Ritterkreuzträger of 28. Infanterie-Division / 28. Jäger-Division

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The 28th Infantry Division, later redesignated as the 28th Jäger Division (also known as the Eisernes Kreuz Schlesische Division or "Iron Cross Silesian Division"), was one of the longest-serving units of the German Wehrmacht, formed on 1 October 1936 in Breslau, Silesia (modern-day Wrocław, Poland). Initially structured as a standard infantry division with regiments including the 49th and 83rd, it earned its enduring nickname through veteran leadership and personnel drawing from World War I traditions, such as the Hirschberg Hunters. It saw early combat in the 1939 invasion of Poland as part of the 4th Army, advancing from Katowice toward Kraków, the Vistula, and Lwów, before shifting westward for the 1940 campaign in Belgium and France. Transferred east for Operation Barbarossa in 1941 with the 9th Army, it pushed through Lida toward Smolensk and participated in the drive on Moscow, suffering heavy losses near Yartsevo that necessitated its withdrawal to France for reconstitution. In December 1941, it was reorganized as the 28th Light Infantry Division, then formally redesignated the 28th Jäger Division on 1 July 1942, adopting a lighter, more mobile structure optimized for rough terrain: two Jäger regiments (49 and 83), an artillery regiment, pioneers, Panzerjäger, reconnaissance, and support units, emphasizing elite skirmish tactics, superior training, and coordination suited to forests, hills, and urban fighting rather than massed assaults. Deployed to the Crimea with the 11th Army, it endured brutal fighting in the final assault on Sevastopol before transferring to Army Group North, where it engaged in prolonged operations around the Volkhov River, the Leningrad siege lines (with Finnish and Italian allies), Demyansk, and Lake Ladoga through 1943–early 1944. As Soviet offensives intensified, the division shifted southward through Latvia and Belarus, attempting to relieve encircled forces during Operation Bagration in 1944, then retreated into East Prussia with the rebuilt 4th Army. By late 1944 and early 1945, it fought defensive actions in the Heiligenbeil Pocket, absorbing remnants of other units like elements of the 102nd Infantry Division before being largely destroyed or captured; the survivors under final commander Colonel Hans Tempelhoff surrendered to Soviet forces in the Samland Peninsula in May 1945 after nearly nine years of continuous service across multiple fronts. Commanded successively by figures such as Hans von Obstfelder, Johann Sinnhuber, Friedrich Schulz, Hans Speth, Gustav Heistermann von Ziehlberg, and Ernst König, the division exemplified the Wehrmacht's Jäger ethos—elite light infantry prized for adaptability in adverse conditions—yet ultimately shared the fate of attrition and defeat on the Eastern Front.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


