Wilhelm Walther Attended the Wedding of His Comrade

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.

Source :
"Brandenburger: Wartime Photographs of Wilhelm Walther" by Anthony Rogers

Wilhelm List Visited Crete

In the summer of 1941, following one of the most audacious and costly military operations of World War II, Crete stood as a freshly conquered German possession in the eastern Mediterranean. The Battle of Crete, codenamed Operation Mercury (Unternehmen Merkur), had concluded with a German victory on 1 June 1941 after intense fighting that began on 20 May. This airborne assault marked the first large-scale use of paratroopers in history, but it came at a staggering price. Amid the consolidation of German control over the island, Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List (Oberbefehlshaber 12. Armee), made a notable visit to Crete.

Field Marshal List visited Crete in late May 1941, shortly after the island had been captured during Operation Mercury. As the Commander-in-Chief of the 12th Army, he arrived to inspect the strategic situation and oversee the transition to a formal occupation. His visit took place between May 28 and June 1, 1941, coinciding with the final stages of the British evacuation from Sphakia. During his time on the island, he met with high-ranking officers including General der Flieger Kurt Student, who had led the paratrooper assault, to discuss the high casualties and future troop deployments.

List's visit to Heraklion, the island's largest city and a key eastern airfield objective, took place shortly after the formal end of major combat. Historical photographs from the period capture the field marshal during this inspection tour, highlighting the German effort to project stability and control in the newly occupied territory. Accompanied by Student, the visit served multiple purposes: assessing the battlefield conditions, reviewing the performance of airborne and ground forces, boosting morale among the troops who had endured fierce resistance from Allied forces (British, Commonwealth, and Greek troops) and, notably, armed Cretan civilians, and planning for the occupation phase.

Source :
https://www.weitze.com/militaria/08/Ritterkreuz_des_Eisernen_Kreuz_1939_Grosser_Nachlass_aus_dem_Besitz_von_Oberstleutnant_Franz_Poeschl_nbsp_Gebirgsjaeger_Regiment_100_nbsp_zuletzt_6_Gebirgs_Division__473608.html?token=95c4abc51f8aa5dcee437be951b10fdd&t=1778588629

Bio of General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (1895-1944)

Full name: Wilhelm Wegener  
Nickname: No known nickname

Date of birth: 29.04.1895 - Trebatsch, Kreis Beeskow-Storkow, Brandenburg (German Empire)
Date of death: 24.09.1944 - Near Wolmar an der Düna, Valmiera (Latvia)

Religion: Protestant (Evangelisch)  
Parents: Father Pastor Paul Wegener, Mother Gertrud Wegener née Fischer  
Siblings: No known siblings  
Spouse: Paula Emilie Sophie Haberlandt (married on 18 October 1921, daughter of the late manor owner Walter Siegfried Karl Haberlandt from Beelitz-Schwochow)  
Children: Bernd-Wilhelm Wegener (born 7 August 1922), Jochen Wegener (born 11 July 1926), Immo Wegener (born 5 April 1937)  

Promotions:  
00.00.1914 Kadett
02.08.1914 Fahnenjunker (Fähnrich)  
19.01.1915 Leutnant (seniority 01.09.1915)  
31.07.1925 Oberleutnant (seniority 01.04.1925)  
01.02.1930 Hauptmann (18)  
01.11.1935 Major (39)  
01.10.1938 Oberstleutnant (6)  
01.09.1941 Oberst (41, later backdated to 01.10.1940)  
01.06.1942 Generalmajor (18b)  
01.03.1943 Generalleutnant (3)  
01.12.1943 General der Infanterie (5)

