Jozef Turanec
Date of Birth: 07.03.1892 - Sučany Žilina Region (Austria-Hungary)
Date of Death: 09.03.1957 - Leopoldov, Trnava Region (Czechoslovakia)
Promotions:
01.02.1913 Slobodník (Senior Private), Austro-Hungarian Army
08.04.1914 Desiatnik (Corporal), Austro-Hungarian Army
01.10.1914 Podporučík (Staff Sergeant), Austro-Hungarian Army
01.09.1915 Poručík (Lieutenant), Austro-Hungarian Army
01.11.1917 Nadporučík (First Lieutenant), Austro-Hungarian Army
01.11.1921 Kapitán (Captain), Czechoslovakian Army
01.07.1937 Major (Major), Czechoslovakian Army
17.05.1939 Podplukovník (Lieutenant Colonel), Slovakian Army
01.01.1940 Plukovník (Colonel), Slovakian Army
01.01.1942 Generál II. triedy (Major General), Slovakian Army
Career:
14.03.1939 - 00.10.1940 Representative of the Minister of National Defence, Slovakian Army
19.11.1940 - 22.06.1941 Commanding Officer 1st Division District, Slovakian Army
22.06.1941 - 03.08.1941 Commanding Officer 1st Division, Slovakian Army
03.08.1941 - 27.11.1941 Commanding Officer Slovakian Motorized Division, Slovakian Army
25.04.1942 - 23.09.1942 Commanding Officer Slovakian Motorized Division, Slovakian Army
01.01.1943 - 15.01.1944 Head of Military Administration, Ministry of National Defence, Slovakian Army
27.08.1944 - 29.08.1944 Minister of National Defence, Slovakian Army
29.08.1944 - 00.09.1944 Arrested
00.09.1944 - 00.02.1947 Prisoner of War [Soviet Union]
00.02.1947 - 10.12.1947 Arrested
10.12.1947 Condemned to death
31.05.1949 Sentence changed to 30 years imprisonment
09.03.1957 Died in prison
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.1919 Ceskoslovenský válecný kríž 1914-1918 (Czechoslovakia)
14.03.1940 Za Zasluhy III.Class (Slovakia)
14.03.1940 Zaslužný križ obrany štatu (Slovakia)
15.07.1941 Križ svetovej vojny 1914-1918 (Slovakia)
21.08.1941 Deutsche Adlerorden II.Klasse (mit oder ohne Schwertern)
05.11.1941 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
25.11.1941 Slovenský vojenný víťazný kríž (Slovakian War Victory Cross), 3rd Class
10.03.1942 Ordinul Steaua Romaniei Officer (Romania)
26.07.1942 Slovenský vojenný víťazný kríž (Slovakian War Victory Cross), 2nd Class
00.00.1942 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
07.08.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Generál II. triedy (Generalmajor) and commander of the Slovak Fast Division. The following newspaper article (dated 11.08.1942) describes why Turanec received the Ritterkreuz: “The Führer has awarded the Ritterkreuz to Generalmajor Jozef Turanec, commander of a Slovakian Division... During the heavy defensive combat in the southern sector of the Eastern
front his Division repeatedly defeated fierce Bolshevik breakthrough
attempts in an exceptional display of bravery. Then, when the great
offensive began in July 1942, General Turanec and his Slovakians also
joined in the attack. After the Mius position had been overrun the
General led his Regiments forwards whilst leading from the foremost line
himself. Under his aggressive leadership the Division was already able
to reach the Tusloff river on the first day. Here the enemy proved
unable to halt the victorious forward march despite offering fierce
resistance. Guided by the outstanding planning and leadership of General
Turanec, the Slovakian Regiments were able to breach the enemy lines as
the first to do so in this battle sector. By the evening of the
same day they had been able to fight into the city of Rostov itself and
reach the Don river following fierce urban combat. Clearly recognizing
the situation for what it was, General Turanec decided to immediately
force a crossing over the Don. He thus crossed the river with his lead
elements, cleared the Don island in bitter close combat and created a
bridgehead on the river’s southern bank that would prove to be of great
future operational value. This took place even as bitter combat still
raged in the city itself. The award of the Ritterkreuz to General
Turanec is not only a recognition of his personal dutifulness and
inspiring leadership, but also a testament to the bravery of his
Slovakian Regiments. Under his command they fight alongside the German
Heer for a new European order in a brilliant display of comradeship.”
