Josef Priller Smoking Cigars

A rarely seen picture of Hauptmann Josef "Pips" Priller (Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" ). Picture taken by Rolf Schröder, III./ JG 26 Technical Officer, in the summer 1942. During this period Priller flew the Fw 190A, leading the Gruppe in operations over the English Channel and occupied France against the RAF. He scored his 70th victory on 5 May 1942 and reached 81 victories by the end of 1942.

Source :
JY Lorant photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10244438610928208&set=gm.1030128112920821&idorvanity=399005652699740

Smoker Ritterkreuzträger

During World War II, smoking was deeply ingrained in the daily life of German soldiers across all branches of the Wehrmacht. Cigarettes were included as standard items in military rations, often distributed alongside food and ammunition, and were viewed as essential for maintaining morale during the brutal conditions of combat, long marches, and periods of boredom in the field. Both enlisted men and officers smoked heavily, with many photographs from the era showing soldiers lighting up during breaks in fighting, in trenches, or while resting behind the lines. Brands such as Eckstein, Juno, and Reemtsma were popular, and the Nazi government, despite some early anti-tobacco rhetoric from certain party leaders, ultimately supported tobacco production and distribution to troops as a way to boost spirits and provide a small comfort in the chaos of war. Smoking also served as a social ritual, helping soldiers bond and cope with the psychological stress of battle. By the later years of the war, however, tobacco supplies became increasingly scarce due to Allied bombing of German factories and disrupted supply lines, forcing soldiers to improvise with ersatz tobacco or trade for cigarettes on the black market. This widespread habit reflected the era’s general lack of awareness about long-term health risks, and for many German soldiers, the cigarette became one of the few consistent pleasures amid the horrors of the conflict.

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ZIGARETTE (CIGARETTE)


Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1895-1945) was one of the most capable and influential air commanders of the Luftwaffe, renowned for his expertise in close air support and operational planning from the Spanish Civil War through the final years of World War II. A veteran of the Legion Condor in Spain, where he served as Chief of Staff and later commander of German air units, Richthofen helped develop the tactical doctrines that would later underpin Germany’s early wartime successes. During the Second World War he commanded major formations including VIII. Fliegerkorps, whose concentrated air support played a decisive role in the campaigns in Poland, France, the Balkans, and especially during Operation Barbarossa. Richthofen was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 May 1940 as Generalmajor and Kommandierender General VIII. Fliegerkorps, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and the effectiveness of his air operations during the the start of Western Campaign, where his forces provided highly coordinated support to advancing German ground troops. He later received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 July 1941 as the 26th recipient of the award, largely for the continued success of VIII. Fliegerkorps during the start of Operation Barbarossa and the Luftwaffe’s increasingly sophisticated employment of tactical air power under his command. Richthofen went on to command Luftflotte 4 and Luftflotte 2 on the Eastern Front, directing major air operations during battles such as Sevastopol, Stalingrad, and Kursk. Promoted to Generalfeldmarschall on 16 February 1943, he remained a central figure in German air warfare until deteriorating health forced his retirement in 1944; he died in July 1945, leaving a legacy as perhaps the Luftwaffe’s most accomplished operational commander.



General der Infanterie Joachim von Kortzfleisch (1890-1945) was a German career officer born on 3 January 1890 in Braunschweig into an aristocratic Westphalian family, who entered the Prussian Army as a Fahnenjunker in 1907, served in a machine gun unit during World War I earning both classes of the Iron Cross, continued in the Reichswehr, and rose steadily in the Wehrmacht to command the 1. Infanterie-Division as Generalleutnant at the outbreak of World War II before taking charge of the XI. Armeekorps in April 1940. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September 1940 as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the XI. Armeekorps for his distinguished leadership during the Western Campaign in May and June 1940, where his corps formed part of the decisive thrust through Belgium and northern France, contributing to rapid breakthroughs, the encirclement of Allied forces near Lille and Dunkirk, and the exploitation of tactical opportunities in fast-moving combined-arms operations that helped collapse French resistance and secure victory in the Low Countries and France within weeks. His earlier effective command of the 1. Infanterie-Division in the Polish campaign provided a strong foundation, showcasing his ability to maintain cohesion and momentum under operational pressure. Later he commanded Military District III in Berlin, where he played a notable role in suppressing the 20 July 1944 plot by rejecting Valkyrie orders and remaining loyal to the regime, continued in various staff and command roles including the Rhine defenses under Army Group B, and was killed on 20 April 1945 at Schmallenberg-Wulwesort in the Sauerland when he refused to surrender to an American patrol and was shot.



Generalleutnant Ferdinand Heim (1895-1971), born on 27 February 1895 in Reutlingen, Wuerttemberg, served as a professional soldier through both world wars, rising through the ranks of the German Army with distinguished staff and command roles. A veteran of World War I where he earned the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class as an artillery officer, Heim transitioned into the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht, holding key General Staff positions including Chief of the General Staff of the 6th Army under Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau during the planning of Operation Barbarossa and subsequent operations on the Eastern Front. On 1 July 1942 he assumed command of the 14. Panzer-Division as Generalmajor, leading it during the summer offensive toward Stalingrad. It was for his actions in mid-August 1942 that Heim received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 August 1942: at the head of his Panzer-Division he personally directed and fought through a 40 km deep and heavily defended Soviet defensive position in a storm of uninterrupted heavy combat, inspiring his troops by personal example to achieve breakthroughs of great operational importance for the continued advance in that sector, coordinating armored spearheads with supporting infantry to shatter successive fortified lines despite intense resistance, artillery fire, and counterattacks, thereby securing key terrain and contributing significantly to the broader offensive momentum against Stalingrad. Later promoted to Generalleutnant, Heim went on to command XXXXVIII Panzer Corps during the Battle of Stalingrad before subsequent assignments, including the defense of the Boulogne fortress in 1944, and he died in Ulm on 14 November 1971.


Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Walther (1910-2010) was one of the most notable officers of the German special operations forces during the Second World War and became the first member of the famous Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg” to receive the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. Originally serving with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 of the 2. Panzer-Division, Walther transferred to the secretive Brandenburg commando formation in March 1940 and was soon entrusted with a daring mission during the invasion of the Netherlands. On 10 May 1940, as an Oberleutnant and Stoßtruppführer of the 4. Kompanie, Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg”, he led a small assault team disguised as Dutch military police escorting German prisoners in order to infiltrate and seize the strategically vital railway bridge over the Maas River near Gennep. Despite being heavily outnumbered, facing armed Dutch guards, and operating deep behind enemy security positions, Walther displayed exceptional initiative and courage, improvising under pressure when the mission appeared compromised. During the fierce struggle for control of the bridge, he and his men cut communication lines, prevented demolition preparations, and secured the crossing long enough for German armoured forces to advance. Walther himself was wounded when a bullet struck his helmet, but he continued directing the operation until the bridge and surrounding defenses were fully captured. The successful seizure of the Gennep bridge opened a crucial route for advancing German forces toward the Dutch defensive lines and contributed significantly to the rapid breakthrough into the Netherlands. In recognition of his leadership, personal bravery, and the strategic importance of the operation, Wilhelm Walther was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 June 1940, beginning a distinguished wartime career that later saw him command formations within the Division “Brandenburg” and participate in operations across the Balkans, Greece, and the Eastern Front.