Career:  
29.04.1895-1914 Childhood and school years in Trebatsch, Brandenburg  
02.08.1914 Entered the Prussian Army as Fahnenjunker with the Ersatz-Bataillon of the 2. Pommersches Colbergsches Grenadier-Regiment "Graf Gneisenau" Nr. 9 in Stargard  
Autumn 1914 Front service on the Eastern Front  
1915-1916 Front service on the Western Front  
Summer 1916 Captured by British forces during an assault, held in captivity until late 1918  
20.12.1918 Returned to Germany  
30.03.1919 Served with Freiwilligen-Bataillon Kolberg in border protection  
01.10.1920 Transferred to the Reichswehr as company officer in Infanterie-Regiment 4  
18.10.1921 Married Paula Emilie Sophie Haberlandt  
1922-1935 Various company and staff officer positions in Infanterie-Regiment 4, including adjutant and regimental signals officer  
01.10.1934 Regimental adjutant of Infanterie-Regiment Stargard  
15.10.1935 Adjutant of Infanterie-Regiment 25  
06.10.1936 Division adjutant of the 32. Infanterie-Division  
01.11.1939 Staff officer at Generalkommando II. Armeekorps  
01.07.1940 Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 94 of the 32. Infanterie-Division  
01.06.1942 Commander of the 32. Infanterie-Division (in the Demjansk Pocket)  
27.06.1943 Transferred to the OKH Führerreserve  
17.09.1943 Temporary command of L. Armeekorps  
01.12.1943 Commanding General of L. Armeekorps (later Korpsgruppe Wegener)  
1944 Defensive battles from the Leningrad area via Luga and Pskov to Livland  

Awards and Decorations:  
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz 1918
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (26 September 1939)
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (29 May 1940)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (26 November 1941)
Demjanskschild
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #627 (27 October 1941) as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division. On 24 July 1941, while the division was advancing in marching formation, three Soviet divisions suddenly struck its exposed left flank at dawn. The main assault was repelled, but Soviet infiltrators slipped between the German columns and threatened to overrun the divisional staff. Wegener immediately directed his regiment into savage close-quarters forest battles, hunting down and destroying the enemy groups one by one until the danger was eliminated and the staff was saved. His regiment continued to distinguish itself in the late 1941 battles of the 16. Armee, particularly in the attack on Cholm, the stubborn defense of the bridgehead there, and the desperate defensive combats east of Demyansk.
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber (17 January 1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #66 (19 January 1942) as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division. He received the award for his heroic actions in the Demjansk Pocket in January 1942. When the Soviets launched a powerful attack in the Watolino sector and captured the village of Medyanki, Wegener personally led a counterattack with Bataillon Stuppi. In brutal house-to-house fighting that raged through the streets and buildings, his men clawed their way forward under intense fire, ejecting the enemy and securing the village by late afternoon on 15 January 1942. In the process they annihilated an entire Soviet regiment and prevented a further breakthrough to the north that would have cut off the neighboring Infanterie-Regiment 418, thereby holding the pocket together during one of its most critical moments.
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (24 July 1942)
Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class (29 March 1943)  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #97 (17 September 1944) as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps. Wegener earned award for his masterful defensive leadership in the summer of 1944. Throughout August and September his corps repelled wave after wave of Soviet attacks in the Modohn area. When he assumed command of the larger Korpsgruppe Wegener, which included the L., X. Army, and VI. SS-Armee-Korps, he repeatedly stabilized the crumbling front during the difficult withdrawal from the Leningrad sector through Luga and Pskov toward Livland, preventing a complete collapse under relentless enemy pressure.
Only days after receiving the Swords on 17 September 1944, Wilhelm Wegener was killed on 24 September 1944 by a Soviet ground-attack aircraft while traveling to his army group headquarters near Wolmar in Latvia. He was regarded as an experienced, calm, and resolute leader whose regiments and corps stood firm in the most critical situations of the Eastern Front.
Mention in the Wehrmacht Communiqué (26 September 1944)

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Wilhelm Wegener was a German general of infantry who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and became one of the most highly decorated officers on the Eastern Front. Born on 29 April 1895 in the small Brandenburg village of Trebatsch as the son of Protestant pastor Paul Wegener and his wife Gertrud née Fischer he rose steadily through the ranks from a young Fahnenjunker in the First World War to command large formations in the desperate defensive battles of 1944. A recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords he was known among his troops for his calm resolve and tactical skill under extreme pressure. Wegener led Infantry Regiment 94 and later the 32nd Infantry Division through the brutal fighting around Lake Ilmen and the Demyansk Pocket before taking charge of L Army Corps and the ad hoc Korpsgruppe Wegener during the Soviet summer offensives in the Baltic states. He was killed in action on 24 September 1944 near Wolmar in Latvia when Soviet ground-attack aircraft strafed his vehicle en route to army group headquarters only a week after receiving the Swords.

