Hitler with Four Eichenlaubträger from Heer (December 1943)

Special audience with Hitler for the new Eichenlaubträger of the Heer, which were held at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, late December 1943. In this occasion, four officers of the Wehrmacht was congratulated by the Führer for their recent award and achievements. This picture shows Hitler shaking hands with Generalmajor Hasso von Manteuffel (Kommandeur 7. Panzer-Division), who received the Eichenlaub #332 on 23 November 1943. Behind him is Oberst Ernst Wellmann (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 / 3.Panzer-Division. Eichenlaub #342 on 30 November 1943), while the half-visible officer behind Wellmann is Oberst Willy Langkeit (Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 36 / 14.Panzer-Division. Eichenlaub #348 on 7 December 1943). The fourth officer who is not shown in this picture is Oberstleutnant Karl Baacke (Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 266 / 72.Infanterie-Division. Eichenlaub #352 on 10 December 1943).

Special audience with Hitler for the new Eichenlaubträger of the Heer, which were held at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, late December 1943. In this occasion, four officers of the Wehrmacht was congratulated by the Führer for their recent award and achievements. From left to right: Generalmajor Hasso von Manteuffel (Kommandeur 7. Panzer-Division. Eichenlaub #332 on 23 November 1943), Oberst Ernst Wellmann (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 / 3.Panzer-Division. Eichenlaub #342 on 30 November 1943), Oberst Willy Langkeit (Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 36 / 14.Panzer-Division. Eichenlaub #348 on 7 December 1943), Oberstleutnant Karl Baacke (Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 266 / 72.Infanterie-Division. Eichenlaub #352 on 10 December 1943), and Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht).

Generalmajor Hasso von Manteuffel (Kommandeur 7. Panzer-Division) photographed by Walter Frentz at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, after the audience with Hitler in late December 1943 as a part of four new Eichenlaubträger from Heer. Manteuffel himself (last rank General der Panzertruppe) received the Eichenlaub #332 for his Ritterkreuz on 23 November 1943 for the recapture of Zhitomir by his division. 7. Panzer-Division’s counterattack began on 14 November 1943, passing through Iwniza. The next day the advance continued in a North-West direction against the Kiev-Zhitomir road and reached the Teterew bend 4 km North-East of the city, with the forward elements lacking flank protection. On 16 November 1943 Lewkoff (12 km east of Zhitomir) was also taken, and finally after a thrust to Wazkoff the Soviet forces in Zhitomir became encircled. The coup de grace came during a night operation in which Manteuffel led a force of 6 Panzers and 100 Panzergrenadiers from the front in his SPW, and succeeded in retaking the city.

Oberst Ernst Wellmann (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 / 3.Panzer-Division) photographed by Walter Frentz at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, after the audience with Hitler in late December 1943 as a part of four new Eichenlaubträger from Heer. Wellmann himself (last rank Oberst) received the Eichenlaub #342 for his achievements during the summer of 1943, specifically: 1) The successes of his Regiment during the opening days of the battle of Kursk. On the first day his Regiment cleared multiple Soviet defensive positions and even freed a group of German prisoners. By the third day they had taken Luchanino and thereafter were involved in defending against multiple Soviet attacks between Hill 258.5 and Berezovka, launching many counterattacks of their own in the process. 2) His Regiment's successful combat in the Fourth Battle of Kharkov. He blocked a Soviet attack on 12 August 1943 and later was credited with saving the Division on 17 August 1943 when his battlegroup, fighting around Polewaj and at Hills 201 & 204, defeated a group of Soviet tanks that were attacking towards the southeast.

Oberst Willy Langkeit (Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 36 / 14.Panzer-Division) photographed by Walter Frentz at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, after the audience with Hitler in late December 1943 as a part of four new Eichenlaubträger from Heer. Langkeit himself (last rank Generalmajor) received the Eichenlaub #348 for his Ritterkreuz on 7 December 1943 for his achievement at the end of October 1943 when he and his armoured Kampfgruppe contributed significantly to recapturing the previously lost Ingulez sector, reaching the line Nowo Iwanowka - Krassny. Later on the Kampfgruppe launched a new advance on 20 November 1943, and in a fierce tank battle it destroyed 22 Soviets tanks. On 26 November 1943 the same Kampfgruppe attacked from Protopopowka towards the north, blocking the three important roads from Kossowka towards the west and destroying 21 hostile tanks. In this time a Soviet infantry attack launched in strength of about two regiments was similarly crushed.

Oberstleutnant Karl Baacke (Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 266 / 72.Infanterie-Division) photographed by Walter Frentz at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, after the audience with Hitler in late December 1943 as a part of four new Eichenlaubträger from Heer. Baacke himself (last rank Oberst) received the Eichenlaub #352 for his Ritterkreuz on 10 December 1943 for his achievement during the Battle of Cherkassy, as described by the following press article, dated 16 December 1943: “As the battle of the moselländischen 72. Infanterie-Division (named in the Wehrmachtbericht of the 6 December 1943) in Cherkassy came to a head, and the city itself was temporarily encircled, Oberstleutnant Baacke broke the Soviets’ encirclement ring and thereby enabled both the evacuation of the wounded and the influx of important supply goods. On the next day, once again surrounded on all sides, he broke the attack of strong infantry and tank forces and thereafter restored contact with the outside by storming a particularly heavily fortified strongpoint of the enemy. Oberstleutnant Baacke led his Grenadier-Regiment from the foremost line during all these battles, and throughout this time he inspired his Grenadiers to high achievements despite their having been engaged in continuous combat for 14 days.”

Source :
Mark C. Yerger photo collection
https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/hasso-von-manteuffel_0E60354ACD
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/07/album-foto-berwarna-jenderal-heer.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2123377&sid=ccae36971bae6db846692351f79f09f9#p2123377
https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/568/Ritterkreuz-mit-Eichenlaub.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-l-m/