Oberstleutnant im Generalstab Ernst-Georg Buchterkirch (1914-1971) was a German Heer officer who began his military career in 1935 with the Reiter-Regiment in Potsdam, transferred to Panzer-Regiment 6 in 1937 as Leutnant, and later served with the Condor Legion in Spain before rising to Oberstleutnant im Generalstab. During the Battle of France he served as Zugführer in the 2./Panzer-Regiment 6 and distinguished himself by capturing several Seine bridges near Paris while his platoon and company destroyed a significant number of enemy tanks, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 June 1940 as Oberleutnant. In Operation Barbarossa, now as Chef der 2./Panzer-Regiment 6, he led his company on 23 June 1941 in the destruction of twelve Soviet tanks at Buchowiecze and the immediate formation of a bridgehead at Minicze the following day; these actions earned him the 44th award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941. He was additionally mentioned by name in the Wehrmachtbericht of 6 July 1941 for exemplary bravery during the early fighting in the Panzer-Regiment alongside other officers. After these exploits Buchterkirch was transferred to instructor duties in the Heimat in August 1941, attended the Kriegsakademie, and later served on the Generalstab des OKH before ending the war in staff positions with Panzergruppe West.



SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert-Erwin Meierdrees (1916-1945), born on 11 December 1916 in Wesel in the Rhine Province, began his military service in the SS-VT with the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler before attending the SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig and serving as SS-Untersturmführer in artillery and infantry gun units of the SS-Standarte Der Führer and SS-Verfügungs-Truppe during the campaigns in Poland and France, where he earned the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse for bravery at the Mlava Position. By the time of Operation Barbarossa he had transferred to the SS-Division Totenkopf as a battery officer and later platoon commander in the SS-Totenkopf-Sturmgeschütz-Batterie, and in early 1942, now SS-Obersturmführer, he organized an ad-hoc Kampfgruppe from the remnants of his assault guns together with engineers and other support troops to hold the vital road junction at Bjakowo against repeated and overwhelming Soviet assaults during the fighting that preceded and accompanied the encirclement of the Demjansk pocket; despite being reduced to roughly thirty men and cut off from friendly lines, his personal leadership, resourcefulness under fire, and determined defense of the position for weeks until he was severely wounded on 18 February 1942 earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 March 1942. After recovering and completing panzer commander training, Meierdrees was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer and given command of I. Abteilung of SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 in the reorganized 3. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division Totenkopf, where his battalion played a central role as a Kampfgruppe during the Third Battle of Kharkov in February and March 1943 by spearheading counterattacks that helped destroy Mobile Group Popov and recapture the city, then advanced deep into the southern Kursk salient during Operation Zitadelle in July 1943, crossing the Psel river and engaging in fierce armored combat near Prokhorovka on 12 July when it helped repel massive Soviet tank assaults and destroyed numerous T-34s, before conducting further counterattacks on the Mius front and skillful defensive actions during the withdrawal to the Dnieper; these cumulative achievements in leadership, tactical skill, and personal bravery across the 1943 summer and autumn campaigns led to the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 October 1943, presented personally by Adolf Hitler. Meierdrees continued to command his panzer battalion through further heavy fighting until he was killed in action on 2 January 1945 near Dunaalmás in Hungary when his Panther tank exploded during an attempt to break the Soviet encirclement of Budapest.

Leutnant Heinrich Reinke (1914-1984) was a highly decorated German soldier who served as an Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer in the 14. (Panzerjäger) Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 89 during World War II. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 9 January 1942 for his outstanding bravery and leadership as a platoon leader on the Eastern Front, where he distinguished himself through determined anti-tank actions and decisive combat performance against Soviet forces. His courageous conduct in repelling enemy attacks and destroying multiple armored vehicles played a key role in stabilizing his unit’s defensive positions during intense fighting. Reinke later rose to the rank of Leutnant and continued serving with distinction throughout the war, embodying the tough, battle-hardened NCO spirit typical of the Wehrmacht’s infantry anti-tank units.

Hauptmann Rudolf Schlee (1913-1979), a highly decorated soldier of the Wehrmacht who was born on 10 November 1913 in Ludwigshafen, Rheinland Provinz (German Empire), served as a platoon leader in the 6./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 13 during World War II and demonstrated exceptional bravery in various campaigns. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1941 as Oberfeldwebel for his leadership and courage during intense combat operations, particularly in the mountain warfare contexts following the campaigns in the Balkans and the advance into the Soviet Union. His repeated acts of valor continued to stand out in the harsh fighting in the Caucasus region, where he led his Jäger platoon with outstanding initiative and determination, ultimately leading to the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as the 222nd recipient on 6 April 1943. Schlee later rose to the rank of Hauptmann and survived the war, becoming one of the notable recipients of these prestigious German decorations for his frontline service.

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ZIGARRE (CIGAR)


Oberst Andreas von Aulock (1893-1968) was a highly decorated colonel in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War who rose through the ranks from his pre-war service as a Leutnant in the 6. Thüringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 95 and extensive combat experience in the First World War at Verdun and in Flanders, later commanding Infanterie-Regiment 226 on the Eastern Front where he earned the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold in October 1941 before participating in the Battle of Stalingrad and being evacuated from the pocket. Promoted to Oberst in November 1943 as Kommandeur of a Kampfgruppe within the 79. Infanterie-Division, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 November 1943 for his outstanding leadership and defensive operations in the Kuban-Brückenkopf, where his unit's tenacious resistance against repeated Soviet assaults helped stabilize the bridgehead amid fierce fighting and heavy losses, showcasing his tactical skill in holding critical positions under extreme pressure. Transferred thereafter to serve as Festungskommandant of St. Malo in early 1944, von Aulock earned the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 August 1944 as the 551st recipient for his heroic defense of the designated fortress during the Battle of Saint-Malo in August 1944, where, despite relentless American artillery and aerial bombardments exceeding 2,000 tons of ordnance, civilian appeals for surrender, and the isolation of his headquarters in the ancient Citadel after the city proper fell on 14 August, he refused to capitulate for nearly three weeks, coordinating mixed forces including remnants of the 77. Infanterie-Division and other units from an underground command post, employing snipers, booby traps, and counterattacks with hand weapons once heavy armament failed, inflicting heavy casualties on the vastly superior U.S. 83rd Infantry Division and tying down Allied resources while denying them the port facilities through demolition, all in strict adherence to orders to hold to the last man until he finally surrendered on 17 August with around 400-600 surviving troops, an act of defiance that earned him personal praise from Hitler and a mention in the Wehrmachtbericht for the garrison's almost three-week heroic stand against overwhelming enemy forces.



