Nickname: Hans
Date of Birth: 06.09.1893 - Stepenitz bei Pritzwalk, Brandenburg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 07.08.1963 - Hamburg (West Germany)
Battles and Operations: Westfeldzug 1940, Operation Barbarossa, Demjansk-Kessel, defensive battles south of Ilmensee and near Newel/Ssebesh, Kurlandkessel
Religion: Protestant
Parents: Dr. phil. Lic. theol. Gottlob Mayer (pastor, father), mother unknown
Siblings: No information
Spouse: No information
Children: No information
Academic title: Dr. rer. pol. Dr.-Ing.
Promotions:
09.03.1915 Fahnenjunker
02.09.1915 Fähnrich
05.11.1915 Leutnant (Patent 23.03.1914)
01.07.1922 Leutnant (Patent 01.04.1914)
01.07.1923 Oberleutnant
01.04.1928 Rittmeister (later changed to Hauptmann)
01.02.1935 Major
01.10.1937 Oberstleutnant
01.10.1940 Oberst
01.04.1942 Generalmajor (without RDA, later with RDA 01.09.1942)
01.02.1943 Generalleutnant
01.04.1945 General der Infanterie
Career:
00.00.1913 Abitur as top student at Landesschule Pforta (Gymnasium Schulpforta)
00.00.1913-04.08.1914 Studium der Theologie
04.08.1914 Kriegsfreiwilliger and later Regiments-Adjutant, Infanterie-Regiment "Prinz Moritz von Anhalt-Dessau" (5. Pommersches) Nr. 42
00.00.1915-1918 service in France, Russia, Macedonia and Romania as Leutnant and Oberleutnant
00.00.1919 transfer to Reichswehr
00.00.1920s-1932 troop service interrupted for studies: Dr. rer. pol. at Universität Greifswald, Dr.-Ing. at Technische Universität Charlottenburg, work in industrial enterprises and Waffenamt
15.10.1935-10.11.1938 Taktiklehrer at Kriegsschule Potsdam
10.11.1938-06.02.1940 Kommandeur I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 65 (Delmenhorst)
06.02.1940-30.01.1942 Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 501 (participated in Westfeldzug and early Eastern Front)
27.03.1942-30.09.1944 Kommandeur 329. Infanterie-Division (opening of Demjansk-Kessel, defensive battles)
28.05.1944-28.06.1944 and 03.10.1944-25.10.1944 acting Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps
29.01.1945-05.04.1945 acting Kommandierender General II. Armeekorps (flown into Kurlandkessel)
00.00.1945 Führerreserve OKW after wounding and hospitalization
00.00.1945-1945 end of war various assignments
00.00.1945-1963 engineer in industrial enterprise (postwar)
Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (24.08.1915)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914 (16.12.1916)
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer des Weltkriegs 1914/18
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 1. Klasse
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse 1939 (06.06.1940)
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse 1939 (09.06.1940)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42"
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (13.09.1941) as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 501 / 290. Infanterie-Division. Johannes Mayer earned the Ritterkreuz for a daring night operation on 7 August 1941 during the advance in northern Russia. Just after darkness fell, Mayer personally led his regiment forward with the objective of seizing the vital bridge over the Polisstj (Polist) River near Garisha. He fought his way up to the foremost battalion and guided the entire unit through kilometres of dense, trackless forest under cover of night. When the troops reached the bridge, Soviet forces had already set it ablaze. Under enemy fire, Mayer’s men rushed forward, extinguished the flames, and secured the crossing intact. This bold action allowed the rest of the division – including artillery and follow-on forces – to pour across and continue the offensive without delay. The successful seizure of the bridge prevented a Soviet demolition that would have stalled the German advance for days.
Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (16.03.1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #453 (13.04.1944) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 329. Infanterie-Division. Mayer received the award for his decisive leadership during a critical Soviet breakthrough on 10 March 1944 northwest of Newel. Five Soviet rifle divisions, supported by two tank brigades, launched a massive assault that tore a deep penetration north of Putoschka, threatening to split the German lines. With regular combat units stretched thin, Mayer rapidly assembled an improvised battle group from alarm units, construction troops, supply personnel, and any available rear-echelon soldiers. He formed a chain of strongpoints that sealed off the penetration within hours. When reinforcements arrived during the night, he launched an immediate counterattack on his own initiative. Although the assault initially bogged down under heavy fire, Mayer moved forward to the very front line, exposing himself to intense Soviet artillery and machine-gun fire. There he personally directed assault teams, rallying the faltering troops and restoring momentum. The important village of Chudobelkena was recaptured in fierce close-quarters fighting. Mayer’s calm, hands-on leadership turned a near-catastrophic breach into a German victory and restored the integrity of the front.
Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (18.07.1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #89 (23.08.1944) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 329. Infanterie-Division. Mayer was awarded the Schwerter for his outstanding frontline command of the division during the heavy defensive fighting of mid-July 1944. On 13 July the division held a thin line running south of Ssebesh – Malkowo – Sawarnja railway station – Lewnowo – Borki. For the next four days the unit faced repeated Soviet assaults – no fewer than 37 major attacks by infantry, tanks, and artillery! The division’s sector became a raging inferno of shellfire and close combat. Throughout the entire battle Mayer remained constantly at the most threatened sectors of the frontline. In several critical moments when Soviet penetrations threatened to collapse the position, he personally appeared among the troops, directed counterattacks, and restored order through his personal example and superior tactical control. Only after he himself was badly wounded on the final day did the fighting ease. The division’s stubborn defence was explicitly praised in the Wehrmachtbericht of 18 July 1944. Mayer’s unyielding presence and crisis management prevented the total collapse of the sector and earned him the medal.
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Johannes "Hans" Theodor Mayer was a German general of the infantry in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II and a veteran of World War I who attained the rank of General der Infanterie and became one of the highly decorated officers of the conflict by receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Born on 6 September 1893 in the village of Stepenitz near Pritzwalk in the province of Brandenburg within the German Empire he was the son of the Protestant pastor Dr. phil. Lic. theol. Gottlob Mayer and grew up in a religious household that influenced his early path toward theology. His cousin was the later Generalarzt Dr. med. Hans Mayer and his brother-in-law was Gustav Schmidt though details of his own spouse and children remain undocumented in available records. Mayer excelled academically attending the elite Gymnasium Schulpforta where he graduated as the top student of his class with his Abitur in 1913 before beginning studies in theology at university.
At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 Mayer volunteered for military service and joined the Infantry Regiment Prince Moritz of Anhalt-Dessau the 5th Pomeranian Infantry Regiment Number 42 initially serving as a regimental adjutant. He saw combat on multiple fronts including in France Russia Macedonia and Romania rising rapidly through the ranks to become a Leutnant on 5 November 1915 with a patent dated 23 March 1914 and later an Oberleutnant while earning both classes of the Iron Cross for personal bravery the second class on 24 August 1915 and the first class on 16 December 1916. After the armistice he transferred into the Reichswehr where he continued his career but deliberately interrupted troop duty in the 1920s to pursue advanced academic studies earning a doctorate in political economy as Dr. rer. pol. from the University of Greifswald and a second doctorate in engineering as Dr.-Ing. from the Technical University of Charlottenburg. During this period he gained practical experience working in various industrial enterprises and at the Waffenamt the army's weapons office before returning fully to active military service in 1932.
By the mid-1930s Mayer had advanced steadily through the interwar promotions becoming a Major on 1 February 1935 and serving as a tactics instructor at the Kriegsschule in Potsdam from October 1935 onward. He was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 October 1937 and took command of the first battalion of Infantry Regiment 65 based in Delmenhorst on 10 November 1938. With the beginning of World War II in 1939 he led his battalion into action and was soon promoted to Oberst on 1 October 1940 assuming command of the newly formed Infantry Regiment 501 within the 290th Infantry Division. During the Western Campaign of 1940 the regiment distinguished itself by breaking through the Weygand Line and capturing the city of Soissons after which it transferred with the division to Heeresgruppe Nord for the invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. On the night of 7 August 1941 Mayer personally led his regiment through dense trackless forest to seize a critical bridge over the Polisstj River near Garisha which Soviet forces had set ablaze; under heavy fire his troops extinguished the flames secured the crossing intact and enabled the entire division including artillery to advance without delay earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 September 1941 as the first recipient in his division.
