Ritterkreuzträger with Imperial Pilot Awards

KÖNIGLICH PREUSSISCHES FLUGZEUGBEOBACHTER-ABZEICHEN

The Königlich Preussisches Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen, officially designated the Abzeichen für Beobachtungsoffiziere aus Flugzeugen, was instituted on 27 January 1914 by Kaiser Wilhelm II as a qualification badge for observation officers of the Imperial German Fliegertruppe and was awarded by the General-Inspektion des Militär-Verkehrswesens to personnel who had completed a minimum of 1,000 kilometres of flight as an observer, passed the required technical aircraft-assistance examination (or its refresher), conducted successful reconnaissance missions, and obtained the formal Befähigungszeugnis as a Beobachtungsoffizier; the high-oval badge measured approximately 71 mm in height and 45 mm in width and was manufactured in silver or silver-plated non-ferrous metal, featuring at its centre a red-enamelled square containing a smaller black-and-white chequered square (the traditional General Staff emblem) set against a rayed background, the whole enclosed by a closed wreath of laurel leaves on the left and oak leaves on the right that met in a bow at the base and were surmounted by the Imperial Crown, with the reverse usually showing a vertical pin and the maker’s mark of C.E. Juncker of Berlin; worn as a Steckabzeichen on the left breast of the uniform, it remained in use throughout the First World War as the principal recognition of qualified aerial observers in the Prussian contingent of the German air service until the collapse of the monarchy in 1918.



SS-Obergruppenführer Alfred Wünnenberg (1891-1963) was born on 20 July 1891 in Saarburg, Alsace-Lorraine, in the German Empire, and entered military service on 25 February 1913 as a Fahnenjunker in the Infanterie-Regiment „Vogel von Falckenstein“ (7. Westfälisches) Nr. 56 of the Prussian Army; during the First World War he served as a Kompaniechef, was wounded on both the Western and Eastern fronts, trained as a pilot from June 1916, and flew as an Aufklärungsflieger with Feld-Flieger-Abteilung 47 from August 1917, earning the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 10 February 1915 and 1. Klasse on 9 September 1915 along with other decorations including the Königlich Preussisches Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen and the Ritter des Königlicher Preussischer Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern. After the war he briefly served with Grenzschutz Ost and a Freikorps in Oberschlesien before joining the Preußische Schutzpolizei as a Polizei-Oberleutnant in September 1920, rising through various police commands and training roles in Essen, Potsdam-Eiche, Krefeld, Köln, Charlottenburg, Hindenburg, Beuthen, Gleiwitz, Saarbrücken, Bremen, and Mannheim, joining the NSDAP on 1 May 1933 (Mitgliedsnummer 2.222.600) and the SS (SS-Nr. 405.898), and by December 1938 serving on the staff of the Inspekteur der Ordnungspolizei in Stuttgart. On 2 October 1939 he became Kommandeur of Polizei-Schützen-Regiment 3 of the Polizei-Division (later SS-Polizei-Division) with the rank of SS-Standartenführer and Oberst der Schutzpolizei, participating in the Western campaign of 1940 and the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941; for his leadership in the Luga sector—particularly his personal bravery on 11 August 1941 in capturing the hills at Stojanowschtschina (taking seventeen enemy tanks and numerous heavy bunkers), his advance on 23 August to seize Ssyrez, the hills west of it, and the heights at Turowo that enabled the capture of Luga, and his regiment’s breakthrough of the outer defensive lines of Leningrad on 13 September by securing bridges and key positions while advancing toward Pushkin via the Ishora position—he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 November 1941 as SS-Standartenführer and Oberst der Schupo. He assumed command of the SS-Polizei-Division on 15 December 1941, and for his successful leadership of the division at the Volkhov, where he closed the ring around the Volkhov pocket by attacking through extremely swampy terrain to achieve surprise against an enemy expecting an advance along the road, he received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (91st award) on 23 April 1942 as SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor der Polizei. Promoted further to SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Polizei in July 1942 and then to SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und Polizei in July 1943, he briefly commanded the IV. SS-Panzer-Korps from 10 June 1943 until 31 August 1943, after which he succeeded Kurt Daluege as Chef des Hauptamtes der Ordnungspolizei, a post he held until the end of the war (and briefly as Chef der Deutschen Polizei in the final days); he fled via the Rattenlinie Nord to Flensburg, was interned as a POW in Dachau in 1946, released in 1947, and died on 30 December 1963 in Krefeld, West Germany.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/03/album-foto-tokoh-third-reich-peraih.html