A rarely seen picture of Hauptmann Josef "Pips" Priller (Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" ). Picture taken by Rolf Schröder, III./ JG 26 Technical Officer, in the summer 1942. During this period Priller flew the Fw 190A, leading the Gruppe in operations over the English Channel and occupied France against the RAF. He scored his 70th victory on 5 May 1942 and reached 81 victories by the end of 1942. Josef "Pips" Priller, born on 27 June 1915 in Ingolstadt and who died on 20 May 1961 in Böbing following a heart attack, was one of the Luftwaffe’s most successful Western Front fighter aces, credited with 101 aerial victories in 307 combat missions, the vast majority against Supermarine Spitfires along with eleven four-engine bombers and other Allied types. After beginning military service in 1935 as a Fahnenjunker in Infanterie-Regiment 19 and completing pilot training, he rose through Jagdgeschwader 51 to become Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel, scoring his first victories during the Battle of France before claiming his twentieth enemy aircraft, a Hawker Hurricane over Tunbridge Wells, on 17 October 1940 as Oberleutnant; this achievement brought him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 October 1940. Transferred in November 1940 as Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter", Priller enjoyed an intense scoring period over the Channel in June and July 1941, reaching his fortieth or forty-first victory around 19 July and receiving the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz on 20 July 1941 while still an Oberleutnant. Appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" in December 1941 and promoted to Hauptmann, he later became Geschwaderkommodore of the entire Geschwader as Major in January 1943, continuing to lead from the front while flying first the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and later the Focke-Wulf Fw 190; on 6 June 1944 during the Normandy invasion he and his wingman Feldwebel Heinz Wodarczyk carried out one of the few Luftwaffe attacks of the day, a daring low-level strafing run against Allied troops and landing craft on Sword Beach. By the time he achieved his 100th victory, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber, he had been awarded the Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub on 2 July 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Kommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter". Promoted to Oberst on 1 January 1945, he led his unit in Operation Bodenplatte before ending operational flying as Inspekteur der Jagdflieger Ost; after the war he studied brewing and successfully managed the Riegele brewery in Augsburg.

Source :
JY Lorant photo collection
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-german-soldiers-smoking-efront-1941-19373151.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10244438610928208&set=gm.1030128112920821&idorvanity=399005652699740
https://pixpast.com/static2/preview2/stock-photo-german-panzer-commander-ernst-georg-buchterkirche-ii-panzer-regiment-6-rkt-condor-legion-tank-badge-russia-1942-15037.jpg
https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/83/Ritterkreuz-des-Eisernen-Kreuzes.htm

Joachim Barth and Georg Scholze in Normandy

This scene from "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" (German Newsreel) shows two Ritterkreuzträger from Panzer-Lehr-Division in Normandy Front, June 1944. From left to right: Major Joachim Barth (Kommandeur Panzerjäger-Lehr-Abteilung 130) and Oberst Georg Scholze (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 901).

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrwDehP8bzc
https://www.tumblr.com/fallschirmjager/88125302365/panzer-lehr-at-normandy-the-first-engagement

Wolfgang Pickert and Alfred Bülowius

Normandy, France, 23 June 1944. Generalleutnant Wolfgang Pickert (Kommandierender General III. Flakkorps) enjoying his cigarette while holding the clipboard and chatting with Generalleutnant Alfred Bülowius (Kommandierender General II. Fliegerkorps). The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Siedel from PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) Luftflotte 3.

Generalleutnant Wolfgang Pickert (Kommandierender General III. Flakkorps) at a briefing on the Normandy invasion front, which focused on the cooperation of the Luftwaffe with army units in the energetic counterattacks in the area east of Caen. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Siedel from PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) Luftflotte 3 on 23 June 1944. Even though Pickert already received the announcement for the bestowal of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes since 5 June 1944, but the award ceremony itself - with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze - would only held on 24 June 1944, one day after this picture was taken. That's why we see that Pickert still not wear the Eichenlaub in this picture. Please also note that he stitched the cloth version of his medals (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold and Flugzeugführerabzeichen) to his uniform!

Source :
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-493-3358-12
https://6-juin-1944.1fr1.net/t1270-canon-de-2-cm-flack
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/12/album-foto-tokoh-third-reich-yang.html
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/698/
https://www.gehm.es/segunda-guerra-mundial/unidades-particulares-el-iii-flak-korps-iii-artilleria-antiaerea-y-de-campana/
https://waralbum.ru/387411/

Theodor Tolsdorff and Gerhart Schirmer

Major Theodor Tolsdorff (left, Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Füsilier-Regiment 22 / 1.Infanterie-Division) chats with Major Gerhart Schirmer (Führer Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 / 2.Fallschirmjäger-Division). Bearded Tolsdorff sported the Eichenlaub on his uniform, which he received on 15 September 1943. original caption: "nach dem durchbruch seiner kampfgruppe durch die sowjetische umklammerung (after his combat group broke through the Soviet encirclement). The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Rönicke.

Major Theodor Tolsdorff (left, Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Füsilier-Regiment 22 / 1.Infanterie-Division) sported the Eichenlaub on his uniform, which he received on 15 September 1943. original caption: "nach dem durchbruch seiner kampfgruppe durch die sowjetische umklammerung (after his combat group broke through the Soviet encirclement). The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Rönicke.

Source :
http://www.1infanterie-division.de/divisionsgeschichte.htm
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18435&hilit=theodor+tolsdorff&start=15
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/order-of-battle-and-individual-research-forum/171463-eichenlaubtrager-obert-tolstorf#post2162393

Hasso von Manteuffel and Hermann Schulte-Heuthaus in the Reichsjugendführung

Generalleutnant Hasso von Manteuffel (right, Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland") in conversation with Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann (left) and Oberst Hermann Schulte-Heuthaus (Kommandeur Ersatz-Brigade "Grossdeutschland") in the guest house of the Reichsjugendführung in Berlin, 18 May 1944.

Source :
https://onb.digital/result/BAG_1246354

Hasso von Manteuffel and Harald Krieg at Târgu Frumos

Generalleutnant Hasso von Manteuffel (left, Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland") and Major Harald Krieg (right, Abteilungsführer in Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment "Grossdeutschland" / Panzergrenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland) in the trench during the second battle of Târgu Frumos in Romania, May 1944. The officer in the center of the picture wears slip-on covers over his shoulder straps. Von Manteuffel and the man in the center both wear the soft-topped "old-style" officer's field cap, while Major Krieg wears the popular Einheitsfeldmütze, introduced in June 1943, without Waffenfarbe chevron. According to accounts by von Manteuffel, one of the two German division commanders, and Ferdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin, the German forces defeated a Soviet offensive by the 2nd Ukrainian Front that was expected to be a precursor of a much larger offensive in Northern Ukraine. The battle of Târgu Frumos has been used as a case study in officer tactical education in the United States Army and other armies, teaching how a mobile defense can defeat an armoured spearhead. There are however questions about the accounts by the two German officers, relating to the failure to include Romanian forces into their account.

