Showing posts with label 5 Infanterie-Division 25. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 Infanterie-Division 25. Show all posts

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Ritterkreuz Action of Erich-Heinrich Clößner

Erich-Heinrich Clößner (17 September 1888 - 28 March 1976) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 September 1940 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 25. Infanterie-Division. The following wartime excerpt describes why Clößner was awarded the Ritterkreuz: "Over the course of 5-7 June 1940 Generalleutnant Clößner led his troops forwards over the Oise-Aisne Kanal, and afterwards stormed the Chemin des Dames and the Laffaux heights with his men.” The following press excerpt from October 1940 further details these actions as follows: "Between 5 and 10 June 1940 Generalleutnant Clößner decisively contributed to the breakthrough victory of his Korps as well as the subsequent pursuit battles along the Aisne Canal and Marne river through the masterful leadership of his Division. During the assault across the Marne river his Division served as the pacemaker for the young neighbouring Divisionen against the desperately defending enemy. In doing so he brought about a military accomplishment of unusually high merit.”



Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152986901863424
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28897/Cl%C3%B6%C3%9Fner-Erich.htm

Bio of General der Infanterie Erich-Heinrich Clößner (1888-1976)

Erich Heinrich Clößner
Born: 17 Sep 1888 in Gießen
Died: 28 Mar 1976 in Konstanz, Lake Constance (Bodensee)

Promotions:
Leutnant (14 Mar 1907); Oberleutnant (18 Dec 1914); Hauptmann (05 Oct 1916); Major (01 Dec 1929); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1932); Oberst (01 Jun 1934); Generalmajor (01 Oct 1937); Generalleutnant (01 Oct 1939); General der Infanterie (16 Mar 1942)

Career:
Entered Army Service (14 Mar 1907)
Leutnant in the 160th Infantry-Regiment (14 Mar 1907-01 Oct 1911)
Adjutant and Court Officer of the II. Battalion of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1911-10 Sep 1914)
Wounded, in Hospital (10 Sep 1914-25 Apr 1915)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (25 Apr 1915-28 Jul 1915)
Company-Leader in the 160th Infantry-Regiment (28 Jul 1915-05 Feb 1916)
2nd Adjutant of the 29th Reserve-Infantry-Brigade (05 Feb 1916-30 Jun 1916)
Ordinance-Officer with the Staff of the 15th Infantry-Division (30 Jun 1916-09 Jul 1916)
Detached as 1st Adjutant to Division Dumrath (09 Jul 1916-03 Sep 1916)
Detached as Ordinance-Officer to Division H (03 Sep 1916-20 Sep 1916)
Detached as Ordinance-Officer to Army-Group Kronprinz Rupprecht von Bayern (20 Sep 1916-01 Nov 1916)
Transferred as 3rd Ordinance-Officer to the Staff of Army-Group Kronprinz Rupprecht von Bayern (01 Nov 1916-13 May 1917)
Transferred into a General-Staff-Office of the 25th Landwehr-Division (13 May 1917-24 Nov 1917)
Transferred into a General-Staff-Office of the XVII. Reserve-Corps (24 Nov 1917-28 Mar 1918)
Transferred into the Army General Staff while also retaining his previous position (28 Mar 1918-02 Aug 1918)
Transferred into the Staff of Staging-Inspection 28 (02 Aug 1918-04 Oct 1918)
Officer Of The Army and Assigned to the XXV. Reserve-Corps for Special Duties (04 Oct 1918-03 Apr 1919)
Transferred back into the 160th Infantry-Regiment and Assigned to the General-Command of the II. Army-Corps (03 Apr 1919-18 May 1919)
Transferred into the Army General Staff and again Assigned to the II. Army-Corps (18 May 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the General-Staff of Military-District-Command II and the 2nd Division respectively (01 Oct 1919-01 Oct 1924)
Transferred into the 5th Infantry-Regiment, while retaining his previous position (01 Oct 1924-01 Nov 1924)
Company-Chief in the 5th Infantry-Regiment (01 Nov 1924-20 Nov 1927)
Detached for Motor-Transport-Training to the 2nd Motor-Transport-Battalion (21 Jul 1927-12 Sep 1927)
Transferred to the Staff of Group-Command 1 (12 Sep 1927-01 Jul 1929)
Detached to Gas-Protection-Course E in Berlin (23 Feb 1929-02 Mar 1929)
Transferred into the Staff of Infantry-Leader VI (01 Jul 1929-01 Mar 1933)
Detached to Shooting-Course in Jüterbog (27 Oct 1930-05 Nov 1930)
Detached to Shooting-Course for Heavy Infantry Weapons in Döberitz (05 Oct 1931-24 Oct 1931)
Commandant Of Neustettin (01 Mar 1933-01 Oct 1933)
Commandant of Border-Section-Command Neustettin (01 Oct 1933-01 Apr 1934)
Commander of the 14th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1934-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of Infantry-Regiment Konstanz (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of the 14th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-01 Jun 1938)
Military-Replacement-Inspector Innsbruck (01 Jun 1938-15 Oct 1939)
Commander of the 25th Infantry-Division (15 Oct 1939-25 Jan 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of LIII. Army-Corps (25 Jan 1942-01 Apr 1942)
Commanding General of LIII. Army-Corps (01 Apr 1942-07 Aug 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (07 Aug 1943-15 Oct 1943)
Commanding General of IX. Army-Corps (15 Oct 1943-03 Dec 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (03 Dec 1943-26 Aug 1944)
At the same time, Assigned to Army-Group F for the Execution of Special Duties (05 Jan 1944-10 May 1944)
Commander of Special-Staff I in OKH (28 Jun 1944-04 Dec 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (04 Dec 1944-01 Jan 1945)
Detached to the Reichs Ministry for Propaganda and Public Enlightenment for the Execution of Special Duties (01 Jan 1945-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (08 May 1945-1947)
Released (1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz (80): am 29.09.1940 als Generalleutnant und Kommandeur der 25. Infanterie-Division
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (144/2): am 15.07.1942 als General der Infanterie und Kommandierender General LIII. Armee-Korps
- 1914 EK I: 16.09.1915
- 1914 EK II: 09.09.1914
- Grossherzoglich Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille: 05.04.1915
- Kgl. Bayer. Militär-Verdienstorden mit Schwertern: 29.04.1917
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz: 17.04.1918
- Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz: 17.09.1918
- Lippisches Kriegsehrenkreuz für heldenmütige Tat: 05.11.1918
- Ehrenkomturkreuz des Fürstl. Hohenzollernsches Hausordens: 30.08.1934
- Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond: 05.09.1917
- k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration: 14.04.1918
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz: 30.05.1918
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer: 19.02.1935
- Verdienstkreuz des Finn. Schutzkorps: 24.09.1936
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg”
- Spange um EK I: 06.06.1940
- Spange um EK II: 20.05.1940
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”: 20.07.1942



Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/03/daftar-general-der-infanterie-heer.html
http://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General/CLOESSNER_ERICH.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28897/Cl%C3%B6%C3%9Fner-Erich.htm