Ritterkreuzträger with Pour le Mérite

The Pour le Mérite, informally known as the "Blue Max" or "Blauer Max" after World War I flying ace Max Immelmann, is a prestigious Prussian order of merit established between 7 and 15 June 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia, succeeding the earlier Ordre de la Générosité founded in 1667. Named in French, the court language of the era, its military class became the Kingdom of Prussia's highest decoration for bravery and leadership among officers of all ranks, awarded for repeated acts of gallantry or outstanding command rather than single heroic deeds, with the insignia consisting of a blue-enameled Maltese cross edged in gold, featuring golden eagles between the arms, the Prussian royal cypher, and the words "Pour le Mérite" inscribed in gold. Initially open to both military and civilian recipients, it was restricted to active military officers in 1810, with additional distinctions like gilt oak leaves added in 1813 for further exceptional achievement—often for high-ranking officers or, in World War I, for fighter pilots after accumulating increasing numbers of aerial victories—and a rare Grand Cross class introduced in 1866. During World War I, it gained legendary status with 1,687 awards, including to aces such as Manfred von Richthofen, Oswald Boelcke, and Hermann Göring, as well as U-boat commanders and generals like Paul von Hindenburg and Erwin Rommel, though it was never awarded posthumously and required recipients to wear it at all times in uniform. The military class became extinct with the fall of the Prussian monarchy in November 1918 after a total of around 5,415 awards since its inception, while a separate civil class for achievements in sciences and arts, established in 1842 by Frederick William IV and revived in 1952 by the Federal Republic of Germany, continues today under the patronage of the Federal President as an independent order limited to outstanding German and international figures in those fields.

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HEER


Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock (1880-1945), born Moritz Albrecht Franz Friedrich Fedor von Bock on 3 December 1880 in Cüstrin into a traditional Prussian military family, rose steadily through the ranks of the Imperial German Army, Reichswehr, and Wehrmacht to become one of the leading commanders of the early phases of the Second World War, earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 September 1939 as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe Nord for his decisive leadership in the Invasion of Poland. A highly motivated staff officer who had already received the Pour le Mérite in 1918 for his contributions during the German Spring Offensive on the Western Front, Bock commanded the 8. Armee during the Anschluss of Austria in 1938 and played a prominent role in the occupation of the Sudetenland before being assigned Heeresgruppe Nord for the Polish campaign. Operating from Pomerania and East Prussia, he directed the 3. Armee under General Georg von Küchler and the 4. Armee under General Günther von Kluge in a swift double envelopment that severed the Polish Corridor, achieved rapid link-ups with southern forces, executed major encirclements such as at Kutno, and secured the fall of key positions leading to the collapse of organized Polish resistance north of the Vistula within five weeks, despite determined local counterattacks, through effective coordination of infantry, panzer formations, and Luftwaffe support that maintained relentless operational tempo against an outmatched but courageous opponent. This outstanding success in the rapid conquest of Poland directly resulted in his award of the Ritterkreuz, after which he continued to command Heeresgruppe B in the 1940 Western campaign, Heeresgruppe Mitte during the early triumphs of Operation Barbarossa with its vast encirclements at Białystok-Minsk and Smolensk, and briefly Heeresgruppe Süd in 1942, until strategic disagreements with Hitler over priorities such as the advance on Moscow and the splitting of forces toward Stalingrad and the Caucasus led to his relief; the aristocratic Prussian officer, known for his professionalism and critical diary entries on the conduct of the war, was killed on 4 May 1945 along with his wife and daughter when their car was strafed by Allied aircraft near Oldenburg while traveling toward the final Reichsregierung under Großadmiral Dönitz.