Generalleutnant Hasso von Manteuffel (left, Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland") and Major Harald Krieg (right, Abteilungsführer in Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment "Grossdeutschland" / Panzergrenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland) in the trench during the second battle of Târgu Frumos in Romania, May 1944. The officer in the center of the picture wears slip-on covers over his shoulder straps. Von Manteuffel and the man in the center both wear the soft-topped "old-style" officer's field cap, while Major Krieg wears the popular Einheitsfeldmütze, introduced in June 1943, without Waffenfarbe chevron. According to accounts by von Manteuffel, one of the two German division commanders, and Ferdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin, the German forces defeated a Soviet offensive by the 2nd Ukrainian Front that was expected to be a precursor of a much larger offensive in Northern Ukraine. The battle of Târgu Frumos has been used as a case study in officer tactical education in the United States Army and other armies, teaching how a mobile defense can defeat an armoured spearhead. There are however questions about the accounts by the two German officers, relating to the failure to include Romanian forces into their account.

The illustration by Ramiro Bujeiro showing Hasso von Manteuffel and Harald Krieg with the schwimmwagen in the background. This painting is taken from the book "Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941-45" by Gordon Williamson.

Source :
"Panzer-Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland" by Bruce Quarrie and Mike Chappell
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115667354524
https://enigmamuseum.com/for-sale/relic1/
https://www.facebook.com/frontsoldaten/photos/a.173823269673098/1814233015632107/?type=3

Bio of Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Walther (1910-2010)

Full name: Wilhelm Karl Walther
Nickname: Uwe

Date of Birth: 27.01.1910 - Dresden, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 25.11.2010 - Leimen, Baden-Württemberg (Germany)

Battles and Operations: Invasion of Poland (1939), Battle of Netherlands (1940), Operation Marita (1941), Balkan Campaign (1941), Operation Barbarossa (1941), Eastern Front (1941-1943), Battle of the Dodecanese (1943)

Promotions:
00.00.1934 Gefreiter der Reserve
00.00.193_ Unteroffizier der Reserve
00.00.193_ Feldwebel der Reserve
01.06.1936 Leutnant der Reserve
01.06.1937 Leutnant
01.10.1938 Oberleutnant
01.03.1941 Hauptmann
01.02.1943 Major
01.05.1944 Oberstleutnant

Career:
00.00.1916 - 00.00.1920 Grundschule in Dresden
00.00.1920 - 00.00.1929 Gymnasium in Dresden
00.00.1929 - 00.00.1933 Technisches Hochschule Dresden
00.01.1933 - 00.10.1934 Head of SA-Sportschule (SA Sport School) at Trittau
00.11.1933 Military sports instructor at the University of Hamburg
00.09.1933 - 00.10.1934 Baufirma "Schwenke"
00.11.1933 at the same time, Military Sport Instructor at the University of Hamburg
01.11.1934 - 30.10.1935 Kradschützen-Kompanie / Kraftfahr-Abteilung Cannstadt
01.11.1935 - 30.05.1936 Kradschützen-Kompanie / Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division
01.06.1936 Zugführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division
00.09.1939 Kompanieführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division
15.03.1940 - 29.05.1940 transferred to 4.Kompanie / Baulehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800
29.03.1940 - 31.05.1940 Führer 4.Kompanie / Baulehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800
01.06.1940 - 16.09.1940 Chef 4.Kompanie / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800
16.09.1940 Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800
00.06.1941 - 00.08.1941 Verbindungsoffizier in Panzergruppe 4
01.11.1941 - 19.11.1942 Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800
19.11.1942 - 00.04.1943 Kommandeur Verband 801 / Sonderverband "Brandenburg"
00.04.1943 Kommandeur Jäger-Regiment "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg"
01.10.1944 severely wounded at Gross Betschkerek
00.03.1945 - 00.04.1945 Stabchef SS-Jagdverbände
00.04.1945 - 08.05.1945 Führungsgruppe Schutzkorps Alpenland
00.06.1946 arrested at Annaberg, Austria, by the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps
00.08.1946 transferred to Glasenbach, near Salzburg (as prisoner 29-15886)
00.11.1946 transferred to Ludwigsburg, north of Stuttgart (as prisoner 29-15886)
00.02.1947 transferred to Dachau before transported to the Netherlands
17.05.1950 released

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.1934 SA-Sportabzeichen in Gold
24.08.1934 DRL Sportabzeichen in Gold #1025
00.00.19__ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit spange "Prager Burg"
00.00.19__ Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen
00.00.1940 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.1940 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
24.06.1940 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberleutnant and Stosstruppführer in 4.Kompanie / Baulehrbataillon z.b.V. 800. Awarded for capturing a strategic bridge at Gennep during the assault on the Netherlands. Leading an 8-man team disguised as Dutch military police escorting German prisoners, they made their assault seizing the bridge and disabling the detonators
00.00.1940 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
00.00.1943 Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen
00.00.1944 Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber

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Among early recruits of Lehr-Regiment 'Brandenburg' z.b.V. 800 special unit in 1940 was a 30-year-old army officer from Dresden. Wilhelm Walther was so christened after being born on 27 January 1910 — the same birthday as the German emperor, Wilhelm II. The son of an innkeeper, 'Uwe', as he would later be known, enjoyed a middle-class family upbringing. After attaining his Abitur (high school certificate) in 1929, he attended university, where he studied architecture and became active in the Burschenschaft Cheruscia (a student fraternity). He also joined the paramilitary Grenzschutz (border protection), heading an unofficial student company. Young Walther evidently possessed martial qualities that did not go unnoticed. In November 1933, on the recommendation of the Sturmabteilung-Hochschulamt (Storm Division/SA-High School Department), he was appointed military sports instructor at the University of Hamburg, and, between mid-January 1933 and the end of October 1934, headed the SA-Sportschule (SA Sport School) at nearby Trittau, where he was awarded the SA-Sportabzeichen in Gold (SA Sports Badge in Gold). At age 24, he joined the Reichswehr (shortly to be reorganised as the Wehrmacht).

Walther was a reserve Feldwebel (sergeant), prior to being commissioned on 1 June 1936 as a reserve Leutnant (second lieutenant) in Aufklarungs-Abteilung 5 (A.A.5), an armoured reconnaissance unit in 2. Panzer-Division. He became a regular Leutnant in June 1937, being promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 October 1938. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was a Kompanie Fuhrer, taking part in the Polish campaign. His primary employment as a staff officer, however, was not to his liking. Keen to see more action, Walther applied for a transfer to the Fallschirmjager (paratroopers). Prevented from leaving by his commanding officer, he asked if he might instead join the Luftwaffe (air force) to train as a Schlachtflieger (ground-attack pilot). This, too, was refused. So, Walther telephoned a friend, former-A.A.5 officer Dietrich Witzel, then serving in another, little-known, unit. Witzel urged Walther to put his name forward, only saying that his new employer would be the Abwehr. Without any real idea of what he was letting himself in for, Walther did so and, this time, he was successful. Canaris himself had approved the request, overruling any further objections by Walther's CO.

Wilhelm Walther was assigned to 4. Kompanie, Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 on 15 March 1940. He was Kompanie Fiihrer until 31 May, by which time he had become the first of his unit to receive the coveted Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross).

The first task for Oberleutnant Walther after joining the battalion was to secure one of a series of objectives in the Netherlands preparatory to the German invasion of that country. On 10 May 1940, he led a small team in seizing a railway bridge, some 300 metres in length, that spanned the River Meuse near the town of Gennep.

The initial strength of the commando group was probably no more than a dozen in total. This included three Dutch Kampfdolmetscher (combat interpreters) wearing German-manufactured Koninklijke Marechaussee (gendarmerie) uniforms. Walther and his German contingent were their `prisoners' — with sub-machine guns concealed beneath long coats, six stick grenades slung behind their backs, and with egg grenades in each man's gas mask canister and Brotbeutel (tread bag'). In the early hours of the morning, the team was taken by lorry towards the German—Dutch border.

There, one of the Dutch volunteers asked to withdraw. He was disarmed and held at a German border post. The remainder continued on foot. After some two and a half hours, when just short of their objective, Walther called a halt and observed what lay ahead: a defence system that included concrete bunkers and a numerically superior local guard force. After half an hour, Walther and his team broke cover, advancing in plain view. Exactly what occurred next is debatable. On reaching the bridge, there was some sort of scuffle and several guards were overpowered. This enabled a Feldwebel to enter the guardhouse, where he set to severing telephone wires. While this was taking place, someone at the far end of the bridge opened fire, wounding another Feldwebel in the hand. Leaving two team members with their Dutch prisoners and the lightly wounded man, Walther and the others pressed on. Midway, more wires were seen and surreptitiously cut. For whatever reason, the small group met with no further opposition until they neared the opposite side, when they encountered a guard force of platoon-strength, if not more. The Dutchmen seemed hesitant, clearly uncertain how to deal with such a situation. After only a cursory search, five men took charge of the 'prisoners', leading them towards the western bridgehead. At the same time, one of Walther's Dutchmen returned the way he had come, with the pretext of collecting his bicycle, and joined the team members there.

Walther's mission was not going well. He and his men — only four or five at this stage — were covered by their escorts' rifles and so prevented from producing their own weapons. Just when it seemed that the mission had failed, Walther noticed in the distance what he took to be steam from an expected German armoured train. Seizing the initiative, he shouted a warning: "Panzerzug von hinten, voile Deckung!" (Armoured train behind, get under cover!'). This had the desired effect, distracting the guards and enabling the Germans to escape and take up firing positions. Meanwhile, those at the eastern bridgehead began to shift a heavy barrier, to clear the way for the approaching armoured train. This was achieved under fire, during which an Obergefreiter was badly wounded.

The train arrived with German troops, some of whom joined in the shooting, misidentifying Walther and his men. Walther was wounded and left momentarily partially deaf when a round pierced the right side of his helmet. After the mistake was realised and the situation brought under control, remaining bunkers were cleared, sometimes while under German artillery fire, and by about 06:00 it was all over. An estimated thirty to forty Dutch prisoners had been taken, apparently without fatalities on either side.

For his performance, on 24 June Oberleutnant Walther was decorated with the Ritterkreuz. Years later, he explained: 'By crossing the Gennep bridge, 9. Panzer-Division was able to set off for the Peelstellung [defence line] and, after a successful breakthrough, was able to establish contact with the Fallschirmjager who had landed near Moerdjik as early as 12 May. Thus, the southern entrance way to "Fortress Holland" was firmly in German hands.' The operation would be used as an example during future training for 'Brandenburg' troops, demonstrating, as it did, the ability to think fast and improvise and never to accept defeat, whatever the odds.

On 1 June 1940, Walther became a Kompanie-Chef in II. Bataillon of what was now Lehr-Regiment 'Brandenburg' z.b.V. 800, being appointed I. Bataillon Fuhrer on 16 September. He was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 March 1941. In April, he took part in Operation `Marita' and the Balkans Campaign — the occupation of Greece and Yugoslavia. Operation `Barbarossa' —the German invasion of Russia — followed in June.

Walther was employed as liaison officer with Panzergruppe 4, probably until mid-August, when he is believed to have returned to Germany and been hospitalised at Darmstadt. On 1 November, he resumed his previous role at I. Bataillon. After a spell of home duty, Walther returned to Russia, where he remained for some eight months, until 9 February 1943 —serving initially as Kommandeur I. Bataillon (1 April 1942 to 19 November 1942). Subordinated to Heeresgruppe B (Army Group B), Walther's battalion was at the forefront of the push towards Stalingrad, and for some time operated as an ad-hoc battle formation: `Gruppe Walther'.

By this time, the Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsfuhrers-SS (SD — Security Service of the Reichsfuhrer-SS) — rightly considered by Hitler as being more dependable than many in the rival Abwehr — were also engaged in clandestine tasks not dissimilar to those undertaken by the Brandenburger. In April 1943, SS-Obersturmfuhrer (SS First Lieutenant) Otto Skorzeny would be appointed commander of the SS special force.

Such a development clearly represented a threat to the continued existence of the Abwehr commandos. As it was, they were no longer being utilised to their full potential, but instead were being increasingly employed at precarious sectors of the front. It was decided to expand and reorganise the force, which, in January 1943, became Sonderverbandes 'Brandenburg'. Five Verbanden would provide the nucleus of the restructured formation (Walther having been appointed in November 1942 to command Verband 801, formerly I. Bataillon). In April 1943, the Brandenburger were subordinated to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW Armed Forces High Command) / Wehrmachtführungsstab (Armed Forces Command Staff), leaving only an independent Lehr-Regiment `Kurfurst' under Abwehr control. The Verbanden and their parent unit were also redesignated. Verband 801 became Jägerregiment 1 `Brandenburg' of what was now the Division 'Brandenburg'. Significantly, the suffix z.b.V. no longer applied.