Wegener's military career began abruptly with the outbreak of the First World War. On 2 August 1914 he entered the Prussian Army as a Fahnenjunker with the replacement battalion of the 2nd Pomeranian Colberg Grenadier Regiment Graf Gneisenau Number 9 stationed in Stargard. By autumn he was at the front on the Eastern Front and later transferred to the Western Front where he saw heavy combat. In the summer of 1916 during a violent assault he was captured by British forces and spent more than two years in prisoner-of-war camps until his release at the end of 1918. He returned to Germany on 20 December 1918 and immediately joined the Freiwilligen-Bataillon Kolberg for border-protection duties in the chaotic postwar period. These early experiences of frontline fighting capture and survival in captivity shaped his later reputation as a steady and resourceful infantry leader who understood the harsh realities of prolonged combat.

After the war Wegener built a solid professional foundation in the small Reichswehr army. Transferred on 1 October 1920 as a company officer to Infantry Regiment 4 he progressed through successive roles including adjutant battalion signals officer and regimental communications officer while also completing specialized courses in machine guns and communications. He married Paula Emilie Sophie Haberlandt on 18 October 1921 the daughter of a deceased manor owner from Beelitz-Schwochow and the couple raised three sons Bernd-Wilhelm born in 1922 Jochen born in 1926 and Immo born in 1937 one of whom later served as a paratrooper. Promotions came methodically to Oberleutnant in 1925 Hauptmann in 1930 Major in 1935 and Oberstleutnant in 1938 during which time he served as division adjutant of the 32nd Infantry Division in Köslin. By the outbreak of the Second World War he was an experienced staff officer with deep knowledge of infantry organization and training.

Wegener's first combat assignments in the new war came as division adjutant of the 32nd Infantry Division during the Polish campaign in 1939 followed by service as a staff officer with II Army Corps in the French campaign of 1940 where he earned clasps to both classes of the Iron Cross. On 1 July 1940 he assumed command of Infantry Regiment 94 still part of the 32nd Infantry Division. Promoted to Oberst in September 1941 he led the regiment into the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa with 16th Army of Army Group North. His unit quickly proved its mettle in fast-moving advances and sudden defensive crises across the vast Russian terrain demonstrating the kind of aggressive yet disciplined leadership that would later earn him Germany's highest decorations.

The action that secured Wegener the Knight's Cross on 27 October 1941 as the 627th recipient unfolded on 24 July 1941 when three Soviet divisions struck the exposed left flank of the 32nd Infantry Division at dawn while it marched in column. Although the main enemy assault was thrown back Soviet infiltrators slipped between the German formations and threatened to overrun the divisional staff in the dense forests. Wegener instantly swung his regiment into savage close-quarters combat hunting down the scattered enemy groups one by one through thick undergrowth and sudden ambushes. His men cleared the woods yard by yard eliminating the infiltrators and saving the staff from destruction. Later that autumn the regiment excelled again in the attack on Cholm the stubborn defense of the bridgehead there and the desperate holding actions east of Demyansk where Wegener's leadership kept the line intact amid relentless Soviet pressure.

Wegener received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 19 January 1942 as the 66th recipient for his regiment's critical role inside the Demyansk Pocket. In the Watolino sector Soviet forces had seized the village of Medyanki and threatened to split the German lines. Wegener personally directed a counterattack with Battalion Stuppi launching his troops into bitter house-to-house fighting that raged through snow-covered streets ruined buildings and icy courtyards under intense artillery and small-arms fire. By late afternoon on 15 January 1942 the village was recaptured an entire Soviet regiment annihilated and the threatened breakthrough to the north halted just in time to prevent the isolation of neighboring Infantry Regiment 418. These actions helped stabilize the pocket during one of its darkest moments and earned Wegener promotion to Generalmajor in June 1942 when he took full command of the 32nd Infantry Division still trapped inside the encirclement.

After further promotion to Generalleutnant in March 1943 and General der Infanterie in December 1943 Wegener assumed command of L Army Corps in September 1943. In the summer of 1944 he led the larger Korpsgruppe Wegener comprising L Army Corps X Army Corps and VI SS Army Corps during the chaotic withdrawal from the Leningrad sector through Luga and Pskov toward Livland. His corps repeatedly repelled massed Soviet attacks in the Modohn area throughout August and September 1944 stabilizing collapsing sectors and preventing a complete breakthrough despite overwhelming enemy numbers and relentless pressure. For this outstanding defensive leadership he was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 September 1944 as the 97th recipient. Tragically only seven days later while traveling to army group headquarters near Wolmar his vehicle was attacked by Soviet ground-attack aircraft and Wegener was killed instantly on 24 September 1944. He was buried with military honors in Riga two days later and his death was announced in the Wehrmacht communiqué praising a hero's death on the Eastern Front. Throughout his career Wegener was remembered by comrades as an experienced calm and resolute commander whose personal courage and tactical judgment enabled his units to hold firm in the most critical and hopeless situations of the long war in the East.

Info regarding Wegener's death from KTB (Kriegstagebuch) of L. Armeekorps: "11:30 a.m. The commanding officer is en route from the 21st Infantry Division to the intermediate command post at Rubene. In the distance, he sees Rubene burning and his own Stuka attack against the Rubene area. He then turns around and drives north back towards Varnas. Near Rumbeni, the vehicle fails to stop in time during a low-level air attack; it is no longer possible to take cover. The commanding officer is severely wounded and dies a short time later. The accompanying first order officer, Oberleutnant der Reserve Kleinfeldt, is also killed. The driver and accompanying motorcycle messenger remain unharmed. The two bodies are recovered and transported to the prisoner-of-war camp in Unguri. After lying in state in Unguri, the commanding officer's body is transported via the army prisoner-of-war camp to Riga for burial in the Ostland Cemetery." (September 24, 1944)

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division).



Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division) in the Russian winter.

Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division) in the Russian winter.

Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division).



Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division).



Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).



Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).

Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).

Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).



Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).



Wilhelm Wegener (center) in the division's cemetery during the funeral of one of his men.



Wilhelm Wegener with his wife Paula Haberlandt and their sons in Dresden, 1942.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Major Wilhelm Eggemann (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division), which was held on 20 April 1943 at Staraya Russa, Novgorod, Soviet Union. The one draping the medal on the right is Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division), while the one helping to drape it in the center is most likely Rittmeister Hans-Joachim von Koeckritz (Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 32 / 32.Infanterie-Division). In this photo, Koekritz is seen wearing a schirmmütze (visor hat) with the totenkopf crest on the front. This is because he is a former member of the Reiter-Regiment 5, one of Germany's leading cavalry units with a long history, which members - or former members - proudly displays the skull symbol in their caps. Other pictures from this award ceremony can be seen HERE.



Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division) during Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Major Wilhelm Eggemann (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division), which was held on 20 April 1943 at Staraya Russa, Novgorod, Soviet Union.

Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch (center, Oberbefehlshaber 16. Armee) and Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (left, Führer L. Armeekorps) on the Eastern Front, taken in September 1943. On 23 September 1943, National Socialist news coverage wrote on the back of the picture, "During the fighting south of Lake Ilmen. Eichenlaubträger Generalfeldmarschall Busch and Eichenlaubträger Generalleutnant Wegener during defensive fighting at a command post in the section south of Lake Ilmen." Photo: Berliner Verlag Archiv Collection / Elle.

At least three Ritterkreuzträger are shown in this picture: Oberst Max Lemke (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 / 12.Panzer-Division), Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord), and General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps). The SS officer behind Lemke is DKiGträger SS-Hauptsturmführer Rudolph Maeker (Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord). The picture was probably taken in February 1944 during the visit of Field Marshal model to the operational area of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 near Leningrad.



From left to right: Unknown Heer officer, General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps), Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt (Chefadjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando II. Armeekorps in Stettin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis II), and General der Infanterie Joachim von Kortzfleisch (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando III. Armeekorps in Berlin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis III). The picture was taken during the funeral of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube in Berlin, 26 April 1944. Other pictures from this funeral can be seen HERE.



General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps) with officers of 218. Infanterie-Division.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Hauptmann der Reserve Bruno Büchau. The medal was awarded by General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps). Büchau received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 August 1944 as Führer II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 159 / 69.Infanterie-Division. Other pictures from this ceremony can be seen

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps) in a picture taken on 19 September 1944, five days before his death.

Source:  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/W/WegenerW-R.htm  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34553/Wegener-Wilhelm.htm  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wegener  
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wegener_(General)  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/photos-and-paper-items-forum/13698410-searching-for-photos-and-documents-of-general-der-infanterie-wilhelm-wegener-kc-ol-ols-1895-1944
https://www.geni.com/  
https://grokipedia.com/  
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html  
https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-Officer-Wilhelm-Wegener
https://pixpast.com/stock-photo/rkt-general-wilhelm-wegener-and-his-wife-paula-haberlandt-and-paratrooper-fallschirmjager-son-in-dresden-1942-germany-14753.html

Erwin Rommel with Paul Hausser and Eugen Meindl

From left to right: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Paul Hausser (Oberbefehlshaber 7. Armee), Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B), and General der Fallschirmtruppe Eugen Meindl (Kommandierender General II. Fallschirmkorps). The photo was taken on July 14, 1944, in Villebaudon (St.-Lô/Normandy), which was the headquarters of the II. Fallschirmkorps. At that time, Rommel (supervising Hausser) and Hausser (supervising Meindl) were conducting an inspection to assess the current situation of the fierce battle against the American army in St.-Lô. This photo was taken a few weeks after the replacement of the commander of the 7th Army from Generaloberst Friedrich Dollmann (who committed suicide) to SS-Obergruppenführer Hausser, which took place on June 28, 1944. A little attention is drawn to the camouflage jacket worn by Hausser, as well as the M43 field cap with officer's insignia worn by Meindl!

Source :
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/en/search/?query=121548872#

First Volkssturm Ritterkreuzträger Ernst Tiburzy

Ernst Tiburzy (1911-2004) was a battalion leader of the Volkssturm and the first Volkssturm soldier to be awarded with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. He destroyed 5 or 9 Soviet tanks (sources vary) during the Battle of Königsberg on February 10th, 1945, preventing a breakthrough into the city and was awarded for that. He was one of only four or five Volkssturm soldiers who received the Ritterkreuz.

The following newspaper excerpt (dated 3 March 1945) describes why Tiburzy was awarded the coveted medal:

“First Volkssturm Ritterkreuzträger:

The Bolsheviks had succeeded in achieving a penetration in the Königsberg area. In response a German Volkssturm Bataillon commander, SA-Hauptsturmführer Tiburzy (who had previously been badly wounded during the Eastern campaign), initiated a counterthrust at the head of a small shock troop. The Volkssturm managed to roll up the trench that had been occupied by the enemy with Panzerfausts and hand grenades. In the process Tiburzy destroyed 2 Soviet T-34s with Panzerfausts. Later, as the Soviets launched a new attack against the Volkssturm blocking position two days later with tanks and infantry, Tiburzy launched a counterattack with his Bataillon on his own initiative. In the fighting which followed he personally destroyed another 3 T-34s in close combat, and the situation was restored. For this reason the Hauptsturmführer was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes by the Führer.”

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 755 - 22 March 1945
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWxWY4rFhTg
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/61903/Tiburzy-Ernst.htm

Herbert Otto Gille, Nikolaus von Vormann and Georg-Hans Reinhardt

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

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=210373&hilit=herbert+gille

Waffen-SS Reunion in Verden (1952)

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

Front row, from left to right: Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (former Fallschirmjäger General), Felix Steiner (former Waffen-SS General), and Herbert Otto Gille (former Waffen-SS General). This picture was taken during post-war reunion of former members of the Waffen-SS (Nachkriegstreffen der Waffen-SS) which was held in Verden, Niedersachsen, on 27 October 1952.

These two pictures were taken during post-war reunion of former members of the Waffen-SS (Nachkriegstreffen der Waffen-SS) which was held in Verden, Niedersachsen, on 27 October 1952. Top picture shows Herbert Otto Gille (former General of the Waffen-SS) at the podium, while bottom picture shows notice boards which is showing photos of former members of the Waffen-SS whose fate is still unknown until that time

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/03/album-foto-herbert-otto-gille.html
https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/detail/b017423e-0259-11e7-904b-d89d6717b464/media/e38e644a-29c9-763c-1c05-0fa626b2a23b?mode=detail&view=horizontal&q=gille&rows=1&page=3
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/image?family=editorial&phrase=herbert%20gille
https://www.topfoto.co.uk/asset/1680249/

Hans-Ulrich Rudel at a DRP Meeting

Hans-Ulrich Rudel (1916-1982), a former Oberst in the German Luftwaffe, attends a meeting of the DRP (Deutsche Reichspartei) in the Rotmain Hall, Bayreuth, 2nd September 1953. He is accompanied by his mother. Rudel was forbidden to address the meeting by the Bavarian Ministry for the Interior, but others were permitted to read portions of his speech to the assembly.

Source :
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/hans-ulrich-rudel-a-former-oberst-in-the-german-luftwaffe-news-photo/91873703

Lothar Lau and Ernst Gadermann

Major im Generalstab Lothar Lau (Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann") and the rear gunner of famous Stuka ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel who was also a doctor in SG 2, Stabsarzt Dr.med. Ernst Gadermann (right), walking and talking. In the background is a Junkers Ju 87 D-5 "Stuka" with ground crew. The picture was taken in Hungary, September 1944.

Source :
https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Ju-87/10%28Pz%29SG2/pages/Junkers-Ju-87D5-Stuka-Hans-Ulrich-Rudels-01.html
https://reibert.info/threads/stg2-i-sg2-immelmann-sturzkampfgeschwader-2-i-schlachtgeschwader-2-immelmann.72440/page-5

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Hubert Brinkforth

Hubert Brinkforth received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 7 May 1941 as Gefreiter and Richtschütze in 14.Kompanie (Panzerjäger) / III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 25 (motorisiert) / 2.Infanterie-Division (motorisiert). The following wartime excerpt describes why Brinkforth was awarded the Ritterkreuz: “On 27 May 1940 Gefreiter Brinkforth, the gunner of a Pak gun, shot up a deeply echeloned English tank formation during the defensive fighting near Abbeville. He did this from a forward position 6 km in front of the main battle line along the southern edge of the village of Huppy, one of the most important points of the bridgehead. By allowing the enemy armour to approach within a range of 100 metres he destroyed 11 tanks within 20 minutes despite the heavy cannon and machine gun fire that plastered his own position. This exemplary behaviour also inspired the Pak crews near Gefreiter Brinkforth to give their utmost in this battle, and the result was that the strong English attack was defeated.”

It should be noted that, after the war, the former gun commander Unteroffizier Horst Nickstat wrote that 2 of these 11 tanks were destroyed by another gun from the Kompanie!

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Obergefreiter Hubert Brinkforth (anti-tank commander in 5.Kompanie / Schützen-Regiment 25 / 12.Panzer-Division) which were held on 1 April 1941 at the Tucheler Heide Truppenübungsplatz, northern Poland. From left to right: Oberst Werner Hühner (Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 25), Obergefreiter Brinkforth, and Generalmajor Josef Harpe (Kommandeur 12. Panzer-Division).



Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Obergefreiter Hubert Brinkforth (anti-tank commander in 5.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Schützen-Regiment 25 / 12.Panzer-Division) which were held on 1 April 1941 at the Tucheler Heide Truppenübungsplatz, northern Poland. His battalion commander Major Klaus Freiherr von Hardenberg - who was also a Ritterkreuzträger - is on the left.

Source :
https://crainsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=778
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Brinkforth,_Hubert
https://www.elgrancapitan.org/foro/viewtopic.php?t=27019
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28709/Brinkforth-Hubert.htm

Ferdinand Schörner during Trial in Münich

On 1 October 1957 the trial against ex German field marshal Ferdinand Schörner began in a Münich court. The 65 year old was defended by three attorneys and was accused of one account of manslaughter and two more accounts of attempted manslaughter. This picture was taken on 4 October 1957 when Schörner enters the courtroom during his trial. He is charged with ordering the execution without court-martial of two Wehrmacht officers and an NCO during World War II.

Source :
https://www.alamy.com/oct-01-1957-on-october-1-1957-the-trial-against-ex-field-marshal-ferdinand-image69347852.html
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/german-field-marshal-ferdinand-sch%C3%B6rner-enters-the-news-photo/954971034
https://id.rbth.com/sejarah/86224-tawanan-soviet-marsekal-lapangan-nazi-selamat-ryx
https://www.imago-images.com/st/0061847507

Alexander von Pfuhlstein and Brandenburger

The visit of Generalmajor Alexander von Pfuhlstein (second from left), who succeeded Oberstleutnant Paul Haehling von Lanzenauer and commanded the Division "Brandenburg" from 1 April 1943 until 11 April 1944. Imprisoned after being implicated in the 20 July 1944 bomb plot, he would survive the war, surrendereing to American forces at Wertheim, Germany, on 2 April 1945.