Erwin Rommel, the future Generalfeldmarschall known as the Desert Fox, earned Germany's highest military honor of the First World War, the Pour le Mérite, also called the Blue Max, on 18 December 1917 for his outstanding leadership and bold tactical actions during the Battle of Caporetto on the Italian Front. As an Oberleutnant commanding the 2nd Company of the Württembergische Gebirgs-Bataillon, part of the Alpenkorps, the 26-year-old Rommel played a pivotal role in the German-Austro-Hungarian offensive that shattered the Italian lines in the Isonzo sector in late October 1917. On 25 October, his company spearheaded an infiltration attack through difficult mountain terrain, advancing rapidly under cover of fog and surprise to outflank Italian positions. Over the following days, Rommel's small force of roughly 150 men breached two successive enemy defensive lines, captured three strategically vital mountain peaks including the heavily defended Mount Matajur, and forced the surrender of thousands of Italian troops—estimates suggest his detachment took over 9,000 prisoners while suffering minimal casualties. By personally leading assaults, maintaining relentless momentum, and using terrain and surprise to compensate for numerical inferiority, Rommel's actions contributed significantly to the breakthrough that routed the Italian Second Army. For this remarkable feat of aggressive mountain warfare and the capture of Mount Matajur, which General Otto von Below had promised the Pour le Mérite to the first officer who reached its summit, Rommel received the coveted blue-enameled cross, an award rarely given to junior infantry officers and one he proudly wore for the rest of his life. This early success laid the foundation for his legendary reputation as a daring commander who emphasized speed, initiative, and leading from the front.

Ferdinand Schörner, born on 12 June 1892 in Munich, Bavaria, and who died on 2 July 1973 in the same city, was a German military officer who rose from the rank of Einjährig-Freiwilliger in the Bavarian Army to Generalfeldmarschall in the Wehrmacht, the only soldier to achieve this ascent, ultimately serving as the last Commander-in-Chief of the German Army in the final days of the Third Reich and earning notoriety as one of Hitler's most fanatically loyal and ruthless commanders, nicknamed "Blutiger Ferdinand" for his harsh treatment of troops. Entering service in October 1911 with the Bayerisches Leib-Regiment, Schörner was commissioned Leutnant der Reserve by November 1914 and saw extensive action in World War I; he received the Pour le Mérite, Imperial Germany's highest military decoration for bravery, on 5 December 1917 as a Leutnant while participating in the Battle of Caporetto on the Italian front, where Austro-German forces under General Otto von Below executed a stunning breakthrough that shattered the Italian lines in the autumn offensive. Specifically, Schörner distinguished himself through bold leadership in mountain and assault operations amid the rugged terrain of the Isonzo sector, contributing to the capture of key positions such as Hill 114 on the Kolovrat Ridge during the intense fighting that routed Italian forces and led to a massive advance; the award recognized his personal courage and decisive role in these actions, though it sparked some controversy when fellow officer Erwin Rommel, who also earned the Pour le Mérite at Caporetto, formally protested the bestowal upon Schörner. This early honor, alongside other decorations like the Iron Cross 1st Class and Bavarian Military Merit Order, propelled Schörner's interwar career in the Reichswehr as a staff officer and instructor, setting the foundation for his later prominence in World War II, where his blend of tactical skill, organizational ability, and ideological fervor would see him command mountain divisions, panzer corps, and army groups on the Eastern Front while enforcing draconian discipline until his desertion and postwar convictions for war crimes.