00.00.1943 Za Zasluhy II.Class (Slovakia)
26.03.1943 Za Zasluhy I.Class (Slovakia)
00.00.1943 Red Krune Kralja Zvonimira I.Stupnja s Macevima (Croatia)
00.00.1944 Slovenský vojenný víťazný kríž (Slovakian War Victory Cross), 1st Class with Star
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
During the war, there were a number of knight crosses awards to the temporarily allied forces, a very interesting topic. Romania 18, Italy 9, Hungary 8, Spain 2, Finland 2, Slovakia 2 and Japan 2. Slovakia already participated in the campaign against Poland. Not only was Poland divided between Germany and the Soviet Union, Slovakia gained something as well. From the beginning of the war, 3 Slovak divisions took part in the fighting on the German side.
The two knight crosses were awarded to Slovaks for their fight on the Eastern Front. One of the recipient was Jozef Turanec. He was born on the 7th March 1892 in Sucany, Slovakia, which belonged to Austria-Hungary then. In April 1913 Turanec began his military career by joining the k.u.k. army. After the outbreak of World War I, he fought on the Eastern Front and in Italy. By the end of the war he was lieutenant. After the collapse of the double monarchy in 1918 and the creation of Czechoslovakia, Turanec served as an officer in the Czechoslovakian army from 1919 and in the Slovak army from 1938. Turanec was lieutenant colonel at the outbreak of World War II. He did not take part in the fighting in Poland.
Promoted to colonel in January 1940, Turanec became commander of the Slovakian 1. in September 1940. Designated Infantry Division After the outbreak of war against the Soviet Union on 22. June 1941 the 1st became the first. and the 2. Slovak division on the new eastern front march. After the first battles, their equipment proved to be inadequate. It was regrouped and the Slovak Rapid Division was formed, whose commander became Colonel Turanec in early August 1941. The Rapid Division was from now on the participation of the Slovak armed forces in the fighting on the Eastern Front. Turanec led the Rapid Division during the battles for Kiev, then participated in the advance battles to the Sea of Azov and then to the Mius. On the 5th November 1941, Turanec received the EC II. Shortly afterwards, he gave up command of the Rapid Division at the end of November 1941 and returned to Slovakia. He was awarded the EK I in March 1942.
Augustin Malar was succeeded as commander of the Rapid Division, who proved himself with the Slovaks during the defensive battles in winter 1941/42 in the southern section that on the 23rd he was killed. January 1942 the Knight's Cross was awarded. In the spring of 1942, Turanec, now also a Major General, returned to the front and he took command of the Rapid Division at the end of April 1942. The unit participated in the German summer offensive in the southern section. Turanec could stand out in taking over Rostow. He managed to make a hand-line crossing of the Don and the formation of a bridgehead on the opposite bank. The Major General had personally led this action from the forefront. And that's why he turned 7 Awarded the Knight's Cross in August 1942. This second award to the Rapid Division should also be a tribute to the Slovak soldiers who have been serving continuously for over a year now.
Turanec led the Rapid Division in the further advances to the Caucasus before surrendering command at the end of September 1942. In the next two years Turanec rose to the top of the Slovak army. He was captured by partisans during the Slovak national uprising in late August 1944 and was delivered to the Red Army from mid-September 1944. Turanec saw the end of World War II in the Soviet Butyrki prison. He was extradited to Czechoslovakia in early 1947. Here he was tried in Bratislava, he was considered a collaborator. On the 10th. In December 1947, the court issued a death sentence. A subsequent plea by Turanec for parole was granted and the sentence was altered to 30 years in prison. The sentence should be retroactive from the date of his arrest, the 29th. August 1944 , counting. Since December 1947, Jozef Turanec was in Leopoldov prison. After more than 9 years in prison, he died here on the 9th. March 1957.
Jozef Turanec.
Jozef Turanec.
Generál II. triedy (Generalmajor) Jozef Turanec, commander of the Slovak division fighting near Rostov, pictured in August 1942 by Kriegsberichter Hoppner.
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Generál II. triedy (Generalmajor) Jozef Turanec (commander of the Slovak Fast Division). Turanec received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 7 August 1942.
Source :
Ingo Möbius photo collection
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/4605/1a8682e113baa1a87ca6059bd04f9438/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jozef_Turanec
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02rSmytKVSeuLYWnH9xei24wpdaJXJLsq4KSWsy2Mc6szcLYPeYAjfXyMYpJbF2KKEl&id=100013095840106
https://generals.dk/general/Turanec/Jozef/Czechoslovakia.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/35170/Turancec-Joseph.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment