Ritterkreuzträger of Sturmartillerie (Assault Artillery)

The German Sturmartillerie, or assault artillery, emerged as one of the most effective and prolific elements of the Wehrmacht's armored forces during World War II, conceived in the mid-1930s by Colonel Erich von Manstein as mobile, armored direct-fire support for infantry divisions rather than as part of the Panzerwaffe. Intended to provide close artillery accompaniment to advancing foot soldiers by neutralizing bunkers, pillboxes, machine-gun nests, and fortified positions through low-profile, casemate-mounted guns without the complexity or cost of a rotating turret, the concept materialized primarily in the Sturmgeschütz III series based on the Panzer III chassis, later supplemented by the StuG IV on the Panzer IV hull to offset production shortfalls. Equipped initially with a short-barreled 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24 gun for high-explosive rounds and evolving to longer 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 or L/48 weapons capable of defeating Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks, these turretless vehicles offered a low silhouette for better concealment and survivability, simpler and cheaper mass production that yielded over 10,000 StuG IIIs alone, and reliable mobility from proven tank chassis. Organized into independent Sturmgeschütz-Abteilungen (later Brigades for deception) under the artillery branch, typically comprising three batteries of StuGs that operated in close cooperation with infantry, the Sturmartillerie proved devastatingly effective in the early Blitzkrieg campaigns, the grueling Eastern Front battles such as the advances toward the Dnieper and encirclement of Kiev, and defensive operations where ambush tactics and hull-down positions maximized their anti-tank prowess while compensating for dwindling tank numbers. As the war progressed and resources tightened, StuGs increasingly substituted for conventional tanks in Panzer units, excelling in hit-and-run anti-armor roles and static defense but remaining less ideal for rapid exploitation maneuvers due to limited gun traverse. Their crews, trained in specialized Sturmartillerie schools, emphasized aggressive yet disciplined fire support, contributing disproportionately to enemy vehicle kills relative to their numbers, and the vehicles' adaptability—from infantry escort to primary tank destroyer—underscored the pragmatic evolution of German armored doctrine amid mounting battlefield pressures until the final days of the conflict.

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HEER


Generalmajor Günther Hoffmann-Schönborn (1905-1970) was a German officer who rose to the rank of Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II, serving initially in artillery units before becoming a pioneering commander of assault gun formations. Born in Posen, he joined the Reichswehr in 1924 as a volunteer in the 3. (Preuß.) Artillerie-Regiment and was commissioned Leutnant in 1928, steadily advancing through the ranks while gaining expertise in mobile artillery support. By late 1940 he was promoted to Major and appointed Kommandeur of Sturm-Geschütz-Abteilung 191 “Büffel,” equipped with Sturmgeschütze III vehicles that provided direct fire support to infantry. His leadership earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 May 1941 as Major and commander of Sturm-Geschütz-Abteilung 191 attached to 5. Gebirgs-Division within XVIII. Gebirgs-Korps and 12. Armee, for his critical role in the Balkans Campaign: during the breakthrough of the Metaxas Line in Greece, despite intense enemy defensive fire and extremely difficult mountainous terrain, he skillfully maneuvered his Sturmgeschütze into effective firing positions to cover the advance of Gruppe Ens, delivering devastating close support that enabled the Gruppe to pierce the fortified Greek positions and contributed decisively to the rapid collapse of the enemy front. Later, on the Eastern Front with 111. Infanterie-Division under LI. Armeekorps and 6. Armee of Heeresgruppe Süd, his Abteilung distinguished itself during the advance to the Dnieper River, the river crossing, and the subsequent encirclement battles around Kiev in 1941, where aggressive leadership and coordinated fire support helped maintain momentum and inflict heavy losses on Soviet forces, leading to the award of the 49th Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941 while still a Major commanding Sturm-Geschütz-Abteilung 191. Hoffmann-Schönborn continued to command various units, including later the 18. Volksgrenadier-Division and 5. Panzer-Division, until the end of the war, embodying the tactical evolution of Sturmgeschütz operations from defensive fire support to offensive breakthroughs in some of the Wehrmacht’s most demanding campaigns.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz_III
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=159818

Bio of General der Artillerie Walter Hartmann (1891-1977)

Full name: Walter Hartmann  
Nickname: None commonly recorded

Date of birth: 23 July 1891 - Mülheim an der Ruhr, Rhineprovinz (German Empire)
Date of death: 11 March 1977 - Hameln, Niedersachsen (West Germany)

Religion: Protestant (evangelisch), as was typical for many Saxon officers of his generation  
Parents: Richard Hartmann (factory owner) and Bertha Hartmann, born Schumann
Siblings: Not specified
Spouse: Married to Luise Hartmann, born von Meibom (married 1922)
Children: Two daughters

Promotions:
08.04.1911: Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
30.06.1911: Fähnrich
04.05.1912: Leutnant
13.03.1916: Oberleutnant
01.12.1921: Hauptmann
01.10.1932: Major
01.04.1936: Oberstleutnant
01.06.1938: Oberst
01.10.1941: Generalmajor
01.02.1943: Generalleutnant
01.05.1944: General der Artillerie

Career:
01.10.1910: entered Army
01.10.1910: Fahnenjunker in the 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
01.10.1913: Mounted Battalion of the 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
26.03.1916: Replacement-Battalion of the 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
16.04.1916: Beobachter, 7th Flying-Replacement-Battalion
14.06.1916: 232nd Artillery-Flying-Battalion
27.01.1917: 1st Adjutant of Artillery-Flying-School East
01.06.1918: Flying-Group-Commander 21, Training in General Staff Service to XXI. Reserve-Corps
15.12.1918: Adjutant of the Commander of Flying 9, Kurland
01.01.1919: Battery-Leader in the Kurland Field-Artillery-Regiment
01.06.1919: General-Staff-Officer with General-Command of VI. Reserve-Corps
05.12.1919: 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
01.04.1920: Adjutant of Artillery-Leader 12
01.01.1921: 4th Artillery-Regiment
03.01.1921: training of Officers with Special Duties with the Staff of 4th Division, Dresden
18.05.1921: training as Subsidiary Detached Officer
01.10.1921: subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of 4th Division
01.10.1922: 4th Artillery-Regiment
01.05.1923: Staff of 4th Division
01.10.1925: 4th Artillery-Regiment
01.10.1926: Staff of the 4th Division
01.04.1928: Chief, 5th Battery, 4th Artillery-Regiment
22.10.1928: Firing-Course for Artillery Officers in Munster
01.10.1931: Staff, II. Battalion, 4th Artillery-Regiment
31.10.1932: retired
01.11.1932: instructor in China
01.03.1934: reactivated, Staff of the 4th Artillery-Regiment
01.10.1934: Commander, IV. Battalion, Artillery-Regiment Naumburg
15.10.1935: Commander, I. Battalion, 60th Artillery-Regiment
12.10.1937: Commander, 24th Artillery-Regiment
25.11.1940: Artillery-Commander 140 (Artillery-Leader of LII. Army-Corps)
15.07.1941: Severely Wounded (lost left arm and left leg) - in Hospital the Führer-Reserve
01.05.1942: Commander, Special-Purpose-Division 407
10.09.1942: Commander, 390th Field-Training-Division
01.04.1943: Commander, 87th Infantry-Division
20.11.1943: Führer-Reserve OKH
05.01.1944: course for Commanding Generals
05.02.1944: Army-Group North for Use as Representative for Leave and Sick Commanding Generals
01.02.1944-30.03.1944: delegated with the Leadership of I. Army-Corps
01.04.1944-28.04.1944: delegated with the Leadership of X. Army-Corps
02.05.1944: Army-Group South Ukraine for Use as Representative for Leave and Sick Commanding Generals
10.05.1944: commanding General, XXXXIX. Mountain-Corps
28.05.1944-13.06.1944: delegated with the Leadership of 17th Army
10.09.1944: commanding General, VIII. Army-Corps
18.04.1945: commanding General, XXIV. Panzer-Corps
08.05.1945: US POW
20.06.1947: released

Awards and Decorations:
- Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (28 September 1914)  
- Ritterkreuz des Königlich Sächsischen Militär-St.-Heinrichs-Ordens (9 March 1915)  
- Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914 (30 September 1916)  
- Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Königlich Sächsischen Albrechts-Ordens mit Schwertern  
- Königlich Preussisches Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen  
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (1934)  
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 1. Klasse (1936)  
- Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse 1939 (21 September 1939)  
- Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse 1939 (1 October 1939)  
- Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Gold (July 1941)  
- Anerkennungsurkunde des Oberbefehlshabers des Heeres (30 July 1941)  
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #409 (10 August 1941) as Oberst and Artillerie-Kommandeur 140 (Arko 140), supporting the 100. Leichte Infanterie-Division of the 17. Armee in Heeresgruppe Süd. The division was tasked with breaking through the heavily fortified Stalin Line near the village of Koserowka, on 15 July 1941. The Soviet defenses consisted of deep field fortifications, bunkers, anti-tank obstacles, and concentrated artillery and machine-gun fire. As the German infantry assault began to stall under furious enemy resistance, Hartmann moved forward to the foremost line, exposing himself directly to Soviet fire. From this advanced position, he personally directed the artillery fire with exceptional skill and calmness.
By observing the battlefield in real time, he adjusted the barrage swiftly and flexibly to match the rapidly changing needs of the attacking infantry. His precise fire support suppressed Soviet strongpoints, neutralized counter-attacking forces, and created gaps in the enemy line. This decisive artillery leadership enabled the 100. Leichte Infanterie-Division to achieve a swift and successful breakthrough. Only hours later, Hartmann himself was severely wounded in the same sector and lost his left arm and left leg.
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #340 (30 November 1943) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 87. Infanterie-Division. In September 1943, the division faced repeated heavy Soviet attacks and local penetrations. On 19 September 1943, a dangerous Soviet breakthrough occurred near Beljanskaja. Hartmann personally led two platoons of Jäger-Bataillon 1 into the breach to seal off the penetration. Moving with determination on his artificial limbs, he directed the small force in close combat and restored the line.
On 23 September 1943, Soviet forces advanced up to 15 kilometers behind the German front and threatened divisional supply units along the Janowitschi–Demidow road. Hartmann immediately assembled a small battle group consisting of about 20 men from his own divisional staff and personally led them in a counterattack. Through aggressive leadership and rapid action, they engaged the enemy and eliminated the threat to the rear areas.
The following day, on 24 September 1943, he cleared another critical situation near Tischanowo by committing reserves and coordinating localized counterthrusts. These actions, carried out under extreme personal physical hardship, demonstrated exceptional leadership and bravery. For his outstanding command of the 87. Infanterie-Division and these specific deeds, Hartmann was awarded the Eichenlaub.
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #139 (18 March 1945) as General der Artillerie and Kommandierender General VIII. Armeekorps. By late January and early February 1945, the corps was engaged in desperate defensive battles along the Oder front in Silesia, holding a sector from Cosel to Oppeln (later extended toward Grotkau).
Facing overwhelming Soviet superiority in men, tanks, and artillery during the Vistula-Oder Offensive, the corps came under repeated heavy assaults. Soviet forces achieved several dangerous local break-ins. Hartmann organized a tenacious defense, rapidly shifting limited reserves and launching targeted counterthrusts even when they were numerically weak. These swift and determined counterattacks prevented the penetrations from expanding into a full breakthrough.
His leadership was particularly effective in the fighting northeast of Ratibor, in the area between Grotkau and Neiße, and east of the Zobten. Through skillful use of terrain, coordinated artillery and anti-tank fire, and personal example, the VIII. Armeekorps held its positions long enough to delay the Soviet advance toward the interior of Germany. These defensive successes in the final phase of the war, conducted under enormous pressure, earned him the Schwerter.

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Walter Hartmann was a German general of artillery in the Wehrmacht during World War II who rose to prominence through his leadership in both world wars and his extraordinary resilience after suffering devastating injuries. Born on 23 July 1891 in Mülheim an der Ruhr in the Rhine Province, he entered military service in October 1910 as a Fahnenjunker with the 1st Royal Saxon Field Artillery Regiment No. 12. During World War I he served primarily on the Eastern Front with Saxon artillery units, later transferring to aerial observation roles where he acted as an observer and adjutant in flying formations. He earned several decorations for bravery, including the Iron Cross First and Second Class and the Knight's Cross of the Saxon Military Order of St. Henry. After the war he continued in the Reichswehr, holding various staff and command positions within artillery regiments based in Dresden.

In the interwar years Hartmann advanced steadily through the ranks while serving in artillery units and briefly acting as an instructor in China between 1932 and 1934. He commanded the 24th Artillery Regiment from 1937 onward, leading it through the invasion of Poland in 1939 and the campaign in the West in 1940. In November 1940 he was appointed Artillerie-Kommandeur 140, a role that placed him in charge of coordinating heavy fire support for corps-level operations. Promoted to Oberst, he brought his artillery expertise to the early stages of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, supporting the 100th Light Infantry Division in Army Group South as German forces pushed deep into Soviet territory.

The action that earned Hartmann the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross occurred on 15 July 1941 near the village of Koserowka during the assault on the heavily fortified Stalin Line. Soviet defenses featured dense bunkers, anti-tank obstacles, and intense machine-gun and artillery fire that threatened to stall the German infantry attack. Ignoring personal safety, Hartmann moved forward to the foremost lines under furious enemy fire and personally directed the artillery barrage with remarkable precision and flexibility. By adjusting fire in real time to suppress strongpoints and neutralize counterattacks, he enabled the 100th Light Infantry Division to achieve a swift breakthrough. Hours after this success, however, he was severely wounded in the same sector, resulting in the amputation of his left arm and left leg. Despite this life-changing injury, he was awarded the Knight's Cross on 10 August 1941 and later promoted to Generalmajor.

After a long period of recovery, Hartmann insisted on returning to active front-line duty in May 1942. He first commanded Division z.b.V. 407 and then the 390th Field Training Division before taking charge of the 87th Infantry Division in April 1943 in the central sector of the Eastern Front near Welish. In September 1943, as Soviet forces launched strong local offensives, he demonstrated exceptional personal courage despite his disabilities. On 19 September he led two platoons of Jäger Battalion 1 into a dangerous penetration at Beljanskaja to seal the gap through close combat. Days later, on 23 September, he assembled a small battle group of about twenty men from his divisional staff and personally led them in a counterattack against Soviet troops that had advanced fifteen kilometers behind German lines to threaten supply routes along the Janowitschi–Demidow road. The following day he resolved another critical situation near Tischanowo by committing reserves and directing localized counterthrusts. These determined actions helped stabilize the division's sector during a difficult defensive battle and earned him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 30 November 1943.

In early 1944 Hartmann briefly led the I Army Corps before assuming command of the XXXXIX Mountain Corps in May 1944, overseeing the difficult evacuation of Crimea by sea to Romania. By September 1944 he had taken command of the VIII Army Corps, which faced the full weight of the Red Army's advances in Silesia and along the Oder River. During the heavy Soviet assaults of late January and early February 1945, his corps held a critical sector from Cosel to Oppeln and later toward Grotkau. Through skillful coordination of limited reserves, rapid counterattacks, and tenacious use of terrain and artillery, Hartmann prevented several dangerous penetrations from developing into a complete breakthrough, particularly in the fighting northeast of Ratibor and east of the Zobten. For his leadership in these desperate defensive battles he received the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 18 March 1945. In April 1945 he assumed command of the XXIV Panzer Corps and led it until the final days of the war.

Hartmann was taken prisoner by American forces on 8 May 1945 and was released from captivity on 20 June 1947. He spent his remaining years in Hameln, Lower Saxony, where he died on 11 March 1977 at the age of 85. Throughout his career he was noted not only for his tactical competence as an artillery officer but also for his remarkable determination to continue serving despite profound physical handicaps, qualities that made him one of the few severely disabled generals to hold high command positions on the Eastern Front until the end of hostilities.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Hartmann  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34591/Hartmann-Walter-General-der-Artillerie.htm  
https://web.archive.org/web/20091028010435fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General/HARTMANN_WALTER.html
https://generals.dk/general/Hartmann/Walter/Germany.html  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/H/HartmannWa.htm  
https://rk.balsi.de

Ritterkreuz Action of Fritz Polack

Generalmajor Walter Fries (left, Kommandeur 29. Panzergrenadier-Division) posed with Oberst Dr.rer.pol. Fritz Polack (Kommandeur Artillerie-Regiment 29) after the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Polack.

Fritz Polack (22 October 1892 – 6 April 1956) was a highly decorated Wehrmacht officer who rose from artillery lieutenant in World War I to Generalleutnant in World War II. A veteran of the Saxon Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 10, he earned both classes of the Iron Cross in 1914–1916 before studying political economy and rejoining the Reichswehr in 1934. By 1943 he commanded Artillerie-Regiment 29 (motorisiert) within the 29. Panzergrenadier-Division (under General Walter Fries) during the defense of Sicily in Operation Husky.

He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross) on 27 August 1943 as Oberst and regimental commander. The official citation highlights his actions on 11 August 1943 at Brolo on Sicily’s north coast: “Oberst Polack assembled a Kampfgruppe with all available forces and used it to fight for control of the narrow passage at Brolo. He then held this position until he made contact with the Kampfgruppe led by Oberstleutnant Krüger.” This was no routine artillery duel—it was a desperate, improvised infantry-style stand by an artillery headquarters that saved the division’s escape route during the final German withdrawal from Sicily.

By early August 1943 the 29. Panzergrenadier-Division formed part of the German rearguard along Sicily’s northern coastal Highway 113 (the only viable east-west route). The division held the strong Naso Ridge–San Fratello line against the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, but the Americans launched “end-run” amphibious landings to outflank them and race to Messina. Task Force Bernard (Lt. Col. Lyle W. Bernard’s understrength 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry—roughly 650 men—plus five Shermans, self-propelled 105 mm guns, engineers, and naval support from the cruiser USS Philadelphia and six destroyers) hit the beaches west of Brolo just after 0243 hours on 11 August.

Polack’s regimental HQ (a tiny force of artillerymen, HQ staff, and a few 20 mm Flak guns) occupied the commanding double-humped ridge of Monte Cipolla—a steep, scrub-covered height only 450 yards from the sea that overlooked the coastal road, the stone village of Brolo, the lemon groves (“the flats”), and the dry Brolo Riverbed. The balance of his artillery regiment and elements of the 71st Panzergrenadier Regiment were spread eastward along the coast.

The Americans landed almost undetected at first. Companies F and G scrambled up the precipitous northeastern nose of Monte Cipolla through lemon groves and over a 13-foot railroad embankment. Dawn broke with the hill seemingly in American hands.

Then Polack’s small headquarters erupted. Flares lit the sky like magnesium stars. Machine guns and small-arms fire ripped down the slopes, “tearing up the slopes around the scrambling Americans with small-arms fire, killing several.” The outgunned artillerymen poured fire into the climbing GIs; American bodies tumbled back down the brick-hard terraces. Polack’s party fought until they were forced to beat a hasty retreat off the hill and into the village of Brolo.

Polack immediately grasped the mortal danger: if the Americans seized the narrow coastal defile at Brolo, the entire 29th Division—and potentially larger German forces—would be cut off from Messina. He radioed General Fries, who ordered an immediate counterattack and began pulling troops from the Naso Ridge defenses. Polack wasted no time. He scraped together every man he could find—his own artillery personnel (now fighting as infantry), two companies of panzergrenadiers, and half a dozen tanks—and packed them into half-tracks and personnel carriers.

Around 1100 hours his Kampfgruppe Polack rumbled out of Brolo along Highway 113. Tanks and half-tracks clanked forward in a thunder of tracks and engines, infantry dismounting to push through gullies and stone walls. German guns opened up from the village; 20 mm Flak hammered the American positions on Monte Cipolla. In the lemon groves below, Polack’s tanks dueled American Shermans and self-propelled guns at point-blank range—one German tank and an American crew both burst into flames after a direct confrontation. His men overran and destroyed two American howitzers from Battery B and mowed down ammunition mules and runners.

The coastal road and riverbed became a hellscape. Naval shells from the Philadelphia and destroyers screamed in, shattering trucks and carving craters along the highway. Grass fires ignited by explosions burned telephone wires and isolated American units. A-36 fighter-bombers screamed overhead, strafing and bombing Brolo. American mortar and machine-gun fire cut down German scouting parties (one 30-man group advancing down the Brolo Riverbed was almost annihilated). Yet Polack’s Kampfgruppe seized and held the vital narrow passage at Brolo—the choke point that controlled the retreat route.
All afternoon the fighting raged. Bernard’s men on Monte Cipolla were squeezed into a shrinking perimeter; radio pleas grew desperate (“Enemy counterattacking fiercely. Do something!”). Misplaced American bombs even killed 19 of their own men and destroyed Battery A’s remaining howitzers. German tracers zipped through the darkness “like neatly organized fireflies,” bullets churning the hard ground while figures ran, cursed, and fell.

Polack’s force maintained the position under relentless naval and air pounding until late in the day, when they finally linked up with Kampfgruppe Krüger (elements of the 71st Panzergrenadier Regiment under Oberstleutnant Walter Krüger advancing from the west). The link-up secured the coastal highway. The 29th Panzergrenadier Division was able to withdraw eastward past the trap, loading men and vehicles onto trucks under cover of night and shellfire. Most of the division escaped to Messina and crossed the Strait of Messina in the final evacuation (Operation Lehrgang), completed by 17 August.

Polack’s rapid assembly of a scratch Kampfgruppe, his personal leadership in the close-quarters fight, and his stubborn defense of the Brolo defile prevented the Americans from severing the German line of retreat. This action—turning artillerymen into street-fighting infantry and coordinating tanks and infantry under devastating naval gunfire—directly earned him the Knight’s Cross.

The award recognized not only bravery but decisive leadership that preserved combat power for the Italian mainland campaign. Polack later commanded the 29. Panzergrenadier-Division itself (from August 1944) and was nominated (but not officially awarded due to the war’s end) for the Oak Leaves. He surrendered to U.S. forces in Italy in 1945 and died in 1956.

The “Imbroglio at Brolo” (as one American account called it) was a classic small-unit knife-fight in a larger campaign: a handful of determined Germans under an artillery colonel turned back a surprise amphibious thrust and kept the escape corridor open for thousands. That is the vivid, gritty action that won Fritz Polack the Ritterkreuz.

Source :
https://grokipedia.com/page/fritz_polack
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/35763/Polack-Drrerpol-Fritz.htm

Bio of SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Priess (1901-1985)

Full name: Hermann August Fredrich Priess
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 24 May 1901 - Marnitz, Mecklenburg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 22 February 1985 - Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein (West Germany)

Battles and Operations: Estonian War of Independence (1919), Eastern Front (1941-1943, including Demyansk Pocket and Kharkov), Ardennes Offensive (1944), Operation Southwind (1945), Operation Spring Awakening (1945)

NSDAP-Number: 1,472,296 (joined 1 December 1933)
SS-Number: 113,258 (joined 10 July 1934)
Religion: Protestant
Parents: Ernst Priess (butcher) and Dorothea Thiede
Siblings: No information
Spouse: Hildegard Schmidt (married, born 22 April 1913, died 26 December 1989)
Children: Three children (born 27 November 1937, 21 April 1939, and one with no date available)

Promotions:
26 February 1935 SS-Untersturmfûhrer
15 September 1935 SS-Obersturmfûhrer
13 September 1936 SS-Hauptsturmfûhrer
20 April 1939 SS-Sturmbannfûhrer
1 August 1940 SS-Obersturmbannfûhrer
21 June 1941 SS-Standartenfûhrer
13 July 1942 SS-Oberfûhrer
15 July 1943 SS-Brigadefûhrer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS
20 April 1944 SS-Gruppenfûhrer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS

Career:
January 1919 Volunteered for service in the Reichsheer
1919-1920 Served in Freikorps von Brandis in the Baltikum
1920-1931 Service in the Reichswehr, discharged as Oberfeldwebel
10 July 1934 Joined the SS-Verfuegungstruppe
1935-1939 Various artillery training and command roles in SS units
1939-1941 Commander of artillery battery and regiment in SS-Division Totenkopf
1941-1943 Commander of SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf during Eastern Front operations
26 February 1943-21 June 1944 Commander of 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf
7 August 1944-24 October 1944 Commander of XIII. SS-Armeekorps
30 October 1944-8 May 1945 Commander of I. SS-Panzerkorps Leibstandarte

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (22 September 1939)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (15 October 1939)
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (6 January 1942 as SS-Standartenfuehrer in the SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (28 April 1943) as SS-Oberfûhrer and commander of Artillerie-Regiment of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf. The award recognized Priess's outstanding leadership in artillery command during critical defensive operations on the Eastern Front. Specifically, it was for his actions in the Demjansk Pocket from February to April 1942, where the "Totenkopf" Division was encircled by Soviet forces. As artillery commander, Priess effectively coordinated the combined batteries of Group Eicke, repelling week-long Soviet attacks and destroying enemy concentrations without losing ground along a 41 km front. His efforts were crucial in holding "Fortress Demjansk" until relief arrived. Additionally, sources highlight his role in the Third Battle of Kharkov (February-March 1943), where, after assuming division command following Theodor Eicke's death on 26 February 1943, he led the division in bitter fighting that contributed to the destruction of the Soviet 3rd Tank Army and the recapture of Kharkov. The official recommendation emphasized his experience and tactical acumen in these encirclement battles, preventing collapse and enabling the division's survival.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #297 (9 September 1943) as SS-Brigadefûhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf. This higher grade honored Priess's continued exemplary command during intense summer combats on the Eastern Front following the Third Battle of Kharkov. Key actions included the division's heavy involvement in Operation Citadel (the Battle of Kursk) in July 1943, particularly in the southern sector of the salient, where the "Totenkopf" Panzer regiment engaged in massive tank battles around Prokhorovka against overwhelming Soviet armor. Despite high casualties, Priess's leadership maintained cohesion and inflicted significant losses. After Kursk's failure, the division repelled a Soviet counteroffensive on the Mius River in late July-early August 1943, before retreating to defensive positions around Kharkov. In the Fourth Battle of Kharkov (August 1943), Priess orchestrated delaying actions that covered the German withdrawal, though the city fell to the Red Army on 22 August. His ability to rally the division under relentless pressure, preserving its combat effectiveness, was cited as pivotal.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #65 (24 April 1944) as SS-Brigadefûhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and commander of the 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf. The award acknowledged Priess's sustained leadership in defensive and counteroffensive operations on the Eastern Front from late 1943 into early 1944, amid the German retreat after the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. Following the loss of Kharkov, the division fought rearguard actions during the retreat to the Dnieper River in September-October 1943, holding bridgeheads and disrupting Soviet advances. In November-December 1943, Priess led counterattacks in the Krivoi Rog area, stabilizing lines against superior Soviet forces. During the winter of 1943-1944, the "Totenkopf" participated in relief efforts for encircled German units in the Korsun Pocket (January-February 1944), breaking through to evacuate survivors despite harsh conditions and heavy losses. The division's repeated successes in crisis situations, earning praise from Wehrmacht commanders for its reliability and combat prowess, underscored Priess's strategic and motivational skills. He relinquished divisional command in July 1944.

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Hermann August Fredrich Priess (24 May 1901 - 2 February 1985) was a German general in the Waffen-SS and a convicted war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf following the death of Theodor Eicke in February 1943 and later led the I SS Panzer Corps from October 1944 until the end of the war. Priess was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for his leadership on the Eastern Front. During the Ardennes Offensive, units under his command were involved in the Malmedy massacre, leading to his postwar conviction and imprisonment. He served in various artillery and divisional roles throughout the conflict, rising to the rank of SS-Gruppenfuhrer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS.

Priess was born on 24 May 1901 in Marnitz, a small town in Mecklenburg, German Empire, to Ernst Priess, a butcher, and Dorothea Thiede. Raised in a Protestant family, he completed his schooling and worked on his family's farm until January 1919, when he volunteered for service in the German army amid the chaos following World War I. Although the war on the Western Front had ended, threats persisted on Germany's eastern borders. His initial unit was disbanded due to the Treaty of Versailles restrictions, prompting him to join the Freikorps von Brandis, where he fought in the Estonian War of Independence from 1919 to 1920. Returning to the Reichswehr in 1920, Priess served a 12-year term, advancing to the rank of Oberfeldwebel before being discharged in June 1931 due to military downsizing. During this interwar period, he maintained a low profile, but his early military experience laid the foundation for his later career in the SS.

In the early 1930s, Priess aligned himself with the rising Nazi regime, joining the NSDAP on 1 December 1933 with membership number 1,472,296, and the SS on 10 July 1934 with number 113,258. He entered the SS-Verfugungstruppe as an SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer and took command of the 13th Company of SS-Standarte Germania. By June 1939, he was involved in establishing an artillery department for the new SS-Verfugungsdivision, earning promotion to SS-Sturmbannfuhrer on 20 April 1939. Priess led this unit during the invasion of Poland in September 1939, followed by participation in the Western Campaign in 1940. Promoted to SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer on 1 August 1940, he assumed command of the SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf, which he led into the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. His rapid promotions continued, reaching SS-Standartenfuhrer on 21 June 1941, reflecting his specialization in artillery tactics and his integration into the Waffen-SS elite.

On the Eastern Front, Priess's artillery regiment played a crucial role in the brutal campaigns of 1941-1943. During the defense of the Demyansk Pocket from February to April 1942, his coordinated fire support repelled sustained Soviet assaults along a 41-kilometer front, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 6 January 1942. Following Theodor Eicke's death on 26 February 1943, Priess took command of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf, redesignated as the 3rd SS Panzer Division. He led it through the Third Battle of Kharkov in March 1943, contributing to the destruction of the Soviet 3rd Tank Army and the recapture of the city. Promoted to SS-Oberfuhrer and later SS-Brigadefuhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS on 15 July 1943, Priess commanded during Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk) in July 1943, engaging in fierce tank battles around Prokhorovka. Despite heavy losses, his leadership maintained divisional cohesion against superior Soviet forces.

Priess's command extended into the defensive retreats of late 1943 and early 1944. After Kursk, the division held against Soviet counteroffensives on the Mius River and during the Fourth Battle of Kharkov in August 1943, facilitating German withdrawals to the Dnieper River. In November-December 1943, he orchestrated counterattacks in the Krivoi Rog sector, stabilizing lines amid the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. During the Korsun Pocket relief in January-February 1944, Priess's forces broke through to evacuate survivors under harsh winter conditions. Relieved of divisional command on 21 June 1944, he briefly led the XIII SS Army Corps from 7 August to 24 October 1944 before taking over the I SS Panzer Corps on 30 October 1944. Promoted to SS-Gruppenfuhrer and Generalleutnant on 20 April 1944, he commanded this corps during the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, where subordinated units like Kampfgruppe Peiper committed the Malmedy massacre, murdering 84 American POWs.

In early 1945, the I SS Panzer Corps was redeployed to Hungary, participating in Operation Southwind in February, which destroyed the Soviet Hron Bridgehead near Esztergom. Priess then led the corps in Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive, centered around Lake Balaton from 6 to 16 March 1945, ending in defeat and retreat toward Vienna. Surrendering to American forces in May 1945, Priess was initially held at Camp King, where he contributed to U.S. Army historical studies. From May to July 1946, he stood trial in the Malmedy massacre proceedings at Dachau, one of 73 defendants charged with the deaths of over 300 American POWs and 100 Belgian civilians. Convicted for issuing orders that encouraged "reckless brutality" and terror tactics, he received a 20-year sentence on 16 July 1946 but was released early from Landsberg Prison in October 1954. Priess lived quietly in Ahrensburg until his death on 2 February 1985 at age 83, married to Hildegard Schmidt with three children.

Priess's military decorations highlighted his combat effectiveness, particularly on the Eastern Front. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 22 September 1939 and 1st Class on 15 October 1939, followed by the Wound Badge in Black and Demyansk Shield. The Knight's Cross was awarded on 28 April 1943 for his artillery leadership in the Demyansk Pocket and early Kharkov battles. The Oak Leaves (297th recipient) came on 9 September 1943 for successes during Kursk and the Mius River defenses. The Swords (65th recipient) were granted on 24 April 1944 for defensive actions in the Korsun Pocket and Krivoi Rog. These honors underscored his tactical acumen but were overshadowed by his association with SS atrocities, including the Totenkopf Division's origins in concentration camp guards and the war crimes under his corps command. Post-release, Priess avoided public life, with no further notable activities recorded before his passing.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912/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/
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/priess-hermann
Books: "Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles" by Peter Mooney (Schiffer Publishing, 2010); "The Waffen-SS: A European History" edited by Jochen Boehler and Robert Gerwarth (Oxford University Press, 2017); "Totenkopf: The Structure, Development and Personalities of the 3.SS-Panzer-Division" by Mark C. Yerger (Bender Publishing, 2000)

Bio of Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge (1882-1944)

Full name: Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge
Nickname: Hans-Günther, Clever Hans

Date of Birth: 30.10.1882 - Posen, Province of Posen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 19.08.1944 - near Metz/Verdun (France)

Battles and Operations: Polish Campaign, Western Campaign, Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Smolensk, Operation Typhoon / Battle of Moscow, Battles of Rzhev, Operation Citadel / Battle of Kursk, Normandy Campaign  

NSDAP-Number: No information  
SS-Number: No information  
Religion: No information  
Parents: Max von Kluge (Generalmajor)  
Siblings: Wolfgang von Kluge (Generalleutnant)  
Spouse: Mathilde von Briesen (married 1907)  
Children: Günther, Ester and Marie Louise  

Promotions:  
- 22.03.1901: Leutnant  
- 16.06.1910: Oberleutnant  
- 00.00.1914: Hauptmann  
- 01.04.1923: Major  
- 01.07.1927: Oberstleutnant  
- 01.02.1930: Oberst  
- 01.02.1933: Generalmajor  
- 01.04.1934: Generalleutnant  
- 01.08.1936: General der Artillerie  
- 01.10.1939: Generaloberst  
- 19.07.1940: Generalfeldmarschall  

Career:  
- 22.03.1901: entered service in Niedersächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 46  
- 1910-1918: General Staff officer, served on Eastern and Western Fronts in World War I  
- 1923: transferred to Reichswehrministerium in Berlin  
- 01.03.1930: commander of 2. (Preußisches) Artillerie-Regiment  
- 01.04.1934: commander of 6. Division  
- 01.04.1935: commanding general of VI. Armeekorps  
- 01.12.1938: commander of Heeresgruppen-Kommando 6  
- 26.08.1939: commander of 4. Armee  
- 19.12.1941: Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte  
- 02.07.1944: Oberbefehlshaber West (OB West) and commander of Heeresgruppe B  
- 17.08.1944: relieved of all commands  

Awards and Decorations:  
- Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (1914)  
- Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (1914)  
- Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern  
- 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (05.09.1939)  
- 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (17.09.1939)  
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (30.09.1939) as General der Artillerie and Kommandeur 4. Armee. Awarded for outstanding leadership during the Polish Campaign (Operation Fall Weiss / Fall Weiß). The 4th Army, advancing from West Pomerania (Pommern), played a central role in the rapid conquest of the Polish Corridor. It crossed the Brda River, sealed off Polish forces (including elements of the 9th and 27th Infantry Divisions and the Pomeranian Cavalry Brigade), advanced through the Tuchola Forest (Tucheler Heide), crossed the Vistula River near Graudenz (Grudziądz), and linked up with Army Group South forces. This contributed to the early encirclement and destruction of Polish units in the north. The XIX Army Corps (under Heinz Guderian) supported operations, capturing Brześć (Brest-Litovsk) on 17 September. Hitler personally praised Kluge as one of his most capable commanders for these swift, coordinated advances with relatively low casualties. This award came shortly after the campaign's conclusion and recognized the army-level operational success that helped secure victory in Poland within weeks.
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #181 (18.01.1943) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte. Awarded for distinguished leadership and defensive successes during the Eastern Campaign, particularly the harsh winter fighting of 1941/42 and subsequent months. After commanding the 4th Army during Operation Barbarossa (including the Vyazma encirclement and advances toward Moscow in late 1941), Kluge took over Army Group Centre amid the Soviet winter counteroffensive. He stabilized the front through positional warfare and defensive battles against vastly superior Soviet forces in manpower and materiel. His forces repeatedly repelled attacks, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy despite severe challenges like extreme cold, supply shortages, and lack of mobility. This included holding key sectors during the Battles of Rzhev and preventing a collapse of the central front. The award highlighted his skill in managing relentless Soviet pressure while maintaining cohesion in a critical defensive phase. The Eichenlaub recognized his transition from offensive command to masterful defense on the Eastern Front.
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwerter #40 (29.10.1943) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte. Awarded for exceptional command achievements in the East during summer and autumn 1943, particularly in defensive operations against overwhelming Soviet superiority. Kluge oversaw Army Group Centre during Operation Citadel (the Battle of Kursk, July 1943), where his forces (including the 9th Army) formed the northern pincer. Although he had initially expressed reservations about the offensive due to insufficient strength, he executed the operation and then managed the subsequent Soviet counteroffensives (e.g., Operation Kutuzov). He conducted skillful withdrawals and defensive actions (such as the earlier Operation Büffel in March 1943, which shortened lines by ~370 km), preventing breakthroughs despite massive Soviet numerical and material advantages. His leadership emphasized efficient use of limited resources, timely counterattacks, and preservation of combat effectiveness in a war of attrition. The Swords specifically praised his aptitude for high-intensity defensive warfare under these conditions.  
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold  
- Ostmedaille  
- Wound Badge in Black (1918)  
- Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (various classes)  
- Several campaign medals  

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Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge was born on October 30, 1882, in Posen, then part of the German Empire and now Poznań in Poland. He came from a Prussian military family—his father was a lieutenant general—and followed the traditional path into the army. In 1901 he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the 46th Field Artillery Regiment. He advanced steadily through the ranks, attending the War Academy and serving on the General Staff before the First World War.

During the Great War, Kluge served primarily in staff roles and as an artillery specialist. He participated in major engagements, including the Battle of Verdun in 1916, where he was seriously wounded. His performance earned him a reputation as an energetic and capable officer. After the armistice he remained in the Reichswehr, the limited army permitted under the Treaty of Versailles. Through the 1920s and 1930s he held various command and staff positions, rising to Major General in 1933, Lieutenant General in 1934, and General of Artillery in 1936. By 1938 he commanded Army Group 6 in Hanover.

Kluge initially viewed the Nazi regime with skepticism. He objected to Hitler's aggressive foreign policy and was disturbed by the regime's anti-Semitic policies. This led to his temporary dismissal from the army in 1938 during the purges that removed several conservative officers. Yet his expertise in mobile warfare and his earlier record soon brought him back into favor. He was recalled to command the newly formed Fourth Army (initially designated as the Sixth Army Group) on the eve of the Second World War.

In September 1939, Kluge led the Fourth Army during the invasion of Poland as part of Army Group North under Fedor von Bock. His forces advanced rapidly, reaching the Vistula before Britain and France declared war. The campaign showcased his ability to coordinate infantry, armor, and artillery effectively. The following year, in the Battle of France, the Fourth Army operated under Army Group A commanded by Gerd von Rundstedt. Kluge's troops pushed through Belgium and northern France, contributing to the encirclement at Dunkirk and the subsequent drive to the Seine and the Atlantic ports. For these successes Hitler promoted him to Generalfeldmarschall on July 19, 1940, one of the dozen field marshals appointed that day.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Kluge again commanded the Fourth Army, now part of Army Group Center under von Bock. His army participated in the encirclement battles at Minsk and Smolensk, then advanced toward Moscow. During the Battle for Moscow in late 1941, harsh winter conditions, overstretched supply lines, and fierce Soviet resistance halted the German offensive. Kluge, like many senior commanders, faced criticism, but he retained Hitler's confidence. In December 1941, after von Bock's dismissal following the Soviet counteroffensive, Kluge was appointed commander of Army Group Center. He held this position for nearly two years, through the massive Soviet offensives of 1942 and 1943. He proved adept at defensive operations, stabilizing the front after heavy losses and containing repeated Red Army attacks. In October 1943 he was severely wounded in a car accident and temporarily sidelined for recovery.

By mid-1944 the strategic situation had deteriorated dramatically. The Red Army's Operation Bagration in June destroyed much of Army Group Center in Belarus, while the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6 opened a second front in the west. On July 2, 1944, Hitler dismissed Rundstedt as Commander-in-Chief West and appointed Kluge to replace him, hoping the field marshal's reputation for energy would stabilize the crumbling German defenses in France. Kluge assumed command of all German forces in the west, including the remnants of Army Group B under Erwin Rommel (until Rommel's wounding in mid-July).

The Normandy campaign proved impossible to salvage. Allied air superiority devastated German supply lines and armored movements. Kluge's staff car was strafed by British fighter-bombers in early August, killing his driver and another occupant, though he escaped injury. Hitler overruled Kluge's recommendations for withdrawal and ordered a counterattack at Mortain (Operation Lüttich) in early August. The offensive failed, and Allied forces soon closed the Falaise Pocket, trapping large numbers of German troops. Kluge struggled to extricate surviving units amid overwhelming pressure.

Meanwhile, the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944—the July Plot—intensified suspicion within the Nazi leadership. Kluge had maintained loose, ambivalent contacts with elements of the military resistance over the years, sharing the old officer corps' antipathy toward Hitler and the Nazi party. He was not an active participant in the plot and had no prior knowledge of the bomb attack, but his name appeared in some incriminating documents uncovered in the aftermath. Hitler grew convinced of his disloyalty, possibly even suspecting secret contacts with the Allies.

On August 17, 1944, Hitler relieved Kluge of command and ordered him to return to Berlin. Aware of the fate awaiting those suspected of treason—arrest, interrogation under torture, and likely execution—Kluge chose not to face it. On August 19, near Metz in eastern France, he swallowed a cyanide capsule and died. In a farewell letter addressed to Hitler he denied betraying Germany but expressed despair over the military collapse and the suffering inflicted on the German people. He wrote that the time had come to end the frightfulness and hoped the Reich would be spared from Bolshevism.