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LUFTWAFFE


Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim (1892-1945) was a senior Luftwaffe officer who rose to command key air formations on both the Western and Eastern Fronts during the Second World War and earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, the Eichenlaub and the Schwerter for his leadership in delivering effective close air support and coordinated operations in direct aid of ground forces. As Generalleutnant and Kommandierender General of the V. Flieger-Korps he directed intensive low-level attacks and tactical air support that materially assisted German army units in breaking through the heavily fortified Maginot Line during the 1940 campaign in France, actions for which he received the Ritterkreuz on 24 June 1940 as the 76th recipient. Transferred to the Eastern Front, he later served as Generaloberst and Befehlshaber of Luftwaffenkommando Ost (redesignated Luftflotte 6 on 6 May 1943) where he oversaw large-scale air operations in support of Heeresgruppe Mitte, including the commitment of roughly 730 aircraft during Operation Citadel at Kursk in July 1943; despite mounting attrition these sustained efforts earned him the Eichenlaub on 2 April 1943 as the 216th recipient. Continuing in command of Luftflotte 6 through the following year he maintained critical air-ground coordination and close support for Heeresgruppe Mitte amid increasingly difficult conditions and dwindling resources, achievements recognised by the award of the Schwerter on 28 August 1944 as the 92nd recipient, confirming his central role in sustaining Luftwaffe effectiveness on the central sector of the Eastern Front.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/05/album-para-peraih-pour-le-merite.html

Ritterkreuzträger with Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militärverdienstkreuz (Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross)

The Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militärverdienstkreuz, formally known as the Militärverdienstkreuz des Großherzogtums Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was a military decoration established on 5 August 1848 by Großherzog Friedrich Franz II. of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and awarded in two classes for bravery or distinguished military merit in wartime without regard to rank; the 1. Klasse was a Steckkreuz worn as a pinback decoration while the 2. Klasse was suspended from a ribbon, both consisting of a bronze gilt cross pattée modeled on the Prussian Iron Cross but featuring a crown on the upper arm, the intertwined initials “FF” in the center, and the campaign year on the lower arm of the obverse, with the reverse of the 2. Klasse inscribed “Für Auszeichnung im Kriege”; the standard combatant ribbon was light blue with narrow yellow and red edge stripes, while a variant red ribbon with light blue and yellow edges was used for non-combatant recipients, and the cross was issued in dated versions for campaigns including the First and Second Wars of Schleswig, the German-Danish War of 1864, the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the Boxer Rebellion of 1900–1901, various colonial conflicts, and especially World War I with the prominent 1914 version reauthorized in 1915; it remained in use until the abdication of the last grand duke in November 1918 and continued to be worn during the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich, serving as one of the smaller German states’ equivalents to the higher Prussian awards and recognizing the contributions of Mecklenburg soldiers as well as allied personnel across multiple conflicts of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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HEER


Generalleutnant Karl von Graffen (1893-1964) was a German officer born on 6 June 1893 in Plön who rose through the ranks of the artillery in the Imperial German Army, Reichswehr and Wehrmacht to achieve the rank of Generalleutnant by January 1943 and who commanded the 58. Infanterie-Division as Generalmajor and Führer from late March 1942 before assuming full command in July of that year; he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 August 1942 in recognition of his exemplary leadership of the 58. Infanterie-Division during intense and prolonged defensive fighting and protracted retreats on the Eastern Front that summer, where his effective command contributed to maintaining unit cohesion under heavy pressure; earlier in the war he had served as Artillery-Commander 18 with the 129. Infanterie-Division and was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 24 December 1941 for prior service, while his later career included appointment as Höherer Artillerie-Kommandeur 316 and brief leadership of the LXXVI. Panzer-Corps in April 1945 before his capture by American forces near Belluno in Italy in May 1945 and release from captivity in March 1948, after which he lived until his death on 1 November 1964 in Grödersby.