Walther was promoted to Major on 1 February 1943, and in June 1943 returned to Russia, this time to the Leningrad area. After only a few weeks, he was redeployed to Greece. There, his command was involved in the seizure of the Dodecanese from British and Italian forces, concluding with Walther negotiating the Italian surrender of the island of Samos on 22 November 1943. Following anti-guerrilla operations in mainland Greece in early 1944, Jagerregiment 1 moved to Yugoslavia. In May/June 1944, newly promoted Oberstleutnant Walther participated in Operation Rossel-sprung' (Knight's Move'), the main objective of which was to kill or capture Josip Broz Tito. Notwithstanding the resources and manpower involved, the undertaking failed, and Tito was airlifted to safety (subsequently re-establishing his headquarters on the Adriatic island of Vis).

An increasingly mistrustful Hitler had in the meantime reassigned the functions of the Abwehr to the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA — Reich Security Main Office). Canaris had been sacked and replaced by Oberst Georg Hansen, a fellow conspirator in the German anti-Nazi movement — also soon to be arrested in the wake of the 20 July 1944 bomb plot. What, then, was to become of the Brandenburger?

In summer 1944, the division was again reorganised to include several Streifkorps (raiding force units) and in August, the 'Brandenburg' cuff title was introduced. This was an honour bestowed upon the most elite formations, as well as those who had participated in notable campaigns. A number of Brandenburger, among them Oberstleutnant Walther, were invited to Berlin and hosted by the Reich Propaganda Minister Dr. Joseph Goebbels. The following month, the division was subordinated to the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH — Army High Command)/Generalstab des Heeres (Army General Staff). The majority of Brandenburger would go on to serve as regular infantry in what became Panzergrenadier-Division `Brandenburg', soon to join Panzergrenadier-Division `Grossdeutschland' to form Panzerkorps `Grossdeutschland'. Hundreds of disaffected Brandenburger, hoping to continue in a familiar role, and irrespective of their politics, opted to join SS-Obersturmbannführer (SS Lieutenant Colonel) Otto Skorzeny's SS-Jagdverbande, which had effectively replaced the oldstyle Brandenburger. Only the 'Brandenburg' Kustenjäger (coastal assault force) and Fallschirmjäger would retain their autonomous status.

For a while, Oberstleutnant Walther continued to serve in the Panzergrenadier-Division 'Brandenburg'. On 1 October 1944, he was severely wounded as the Russians closed in on Gross Betschkerek (today Zrenjanin, Serbia), where ethnic German residents would soon suffer a terrible ordeal under Tito's partisans.

With his role as regimental commander having passed to Oberst Erich von Bruckner, Walther would spend several months convalescing in hospitals in Austria and Germany. He would not resume command. Deemed fit to return to active duty, in March 1945 Walther joined the SS-Jagdverbände as Skorzeny's Chief of Staff, having replaced another former Brandenburger, Adrian Freiherr von Foelkersam, lost in action in January that year.

SS-Obersturmbannführer Skorzeny had a high regard for his Chief of Staff; Walther less so for Skorzeny, commenting many years later: 'In my eyes, he was not at all an officer.' Neither did Walther rate the SS-Jagdverbände, considering them amateurs in comparison with the now-defunct 'Brandenburg' commandos.

After a brief period at the front on the Oder, north-east of Berlin, Walther undertook his final task. Together with Skorzeny, he saw out the rest of the war in Austria, as part of Führungsgruppe (Lead Group) of Schutzkorps Alpenland (SKA — Alpine Region Protection Corps), in the forlorn hope of organising a guerrilla action against the advancing Allied forces. Soon after, Germany surrendered.

On 8 May 1945, Walther attempted to conceal his association with Skorzeny and the Waffen-SS. He obtained a Soldbuch (paybook) in the name of Uwe Schutze and set out for Jugenheim, south of Frankfurt am Main, intending to rejoin his family, but a motoring accident resulted in his being hospitalised for several weeks. Discharged by American authorities at Furstenfeldbruck in July, 'Uwe Schutze' continued north to Stuttgart. For a while, at least, his ruse had worked.

Many Brandenburger had little choice in their fate. As part of Panzerkorps 'Grossdeutschland', elements of Panzergrenadier-Division 'Brandenburg' fought costly delaying actions against the Soviets. An unknown number escaped annihilation or an uncertain future as prisoners of war by withdrawing via the Baltic to British-occupied northern Germany. Those who survived Soviet captivity returned home only after several years.

In June 1946, Wilhelm Walther was arrested at Annaberg, Austria, by the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps. Transferred to Glasenbach, near Salzburg, in August, then to Ludwigsburg, north of Stuttgart, in November, prisoner 29-15886 eventually arrived in February 1947 at Dachau.

Extremely fortunate to have avoided extradition to Yugoslavia, where the authorities wanted to try him for alleged war crimes, Walther was instead transported to the Netherlands. Eventually, it was decided that there was no case for prosecution. On 17 May 1950, Wilhelm Walther was deported back to Germany, a free man.

The old Brandenburger would always consider his arrest and incarceration as unjust. As far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong; he had merely fulfilled his duty as an officer and a soldier.

Wilhelm Walther as leader of the Student Company in Grenzschutz (Technisches Hochschule Dresden), Zeithain, autumn 1931. The motorcycle is a Victoria model KR 50 SV. Years later he would received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 June 1940 as Oberleutnant and Stosstruppführer in 4.Kompanie / Baulehrbataillon z.b.V. 800. Awarded for capturing a strategic bridge at Gennep during the assault on the Netherlands. Leading an 8-man team disguised as Dutch military police escorting German prisoners, they made their assault seizing the bridge and disabling the detonators.

Wilhelm Walther (right) as head of the defence department of the Dresden student body for the Gymnastics Festival in Stuttgart, July 1933. The duelling scar, a result of "academic fencing", was a mark of honour among the social elite.

Leutnant Wilhelm Walther (Zugführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division) in front of Valtice Castle in present-day Czech Republic. The picture was taken during Sudetenland Crisis in October 1938. The 2nd Panzer Division played a prominent role in Germany’s military preparations for the occupation of the Sudeten border regions of Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement. Commanded by Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel and forming part of the rapidly expanding Panzerwaffe, the division was among the armored formations assembled to demonstrate German military strength and readiness should diplomatic efforts fail. As tensions reached their peak in September 1938, the division concentrated near the Czech frontier, conducting mobilization exercises and preparing for a potential invasion under the plans developed by the Oberkommando des Heeres. When the Munich Agreement granted Germany control of the Sudetenland without armed resistance, 2. Panzer-Division advanced into the newly acquired territories as part of the occupation forces beginning on 1 October 1938. The operation provided the division with valuable experience in large-scale motorized movement, logistics, and coordination with infantry and reconnaissance units, while also serving as a propaganda showcase for the effectiveness of Germany’s armored forces. Although no significant combat occurred during the occupation, the deployment represented an important milestone in the development of German armored doctrine, and the division’s successful participation foreshadowed the prominent role it would later play in the campaigns in Poland, France, and the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

Officer corps of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 (part of 2. Panzer-Division) in 1938 under Major Horst Kitschmann - promoted to Oberstleutnant in September 1939 - which standing in the center. This unit would later be redesignated as Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 on 1 March 1940. The latter Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Walther (Zugführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5) is at far right.