Kluge's career encapsulated the dilemmas faced by many senior Wehrmacht officers: talented professionals who achieved early victories under Hitler, only to become entangled in a regime's catastrophic policies and eventual downfall. His tactical competence earned respect, yet his hesitation and ultimate suicide reflected the moral and strategic impasse of the German high command in the war's final stages.

Source:  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/  
https://en.wikipedia.org/  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/  
https://grokipedia.com/  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
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/  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.  
Additional cross-referenced data from personnel files and Wehrmacht reports.

Bio of SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille (1897-1966)

Full name: Herbert Otto Wilhelm Hermann Gille
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 08.03.1897 - Gandersheim, Duchy of Brunswick (German Empire)  
Date of Death: 26.12.1966 - Stemmen, Lower Saxony (West Germany)  

Battles and Operations: Polish Campaign, Western Campaign, Operation Barbarossa, Caucasus Campaign, Kuban Bridgehead, Mius Front, Kursk defensive battles, Cherkassy Pocket breakout, Kovel defense, Vistula defense against Bagration, Budapest relief operations Konrad I-III, Operation Spring Awakening  

NSDAP-Number: 537337 (01.05.1931)
SS-Number: 39854 (10.10.1931)
Religion : No information
Parents: Hermann Gille (manufacturer) and unknown mother  
Siblings: three older brothers (names unknown, fourth son of the family)  
Spouse: Sophie Charlotte Mennecke (married 04.01.1935) 
Children: one daughter (born 09.10.1935)  

Promotions:  
01.09.1914 Fähnrich  
27.01.1915 Leutnant  
31.03.1919 Oberleutnant a.D.  
10.10.1931 SS-Anwärter  
25.09.1932 SS-Scharführer  
27.01.1933 SS-Truppführer  
20.04.1933 SS-Sturmführer  
20.04.1935 SS-Obersturmführer  
09.11.1935 SS-Hauptsturmführer  
20.04.1937 SS-Sturmbannführer  
19.10.1939 SS-Obersturmbannführer  
30.01.1941 SS-Standartenführer  
01.10.1941 SS-Oberführer  
01.12.1942 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS  
09.11.1943 SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS  
09.11.1944 SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS  

Career:  
00.00.1903-00.03.1909 Bürgerschule Gandersheim then Gymnasium Braunschweig  
00.04.1909-00.04.1914 Preußische Kadettenkorps, Kadettenschule Bensberg am Rhein  
00.04.1914-00.08.1914 Haupt-Kadettenanstalt Groß-Lichterfelde  
10.08.1914-28.12.1914 Fähnrich, 2. Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 30, Rastatt  
29.12.1914-24.01.1919 Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment 55, 75. Reserve-Infanterie-Division  
27.01.1915 Zugführer and Batterieoffizier  
00.01.1917 Führer 1. Batterie  
25.01.1919-31.03.1919 2. Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 30  
00.00.1920-00.00.1921 Administrator, Bamhof  
00.00.1921-00.00.1923 Administrator, Abbesbüttel near Meine  
00.00.1922-00.00.1926 Stahlhelm-Bund  
00.00.1923-00.00.1925 Inspector various estates near Immendorf, Salzgitter and Bährdorf bei Oebisfelde  
00.00.1925-00.10.1927 Independent inspector, private estate Stemmen bei Hannover  
00.00.1928-00.00.1929 Independent inspector, private estate Poggenhagen bei Neustadt am Rübenberge  
00.00.1929-00.00.1931 Travelling salesman, Büssing-NAG, Braunschweig  
00.00.1931-00.00.1933 Self-employed businessman in automotive field  
01.05.1931 joined NSDAP  
10.10.1931 joined SS  
30.09.1932-27.01.1933 Führer 5. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, 49. Standarte, Braunschweig  
27.01.1933-20.04.1933 Führer Motorstaffel, 49. SS-Standarte  
28.02.1933-00.03.1933 Führer 49. SS-Standarte  
20.04.1933-09.04.1934 Stabsführer, SS-Abschnitt IV, Braunschweig  
20.07.1933-27.10.1933 degraded and expelled from SS and NSDAP due to political intrigue, detained 14 weeks in Braunschweig prison  
09.11.1933 proceedings dismissed  
14.02.1934 acquitted and readmitted to NSDAP and SS at original rank  
09.04.1934-29.05.1934 Führer z.b.V., II. Sturmbann, 49. SS-Standarte, Goslar  
29.05.1934-09.11.1935 transferred to SS-Verfügungstruppe, Führer 11. Sturm, III. Sturmbann, SS-Standarte 1 later Deutschland, Ellwangen  
07.06.1934-14.08.1934 I. Sturmbann, SS-Standarte 2  
28.02.1935-07.08.1935 Kompanieführer-Lehrgang, Infanterieschule Döberitz  
09.11.1935-01.10.1936 Führer 12. Sturm later 19.(MG-)Sturm, III./IV. Sturmbann, SS-Standarte Deutschland  
01.10.1936-15.02.1937 Stabsführer, SS-Standarte Germania  
01.02.1937-01.05.1939 Führer II. Sturmbann, SS-Standarte Germania  
00.00.1937 Lehrgang für Stabsoffiziere, Heeressportschule Wünsdorf and Gasschutzlehrgang Berlin  
03.05.1938-12.05.1938 Bataillon-Kommandeur Lehrgang, Infanterieschule Döberitz  
25.03.1939-01.06.1939 Formationsstab SS-Artillerie-Standarte, Münsterlager  
13.04.1939-16.05.1939 instructional course Artillerieschule Jüterbog  
01.06.1939-15.11.1940 Kommandeur I.(schw.) Sturmbann later I. Abteilung, SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5, SS-Verfügungstruppe  
15.11.1940-01.05.1943 Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment, SS-Division Wiking  
01.02.1942-20.06.1942 Führer SS-Infanterie-Regiment Westland  
20.06.1942-31.07.1942 Kommandeur Korps-Artillerie, SS-Generalkommando  
31.07.1942-01.05.1943 Kommandeur SS-Infanterie-Regiment Westland later SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Westland, SS-Division Wiking  
00.07.1942-00.10.1942 Kommandeur Kampfgruppe Gille around Rostov-on-Don  
22.11.1942-08.02.1943 stellvertretender Führer SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking  
01.05.1943-06.08.1944 Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division Wiking  
06.08.1944-08.05.1945 Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzer-Korps  
08.05.1945-21.05.1948 prisoner of war, U.S. captivity Salzburg, Augsburg, Dachau, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Sandbostel, Fallingbostel, Nuremberg  
00.06.1946 Lagerführer War Criminals Camp Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen then Sandbostel and Fallingbostel  
21.05.1948 released, owner of small bookstore in Stemmen  
00.04.1949 tried by Entnazifizierungs-Spruchkammer Hannover, sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, later revised and released as Category V exonerated  
00.00.1950 active in HIAG and founded Truppenkameradschaft Wiking e.V.  
00.11.1951-26.12.1966 founder and editor of Wiking Ruf later Der Freiwillige  

Awards and Decorations:  
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (World War I)  
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914 (World War I)  
Braunschweiger Kriegsverdienstkreuz (World War I)  
Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit Schwertern (World War I)  
Ehrenwinkel der Alten Kämpfer (February 1934)  
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (1934)  
SS-Dienstauszeichnung 4. Stufe (1935)  
Julleuchter der SS (16.12.1935)  
DRL-Sportabzeichen in Silber (1936)  
Silbernes SA-Sportabzeichen (01.12.1936)  
Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS (01.12.1936)  
SS-Ehrenring (01.12.1937)  
Bronzenes SA-Sportabzeichen (01.12.1937)  
SS-Dienstauszeichnung 3. Stufe (1939)  
Dienstauszeichnung der NSDAP 10 Jahre (01.04.1939)  
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938 (1939)  
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange Prager Burg (1939)  
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (26.10.1939)  
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (21.11.1939)  
Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen (May 1941)  
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (28.02.1942) as SS-Oberführer and Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 Wiking  
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (15.09.1942)  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (08.10.1942) as SS-Oberführer and Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 Wiking for actions in Caucasus and Kuban  
Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (315. Verleihung, 01.11.1943) as SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS and Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division Wiking  
Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub (47. Verleihung, 20.02.1944) as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS and Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division Wiking for Cherkassy breakout  
Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern (12. Verleihung, 19.04.1944) as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS and Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division Wiking for defense of Kowel  
Nahkampfspange in Gold (for over 50 close-combat days)  
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (06.04.1944 and 02.09.1944)  

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Herbert Otto Gille, often affectionately called Papa Gille by his troops for his paternal leadership style and concern for the multinational volunteers under his command, rose from a World War I artillery officer to become the most highly decorated member of the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. After demobilization in 1919 he worked in agriculture and sales while maintaining contacts with nationalist circles through the Stahlhelm. His entry into the NSDAP and SS in 1931 marked the beginning of a turbulent but ultimately successful career in the SS-Verfügungstruppe. A brief expulsion from both organizations in 1933 following an intrigue against the Braunschweig government was overturned after rehabilitation by the party court, allowing him to continue his path as an artillery specialist.  

Gille proved his worth as commander of the artillery regiment in the newly formed SS-Division Wiking, a unit composed of German and foreign volunteers from Nordic and other European countries. His leadership during the 1942 summer offensive in the Caucasus, including the recapture of Rostov and the establishment of the Kuban bridgehead, earned him the Knight's Cross. He later assumed command of the full division and guided it through the heavy defensive fighting after Kursk and the dramatic encirclement at Cherkassy in early 1944, where Wiking was one of the few formations to maintain cohesion during the breakout under appalling conditions. For this achievement he received the Oak Leaves. In March 1944 Gille personally flew into the encircled fortress town of Kowel to take direct command of the defense until relief forces arrived, an action that brought him the Swords. The Diamonds followed shortly afterward, making him only the second Waffen-SS officer to receive the highest grade of the Knight's Cross.  

As commanding general of IV. SS-Panzer-Korps from August 1944 he conducted skillful delaying actions against the Soviet summer offensive toward Warsaw and later led repeated but ultimately unsuccessful relief attempts toward Budapest in January 1945. His corps also participated in the last major German offensive in Hungary, Operation Spring Awakening, in March 1945. Captured by American forces in Austria on 8 May 1945, Gille spent three years in various internment camps where he even served as camp leader. Released in 1948 he returned to his family in Stemmen, opened a small bookstore, and became a central figure in the Waffen-SS veterans' organization HIAG. He founded the divisional comradeship Truppenkameradschaft Wiking and edited its newsletter Wiking Ruf, which later evolved into the widely read Der Freiwillige. Gille advocated for the integration of former Waffen-SS members into broader veterans' associations rather than isolation, though internal disagreements led him to leave HIAG in 1955.  

Unique and interesting facts include that Gille was one of the very few high-ranking SS leaders who never provided the required full ancestry proof back to 1750, simply ignoring repeated requests from the SS Kinship Office. Despite his high decorations he remained modest in demeanor and was respected across Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS lines for his tactical competence and care for his troops, many of whom were non-German volunteers. His postwar activities in HIAG and the veterans' press kept the memory of the multinational character of Wiking alive while navigating the delicate political landscape of the early Federal Republic. Gille died of heart failure in late 1966 at the age of 69. 



Source:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Gille  
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Gille  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/223/Gille-Herbert-Otto-Papa.htm  
https://grokipedia.com/page/Herbert_Gille  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/ (general reference on Waffen-SS officers)  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.  
Patzwall, Klaus D. / Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945. Norderstedt 2001.  
https://rk.balsi.de/ (Ritterkreuzträger database)  
https://www.unithistories.com/ (Waffen-SS unit histories)  
https://forum.axishistory.com/ (archival discussions and documents)  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ (award documentation)  
Bundesarchiv personnel files references  
https://books.google.com/ (digitized references in Scherzer and Patzwall works)  
Additional cross-referenced data from https://www.ww2.dk/ and related military archives.

Ritterkreuz Action of Willy Apitz

Ritterkreuzträger Unteroffizier Willy Apitz recounts his brave exploits beyond the Dnieper. Daily proof that German soldier is best and bravest individual fighter gains substance from first person account by Apitz, over supporting animation, of his experience beyond River Dnieper in being cut of by Soviet armour and calling down his own fire (Artillerie Regiment 81) and tanks to repel nearby Russian forces.

Willy Apitz received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 1 January 1944 as Obergefreiter and Funker in 10.Batterie / Artillerie-Regiment 81 / 97.Jäger-Division. During the autumn of 1943 Obergefreiter Apitz found himself engaged in his Division’s heavy defensive combat along the Lower Dnieper front between the Nikopol and Cherson bridgeheads. In this time, while he was serving as a radio operator at a forward observation post, all of his comrades were killed during a large-scale Soviet attack. When the Soviets proceeded to launch a renewed thrust with tanks and infantry, Apitz decided to personally direct the fire of his attached artillery even though he had no training in this role. However, despite being all alone, he managed to fulfill this role effectively and direct devastating artillery fire onto the attacking Soviet forces.

A unit of Soviet infantry that were passing by suddenly attacked Apitz at his position. He initially held them off with his carbine before ordering his own artillery to bombard his position. He had to repeat the order twice before his stunned comrades proceeded to do just that. Fierce artillery fire was then plastered on Apitz’s position for about a minute. However Apitz survived, and the Soviet infantry took such high losses that they decided to fall back to their jump-off position. With this the Soviet thrust came to an end.

Apitz would be initially decorated with the Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse for this action. Later on he also received the Ritterkreuz at the recommendation of his superiors.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060004235
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28123/Apitz-Willy.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DzDJmt5F8

Bio of SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille (1897-1966)

Herbert Otto Wilhelm Hermann Gille

Date of Birth: 08.03.1897 - Gandersheim am Harz, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 26.12.1966 - Stemmen über Hannover, Niedersachsen (West Germany)

Nickname: "Papa"

NSDAP-Number: 537.337 (Joined 01.05.1931)
SS-Number: 39.854 (Joined 10.10.1931)
Deutsche Heer: 01.09.1914 - 31.03.1919
Spouse: Sophie Charlotte Mennecke (married 03.01.1935)
Children: one daughter (born 09.10.1935)

Promotions:
01.09.1914 Fähnrich
27.01.1915 Leutnant
31.03.1919 Oberleutnant a. D.
10.10.1931 SS-Anwärter
25.09.1932 SS-Scharführer
27.01.1933 SS-Truppführer
20.04.1933 SS-Sturmführer
20.04.1935 SS-Obersturmführer
09.11.1935 SS-Hauptsturmführer
20.04.1937 SS-Sturmbannführer
19.10.1939 SS.Obersturmbannführer
30.01.1941 SS-Standartenführer
01.10.1941 SS-Oberführer
01.12.1942 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS (mit Wirkung vom 09.11.1942)
09.11.1943 SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS
09.11.1944 SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS

Career:
00.00.1903 - 00.00.1907 Bürgerschule in Gandersheim
00.00.1907 - 00.03.1909 Gymnasium in Braunschweig
00.04.1909 - 00.04.1914 Entered the Preußische Kadettenkorps, attending the Kadettenschule Bensburg-am-Rhein
00.04.1914 - 00.08.1914 Attended the Haupt-Kadettenanstalt Groß-Lichterfelde (graduated Obersekunda)
10.08.1914 - 28.12.1914 Entered service as Fähnrich, assign. to II.Abteilung / 2.Badische Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 30 (Rastatt)
29.12.1914 - 24.01.1919 Assigned to Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment 55 in 75. Reserve-Infanterie-Division based at Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg
27.01.1915 - 00.01.1917 Zugführer and Batterieoffizier in Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment 55
00.01.1917 - 24.01.1919 Führer 1.Batterie (until the regiment was disbanded)
25.01.1919 - 31.03.1919 Assigned to 2. Badischen Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 30.
31.03.1919 Discharged from active military service
01.04.1919 - 00.00.1920 Studied agricultural administration while gaining practical experience at the estate Bätzigerode bei Cassel
00.00.1920 - 00.00.1921 Administrator of the estate Bamhof
00.00.1921 - 00.00.1923 Administrator of the estate Abbesbuttel (near Meine)
00.00.1922 - 00.00.1926 Member of the ''Stahlhelm"-Bund
00.00.1923 - 00.00.1925 Inspector of an estate near Immendorf (in the vicinity of Salzgitter), then (for 8 months) of the estate Bährdorf bei Oebisflede near Magdeburg
00.00.1925 - Autumn 1927 Independent inspector for the private estate of Stemmen bei Hannover.
00.00.1928 - 00.00.1929 Independent inspector for the private estate of Poggenhagen bei Neustadt am Rübenberge (Steinhuder Meer).
00.00.1929 - 00.00.1931 Travelling salesman for the automotive factory Büsing-NAG Vereinigte Nutzkraftwagen, Braunschweig
00.00.1931 - 00.00.1933 Self-employed businessmau in the automotive field
25.01.1931 Sentenced to a 20 Reichsmark fine (with option of serving 4 days' jail time) for gambling
01.05.1931 Joined the NSDAP
10.10.1931 Joined the SS
30.09.1932 - 27.01.1933 Führer 5.Sturm / I.Sturmbann / 49.SS-Standarte (Braunschweig)
27.01.1933 - 20.04.1933 Führer Motorstaffel / 49.SS-Standarte
28.02.1933 - 00.03.1933 Temporary Führer of 49. SS-Standare. He ran this Standarte when its Führer, Friedrich Alpers, was suspended by the Abschnitt Führer Berthold Maack due to political intrigue in Braunschweig. Alpers was reinstated alter a short period
20.04.1933 - 09.04.1934 Stabsführer (nd.W.d.G.b.) of SS-Abschnitt IV (Braunschweig). Succeeded by Berthold Maack. Helmut Schöne acted as standing deputy from 12.10.1933, then officially assumed command from Gille
20.07.1933 Degraded and expelled from the SS and NSDAP due to 'parteizersetzenden Verhaltens" (conduct undermining to the [Nazi] Party)
20.07.1933 - 27.10.1933 Detained in the Braunschweig district prison for 14 weeks. As a supporter of Reichstag Vice-President Ernst Zörner, Gille was accused of involvement in Zörner's conspiracy against the Braunschweig Ministerpräsident, Dietrich Klagges. Interrogated on this matter by the Schutzpolizei on 09.11.1933, proceedings against him were dismissed when he declared that he was not a part of any secret circle against Dietrich Klagges. At his own request, his case was brought before a Party court on 14.02.1934. He was acquitted and readmitted to the NSDAP and SS at his original rank of SS-Sturmführer
09.04.1934 - 29.05.1934 Führer z.b.V. to II.Sturmbann / 49.SS-Standarte (Goslar)
29.05.1934 - 09.11.1935: Transferred to SS-Verfügungstruppen, assigned as Führer 11.Sturm / III.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte 1 (later redesignated SS-Standarte "Deutschland". Base: Ellwangen)
07.06.1934 - 14.08.1934 Detached to I.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte 2 / SS-Verfügungstruppen.
28.02.1935 - 07.08.1935 Attended Kompanieführer-Lehrgang (company commander training course) at the Infanterieschule Döberitz
09.11.1935 - 01.10.1936 Führer 12.Sturm / III.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Deutschland" (redesignated 19.Sturm / IV.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte 'Deutschland" when the unit expanded to four Sturmbanne on 01.07.1936).
01.07.1936 - 01.10.1936 Führer 19.Sturm (MG) / IV.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Deutschland" (Ellwangen). This was the old 12. Sturm renumbered; the old III. Sturmbann became IV. Sturmbann on 01.07.1936 and a new III. Sturmbann was formed. The old 12. Sturm became 19. Sturm and a new 12. Sturm was formed under August Zehender
01.10.1936 - 15.02.1937 Assigned as Major im Stab and Stabsführer of SS-Standarte "Germania". Succeeded by Werner Dörffler-Schuband
01.10.1936 - 25.11.1936 Führer III.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Gennania." Appointed as temporary commander following disciplinary problems in the unit. Gille reportedly acted with prompt and unmerciful severity during his brief assignment to this post. Succeeded Karl Meyer. Succeeded by Heinrich Köppen
01.02.1937 - 01.05.1939 Führer II.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Germania" (md.F.b. to 20.04.1937, then assumed permanent command). Succeeded Walter Krüger. Succeeded by Werner Dörffler-Schuband.
00.00.1937 - 00.00.1937 Lehrgang für Stabsoffiziere (training course for staff officers) at Heeressportschule Wesdorf
00.00.1937 - 00.00.1937 Gasschutzlehrgang (Gas Defense (training course) in Berlin
03.05.1938 - 12.05.1938 Bataillon-Kommandeur Lehrgang (battalion commander training course at Infanterieschule Döberitz
00.03.1939 - 01.06.1939 Assigned to the Formationsstab (formation staff) for the SS-Artillerie-Standarte / SS-Verfügungstruppe at Truppenübungsplatz Munsterlager (under SS-Obersturmbannführer Peter Hansen)
13.04.1939 - 16.05.1939 Attended an instructional course at the Artillerieschule Jüterbog
01.06.1939 - 15.11.1940 Kommandeur I.Sturmbann (schwere) / SS-Artillerie-Standarte ''V" (later redesignated I.Abteilung / SS-Artillerie-Regiment / SS-Verfügungstruppe (Jüterbog). He led this unit, attached to Panzer-Division "Kempf", during the Polish Campaign in September 1939 (for which he received the 1939 clasp to his World War I Iron Crosses). He also served as permanent deputy to the regiment commander, Peter Hansen, during this period. First holder of this post. Succeeded by Adolf Wunder.
15.11.1940 - 01.05.1943 Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment / SS-Division (mot.) "Germania" (redesignated SS-Division (mot.) "Wiking" on 21.12.1940 and to SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Wiking" on 09.09.1942). Regiment formed at Truppenübungsplatz Amersfoort in the Netherlands. Succeeded by Joachim Richter. While in this command, Gille proved to be an apolitical soldier who led from the front. One revealing instance of this is recounted by Heinz Höhne: "[Like Felix Steiner], Standartenführer Gille, Steiner's Artillery Commander, was also in the Reichsführer's bad books. Gille was an entirely non-political officer who would have nothing to do with ideology. To Obersturmbannführer [Ernst] Fick, the divisional ideological observer, he growled: `Wearing of the brown shirt is not permitted in this aristocratic artillery regiment. I'll put a clean-out squad into your room." (Höhne, The Order of the Death's Head, p. 544, citing letter from Fick to Karl Wolff, 27.01.1942, RFSS Microfilm 38) Although Fick reported this "disrespect" to the chief of Himmler's personal staff, Karl Wolff, Steiner ensured that there were no reprisals against Gille for his political unorthodoxy and evident dislike of Fick, a belief that Steiner apparently shared." (Douglas E. Nash, From the Realm of a Dying Sun, Volume 1)
01.02.1942 - 20.06.1942 Führer (m.d F.b.) SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Westland". Assigned to this post according to the Dienstlaufbahn in his SS personnel file, but this is not confirmed elsewhere in the file, nor in the postwar memoirs of Felix Steiner. If he did in fact hold this post, he succeeded Artur Phleps and was succeeded by Berthold Maack.
20.06.1942 - 31.07.1942 Kommandeur Korps-Artillerie of the SS-Generalkommando (SS Corps HQ), formed at Bergen-Fallingbostel. First holder of this new Korps artillery command. Succeeded by Curt Brasack.
31.07.1942 - 01.05.1943 Kommandeur SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Westland" / SS-Division (mot.) "Wiking" (redesignated SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Westland" / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Wiking" on 09.11.1942). Succeeded Berthold Maack. Succeeded by Paul Geisler
00.07.1942 - 00.10.1942 Kommandeur Kampfgruppe "Gille"(made up of elements from "Wiking" and 13. Panzer-Division). Involved in fighting around Rostov-on-Don; retained command of the “Wiking" Division Artillerie-Regiment during this period
22.11.1942 - 08.02.1943 Stellvertretender Führer SS-Panzergrenadier-Division ''Wiking" (under Felix Steiner)
01.05.1943 - 06.08.1944 Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking." Succeeded Felix Steiner. Actually leaving the Division on 20.07.1944, he was temporarily succeeded by SS-Standartenführer Dr. Eduard Deisenhofer, then permanently replaced by SS-Standartenführer Johannes Mühlenkamp. In an evaluation of 03.06.1944, Felix Steiner (then Kommandierender General of III. [Germanische] SS-Panzerkorps) wrote: "Purposeful and energetic personality. Calm, thoughtful, full of drive and energy. An old national socialist. A good Truppenführer who has a positive effect both educationally and in terms of training and aligns his Führerkorps according to the right criteria. Experienced practitioner with sound judgment, tried and tested and confident in divisional leadership. Especially reliable in a crisis. A very good artilleryman with extensive experience in the field of Panzer artillery. In larger contexts, he is not always able to put aside his own interest. and is then occasionally prone to unfruitful criticism. Fulfills his position as Division Commander to the maximum. Under certain conditions also suitable for a position at the next levet of service." (SS-Personalakte Gille)
16.03.1944 - 06.04.1944 Kommandant des ''Festen Platzes" Kowel. Succeeded Erich von dem Bach, who had been evacuated due to illness on 15.03.1944. On 16.03.1944, Gille arrived via Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch" in the encircled city of Kowel (northwestern Ukraine) and took command of a garrison composed mostly Wehrmacht troops, members of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 17, as well as SS-Polizei and Gendarmerie troops. Marc Rikmenspoel writes: "Gille... organize(d) the defense of what was both an island in a swamp and a surrounded German strongpoint. Gille rallied the dejected, makeshift garrison, and energized them sufficiently to hold out until SS-Wiking and Heer armored units finally relieved the city on 5 April. (Rikmenspoel, Waffen-SS Encyclopedia, pp. 211-212)
From 15.03. to 06.04.1944, Gille and his ad hoc force defended an area of six square kilometers from continuous Soviet attacks They were ultimately saved by a relief attack made by 131. Infanterie-Division, 4. and 5. Panzer-Divisionen, and Kampfgruppe Richter comprising elements of "Wiking" (I.Abteilurg / SS¬Panzer-Regiment 5 and III.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Germania"). As a result of his leadership and personal bravery, Gille besame the first of only two Waffen-SS members to receive the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leave and Swords (personally presented by Hitler on 19.04.1944)
06.08.1944 - 08.05.1945 Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps (actually arrived at Korps HQ on 20.07.1944)
08.05.1945 - 21.05.1948 captured by U.S. troops at Radstadt west of Wien and initially imprisoned at Salzburg
23.05.1945 transferred to Augsburg then to Dachau
00.00.1946 Lagerführer, War Criminals Camp Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen then Sandbostel, Fallingbostel,
00.06.1946 Nürnberg
21.05.1948 released, owner of a small bookstore in Stemmen/Niedersachsen
00.04.1949 tried by the Entnazifizierungs-Spruchkammer (de-Nazification court) in Hannover and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment
00.00.1949 sentence revised and released due to the 3 years already done - categorized de-Nazification Category V reflecting his status as a minor offender
00.00.1950 active in the Waffen-SS veterans’ organization, HIAG and founded the "Wiking" Division veterans’ organization "Truppenkameradschaft Wiking e.V." - with Paul Hausser became members of its managing committee
00.11.1951 - 26.12.1966 founder and editor of the HIAG news organ "Wiking Ruf" later renamed "Der Freiwillige"