Generalleutnant Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow (1892-1961) was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 August 1940 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 89 within the 12. Infanterie-Division for his outstanding leadership during the campaign in France, where, despite having been wounded by a shell splinter in the earlier Polish campaign, he personally led his Bataillone from the foremost line with exceptional boldness and disregard for enemy fire, most notably during the successful attack across the Scarpe river at Monchy east of Arras on 23 May 1940 that enabled his regiment to achieve its objectives rapidly and with minimal losses. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 21 October 1941, the 37th such award, still serving as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 89 now subordinated to the 16. Armee of Heeresgruppe Nord, for his decisive actions during the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, including breaking through the Soviet border fortifications east of Schoßbach and leading his regiment on a rapid 65-kilometre advance to reach the objective at Szeszupa, forming a bridgehead over the Njemen during the assault on Kowno while capturing two forts against determined resistance from Soviet Kyrgyzstani and Tatar regiments, distinguishing his unit in hard fighting near Putoschka on 15–16 July 1941, and subsequently securing the line Nikitina–Kokotschina from which he repelled repeated Soviet tank-supported breakthrough attempts, thereby contributing significantly to the encirclement of several enemy divisions near Newel. Lützow later commanded the 12. Infanterie-Division and was taken prisoner by Soviet forces during Operation Bagration near Bobruysk in 1944.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2022/12/foto-tokoh-third-reich-peraih-medali.html

Ritterkreuzträger with Hausorden von Hohenzollern (House Order of Hohenzollern)

The Hausorden von Hohenzollern, more formally the Königlicher Preussischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern, was a dynastic Prussian order of chivalry whose military grades continued to be worn by numerous German officers throughout the Second World War, even though fresh awards had ceased after the abolition of the monarchy in 1918. Originally instituted in the mid-nineteenth century by the House of Hohenzollern for both military and civilian merit, its most prominent wartime version during the First World War was the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern, which served as an important intermediate decoration for Prussian junior officers between the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse and the Pour le Mérite, recognising outstanding leadership and bravery in combat with more than eight thousand such crosses bestowed between 1914 and 1918. Many recipients who earned this honour while serving as Leutnants or Hauptleute in Imperial German Army units later rose to prominent commands in the Wehrmacht, including generals of the Panzertruppe and higher formations, and they proudly displayed the order on their uniforms as part of their accumulated decorations alongside newer awards such as the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes or the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. Records on tracesofwar.com frequently list the Königlicher Preussischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern among the awards of officers who fought in both world wars, sometimes noting an original bestowal from the 1914-1918 period together with references to later clasps or continued wear in the Wehrmacht era, while Wikipedia and associated military histories identify figures such as General der Panzertruppe Hermann Balck and Generaloberst Ludwig Beck as examples of senior officers who retained and wore the order as a visible link to their earlier service. Although the Nazi regime generally favoured its own decorations, Wehrmacht uniform regulations still permitted long-serving career officers to display certain pre-1933 imperial orders like this one on the medal bar or as a neck decoration, with the distinctive cross featuring swords and the Hohenzollern eagle or crest adding historical prestige to the chests of veterans during campaigns from the invasion of Poland in 1939 through to the final battles of 1945.

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RIBBON

General der Infanterie Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (1897-1947) was a German officer who rose through the ranks of the Wehrmacht during World War II, earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern for his leadership on the Eastern Front before gaining notoriety as a harsh commander in occupied Greece. Born in Barmen, Prussia, he joined the Imperial German Army in 1915 as an infantryman with the 2. Infanterie-Regiment, was commissioned Leutnant der Reserve in Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 266 later that year, and served with distinction in World War I, receiving both classes of the Iron Cross. Remaining in the Reichswehr and then the Heer, he advanced steadily, becoming Oberstleutnant and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 105 by the early stages of the invasion of the Soviet Union; it was here that his regiment's determined actions in heavy fighting, particularly during the reconquest of Feodosia in the Crimea where he demonstrated outstanding personal bravery, decisiveness, and skillful leadership, led to the award of the Ritterkreuz on 22 September 1941 as Oberstleutnant, followed by the Eichenlaub (86th recipient) on 8 April 1942 as Oberst still commanding the same regiment for continued success against Soviet forces. Promoted further, he took command of the 22. Infanterie-Division (Luftlande) in August 1942, leading it in the Dodecanese Campaign in 1943, including the successful capture of Leros, which contributed to his reputation for resolute command and later recognition with the Schwerter (128th recipient) on 27 January 1945 as General der Infanterie commanding LXVIII. Armeekorps. Transferred to Fortress Crete, Müller earned the grim nickname "The Butcher of Crete" for ordering brutal reprisals and massacres against Greek civilians in locations such as Viannos, Anogeia, Amari, Damasta, and the Holocaust of Kedros, as well as the execution of Italian officers on Kos; after the war he was captured, tried by a Greek military court in Athens for war crimes including hostage massacres, convicted, and executed by firing squad on 20 May 1947 alongside Bruno Bräuer.

