment 261.
18.03.1918 While retaining his position in Reserve Infantry Regiment 261, named an Active Officer in the 5. Hannoversches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.165.
27.12.1918 Assigned to Detachment “von Grothe” of Freikorps “von Hülsen.” [Formed near Berlin in December 1918, this volunteer unit was commanded by Generalleutnant Walter von Hülsen. After taking part in putting down the Spartacus uprising in Berlin in January 1919 and quelling further disturbances there in March, von Hülsen’s unit was later incorporated into the Reichswehr as Reichswehr Brigade 3.]
30.04.1919 Transferred to Infantry Regiment 165.
19.08.1919 Transferred to Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 6 of Reichswehr-Brigade 3.
15.10.1919 Transferred to Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 103 of Reichswehr-Brigade 3.
14.05.1920 Transferred to Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 12 of Reichswehr-Brigade 6.
22.05.1920 Leader of the 7th Company of Reichswehr-Jäger-Regiment 31 of Reichswehr-Brigade 16.
05.11.1920 Transferred to Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 13 of Reichswehr-Brigade 7.
01.01.1921 Transferred to the 18th Infantry Regiment upon the formation of the new Reichsheer from the Übergangsheer or Transitional Army.
16.03.1925 - 08.04.1925 Detached to the Course for Light Machineguns in Munsterlager.
23.06.1925 - 19.11.1925 Detached for the training of Physical Education Instructors in Wünsdorf.
04.04.1927 - 28.08.1927  Detached to the Officers’ Weapons Course in Dresden.
01.09.1927 Transferred to the 13th Company (Mortar) of the 18th Infantry Regiment.
01.06.1928 - 20.09.1928 Detached to the 3rd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment.
01.10.1928 Detached for Leader Assistant training with the staff of the 2nd Division.
01.06.1929 - 25.09.1929 Detached to the 4th (Saxon) Signals Battalion.
01.10.1930 Transferred to the 2nd (Prussian) Infantry Regiment and detached to the 9th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment and to the Reich Archive, Potsdam.
01.10.1931 Transferred to the 15th Infantry Regiment.
01.12.1931 Chief of the 12th Company of the 15th Infantry Regiment.
06.10.1933 - 28.10.1933 Detached to the Transport and Equipment Course at the Hannover Transport Training Command.
01.10.1934 Company Chief in Infantry Regiment “Kassel.”
01.10.1935 Commander of Machinegun Battalion 2.
19.12.1939 Operations Officer (Ia) and Infantry Advisor on the Reconnaissance Staff of the Commander-in-Chief East.
05.10.1940 Commander of Infantry Regiment 424 of the 126th Infantry Division. [Commanded by Generalleutnant Paul Laux, the 126th Infantry Division took part in Operation “Barbarossa,” the invasion of the Soviet Union, in June 1941 as a component of Generaloberst Ernst Busch’s 16th Army under Army Group North. After advancing through the Baltic States, Hoppe’s regiment was attached to the 21st Infantry Division for the push on Lake Ilmen and Novgorod. Under heavy air support, the infantrymen of Hoppe’s regiment captured Novgorod by storm on 16 August 1941. Two days later, Hoppe’s regiment helped expand and hold the German bridgehead on the Volkhov River. Attached to the 20th Infantry Division (Motorized) for the assault on Leningrad in September 1941, Battle Group “Hoppe” – his own regiment plus a battalion each from Infantry Regiment 76 and Panzer Regiment 29 – attacked along Lake Lagoda. After clearing Soviet bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Neva, Hoppe’s group captured the key city of Schlüsselburg (today Petrokrepos) on 8 September 1941. Although Leningrad never fell, the capture of Schlüsselburg sealed-off the city from the east and garnered Oberst Hoppe the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.]
14.10.1942 Delegated with the leadership of the 126th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front.
01.12.1942 Commander of the 126th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front.
25.04.1943 - 14.07.1943 Delegated with the leadership of the 126th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front.
10.12.1943 Commander of the 278th Infantry Division in Italy. [Formed in upper Italy, the division served on coastal defense duties and took part in anti-partisan operations in Istria while continuing its training. In mid-May 1944, Hoppe’s division received orders to move to the battle area on the Adriatic for operational assignment to the 10th Army. Facing Lieutenant General Wladyslaw Anders’ Polish II Corps, Hoppe’s division fought a ferocious defensive battle for the port city of Ancona from mid-June until early July 1944. After halting the Polish attack early in July (Hoppe was cited in the Wehrmachtbericht for this feat – see below), the 278th Infantry Division faced a renewed attack by General Anders’ corps on July 17th. Pushing the Germans beyond the Esino River, Ancona fell to the Poles on the 18th.]
05.04.1945 Commander of the 278th Volksgrenadier Division in Italy.
02.05.1945 - 17.05.1948 Prisoner of war in British captivity.
04.10.1946 Transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from LDC (London District Cage).
12.05.1948 Transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation.
00.00.1953 Published the divisional history Die 278. Infanterie-Division in Italien, 1944-1945.
00.00.1967 In collaboration with Generalfeldmarschall a.D. Erich von Lewenski genannt von Manstein and Knight’s Cross holder Werner Buxa, published Die Deutsche Infanterie, 1939-1945, a photographic history of the German infantry at war.

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.19__ Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
00.00.19__ Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse
00.00.19__ Bewährungsabzeichen zum Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
20.03.1916 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
15.03.1917 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
17.04.1918 Ritterkreuz des Königlich Preußischen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
00.00.1918 Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Silber
00.00.193_ Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914-1918
00.00.19__ Österreisches Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Medaille mit Schwertern
00.00.19__ Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
00.00.19__ Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen
00.00.19__ Hungarian War Commemorative Medal with Swords
26.09.1939 1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
12.07.1941 1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
12.09.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 424 / 126.Infanterie-Division
16.05.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942" (Ostmedaille)
06.07.1944 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht: "In continuous and heavy defensive fighting, the 278th Infantry Division, commanded by Generalleutnant Hoppe, fought especially bravely against an overwhelming enemy and inflicted heavy casualties on them. All enemy breakthrough attempts [to capture Ancona] failed in the face of the division’s obstinacy."
18.12.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #682, as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 278. Infanterie-Division

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* Born as Arthur Hoppe, he formally changed his first name to “Harry” on 18 February 1943.
* Harry Hoppe was nicknamed “Stan Laurel” by his comrades because of his facial resemblance to the English-born actor/comedian. He was the commander of 278th Infantry Division in Italy; integrated into this unit was one of the few fascist Italian battalions of the RSI (Italian Social Republic, Mussolini's last “puppet government”) used by the German Wehrmacht in the front line. It was named “battaglione d'assalto Forlì” (assault battalion Forlì). It was composed by 500 fascists from Forlì, Mussolini's hometown, who defended the city.






Source :
https://www.ebay.de/b/General-in-Militaria-Fotos-1900-1918-1945/15504/bn_7004515776
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalleutnant/HOPPE_HARRY.html
http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/Generalleutnant%20Harry%20HOPPE.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-OVE-Vt8h8

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