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.191_ 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.191_ 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.19__ Braunschweig Kriegverdienstkreuz 1914-1918 für Kämpfer II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Braunschweig Kriegverdienstkreuz 1914-1918 für Kämpfer I.Klasse
00.00.19__ Militärverdienstkreuz III.Klasse mit Schwertern
00.02.1934 Ehrenwinkel der Alten Kämpfer
00.00.1934 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914-1918
00.00.193_ SS-Zivilabzeichen
00.00.1935 SS-Dienstauszeichnung IV.Stufe (4 Jahre)
16.12.1935 Julleuchter der SS
00.00.1936 DRL-Sportabzeichen in Silber
01.12.1936 SA-Sportabzeichen in Silber
01.12.1936 Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS
01.12.1937 SS-Ehrenring
01.12.1937 SA-Sportabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.1939 SS-Dienstauszeichnung III.Stufe (8 Jahre)
01.04.1939 Dienstauszeichnung der NSDAP 10 Jahre
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
26.10.1939 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
21.11.1939 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.05.1941 Allgemeines-Sturmabzeichen
28.02.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (Vorschlag submitted by Div.-Kdr. Felix Steiner)
15.09.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
00.00.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber
08.10.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as SS-Oberführer and Kommandeur SS-Artillerie Regiment 5 / SS-Division "Wiking" (motorisiert). Gille’s Ritterkreuz recommendation reads as follows: “Following the crossing of the Don river SS-Oberführer Gille led the Division’s Vorausabteilung as far as the Kuban. On the 28.07.1942 this unit engaged fleeing enemy columns near Seljonaja Roschtscha (south of the Don), smashing these and thereafter continuing the attack as far as Rakowo Tawritscheski even as it was getting dark. By doing so it prevented the enemy from retreating towards the south. On the following day Oberführer Gille and his Vorausabteilung ejected strong elements of the 31st Rifle Division from their positions just to the south of Rakowo Tawritscheski and proceeded to capture the decisive and well-defended villages of Beswodnij and Andronoff. The enemy positions were broken through, and the unit commenced a bold thrust towards Metschetinskaja while disregarding the strong enemy elements along both open flanks. This village was likewise attacked as darkness fell and captured via an enveloping attack. Among the prisoners were members of 10 different divisions of the enemy’s 12th Army as well as parts of the Army’s HQ that had fled to Metschetinskaja as a result of the thrust on the afternoon of the 29.07.1942. On the 30.07.1942 the village of Jegorlikskaja was taken, and those elements of the 12th Army that had been deployed for defense there were thrown back. The rearward services of the 31st rifle division were ratted out and Sredny Jegolyk was reached in the late evening. After this the commander of a Zerstörergeschwader (Major Giesing) landed beside the Vorausabteilung. He alerted the Vorausabteilung to the fact that it was far ahead of all elements of the neighbouring Armee (17. Armee) and that uncounted numbers of Russians were moving around in its flanks and rear. On that same night the enemy attacked Ssredny Jegorlyk from the west with numerous tank and infantry forces (the latter including a motorized brigade) in order to destroy the Vorausabteilung. However they were repulsed with heavy losses. The counterthrust by newly arrived elements of the 14th Tank Corps was smashed. With this forward thrust, Gille’s Vorausabteilung significantly aided the forward movement of the 17. Armee’s eastern wing (namely the 125. Infanterie-Division), which was staggered to the west and rear. The Vorausabteilung also facilitated the secure march of the 13. Panzer-Division as it advanced behind Gefechtsgruppe Gille on the other flank, specifically in an easterly thrust towards Salsk. On the 01.08.1942 Oberführer Gille ejected the 21st motorized rifle brigade from the area around Belaja Glina in hard close combat, captured the village and continued its thrust towards Dimitrijewka during the same night. This bold and ruthless thrust deep into the enemy by Gille’s Vorausabteilung meant that the Kuban river was very swiftly approached, and the Division was thereby able to successfully reach and cross the river on the 03.08.1942. In all of this combat Oberführer Gille almost always led from the frontline, giving his men an example of energy and spirit as he did so. He continued to demand ruthless action from his men even during the night, inspiring them all the way through his personal devotion to duty and contagious impulse. He enabled: a) The swift advance of the neighbouring east wing of the 17. Armee. b) The smooth transition of the 13. Panzer-Division’s advance towards the east by throwing back those enemy forces to the latter unit’s front. c) The swift attainment of the Kuban river. He captured the following prisoners and booty: 8283 prisoners,  28 artillery pieces, and 18 anti-tank guns. He made a decisive contribution through his harshness, focus and ruthlessness. His actions facilitated the smooth flow of friendly operations south of the Don and the reaching of the Kuban river from the north in an unexpectedly short time. In all of these engagements he has never shied from getting personally involved in the combat. Without this demeanour such a decisive success would have been unthinkable. He has thereby fulfilled the requirements for the awarding of the Knight’s Cross. This is being advocated for here. Gille has served at the frontline without pause since 1939. He has distinguished himself as an Abteilung and regimental commander on every day of the fighting in Poland, the West and the East. He also bears the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold.” Vorschlag dated 18.09.1942 and signed by Div.-Kdr. Felix Steiner.
06.03.1943 Vapaudenristin 1.luokka (Finnish Cross of Liberty), with Swords
01.11.1943 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #315, as SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS and Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Wiking". Gille’s Eichenlaub recommendation reads as follows: “SS-Brigadeführer Gille took over acting command of the SS-Pz.Gren.Div. Wiking in October 1942. In May 1943 he was named commander of this SS-Division. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross for his successes as leader of a Vorausabteilung during the offensive battles of summer 1942 in the Caucasus. In the recent fighting SS-Brigadeführer Gille has decisively intervened in the combat along the southern front on several occasions through the outstanding leadership of his Division. He has distinguished himself through his confident and energetic leadership, his swift and superior issuing of orders and above all through his personal example and determination. His outstanding personal bravery in the foremost line was often the deciding factor in resolving situations both dangerous and critical alike. It is primarily to his credit that his Division has been able to perform as well as it has over the course of numerous battles in the thick of combat on the southern front. Throughout this time it has shown true devotion to duty and earned the respect of its comrades in the Heer. It has been named several times in the Heeresbericht and in the press due to its exemplary achievements on the battlefield. And to this day it continues to hold a sector of over 25 km wide on the Dnieper river despite having been employed in heavy fighting for two years. All of this is thanks to the tireless readiness for duty, responsibility and dutifulness of its commander. A breakdown of the Division’s success under the leadership of SS-Brigadeführer Gille are attached to this document as an addendum.” 315th Award. Vorschlag dated 30.10.1943 and signed by Reichsführer-SS Himmler; Personally presented by Hitler at Führer HQ “Wolfsschanze” on 13.11.1943.
00.00.1944 SS-Dienstauszeichnung II.Stufe (12 Jahre)
20.02.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub uns Schwertern #47, as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS and Kommandeur 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking". Awarded for the extremely distinguished leadership of his Division during the breakout from the Cherkassy pocket. In this time his Division was the spearhead of the German forces trapped within the pocket, and it played an invaluable role in allowing the encircled troops to escape. Immediate award, personally presented by Hitler at Führer HQ”Wolfsschanze” on 21.02.1944.
06.04.1944 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
19.04.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten #12, as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS and Kommandeur 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking". Gille’s Brillanten recommendation reads as follows: “The weeks-long, heroic defense of the totally encircled Fortress Kovel despite the greatest of supply difficulties and significant losses against a much superior enemy is solely attributable to the determined leadership and great personal bravery of the General [Gille]. This recommendation is being sent as a radio message due to the situation at the front. A written submission will follow.” Vorschlag dated 09.04.1944 and signed by Korps Kom. Gen. General der Infanerie Friedrich Hossbach; Countersigned by Armee OB Generaloberst Walter Weiβ, Heeresgruppe OB Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch, and on 19.04.1944 by by Reichsführer-SS Himmler.
02.09.1944 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht

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Born in Gandersheim, Herbert Otto Gille (March 8, 1897 – December 26, 1966) began his military career as a first lieutenant in the artillery branch during the First World War and won the Iron Cross First and Second Classes. He left the army in 1919 and remained a civilian working in agriculture and as a car dealer until 1931 when he joined the Nazi Party and the SS.

On January 3, 1935, Gille married 31-year-old Sophie Charlotte Mennecke and they had together one daughter (born on October 9, 1935).

In 1934 he was re-activated by the SS combat support forces. He became a Company Commander in Ellwangen, then a Battalion Commander of the SS regiment Germania in Arolsen. He later served as the commander of an artillery unit in Jueterbog. As the commander of the 1st Battalion of the SS-V Artillery Regiment Gille participated in the invasion of Poland and in the western campaign. In 1940 he took over the artillery regiment of the 5th SS Panzer Division, led by SS Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner.

After the assault on the Soviet Union, Gille, as a leader of an advance guard, reached the Kuban and received the Knight's Cross on 8 October 1942. Shortly thereafter he took command of the Wiking Division (5th SS Panzer Division) on the Eastern Front. Early in 1944, Gille was instrumental in the withdrawal of his command and others of the encircled Group Stemmermann through "Hells Gate" during the Korsun cauldron encirclement, also known as the Cherkassy Pocket. The Soviets greatly outnumbered the German forces but they failed to cut off their retreat, though they were able to inflict serious damage on the German formations. Gille received the diamonds in addition to his Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 19 April 1944. Shortly after his escape from the Cherkassy Pocket, Gille and members of his staff were flown into the encircled town of Kovel to organize its defense. Under Gille's steady leadership the mixed army and Waffen SS units maintained a vigorous defense until the siege was raised by approaching German units from the West.

His troops stood strong on the East Prussia border with the 3rd SS Panzer Division and prevented the planned Soviet breakthrough to Berlin in the autumn of 1944 destroying large numbers of Soviet tanks. In January 1945 Gille, as leader of the IV SS Panzer Corps comprising the 3rd and 5th SS Panzer Divisions, was sent to Hungary to attempt to relieve the encircled city of Budapest. However, his troops were unable to break through to the city. In March 1945 he led the IV SS Panzer Corps in the failed Lake Balaton Offensive and following the Soviet counter-offensive his corps was forced to retreat into Austria.

When the end of war was clear, he marched towards the U.S. troops in order to avoid surrendering to Soviet forces. He was held by the U.S. for three years, and released in May 1948.

Despite being an early Nazi Party member, Gille was known for his apolitical views. The author Heinz Höhne in The Order under the Death Head characterized Gille as an enigma and "Nur-Soldat" (soldier – nothing else) who once threatened a newly assigned Weltanschauungsoffizier (political indoctrination officer) with a clean-out squad to gather his uniforms and other possessions and throw them and the officer out of the unit.

Gille was highly regarded for his leadership qualities and tactical abilities. He commanded Waffen-SS units at the regiment, division and corps level with distinction during the war. Gille was popular with his men and admired for his personal bravery. He was well known for the unusual walking-stick he carried.

After the war he worked for a newspaper until 1958. He also owned a small bookshop. In the early 1950s, Gille became active in HIAG, a lobby group and a revisionist veteran's organisation founded by former high-ranking Waffen-SS personnel in West Germany to campaign for their legal, economic and historical rehabilitation. Gille, alongside Felix Steiner, Otto Kumm and Paul Hausser, became an early leading figure within HIAG. In 1951 Gille launched the periodical Wiking-Ruf ("Viking Call"). Initially it was aimed at the veterans of the SS Division Wiking. Within its first year of existence, in 1952, it became the official publication of HIAG and was eventually renamed to Der Freiwillige ("The Volunteer").

Gille faced his share of controversy with the organisation. In 1952, HIAG held its first major meeting in Verden. It began respectably, with Gille announcing that the veterans were ready to 'do their duty for the Fatherland' and Steiner declaring support for 'freedom, order and justice'. But the next speaker delivered a different message. Former paratroop general Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, who had been invited to demonstrate so-called solidarity with the Wehrmacht, condemned the Western Allies as the 'real war criminals' and insisted that the blacklist on which all former SS members then stood would soon become "a list of honor". The outburst caused a furor within West Germany. Periodicals as far as the U.S. and Canada carried headlines Hitler's Guard Cheers Ex-chief and Rabble-Rousing General Is Worrying the Allies, with the latter article reporting that Ramcke's speech had been greeted with "roars of approval and cries 'Eisenhower, Schweinehund!' ("Eisenhower, pig-dog")."

Internal disagreements began to emerge within HIAG in the mid-1950s as to the stance of the organisation: Steiner and Gille favored a more political, outspoken orientation, while the rest of the leadership favored a moderate approach so that not to jeopardize HIAG's goals of legal and economic rehabilitation, which, in their opinion, could only come from the establishment.[Gille was the founder of a magazine for veterans of the Wiking division, "Wiking Ruf".

On 26 December 1966 Herbert Otto Gille died of a heart attack in Stemmen, near Hannover. He was also buried at the local cemetery in Stemmen. However, his grave no longer exists.

Members of the SS-Standarte "Germania" with their commanders sat at the front. From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Werner Dörffler-Schuband (Kommandeur I.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Germania", based in Hamburg-Veddel), SS-Sturmbannführer Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur II.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Germania", headquartered in Arolsen), SS-Standartenführer Karl Maria Demelhuber (Kommandeur SS-Standarte "Germania"), and SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinrich Koeppen (Kommandeur III.Sturmbann / SS-Standarte "Germania", headquartered in Radolfzell). This photo was taken by Heinz Hillebrecht in Nuremberg on 5-12 September 1938 during the Reichsparteitag (Reich Party Day). This was the second participation of SS-Standarte "Germania" in the annual event, after the first one a year earlier. Now this photo is in the private collection of Markus Wolter.



A rare picture showing SS-Standartenführer Herbert Otto Gille as the Kommandeur of SS-Artillerie-Regiment / SS-Division "Wiking" (motorisiert) with his medal bars. The picture was taken in 1941, possibly before Operation Barbarossa (German invasion of Soviet Union). The medal bars are, from left to right: 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd class), Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III.Klasse (Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd class), Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II.Klasse (Brunswick War Merit Cross 2nd class), Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914-1918 (Cross of Honor for Front Fighters 1914-1918), Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938 (Anschluss Medal), and Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 (Sudetenland Medal). The two decorations below the bars are Braunschweig Kriegverdienstkreuz I.Klasse (Brunswick War Merit Cross 1st class) and 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (1939 clasp for 1914 Iron Cross 1st class).



From left to right: SS-Standartenführer Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 / SS-Division "Wiking"), Lieutenant-General Harald Öhquist (representative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Armed Forces at the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Felix Steiner (Kommandeur SS-Division "Wiking"), Major Esko Riekki (former head of the Finnish Secret Police who became the main organizer for the recruitment of the Finnish SS volunteer legion), and SS-Hauptsturmführer Friedrich Meyer (Adjutant Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 / SS-Division "Wiking"). While the majority of the "Finnische Legion" was still undergoing training in Gross Born (Germany), around 200 volunteers with combat experience were first distributed to different units of the Wiking Division. This caused unrest among these veteran volunteers, as they wanted to be gathered in the same unit, and they also thought that some German officers and non-commissioned officers had underestimated their abilities. To quell this unrest, Öhquist was brought to Wiking's operational area in Russia. During his four-day visit, the Finnish general took in the grievances of his compatriots and got a close look at their welfare conditions. The photo was taken between 27-30 August 1941, possibly near near Dnjepropetrovsk. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Felix Steiner (center) together with his subordinates from the SS-Division "Wiking" (motorisiert). The officer to the right of Steiner, wearing glasses, are SS-Oberführer Herbert-Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Artillerie Regiment 5 "Wiking"). Between Steiner and Gille is probably SS-Obersturmbannführer Paul Geisler (Kommandeur SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Westland"), while the one standing to the far right behind behind Gille is probably SS-Standartenführer Dr.-med. Gerd Unbehaun (Divisionsarzt SS-Division "Wiking"). This photo itself was most likely taken in the spring of 1942.



From left to right: Prime Minister Vidkun Quisling (leader of the German-formed Norwegian puppet government), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Wilhelm Rediess (Höhere SS und Polizeiführer "Nord"), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Felix Steiner (Kommandeur SS-Division "Wiking"), and SS-Oberführer Herbert-Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 / SS-Division "Wiking"). Barely visible behind Quisling is Sverre Parelius Riisnæs (Norwegian Minister of Justice). This picture was taken at Kalinovo, Uspenskaya, May 1942. Quisling had traveled all the way from Norway to get a close-up look at the conditions of his country's SS volunteers in the SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Nordland" / SS-Division "Wiking" (motorisiert). He walks through a Soviet village to the Norwegian volunteers' assembly point.



SS-Oberführer Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment / SS-Division "Wiking") in 1942. Regiment formed at Truppenübungsplatz Amersfoort in the Netherlands in 1940. While in this command, Gille proved to be an apolitical soldier who led from the front. One revealing instance of this is recounted by Heinz Höhne: "[Like Felix Steiner], Standartenführer Gille, Steiner's Artillery Commander, was also in the Reichsführer's bad books. Gille was an entirely non-political officer who would have nothing to do with ideology. To Obersturmbannführer [Ernst] Fick, the divisional ideological observer, he growled: `Wearing of the brown shirt is not permitted in this aristocratic artillery regiment. I'll put a clean-out squad into your room." (Höhne, The Order of the Death's Head, p. 544, citing letter from Fick to Karl Wolff, 27.01.1942, RFSS Microfilm 38) Although Fick reported this "disrespect" to the chief of Himmler's personal staff, Karl Wolff, Steiner ensured that there were no reprisals against Gille for his political unorthodoxy and evident dislike of Fick, a belief that Steiner apparently shared." (Douglas E. Nash, From the Realm of a Dying Sun, Volume 1).

SS-Oberführer Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Artillerie Regiment 5 / SS-Division "Wiking") wearing a rare double-runes collar tabs. During a short period of time, the SS used double pair of runes on their collar tabs as they thought that the shoulder boards would be enough to distinguish a member's rank. For a period of time from October 1939 until May 1940 when collar rank insignia insignia were reintroduced for wear, dual insignia were authorized. After May 1940 use of dual insignia was forbidden, but some continued the practice. Newly formed elements of the SS-VT (SS-Verfügungstruppe) were authorized to wear runic insignia on both collars by officers only, while shoulder boards distinguished rank. Both mirrored runes and SS SS were used. This picture itself was taken between October-December 1942.

This picture was actually taken in 1943 and showing Herbert Otto Gille as SS-Brigadeführer and Commander of Wiking Division, but we can see that the rank in the Kragenspiegel (collar tabs) and Schulterklappen (shoulder boards) had been edited so now it shows Gille as SS-Gruppenführer. It was a common practice during war time to add additional grade of medals or higher rank when the only picture available is an old one. BTW, the medal hanging below the Ritterkreuz is Vapaudenristin 1.luokka (Finnish Cross of Liberty with Swords), which was received by Gille on 6 March 1943. This picture was probably taken on the occasion of its presentation. Other pictures from this series can be seen HERE.

Sepp Dietrich's 51st birthday celebration near Kharkov on 28 May 1943 which was attended by high-ranking Waffen-SS officers. Back to the camera from left to right: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Paul Hausser (Kommandierender General SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Wiking"), and SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"). Seated facing the camera from left to right: Oberstleutnant Gerhard Engel (Adjutanten des Heeres beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), SS-Oberführer Hermann Prieß (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Albin Freiherr von Reitzenstein (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Das Reich"), and SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf" / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"). Army officer Engel was also there as a special guest from the Führerhauptquartier for Hitler's former bodyguard commander's special day. Most photos from Dietrich's birthday were taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Klaus Weill, though it is not certain about this one. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

Commanders of the first four Waffen-SS division engaged in conversation during the lull of the fighring in the Eastern Front. From left to right: SS-Oberführer Hermann Priess (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Wiking"), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Walter Krüger (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Das Reich"), and SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'). The picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Weill on 7 June 1943.

14 October 1943: SS-Brigadefuhrer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), at right, visited the Feldlazarett (Field Hospital) and decorates SS-Obersturmführer Hans Drexel (stellvertreter Führer II.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Westland" / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), second from left, with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses). The picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Koch.



Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) received two officers from 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" who had just awarded the Eichenlaub for their Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. In this picture - taken at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, in November 1943 - the Führer shakes hands with SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Dorr (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Germania" / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), while at left stands SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"). Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") photographed by Walter Frentz at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, after the Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler in November 1943. Gille's Eichenlaub recommendation reads as follows: "SS-Brigadeführer Gille took over acting command of the SS-Pz.Gren.Div. Wiking in October 1942. In May 1943 he was named commander of this SS-Division. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his successes as leader of a Vorausabteilung during the offensive battles of summer 1942 in the Caucasus. In the recent fighting SS-Brigadeführer Gille has decisively intervened in the combat along the southern front on several occasions through the outstanding leadership of his Division. He has distinguished himself through his confident and energetic leadership, his swift and superior issuing of orders and above all through his personal example and determination. His outstanding personal bravery in the foremost line was often the deciding factor in resolving situations both dangerous and critical alike. It is primarily to his credit that his Division has been able to perform as well as it has over the course of numerous battles in the thick of combat on the southern front. Throughout this time it has shown true devotion to duty and earned the respect of its comrades in the Heer. It has been named several times in the Heeresbericht and in the press due to its exemplary achievements on the battlefield. And to this day it continues to hold a sector of over 25 km wide on the Dnieper river despite having been employed in heavy fighting for two years. All of this is thanks to the tireless readiness for duty, responsibility and dutifulness of its commander."



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") in a picture taken in early 1944. Some source (like this one) claims that this picture was taken on 21 February 1942, which is not possible because since 20 February 1944 Gille was already received the Schwerter for his Ritterkreuz, while in this picture he is still wearing the Eichenlaub.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") awarded the Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse to Waffen-Untersturmführer der SS Hando "Tou" Ruus (16 May 1917 - 31 March 1945) of Bataillon "Narwa". Born Harald-Ferdinand Ruhs, he was a former member of the Estonian military who preferred to escape to the forest rather than join the Red Army shortly after his country was annexed by the Soviet Union. The German invasion of his country's invader was an opportunity for Ruus to join the SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Bataillon Narwa. He fought bravely in every action his unit undertook, including when he became commander of Battalion "Narwa" after all of the officers above him were killed or wounded! In September 1944 he was captured by the enemy after his battalion was surrounded. Later he was sent to Leningrad and was reportedly executed there on March 31, 1945. With the final rank of Waffen-Hauptsturmführer der SS (August 1944), Ruus was the only Estonian Wehrmacht volunteer to be awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (December 30, 1944).



SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (left, Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien") and SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") during the Battle of Cherkassy Pocket (24 January – 16 February 1944). This picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Briessa with the original press photo caption as follow: "Zu den Durchbruckskämpfen westlich Tscherkassy. Die für die erfolgreichen Durchbruchskämpfe westlich Tscherkassy Ausgezeichneten. Im Vordergrund der vom Führer mit den Schwertern zum Eichenlaub des Ritterkreuzes ausgezeichneten SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Gille und der mit dem Ritterkreuz ausgezeichnete SS-Hauptsturmführer Leon Degrelle." (On the breakthrough battles west of Cherkasy. Those awarded for the successful breakthrough battles west of Cherkasy. In the foreground, SS-Gruppenführer and Lieutenant General of the Waffen-SS Herbert Gille, who was awarded the Swords to the Oak Leaves of the Knight's Cross by the Führer, and SS-Hauptsturmführer Leon Degrelle, who was awarded the Knight's Cross).

Award ceremony with Hitler for the three "Cherkassy Heroes" who led their men escaping from the Red Army encirclement in Korsun-Cherkassy pocket (24 January - 16 February 1944). The ceremony was held at Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, on 20 February 1944. The recipients are: Generalleutnant Theobald "Theo-Helmut" Lieb (Kommandierender General XXXXII. Armeekorps), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), and SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"). Lieb received both the Ritterkreuz (7 February 1944) and Eichenlaub (18 February 1944)  at the same time; Gille received the Schwerter (20 February 1944); while Degrelle received the Ritterkreuz (20 February 1944). The award ceremony was attended by the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und deutschen Polizei) and SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Hermann Fegelein (Verbindungsoffizier der Waffen-SS zum Führerhauptquartier).



Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) congratulates SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") during the award ceremony for "Cherkassy Heroes" which were held at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, on 20 February 1944. At left is another recipient, SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"), while at right is SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Hermann Fegelein (Verbindungsoffizier der Waffen-SS zum Führerhauptquartier) and Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und deutschen Polizei). Other pictures from this ceremony can be seen HERE.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") photographed by Presse-Illustrationen Heinrich Hoffmann at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, after the Schwerter award ceremony for the "Heroes of Cherkassy" with Hitler on 20 February 1944. The medal was formally awarded on the same day for the extremely distinguished leadership of his division during the breakout from the Cherkassy pocket. In this time his division was the spearhead of the German forces trapped within the pocket, and it played an invaluable role in allowing the encircled troops to escape.



Three "Heroes of Cherkassy" with SS-Obergruppenführer Dr.rer.pol. Otto Dietrich (right, Reichspressechef der NSDAP). From left to right: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), Generalleutnant Theobald "Theo-Helmut" Lieb (Kommandierender General XXXXII. Armeekorps), and SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien". The picture was taken by the unknown photographer from Presse-Illustrationen Heinrich Hoffmann at the Reichspropagandaministerium in Berlin on 21 February 1944, one day after the award ceremony at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia.



Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und deutschen Polizei) sharing a lighter moment with two of the "Cherkassy Heroes" from Waffen-SS: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (left, Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") and SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (right, Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"). The picture was taken by the unknown photographer from Presse-Illustrationen Heinrich Hoffmann on 21 February 1944, one day after the award ceremony at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") photographed by Kriegsberichter Etzhold (Propaganda-Kompanie 670) in his office in the Eastern Front, 21 March 1944. In his neck is the Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub which he received on 20 February 1944, while in his uniform is Deutsches Kreuz in Gold which he received on 28 February 1942.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") was awarded the Schwerter to his Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 20 February 1944 for his division’s role in the Cherkassy break-out. He poses with them here. Two months later, on April 19, Gille won the highly prestigious Brillanten after flying into surrounded Kovel and organizing its successful defense. This picture was taken from the book "Knight's Cross Winners of the Waffen SS' by Marc Rikmenspoel.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") in the Eastern Front with his "Wolchow" walking stick popularized by Wehrmacht higher commanders. A traditional Slavic craft made and presented to German officers, they were enhanced with emblems denoting the unit and often its notable engagements. The photo was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Ernst Baumann on 27 April 1944 a few kilometers west of the Polish (now Ukrainian) city of Kovel, during "Unternehmen ILSE" (Operation ILSE) which was designed to eliminate the remaining Soviet siege lines around Kovel. Kampfgruppe Gille was one of the maneuver elements taking part in the battle, along with the 131. Infanterie-Division.

SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert-Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") is watching friendly bombers flying in the sky, which are flying to bomb the Soviet positions, in an observation trench outside the besieged Kovel, 27 April 1944. Gille flew into the encircled Polish city of Kovel to command its forces while Wiking and Heer units fought to the rescue. In the fortress, he requested assistance from the Luftwaffe, since a lengthy defense of the city would not be possible without supply from the air. The Fernglas (binoculars) he used in this photo are not Germans, and it looks like it was ex-WW1 French-made (probably made by Chevalier, Verdi, Huet, or Jumelle). Photo by SS-Kriegsberichter Alois Jarolim.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert-Otto Gille (left, Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") is watching friendly bombers flying in the sky, which are flying to bomb the Soviet positions, in an observation trench outside the besieged Kovel, 27 April 1944. The Fernglas (binoculars) he used in this photo are not Germans, and it looks like it was ex-WW1 French-made (probably made by Chevalier, Verdi, Huet, or Jumelle). SS-Obersturmführer Hermann Kaufmann (centre, adjutant Divisionskommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") also used a non-standard 10x50 binoculars (like Carl Zeiss), although they are from more modern type. The third officer with binoculars at right (cropped) is SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Hack (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 "Germania" / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"). Photo by SS-Kriegsberichter Alois Jarolim. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.



Brillanten award ceremony for SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"). Gille formally received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten #12 on 19 April 1944, while the ceremony with Hitler itself was held in the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze, Rastenburg, on 29 April 1944. Gille’s Brillanten recommendation reads as follows: "The weeks-long, heroic defense of the totally encircled Fortress Kovel despite the greatest of supply difficulties and significant losses against a much superior enemy is solely attributable to the determined leadership and great personal bravery of the General [Gille]. This recommendation is being sent as a radio message due to the situation at the front. A written submission will follow.” The Vorschlag dated 9 April 1944 and signed by Korpskommandeur General der Infanterie Friedrich Hossbach; Countersigned by Armee Oberbefehlshaber Generaloberst Walter Weiβ, Heeresgruppe Oberbefehlshaber Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch, and on 19 April 1944 by by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler.