Source :
"Brandenburger: Wartime Photographs of Wilhelm Walther" by Anthony Rogers

After 20 July 1944

Hitler took a small walk with his "trusted people" in the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze (Rastenburg/East Prussia), the afternoon after the failed bomb attempt on 20 July 1944. From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), and Reichsleiter Martin Bormann (Leiter Parteikanzlei der NSDAP und Privatsekretär Führer und Reichskanzler). Behind Göring is SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Günsche (Persönlicher Adjutant Führer und Reichskanzler), while behind Hitler with a bandaged head is Generaloberst Alfred Jodl (Chef der Wehrmachtsführungsamt). Between Hitler and Bormann is Oberst Nicolaus von Below (Adjutant der Luftwaffe beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht). The three men chatting in the right corner are, from left to right: Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Hermann Fegelein (Verbindungsoffizier zwischen dem Reichsführer-SS und dem Führerhauptquartier ), and Generaloberst Ferdinand Schörner (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Südukraine).

Reichsminister Dr.phil. Joseph Goebbels (left) chats with Generaloberst Alfred Jodl (Chef Wehrmacht-Führungsamt), while half-visible on the right is Generaloberst Ferdinand Schörner (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Südukraine). This photo was taken in the afternoon on 20 July 1944, just a few hours after the failed assassination attempt by Oberst Claus von Stauffenberg at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze. Jodl himself was slightly injured in the head in the incident.

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/09/album-foto-plot-20-juli-1944.html
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/27953/5d129355608ee73a1e66e787e58a02d9/
https://www.hitler-archive.com/photo.php?p=LIU8TbZm

Willibald Unfried Attacking with StuG

Ritterkreuzträger Unteroffizier Willibald Unfried of 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 213 / 73.Infanterie-Division during the attack on the Soviet position near Novorossiysk, a Russian port on the Black Sea, August 1942. He is armed with a captured SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle, against the background of a StuG III Ausf.F (7,5 cm Sturmkanone 40 L/43) from Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 210. Unfried received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 March 1942 for his heroic actions as a machine-gunner during the fierce battles at Bairasch and Adzhigol.

Encountering an ever-increasing number of well-armed and protected enemy tanks caused turmoil in the German Army. The German tanks and anti-tank weapons of 1941 were barely managing to keep enemy armor at bay. Due to a lack of industrial capacity, the Germans had only two options for a quick response, either build improvised anti-tank vehicles or improve the firepower of existing designs. Following the second solution, the StuG III would be adopted for a completely new role it was initially not designed for. Its short barrel gun would be replaced with a longer 7.5 cm gun which greatly improved its overall firepower. Thanks to its relatively cheap price, slight silhouette, fully protected superstructure, and a new gun, along with well-trained and motivated crews, this created a highly deadly vehicle. The first in the line of the long barrel vehicles was the StuG III Ausf.F.

Ritterkreuzträger Unteroffizier Willibald Unfried (left) of 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 213 / 73.Infanterie-Division during the attack on the Soviet position near Novorossiysk, a Russian port on the Black Sea, August 1942. He is armed with a captured SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle, against the background of a StuG III Ausf.F (7,5 cm Sturmkanone 40 L/43) from Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 210.

Ritterkreuzträger Unteroffizier Willibald Unfried (center) of 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 213 / 73.Infanterie-Division during the attack on the Soviet position near Novorossiysk, a Russian port on the Black Sea, August 1942. He is armed with a captured SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle, against the background of a StuG III Ausf.F (7,5 cm Sturmkanone 40 L/43) from Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 210.

Source :
ECPAD archives (DAT 155 L.12)
https://www.facebook.com/easternfrontgallery/photos/a.333275313914287/375199003055251/?type=3&paipv=0&eav=AfYklDe_N2oQ7nZZ280CkEquhAjid8jISZ9-jbiM6ZMNpwbliK-_Yd-z4OQUf8B8rCw&_rdr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130556552@N02/18224441548
https://www.shop.history-films.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13
https://twitter.com/panzerdb/status/1056110882139369473?lang=fa
https://waralbum.ru/192509/