Oberleutnant Wilhelm Walther (Zugführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division) inside a recon armored vehicle during his unit's advance to Czechoslovakia, winter 1939.

Oberleutnant Wilhelm Walther (left, Kompanieführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division) during Nachrichtenübung (Reporting Exercise) in the Salzkammergut, summer 1939. The vehicle is a Kfz.1 light off-rosd passenger car based on the Stoewer R 200 light Einheits-Pkw.

Oberleutnant Wilhelm Walther (Führer 4.Kompanie / Baulehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800) posed with a BMW R12 motorcycle shortly before 10 April 1940 in the Eifel region, probably in the area of Kaisersesch, south-west of Koblenz.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberleutnant Wilhelm Walther (Stosstruppführer in 4.Kompanie / Baulehrbataillon z.b.V. 800) which were held after the end of the Battle of France, summer 1940. Walther received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 June 1940 for capturing a strategic bridge at Gennep during the assault on the Netherlands. Leading an 8-man team disguised as Dutch military police escorting German prisoners, they made their assault seizing the bridge and disabling the detonators. Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

Oberleutnant Wilhelm Walther (Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800) at the wedding of Oblerleutnant Dr. Hans-Albrecht Herzner in December 1940. In August 1939, Leutnant Herzner led the first Abwehr commando raid in Poland. He was compelled to withdraw after a brief action, having learned that the planned German invasion was not underway after all, but had been postponed until September 1939.



Hauptmann Wilhelm Walther (center, Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800) and Oberstleutnant Paul Haehling von Lanzenauer (left, Kommandeur Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800). The picture was probably taken in the spring 1941. Paul Alois Oktavian Hubertus Maria Haehling von Lanzenauer was born on 28 February 1896 in Charlottenburg as the son of Prussian Generalmajor Paul Haehling von Lanzenauer and entered military service on 15 September 1915 as a Fahnenjunker in the 1. Badisches Leib-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 109, serving on the Western Front in the First World War where he was promoted to Leutnant on 27 January 1917, acted as Ordonnanzoffizier at the staff of the 87. Infanterie-Brigade, and earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz together with the Verwundetenabzeichen before briefly serving in the Grenzschutz Ost and being released from active duty in 1920 with the rank of Oberleutnant. He then joined the Badische Sicherheitspolizei in Karlsruhe in February 1920, rising to Hauptmann by 1924 while serving as adjutant to the police chief, until transferring to the Heer of the Wehrmacht on 15 October 1935 as a Hauptmann with seniority from 1933; he commanded a company in Infanterie-Regiment 13, was promoted to Major in October 1936, served on the staff of Infanterie-Regiment 109, and from August 1938 commanded the II. Bataillon and later the I. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 111, receiving promotion to Oberstleutnant on 1 February 1940. On 28 November 1940 he was appointed commander of the elite special forces formation Lehr-Regiment Brandenburg z. b. V. 800, which he led through its expansion and operations until his death, being promoted to Oberst on 1 March 1942 while in this post and also receiving the Kommandeurkreuz des Ordens der Krone von Rumänien mit Schwertern as well as the Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Ordens vom Zähringer Löwen; he continued commanding the associated special units Brandenburg until falling ill. Haehling von Lanzenauer died on 8 February 1943 at the age of forty-six from illness in a Lazarett in Schömberg and was posthumously promoted to Generalmajor with rank date 1 February 1943 on 20 April 1943; married since 1922 to Hedwig Albrecht, he was the father of four children including the jurist and author Reiner Haehling von Lanzenauer and is buried in Baden-Baden.



Hauptmann Wilhelm Walther (Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800) posing in the wing of a Messerschmitt Bf 108. The picture was probably taken in the spring 1941. The Messerschmitt Bf 108 "Taifun" was a pioneering German single-engine four-seat sport and touring monoplane designed by Willy Messerschmitt and developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) in the early 1930s, initially as the internal M 37 project to compete in the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme, with its prototype completing its first flight in spring 1934 and demonstrating exceptional handling, low-speed performance, and ease of maintenance thanks to its innovative all-metal stressed-skin construction, single-spar wing with automatic leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps, and outward-retracting main landing gear. The primary production version, the Bf 108B introduced from late 1935, was powered by an Argus As 10C inverted V-8 air-cooled piston engine rated at approximately 233 hp (or up to 270 hp in some variants), achieving a maximum speed of 305 km/h, a cruise speed of 260 km/h, a range of 1,000 km, a service ceiling of 6,200 m, and dimensions of 8.29 m in length with a 10.5 m wingspan while accommodating one or two crew plus two or three passengers; its refined Bf 108B features included a revised empennage, tailwheel instead of skid, dynamic balancing of control surfaces, and a distinctive quadrant-shaped rear window. Pre-war, the type gained widespread acclaim through record-setting long-distance flights—most famously by aviatrix Elly Beinhorn, whose personal aircraft popularized the “Taifun” (Typhoon) nickname—and successful participation in international rallies and competitions, while being exported to countries including Bulgaria, Hungary, Japan, Romania, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, and even the Soviet Union, as well as one example acquired by the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1939 as the XC-44. In military service with the Luftwaffe from the late 1930s onward it served primarily as a fast liaison and personnel transport aircraft ferrying pilots and staff between bases, as well as for target towing and supply duties with Luftdienst units, and one Bf 108 was central to the 1940 Mechelen Incident when it crash-landed in Belgium carrying secret invasion plans; total German production reached approximately 885 aircraft by the early 1940s before manufacturing was transferred to occupied France at SNCAN (Les Mureaux), where postwar variants such as the Nord 1000 Pingouin, Nord 1001, and tricycle-gear Nord 1100 Noralpha (derived from the unproduced Me 208) continued in production with alternative engines and equipped air forces in France, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and elsewhere well into the 1950s. This elegant and technologically advanced design not only boosted Messerschmitt’s international reputation in the 1930s but also incorporated key aerodynamic and structural innovations that directly influenced the legendary Bf 109 fighter.