A picture of Herbert Otto Gille as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS with the Brillanten medal, belong to author Mark C. Yerger. Signed in the late 1950s at his book shop, was Herbert Gille's favorite image of himself. Those who came to the shop got such larger size examples (to big for a standard letter envelope) with the same in a smaller size going to those who wrote him. Signed with his preferred color fountain pen. Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, he is the most combat decorated Waffen-SS officer, along with Sepp Dietrich.



SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (left, Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") in conversation with a grenadier from Heer (Army) who was wounded during the defensive fighting in Kovel, Ukraine. This picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Alois Jarolim on 2 May 1944 and was first published on 18 May 1944.

SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") presenting the Ritterkreuz to SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Hack (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 "Germania" / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), 14 May 1944. On the left of the photo (not visible) is the future Ritterkreuzträger Paul Senghas. Other pictures from this ceremony can be seen HERE.



Commanders’ Conference of 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking", 17 July 1944. Divisionskommandeur Gille (seated) gave the orders for a rescue attempt for a Wehrmacht battalion surrounded by Russian forces. His subordinate officers listened attentively. There was a look of tension on their faces as they shifted closer to hear the Divisionskommandeur give the orders that would move the Wiking regiments to the battle front. From left to right: SS-Obersturmführer Fritz Wolf (Adjutant Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 "Wiking"), SS-Sturmbannführer Paul Kümmel (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 "Wiking"), SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Bünning (wearing M43 SS-Tropenuniform "Sahariana", Kommander SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 5 "Wiking"); SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Dorr (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Germania"), and SS-Sturmbannführer Günther Sitter (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Westland"). The picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Ernst Baumann in the Kamieniec-Litewski region, Belarus. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.



Herbert Otto Gille as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS. He was highly regarded for his leadership qualities and tactical abilities. He commanded Waffen-SS units at the regiment, division and corps level with distinction during the war. Gille was popular with his men and admired for his personal bravery. Despite being an early Nazi Party member, Gille was known for his apolitical views. The author Heinz Höhne in The Order under the Death Head characterized Gille as an enigma and "Nur-Soldat" (soldier – nothing else) who once threatened a newly assigned Weltanschauungsoffizier (political indoctrination officer) with a clean-out squad to gather his uniforms and other possessions and throw them and the officer out of the unit.



Lagebesprechung (briefing) between two Brillantenträger from Heer and Waffen-SS. From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte), SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps), unknown Oberleutnant, and SS-Hauptsturmführer Werner Westphal (acting Ia Operation Officer IV. SS-Panzerkorps). The picture was taken on 28 July 1944 when Model made his first visit to Gille's HQ in Rogów, Poland, within days of the activation of his SS-Panzerkorps. They were then planning the armor counterstrike that became known as the Tank Battle of Praga. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.



Generalleutnant Dietrich von Saucken (center, Kommandierender General XXXIX. Panzerkorps), confers with SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (left, Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) and his chief of staff, SS-Obersturmbannführer Manfred Schönfelder (right) during the opening stages of the tank battle at Praga, 31 July 1944. The picture is Courtesy of Günther Lange Archive and was taken from the book "From the Realm of a Dying Sun (Volume 1): IV. SS-Panzerkorps and the Battles for Warsaw, July-November 1944" by Douglas E. Nash.



From left to right: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (left, Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps), General der Panzertruppe Nikolaus von Vormann (Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee), and Generaloberst Georg-Hans Reinhardt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte). Between 30 July - December 1944, IV. SS-Panzerkorps were subordinated to 9. Armee / Heeresgruppe Mitte.



This picture was taken between July-November 1944. From left to right: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Untersturmführer Günther Lange (O5 Aide de Camp Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps), and SS-Sturmbannführer Karl-Willy Schulze (Adjutant Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps). Lange is holding a situation map for his corps commander. He had been serving as a platoon leader in the 2nd Battalion of SS Panzer Regiment 5 until he was selected to replace Hermann Kaufmann as Gille's O5. After the war, Lange returned to his art studio and earned a master's degree equivalent in art, while pursuing a career as an officer in the Bundeswehr, where he finally retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of service. The picture was taken from the book "From the Realm of a Dying Sun (Volume 1): IV. SS-Panzerkorps and the Battles for Warsaw, July-November 1944" by Douglas E. Nash.



As part of his normal duties, SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) made it a point to visit every division command post at least once a day. In this photograph, taken in early August 1944, Gille (left) is speaking to SS-Oberführer Helmuth Becker (center, Kommandeur 3. SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf"). Behind Becker stands two of his key officers, SS-Obersturmbannführer Josef Swientek (Kommandeur SS-Artillerie-Regiment 3 "Totenkopf") and SS-Obersturmbannführer Erich Eberhardt (Ia Operations Officer 3. SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf"). On the right, with map board slung over his shoulder, is SS-Untersturmführer Günther Lange, Gille’s new O5 Begleitoffizier.



From left to right: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Standartenführer Josef Swientek (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 3 / 3.SS-Panzer-Division “Totenkopf”), and SS-Standartenführer Johannes-Rudolf Mühlenkamp (Führer 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"). This photo was taken in August 1944 on the Eastern Front. At that time Gille's SS-Panzerkorps was in charge of the Totenkopf and Wiking Divisions. The picture is Courtesy of Günther Lange Archive and was taken from the book "From the Realm of a Dying Sun (Volume 1): IV. SS-Panzerkorps and the Battles for Warsaw, July-November 1944" by Douglas E. Nash.



In this picture, SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (right, Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) and his Chief of Staff, SS-Obersturmbannführer Manfred Schönfelder (center) speak with the new First General Staff Officer (Ia) of the 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking", German Army Major im Generalstab Otto Kleine. This photo was taken early August 1944 by SS-Untersturmführer Günther Lange, Gille’s new O5 Begleitoffizier.



This photo was taken by SS-Untersturmführer Günther Lange (O5 aide-de-camp Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) in mid-August 1944 east of Warsaw, and it depicts a conversation between SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille, who had been elevated to the position of commander of the IV SS Panzer Corps, and SS-Obersturmbannführer Fritz Darges (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"). Gille's pet dog "Strolch" can be seen in the foreground. Gille's dog survived the war, but what became of him afterwards is unknown. An enlisted man adopted him while the division was in its first camp shortly after the surrender but after that? No other information available. Lange escamped from the POW camp and of course Gille was taken into custody by duplicitous means and didn't have his dog with him at the time.



From left to right: General der Panzertruppe Nikolaus von Vormann (Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee) and SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps). The picture was taken in the period between August-September 1944, when IV. SS-Panzerkorps were under the command of 9. Armee. Gille is wearing the Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes in his neck, which he received on 19 April 1944.


This photo of (from L to R) SS-Obersturmbannführer Manfred Schönfelder (Chef des Stabes IV. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Herbert-Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkrosp), and SS-Obersturmführer Günter Jahnke (1. Ordonnansoffizier 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") was taken in November or December 1944 outside of the Modlin Fortress, Poland. The forward command post of the IV. SS-Panzerkorps was located in the fortress from mid-October to late December 1944.

On 9 November 1944, SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) dedicated the new Soldatenfriedhof (wartime cemetery) in Modlin, Poland. In addition to the ceremony itself, a reception was held shortly afterwards inside the Modlin Fortress. Besides Gille, in attendance were the commanders of the Totenkopf and Wiking Divisions, their staffs, and various local dignitaries from the German administration of occupied Poland. This picture shows Korpskommandeur Gille (center) views the newly-dedicated ceremony. To the immediate right of Gille stands SS-Standartenführer Karl Ullrich, the commander of the Wiking Division. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

Polish Front, January 1945: While holding a wolchowstock (the walking stick for German officers and non-commissioned officers typical of the Eastern Front), SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) chatted with SS- Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Hellmuth Becker (Kommandeur 3. SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf") who was under his command. Far left behind Gille is SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Pittschellis (Führer SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 / 3.SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf") who would later be killed in battle on January 26, 1945, just a few days after this photo was taken! BTW, the Ärmelstreifen (cufftitle) attached to Becker's arm is different from the ärmelstreifen commonly worn by other Totenkopf Division personnel. The ärmelstreifen bearing the skull was a sign that the wearer was a former member of the SS-Totenkopfstandard "Oberbayern" in Dachau, and they were allowed to keep it on their arm even after moving to another unit as a form of pride in their old unit.

A Facebook post by author Douglas E. Nash on 16 November 2021: Finally learned the correct name of Herbert Otto Gille's little terrier - his name was "Strolch" which loosely translates to "Scamp." A fitting name, I suppose. Source for the I.D. is the officer who used to be Gille's aide-de-camp, SS-Untersturmführer Günther Lange, who relayed the name to me today. One of the many duties Lange had in addition to making sure Gille got his bowl of Wheaties in the morning, his maps, and staff car on standby was caring for this little dog - walking it, feeding it, cleaning up after him, etc. He was helped in this by Gille's batman, SS-Unterscharführer Balk. The photo above was taken sometime during the first two weeks of March 1945, showing little "Strolch" mucking about in the foreground.

SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps) in Hungary, April 1945, with SS-Sturmbannführer Herbert Jankuhn (left), his Ic Intelligence Officer from 27 July 1944 - April 1945. Jankuhn (8 August 1905 – 30 April 1990) was a German archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of Germanic peoples. He is best known for his excavations at the Viking Age site of Hedeby, and for his instrumental role in the publishing of the second edition of the Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde. The picture is Courtesy of Günther Lange Archive and was taken from the book "From the Realm of a Dying Sun (Volume 1): IV. SS-Panzerkorps and the Battles for Warsaw, July-November 1944" by Douglas E. Nash.



From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Bünning (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 5 / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), SS-Standartenführer Karl Ullrich (Kommandeur 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"), and SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Herbert Otto Gille (Kommandierender General IV. SS-Panzerkorps). The picture was taken in Hungary in 1945. John P. Moore photo collection.

Former members of the Waffen-SS march through the streets of Verden, Niedersachsen, while being watched by the watchful eyes of British Military Police officer at left. They came to the post-war reunion of former members of the Waffen-SS (Nachkriegstreffen der Waffen-SS) which was held in Verden on 27 October 1952. Most likely this photo was taken just before the laying of wreaths in memory of their comrades in arms who have fallen during World War II. Second row after the wreath bearers are their leaders, from left to right: Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, Felix Steiner and Herbert Otto Gille. Ramcke was a former general of the Fallschirmjäger (Paratroopers), while Steiner and Gille were both former commanders of the SS "Wiking" Division. Ramcke and Gille were both the recipients of Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, while Steiner "only" received the Schwerter for his Ritterkreuz (one level lower than Brillanten).

Former general of the Waffen-SS, Herbert Otto Gille, gives a speech on the 16th of November in 1952 during a meeting of the "Hilfsgemeinschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit der Angehörigen der ehemaligen Waffen-SS e.V." (short: HIAG, translates as: "Mutual Help Association of Former Waffen-SS Members") in Gelsenkirchen. The HIAG fights for juristical and societal separation of the Waffen-SS and the Allgemeine-SS, which were on duty in the concentration camps of the Nazi period. In an article by Otto Kumm, former General of the Waffen SS, which appeared in Der Freiwillige, he notes that the origin of HIAG goes back to 1949. Kameraden of the former 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division "Prinz Eugen" got together in Hamburg to form a group with the objective to assist ex-Waffen SS members in prison and in financial need and to combat the defamation of the Waffen SS by the Nuremberg trials. This small group grew quickly from 50 to 100. They decided on the name Hilfsgemeinschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit (HIAG): Fellowship for Mutual Support. In the following months the numbers grew to 700-800 men. In 1951 the number of members in the club were 1500 to 1700. The HIAG movement mushroomed all over Germany. The spread of information came from the original publication "Ausweg" which was later replaced by "Wiking Ruf" (published by Herbert Otto Gille). In the 50s and 60s the HIAG was quite active organizing meetings and get-togethers (Tagungen). The meetings and get-togethers with the marches always attracted a lot of mostly negative publicity. As the key leaders of HIAG died the HIAG movement lost its impetus and is no longer active. The HIAG movement was only partly successful in clearing the Waffen SS reputation (the motto being that they were soldiers like any others). In a way, HIAG was the final chapter of the history of the Waffen SS.

Retired SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille received the 1957 version of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten (Knight's Cross with the oak leaves, swords and diamonds) from the OdR (Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger e. V.) in November 1958. Retired Generalmajor Max Lemke puts on the high order.



Herbert Otto Gille gives the eulogy during the funeral of former Waffen-SS general Felix Steiner which were held on 25 May 1966. His funeral was attended by hundreds of his men who came from all over Europe to pay their last respects. Steiner died on 12 May 1966 in Münich, 11 days before his 70th birthday, and was buried in Friedhof Perlacher Forst (Plot 201, Reihe A, Grab 16). Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

26 December 1966: The funeral of fomer SS general Herbert Otto Gille in his house in Stemmen über Hannover, Niedersachsen, West Germany. On 26 December 1966 Gille passed away after suffering a heart attack in Stemmen, age 68. He was buried at the local cemetery in the city. Unfortunately, for some reason, now the grave is no longer there! Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

Source :
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek photo archive
Bundesarchiv photo archive
Agustin Vazquez photo collection
Douglas E. Nash photo collection
Günther Lange photo collection
John P. Moore photo collection
Michael D. Miller photo collection
"From the Realm of a Dying Sun (Volume 1): IV. SS-Panzerkorps and the Battles for Warsaw, July-November 1944" by Douglas E. Nash
"German Cross in Gold Holders of the SS and Police Volume 7 'Wiking': Adolph to Kempcke" by Mark C. Yerger
"Kampfgruppe Mühlenkamp" by Douglas E. Nash & Remy Spezzano
"Knight's Cross Winners of the Waffen SS' by Marc Rikmenspoel
"Leaders of the SS and German Police" by Michael D. Miller
"Unternehmen Ilse" by Remy Spezzano and Douglas E. Nash
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