General der Infanterie Hans Jordan (1892-1975) entered the Royal Prussian Army in 1912, served through World War I as an Oberleutnant, continued in the Reichswehr, and rose steadily in the Wehrmacht during World War II, commanding Infanterie-Regiment 49 (of the 28. Infanterie-Division) from 1939 to 1941, the 7. Infanterie-Division from December 1941 to November 1942, the VI. Armeekorps from November 1942 until May 1944, and briefly the 9. Armee in the summer of 1944 before being relieved during the opening phase of the Soviet Operation Bagration. As Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 49 he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 June 1940 for overcoming the fierce defenses of the Maas river with his regiment during the Western Campaign; he then took the necessary measures to exploit this success and complete the victory on that day, personally directing the capture of numerous hostile fortifications whose elimination proved of decisive importance for the overall operation in the Maubeuge sector. On 16 January 1942, still credited in connection with the command of Infanterie-Regiment 49, he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for the regiment’s successful defensive battles near Duchowtschina in August and September 1941 as well as its major contribution to the liquidation of the Vyazma pocket on the Eastern Front. Finally, as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the VI. Armeekorps, he earned the Schwerter on 20 April 1944 for his outstanding leadership throughout the repeated summer and winter battles in the Rzhev salient and the stubborn defensive fighting near Vitebsk in the winter of 1943–1944, during which his corps prevented every Soviet attempt to achieve a breakthrough.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Generalmajor Franz Scheidies (1890-1942) was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes along with its Eichenlaub for outstanding personal bravery and decisive leadership in major combat operations. After earlier service in the Prussian Army and police, he rejoined the military in 1935 and rose through the ranks; during the 1940 Western Campaign in France, as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 127 within the XII. Armee-Korps of the 1. Armee under Heeresgruppe C, he commanded the division’s Vorausabteilung in the pursuit battles from the Maginot Line to the Mosel river, where he was always at the forefront of the fiercest fighting and repeatedly guided his detachment through the most trying situations thanks to his personal courage, bold initiative, and clear orders, actions especially distinguished during the engagements at Languimberg on 17 June 1940, at Bého and Gélacourt on 18 June 1940, and the assault on Azerailles on 19 June 1940, when he was severely wounded while personally leading the foremost riflemen, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 August 1940. After recovering from his wounds and promotion to Oberst, he took command of Infanterie-Regiment 22 of the 1. Infanterie-Division under the XXXVIII. Armee-Korps; on 9 September 1941 his regiment advanced as far as Kainelaisi during the breakthrough that made the 1. Infanterie-Division the first German unit to penetrate the outer defensive ring around Leningrad, enabling the corps to thrust to the Gulf of Finland and tighten the encirclement of the city, for which he was awarded the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941 as the 43rd recipient. He subsequently led Infanterie-Regiment 22 in heavy defensive battles near Ladoga during the winter of 1941/42 before being appointed commander of the 61. Infanterie-Division in late March 1942, a post he held until he was killed by a Soviet sniper near Gluschitza on 7 April 1942.

Source :
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/28ID.htm

Bio of General der Infanterie Hans Jordan (1892-1975)

Full name: Hans Gustav-Adolf Julius Ferdinand Jordan
Nickname: None

Date of Birth: 27 December 1892 - Scheuern, Baden (German Empire)
Date of Death: 20 April 1975 - Munich, Bavaria (West Germany)

Religion: Unknown
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Spouse: Unknown
Children: Unknown

Promotions:
Kadettenschuler
22.03.1912: Fahnrich - Anhaltischen Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 93
16.06.1913: Leutnant
18.08.1916: Oberleutnant
01.05.1923: Hauptmann
01.07.1933: Major
01.03.1936: Oberstleutnant
01.08.1938: Oberst
01.10.1941: Generalmajor
01.11.1942: Generalleutnant
01.01.1943: General der Infanterie

Career:
1912: Joined the Imperial German Army as a cadet in Infanterie-Regiment 93
World War I: Served as platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander in Infanterie-Regiment 93
Post-WWI: Retained in the Reichswehr, served in various staff and training positions
10.11.1938: Kommandeur of Lehrgruppe "B" at Kriegsschule Wiener-Neustadt
1939: Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 49
1940: Participated in the Western Campaign, including the crossing of the Maas River
13.12.1941: Kommandeur of 7. Infanterie-Division
01.11.1942: Kommandierender General of VI. Armeekorps
20.05.1944: Kommandierender General of 9. Armee (relieved 26.06.1944)
March 1945: Staff position with Heeresgruppe C in Italy
April 1945: Oberbefehlshaber of Armeeoberkommando Tirol

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz (1914) 2.Klasse (23.09.1914)
Eisernes Kreuz (1914) 1.Klasse (15.04.1916)
Anhaltisches Friedrich-Kreuz (during WWI)
Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Anhaltischer Albrecht des Baren-Orden mit Schwertern (during WWI)
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1918)
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber (1918)
Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
Ehrenkreuz fur Frontkampfer
Dienstauszeichnung I. Klasse (1936)
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse 1914 (14.05.1940)
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse 1914 (24.05.1940)
Wehrmachtbericht (24.04.1940)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (05.06.1940) as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 49, part of the 28. Infanterie-Division, Hans Jordan distinguished himself during the Western Campaign in May 1940. His regiment played a pivotal role in overcoming the strong Belgian defenses along the Maas (Meuse) River. On or around 14 May 1940, despite intense enemy resistance, the regiment successfully crossed the river, captured several key fortifications, and enabled the rapid advance of follow-on forces toward the English Channel. This action was crucial for breaking through Allied lines and contributing to the swift collapse of French and Belgian defenses in the sector. The following wartime excerpt from 30 August 1940 highlights the justification: "Oberst Hans Jordan overcame the fierce defenses of the Maas river with his Regiment. He then undertook the necessary measures to capitalize on this success and complete the victory on this day. During this operation his Regiment captured a number of hostile fortifications under his leadership. The elimination of these enemy defenses were of great importance for the success of the overall operation." This was the 57th award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. Additionally, his leadership in related fighting around Maubeuge was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 April 1940, noting exceptional bravery in capturing fortified positions.
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
Ostmedaille (1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #59 (16.01.1942) as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 49 within the 28. Infanterie-Division (later transitioning to command of the 7. Infanterie-Division in December 1941), Jordan earned this award for his unit's outstanding performance in two key phases of the Eastern Front campaign in 1941. First, during the defensive battles near Duchowtschina (Dukhovshchina) in August and September 1941, as part of the broader Battle of Smolensk, his regiment held critical positions against repeated Soviet offensives aimed at relieving encircled forces. These actions involved intense close-quarters combat in forested and urban terrain, where the regiment repelled multiple attacks, inflicted heavy casualties, and maintained the German encirclement lines. Second, in October 1941, during Operation Typhoon (the advance on Moscow), his forces contributed significantly to the liquidation of the Vyazma pocket, a massive encirclement west of Moscow where over 670,000 Soviet troops were captured. The regiment participated in closing the pocket, mopping up resistance, and securing the flanks against breakout attempts, which was vital for the German push toward the Soviet capital. These efforts were part of the division's overall achievements in the drive toward Moscow, demonstrating exceptional leadership under harsh conditions. 
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (23.12.1943)
Wehrmachtbericht (11.02.1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #64 (20.04.1944) as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the VI. Armeekorps, Jordan was recognized for his corps' defensive successes in prolonged and intense fighting across multiple campaigns. From November 1942 onward, he led the corps in the four summer and winter battles within the Rzhev salient, a protruding German-held area northwest of Moscow. These included defensive operations against Soviet offensives such as the First Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive (July-August 1942) and Operation Mars (November-December 1942), where the corps held firm against massive Soviet assaults involving armor and infantry, preventing the salient's collapse and inflicting severe losses on attacking forces. The salient was eventually evacuated in March 1943 during Operation Buffalo, but Jordan's leadership ensured an orderly withdrawal while maintaining defensive integrity. Subsequently, in the winter of 1943-1944, the corps defended near Vitebsk against Soviet advances, including the Vitebsk Offensive (February-March 1944) by the 1st Baltic and Western Fronts. Here, Jordan's forces repelled breakthrough attempts in snow-covered terrain, utilizing fortified positions and counterattacks to hold key lines despite overwhelming Soviet numerical superiority. These actions prevented enemy penetrations and stabilized the front in Belorussia. His corps' resilience was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 11 February 1944.

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Hans Jordan (27 December 1892 - 20 April 1975) was a general in the German Army during World War II who rose to the rank of General der Infanterie and commanded several formations on the Western and Eastern Fronts. He is notable for his leadership in key defensive battles and for receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of Nazi Germany's highest military decorations. Jordan's career spanned both world wars, beginning in the Imperial German Army and continuing through the Reichswehr and into the Wehrmacht. His commands included infantry regiments, divisions, corps, and briefly an army, where he demonstrated tactical acumen in river crossings, encirclement operations, and prolonged defensive engagements against superior forces. After the war, he lived in West Germany until his death at age 82.

Jordan was born on 27 December 1892 in Scheuern, a small village near Rastatt in the Grand Duchy of Baden, part of the German Empire. Little is documented about his early childhood or family background, including his parents, siblings, or any religious affiliation, though he grew up in a region known for its rural and military traditions. In 1912, at the age of 19, he entered military service as a cadet in the Anhaltisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 93, achieving the rank of Fahnrich on 22 March 1912 and Leutnant on 16 June 1913. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Jordan served on the Western Front, where he participated in trench warfare and earned early recognition for bravery. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 23 September 1914 and the 1st Class on 15 April 1916, along with the Anhaltisches Friedrich-Kreuz and the Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Anhaltischer Albrecht des Baren-Orden mit Schwertern. Promoted to Oberleutnant on 18 August 1916, he was wounded multiple times, qualifying for the Wound Badge in Black and Silver (1918), as well as the Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz. His experiences in the grueling static battles of the Great War shaped his later emphasis on infantry tactics and resilience under fire.

Following the armistice in 1918 and the demobilization of the Imperial Army, Jordan was retained in the reduced Reichswehr, the military force of the Weimar Republic. He advanced steadily through the interwar years, reaching Hauptmann on 1 May 1923, Major on 1 July 1933, Oberstleutnant on 1 March 1936, and Oberst on 1 August 1938. During this period, he held various staff and training positions, contributing to the rebuilding and professionalization of the German military under the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. By November 1938, he was appointed commander of Lehrgruppe B at the Kriegsschule Wiener-Neustadt, where he focused on instructing officers in modern warfare doctrines, including combined arms operations that would later become central to Blitzkrieg tactics. In 1936, he received the Wehrmacht Long Service Award 1st Class, and as a veteran, he was awarded the Honour Cross for Front Fighters. This era allowed Jordan to hone his leadership skills in a peacetime army that was secretly expanding in preparation for future conflicts, transitioning seamlessly into the Wehrmacht upon the reintroduction of conscription in 1935.

With the onset of World War II in September 1939, Jordan was assigned as commander of Infanterie-Regiment 49, part of the 28. Infanterie-Division. During the invasion of Poland, his unit saw limited action, but it was in the Western Campaign of May 1940 that he distinguished himself. Leading his regiment in the assault across the Maas (Meuse) River in Belgium, Jordan overcame heavily fortified Belgian defenses despite intense artillery and machine-gun fire. On 14 May 1940, his forces successfully crossed the river, captured several key bunkers, and facilitated the breakthrough that contributed to the rapid encirclement of Allied armies in the Low Countries. For this, he was awarded the Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 14 May and 1st Class on 24 May, followed by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 June 1940, the 57th such award in the Wehrmacht. His actions were praised in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 April 1940 for exceptional bravery in the Maubeuge sector, where his regiment eliminated enemy strongpoints critical to the overall offensive. Additionally, he earned the Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, underscoring his hands-on command style in close combat.

Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 October 1941, Jordan continued commanding Infanterie-Regiment 49 during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. In August and September 1941, his regiment played a vital role in the defensive battles near Dukhovshchina (Dukhovshchina) during the Battle of Smolensk, holding positions against repeated Soviet counterattacks in dense forested terrain. This helped maintain the encirclement of Soviet forces. Later, in October 1941, as part of Operation Typhoon toward Moscow, his unit contributed to the liquidation of the Vyazma pocket, a massive encirclement that resulted in the capture of over 670,000 Soviet troops. For these achievements, he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 16 January 1942, the 59th award, and the Eastern Medal in 1942. On 13 December 1941, he assumed command of the 7. Infanterie-Division, leading it through the harsh winter battles west of Moscow, where his defensive tactics prevented Soviet breakthroughs and stabilized the front amid supply shortages and extreme weather.

Advanced to Generalleutnant on 1 November 1942 and General der Infanterie on 1 January 1943, Jordan took over the VI. Armeekorps on 1 November 1942, commanding it through some of the Eastern Front's most grueling campaigns. From late 1942 to early 1943, his corps defended the Rzhev salient, a protruding German position northwest of Moscow, enduring four major summer and winter battles, including the First Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive and Operation Mars. Despite massive Soviet assaults with tanks and infantry, Jordan's forces held the line, inflicting heavy casualties and enabling an orderly withdrawal during Operation Buffalo in March 1943. In the winter of 1943-1944, the corps repelled Soviet advances near Vitebsk, utilizing fortified positions and counterattacks to thwart breakthroughs in snowy conditions. These successes earned him the German Cross in Gold on 23 December 1943, a mention in the Wehrmachtbericht on 11 February 1944, and the Swords to the Knight's Cross on 20 April 1944, the 64th award, for preventing enemy penetrations and maintaining front integrity against overwhelming odds.

In May 1944, Jordan was appointed commanding general of the 9th Army on 20 May, positioned in Belorussia. However, the Soviet Operation Bagration, launched on 22 June 1944, overwhelmed his defenses. The 1st Belorussian Front under Konstantin Rokossovsky breached lines south and north of Babruysk, encircling the city by 27 June. Jordan was relieved of command on 26 June amid heavy losses, marking a downturn in his career. Later, in March 1945, he held a staff position with Heeresgruppe C in Italy, and in April 1945, he briefly served as Oberbefehlshaber of Armeeoberkommando Tirol. Captured at war's end, he faced no major war crimes charges and was released. Post-war, Jordan lived quietly in Munich, West Germany, with scant records of his personal life, including any spouse or children. He died on 20 April 1975, reportedly from injuries sustained in a traffic accident, at the age of 82.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Jordan
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/7459/Jordan-Hans-WH-General-der-Infanterie.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/J/JordanH.htm
http://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/rksc/j/SC064Jordan.pdf
https://grokipedia.com/page/Hans_Jordan
https://forum.axishistory.com/

Bio of Generalleutnant Hartwig von Ludwiger (1895-1947)

Gottlob Hartwig Alfred Michael von Ludwiger
Born: 29 Jun 1895 in Beuthen, Upper Silesia (Oberschlesien)
Died: 03 May 1947 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Executed)

Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (26 Sep 1914); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (10 Dec 1914); Fähnrich (08 May 1915); Leutnant (30 Jul 1915); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 Feb 1930); Major (01 Nov 1935); Oberstleutnant (01 Oct 1938); Oberst (01 Sep 1941); Generalmajor (01 May 1943); Generalleutnant (01 Jan 1944)

Career:
Entered Army Service (17 Aug 1914)
Fahnenjunker in the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (17 Aug 1914-02 Feb 1915)
Detached to Fahnenjunker-Course at Döberitz (17 Oct 1914-10 Dec 1914)
In the Field with the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (02 Feb 1915-11 Oct 1915)
Platoon Leader in the MG-Company of the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (11 Oct 1915-13 Dec 1916)
Company Leader in the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (13 Dec 1916-24 Oct 1917)
Platoon Leader in the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (24 Oct 1917-10 Dec 1917)
Director of the MG-Training-Courses with the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (10 Dec 1917-12 Dec 1917)
Adjutant & Training-Officer with the Assault School Gopes with Special Purpose General Command 62 (12 Dec 1917-20 Apr 1918)
Transferred back to the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (20 Apr 1918-02 Apr 1918)
Battalion Adjutant & Battalion Signals Officer in the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (02 May 1918-19 Oct 1918)
Regimental Signals Officer of the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (19 Oct 1918-12 Dec 1918)
Company Leader in the 11th Grenadier-Regiment (12 Dec 1918-10 May 1919)
Company Leader in the 63rd Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (10 May 1919-21 Jun 1919)
Platoon Leader in the MG-Company of the 63rd Infantry-Regiment (21 Jun 1919-28 Sep 1919)
Signals-Officer with Infantry-Leader 32 (28 Sep 1919-20 Feb 1920)
Leader of MG-Company Landgericht Breslau (20 Feb 1920-15 May 1920)
Company Officer in the 16th Infantry-Regiment (15 May 1920-01 Jul 1920)
Company Officer in the 7th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jul 1920-01 Feb 1930)
At the same time, detached to Weapons School Course at Dresden (01 Apr 1925-15 Aug 1925)
Company Chief in the 1st Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1930-01 Oct 1934)
Company Chief in Infantry-Regiment Gumbinnen (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Company Chief in the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-06 Oct 1936)
Commander of the III. Battalion of the 28th Infantry-Regiment (06 Oct 1936-01 Mar 1940)
Commander of the 83rd Jäger-Regiment (01 Mar 1940-04 Jan 1943)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 704th Infantry-Division (20 Feb 1943-01 Apr 1943)
Commander of the 104th Jäger-Division (01 Apr 1943-29 Apr 1945)
Delegated with the Leadership of XXI. Mountain-Corps (29 Apr 1945-13 May 1945)
In Yugoslav captivity & because of alleged war crimes against the civilian population of the Balkans, he was executed (13 May 1945-03 May 1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz (359): am 15.07.1941 als Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur des Infanterie-Regiment 83
- Eichenlaub (163): am 23.12.1942 als Oberst und Kommandeur des Jäger-Regiment 83
- Ritterkreuz des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- 1914 EK I: 14.05.1917
- 1914 EK II: 02.07.1915
- Herzogl. Sachsen-Meiningisches Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Silber
- Schlesischer Adler-Orden II. Stufe
- Schlesischer Adler-Orden I. Stufe
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum EK I: 18.10.1939
- Spange zum EK II: 17.09.1939
- Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
- Krimschild
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”

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Hartwig von Ludwiger was born in Beuthen, Silesia, in 1895. He had two brothers, both of whom were killed during World War II. Ludwiger was called to the Prussian Army on 17 (or 19) August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I, as an officer candidate. He fought in World War I with the 11th Grenadier Regiment, after being commissioned a Leutnant on 30 July 1915. Ludwiger served in various platoons and companies as commander and participated in several well-known battles of the Great War in the Western Front – the battle of Champagne, the battle of Arras, the battle of Somme, the battle of Flandres and the battle of Maas – earning the Iron Cross 1st Class for his bravery. He was also wounded in action several times and was awarded the Wound Badge in Silver.

After the capitulation of the German Empire in 1918, he was retained in the Reichswehr. During the early 1920s, he took part in the suppression of the Silesian Uprisings. He was promoted to Oberleutnant in July 1925 and Hauptmann in 1930. He served in various infantry regiments, and as part of the military mobilization following Adolf Hitler's rise to power, he was named commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment in 1936, with the rank of Major.

On 1 March 1940, Ludwiger was appointed commander of the 83rd Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division, with which he took part in the Invasion of France. Following Operation Barbarossa, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 July 1941, and was promoted to Oberst on 1 September 1941. Due to the heavy casualties his regiment (and the division as a whole) suffered while fighting in the Battle of Moscow, the 28th Infantry Division was moved to occupied France to refit as a Jäger division on 1 December. The 28th Jäger Division was sent back to the front in southern Ukraine, where it participated in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula in the Crimea and in the Strait of Kerch. During his award ceremony, he met his future superior, Hubert Lanz, and his future subordinate Harald von Hirschfeld.

Ludwiger was posted as commander of the 704th Infantry Division in Yugoslavia on 20 February 1943. The division was later (1 April 1943) renamed to 104th Jäger Division and Ludwiger assumed his post on 3 March 1943, while within the next month, he was promoted to Generalmajor.

Ludwiger was quite active in the anti-Partisan operations. In particular, he was placed in command of a unit consisting mainly of the 724th Jäger Regiment and a Bulgarian regiment, designated Kampfgruppe von Ludwiger (Battle Group von Ludwiger). Aided by the Italian Taurinense Division, Kampfgruppe Ludwiger was tasked with the obliteration of armed guerrillas in the area of Montenegro, mainly Chetniks and Tito's communist partisans. This campaign was launched on 20 May under the codename Fall Schwarz (Case Black). But, as partisans deliberately avoided open battles with the well-equipped German forces (at least in Ludwiger's sector), the overall action of the Kampfgruppe returned rather poor results. Subsequently, the unit was dissolved on 9 June and Ludwiger with his staff returned to Požarevac.

Of course, Ludwiger didn't quit his activities concerning the suppression of partisans. But with chances of extermination of the partisan forces themselves being slim, in the meanwhile Ludwiger launched a terror campaign against the civilian population. Specifically, he implemented the typical 50:1 reprisals ratio, which ordered the execution of 50 civilian hostages for every German killed by partisan activity. As a result, in two months' time, from 1 April to 1 June, Ludwiger's superior, supreme commander of Military District Serbia, General Paul Bader, was virtually flooded with Ludwiger's requests for reprisals, but he nevertheless authorized them. In total, 500 civilians were killed in reprisals for the murder of 8 German soldiers and 2 Serbian mayors from partisans, while numerous villages were looted and torched.

Upon completion of Operation Black, 104th Jäger Division was ordered to move to Western Greece. While on march to Agrinio, on 10 July, the 2nd Company of the division's Pioneer Battalion was ambushed near the Trichonida Lake by Greek guerrillas, who were reported to be dressed like British soldiers. Two officers and 16 soldiers were killed, while another 20 were wounded and several vehicles were destroyed. The next day, an officer was killed from a hand grenade tossed on his vehicle. Ludwiger, installing his headquarters in Agrinio, applied to carry out his usual reprisal tactics against civilians, but this time his request was rejected from the staff of Army Group "E", as the Germans initially tried to maintain good relations with the Greek population. Despite this, German forces razed a village near Nafpaktos and executed 12 "suspicious gangsters".

After the Allied invasion of Sicily, Italian forces signed an armistice with the Allied troops. The Germans were prepared for this possibility and launched Operation Achse to forcibly disarm Italian troops in southern France and the Balkans. The 1st Company of the 724th Battalion of Ludwiger's division was ordered to disarm the Italian garrison in Kefalonia along with the 1st Mountain Division, something that resulted in one of the largest executions of POWs to be committed during World War II: the massacre of the Acqui Division in September 1943.

Ludwiger was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1944. As of by August 1944, Ludwiger's forces continued the reprisals against the Greek population, now aided by SS divisions. Ludwiger wrote in his report that:

"With the permanent destruction of the villages in all the areas they passed from, but mainly with the decisive burning of the communistic centre of Karpenisi, the partisans were deprived from numerous possible shelters."

Ludwiger and the surviving elements of his division, which had suffered heavy casualties in the Balkans, were captured towards the end of the war. His successor in command of 104th Jäger Division, Generalleutnant Friedrich Stephan was captured as well and was shot in Ljubljana along with three other generals without trial from Yugoslav partisans in early June.

After being held in a POW camp, Ludwiger was put on trial before a Yugoslavian court-martial in Belgrade (during the 6th Process of the Yugoslav war crimes trials of German officials) between 27 March and 4 April 1947, along with several German officers, such as Generalmajor Hans Gravenstein and SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl von Oberkamp, all of whom received the death penalty. Ludwiger was specifically indicted for:
[...] Harassment, torture and murder of POWs and prisoners of the People's Liberation Army, for torching, looting, kidnapping of non-combatants to concentration camps and violent crimes against women and children.

Found guilty of the charges, he was sentenced to death on 1 April 1947. He was executed in a prison at Belgrade; The exact date varies according to the source - possibly on 3 or 5 May, and less plausibly on 25 April.


Source :
https://alchetron.com/Hartwig-von-Ludwiger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartwig_von_Ludwiger
http://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalleutnant2/LUDWIGER_HARTWIG.html