In early 1942 Mayer briefly commanded a snowshoe-equipped combat group operating south of Staraja Russa before assuming leadership of the 329th Infantry Division on 27 March 1942 a formation that played a key role in reopening the Demjansk Pocket and conducting prolonged defensive operations south of Lake Ilmen. Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 April 1942 without initial RDA later adjusted and then to Generalleutnant on 1 February 1943 he demonstrated exceptional skill in holding fragmented lines with limited resources while maintaining close personal contact with his soldiers. The division's most critical test came on 10 March 1944 northwest of Newel when five Soviet rifle divisions supported by two tank brigades tore a deep penetration north of Putoschka threatening to split the German front; Mayer rapidly assembled an improvised battle group from alarm units construction troops and rear-echelon personnel forming a chain of strongpoints to seal the breach and launching an immediate counterattack after nighttime reinforcements arrived. When the assault stalled he moved forward under intense artillery and machine-gun fire to the foremost line personally directing assault teams and recapturing the vital village of Chudobelkena in close-quarters fighting which restored the integrity of the sector and led to his award of the Oak Leaves on 13 April 1944 as the 453rd recipient.
Mayer continued to lead the 329th Infantry Division through unrelenting defensive battles in mid-1944 holding a thin line south of Ssebesh through Malkowo Sawarnja railway station Lewnowo and Borki starting on 13 July. Over the following four days the division repelled no fewer than thirty-seven major Soviet attacks involving infantry tanks and massive artillery barrages turning the sector into a continuous inferno of shellfire and hand-to-hand combat. Throughout the fighting Mayer remained constantly at the most threatened forward positions appearing among the troops during multiple crises to direct counterattacks rally faltering units and restore order through his personal example and tactical oversight until he himself suffered severe wounds on the final day which finally eased the pressure. The division's stubborn resistance was explicitly praised in the Wehrmachtbericht on 18 July 1944 and for this outstanding frontline leadership Mayer received the Swords to the Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944 as the 89th recipient while also earning additional honors including the Infantry Assault Badge in Silver the Eastern Front Medal the Wound Badge in Black and later the Kurland cuff title.
After partial recovery from his wounds Mayer was promoted to General der Infanterie on 1 April 1945 and briefly served as acting commander of the II Army Corps being flown into the Courland Pocket on 29 January 1945 despite incomplete healing to stabilize the besieged position until deteriorating health forced his evacuation to a rear hospital in April 1945 and transfer to the Führerreserve of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. He ended the war in various reserve assignments and survived the conflict to resume civilian life working postwar as an engineer in an industrial enterprise until his death on 7 August 1963 in Hamburg West Germany at the age of sixty-nine. In addition to his combat awards he held the full range of Wehrmacht long-service decorations from fourth to first class the 1939 clasps to both Iron Cross classes and the Honour Cross of the World War 1914-18 with swords reflecting a career that spanned more than three decades of dedicated service across two world wars.
Generaloberst Ernst Busch (2nd from left, Oberbefehlshaber 16. Armee) with his officers. 2nd from right is Generalmajor Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer (Kommandeur 329. Infanterie-Division). The picture was taken 0n 13 July 1942 by Kriegsberichter von der Piepen.
Generalmajor Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer.
Johannes Mayer.
Johannes Mayer.
Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer.
Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer with a horse.
Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer.
Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Mayer
Sources:
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Mayer
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Mayer_(General)
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34550/Mayer-Dr-rer-pol-Dr-Ing-Johannes.htm
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/
https://generals.dk/general/Mayer/Johannes/Germany.html
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
Books:
Walther-Peer Fellgiebel - Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945
Various Wehrmacht personnel files and award rolls (Bundesarchiv)
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