Hauptmann Wilhelm Walther (2nd from left with back to the camera, Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800) in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Note Serbian Adrian helmets placed atop each bivouac. The picture was probably taken in the spring or early summer 1941. The Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800, the elite special forces regiment of the German Abwehr trained for infiltration, sabotage, linguistic deception and operations behind enemy lines, carried out a series of high-risk commando missions during the Balkanfeldzug of April 1941 as part of Operation Marita against Yugoslavia and Greece. Operating well ahead of or in close coordination with regular Wehrmacht formations, small detachments frequently worked in civilian disguise as Serbian workers, sailors or stevedores to seize or neutralize key infrastructure before the main invasion opened on 6 April with the Luftwaffe bombing of Belgrade. One of the most audacious actions occurred on the night of 5 April near Orsova, when roughly 54 men of the II. Bataillon, initially disguised as locals, descended the sheer 760-metre rock walls of the Iron Gates gorge on the Danube using ropes in total darkness and driving rain, then at 03:00 on 6 April crossed the river in small boats and rubber dinghies to board and capture Yugoslav freighters loaded with cement that had been prepared to scuttle and block the vital waterway; the brief action neutralized the threat with minimal resistance and kept the Danube open for German river traffic and logistics throughout the campaign. On 12 April, Leutnant der Reserve Siegfried Grabert and a handful of Brandenburgers seized and held the strategically vital 400-metre road bridge over the Vardar River east of Axiupolis in northern Greece for nearly ninety minutes, personally capturing British demolition experts before reinforcements arrived and thereby preventing its destruction and enabling the immediate pursuit of retreating Yugoslav and Greek forces; Grabert was subsequently awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for this exploit. Elements of the regiment also captured the Greek island of Euboea shortly after the initial landings. These precisely timed, low-casualty operations exemplified the unique capabilities of the Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800 in unconventional warfare and materially contributed to the swift Axis conquest of the Balkans within little more than two weeks.



Hauptmann Wilhelm Walther (face to the camera, Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800). This picture was taken from the personal photo album of Wilhelm Walther, with original caption as follow: "Deutsche Landser an der Ägäis, 1941. Die griechischen Schuhputzer hatten rasch bemerkt, dass der deutsche Soldat die Reinlichkeit liebt. Hier haben sie auf der Universitäts = Strasse von Athen, einen Ritterkreuzträger Walther „in der Arbeit” (German troops in the Aegean, 1941. The Greek shoe shiners quickly noticed that the German soldier loves cleanliness. Here you have a Knight’s
Cross bearer Walther "in the works" on University Street of Athens).



Hauptmann Wilhelm Walther (Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800) watching the Wehrmacht victory parade in Athens, Greece, on 3 May 1941. Following the swift German success in the Balkans Campaign of April 1941, during which Wehrmacht forces under Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List’s 12th Army outflanked Greek defenses along the Metaxas Line and compelled the surrender of Greek armies while Allied expeditionary forces evacuated, German troops entered Athens on the morning of 27 April 1941, with armored cars, tanks, and infantry advancing directly to the Acropolis where they raised the Nazi war flag over the Parthenon. The night before, Athens Radio had broadcast an appeal urging Greeks to “stand firm, proud and dignified” and to prove worthy of their history amid the unfolding occupation. Despite Adolf Hitler’s initial preference to forgo any ostentatious victory display in order to spare Greek national pride, a joint Axis victory parade was staged on 3 May 1941 at Benito Mussolini’s insistence, featuring marching Wehrmacht infantry and panzer units—including Panzer III tanks and Sd.Kfz. 251 armored cars—along with Italian detachments parading for roughly two hours through the streets of the capital past landmarks such as the Grand Bretagne Hotel, with the Acropolis often visible in the background. The event was reviewed by Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List from a reviewing stand, serving as Axis propaganda to showcase military triumph to domestic German audiences through photographs and newsreels. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel later characterized the joint German-Italian spectacle as “a miserable spectacle, laid on by our gallant ally,” one that likely provoked only “hollow laughter” among the Greeks, who largely remained indoors or watched with stoic resignation as Nazi flags flew over public buildings and the city formally passed under German control. This parade marked the symbolic consolidation of Axis occupation, which soon divided Greece into German, Italian, and Bulgarian zones and ushered in a period of hardship, resistance, and eventual liberation.

Wilhelm Walther smoking in the field. No information about when or where this picture was taken.

Wilhelm Walther wearing stahlhelm.



Münich, 27 January 1941: Deputy Führer and Reichsminister Rudolf Hess, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund (German National-Socialist Student Association), greeting officers of the German Wehrmacht, all holders of the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuzträger) and all of whom had been members of the NSD-Studetenbund. From left to right: Oberleutnant Wilhelm Walther (Ritterkreuz on 24 June 1940 as Stoßtruppführer 4.Kompanie / Baulehr-Bataillon zur besonderen Verwendungen 800 "Brandenburg"), Leutnant der Reserve Helmut Ringler (Ritterkreuz on 15 May 1940 as MG-Halbzugführer in Sturmgruppe "Stahl" / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch"), Leutnant der Reserve Fritz Steger (Ritterkreuz on 15 August 1940 as Zugführer in Infanterie-Regiment 20 [motorisiert] / 10.Infanterie-Division [motorisiert]), and Leutnant der Reserve Franz Berger (Ritterkreuz on 19 July 1940 as Stoßtruppführer 11.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 130 / 45.Infanterie-Division).

Hauptmann Wilhelm Walther (right, Führer I.Bataillon / Lehr-Regiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800) in Athens, 1941.


Wilhelm Walther and fellow Heer soldiers.





Three original color pictures of Wilhelm Walther.



Wilhelm Walther as a Major.

Major Wilhelm Walther (Kommandeur Jäger-Regiment "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg") during sea trip on course for Samos Island (Greece) in 1943 using Schnellboot "S 55" commanded by fellow Ritterkreuzträger Oberleutnant zur See Horst Weber.



Major Wilhelm Walther (left, Kommandeur Jäger-Regiment "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg") with the surrendering Italians in Samos Island, Greece, 1943. When the negotiating Italian officer enquired if it was really necessary to surrender those who had womenfolk in the island, Walther was unmoved, responding with: "Matey, if one surrenders, it generally means everybody."



Wilhelm Walther during briefing with Heer and Kriegsmarine officers.



Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Walther wearing parade uniform.



Wilhelm Walther after the war, wearing the 1957 version of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes.

Interview with Wilhelm Walther.

Illustrated biography of Wilhelm Walther by Anthony Rogers

Source :
"Brandenburger: Wartime Photographs of Wilhelm Walther" by Anthony Rogers
"German Army Uniforms and Insignia 1933-1945" by Brian L. Davis
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/03/album-foto-brandenburgers-sonderverband.html
https://www.brennpunkt-zeitgeschichte.de/neuigkeiten/unveroffentlichte-zeitzeugeninterviews-fotos-von-angehorigen-d-division-brandenburg/?fbclid=IwAR0wGdAoxLzUybefdzayKVugRsfcVSjeUxGmWDAjONMnkArn_fDS5EbaJHw
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=274551&hilit=wilhelm+walther
http://www.kegans-militaria.com/third_reich_daggers
https://www.militaryimages.net/media/wilhelm-walther.90259/
https://nrw-archiv.vvn-bda.de/texte/0304_oberla_nder.htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/41428/Walther-Wilhelm.htm
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/-1957-medals-orders-and-decorations/646479-nice-rkt-photo
http://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2016/08/oberstleutnant-wilhelm-walther.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWaldIGAV30
http://www.zuidfront-holland1940.nl/index.php?page=photo&pid=4487