General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (1892-1964), who later rose to the rank of general in World War II, began his military service in 1910 and fought throughout the First World War primarily with the Infanterie-Regiment „Markgraf Karl“ (7. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 60 and the Infanterie-Regiment „Hessen-Homburg“ Nr. 166, where he commanded machine gun companies, served as battalion and brigade adjutant, and participated in intense combat including the Battle of Nancy-Epinal, repeated engagements on the Somme, the Battle of Verdun, the Third Battle of Flanders, fighting on the Eastern Front such as the Battle of Kovel, and the final defensive battles of 1918 between the Somme and Aisne as well as in Flanders and the Hermannstellung. In recognition of his leadership and bravery across these fronts, Breith was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 10 September 1914 and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 30 July 1916, the Hanseatenkreuz Hamburg on 16 April 1917, and notably the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern on 28 October 1918, one of the most prestigious Prussian decorations for officers demonstrating exceptional merit in combat.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Order_of_Hohenzollern
https://www.germanmilitaria.com/Imperial/01Imperial3.html

Young Otto Hartmann as a Hauptmann

Young Otto Hartmann as a Hauptmann in 1916. The picture was taken at Friedrich Müller photo studio in München. Hartmann was promoted from Oberleutnant to Hauptmann on 14 January 1916. At that time he was served as the 2nd Adjutant of the 5th Bavarian Infantry-Division, a position he held since 16 September 1914.

Source :
https://www.andreas-thies.de/auctions/82-753668

Leutnant Hasso von Manteuffel in 1919

Leutnant Hasso von Manteuffel in Berlin, 1919. Shortly after the end of the First World War, from January to May 1919, Von Manteuffel was appointed as the IIb (2.Adjutannt) of Freikorps "von Oven" during the tumultuous time in Germany, and fought the Spartacists in Berlin, as well as other Communist revolutionaries in Münich and Leipzig.

Source :
https://www.sohu.com/a/240968640_99925333
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/01/02/hasso-eccard-freiherr-von-manteuffel/

Erwin Rommel with His Commanding Officer in WW1

Major Theodor Sproesser (left, Kommandeur Württembergische Gebirgs-Bataillon) with Oberleutnant Erwin Rommel (Kompaniechef in Württembergische Gebirgs-Bataillon). They were pictured after both receives the Pour le Mérite in the same day, 10 December 1917. Sproesser and Rommel recieves the coveted medal for chasing the Italians in the Alps during the Battle of Caporetto in the First World War. The unrelenting pursuit by Rommel, compelled Sproesser to give Rommel a unit of the size of a battalion (2-3 reinforced companies) usually commanded by a Captain or Major. Rommel completely take the Italians by surprise and surround all the 9,000 enemy troops and take them as prisoners. So, it is fair to say that Sproesser recieved his fame due to Rommel's brave infiltration into enemy lines!

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/DeutscheWehrmacht1234/photos/a.147057989344199/173140180069313/?type=3
https://gmic.co.uk/topic/71444-my-precious/page/2/#comment-654272
https://twitter.com/masaccio60/status/1662006429396475904/photo/3

Ferdinand Schörner with His Comrades in WW 1

Later Ritterkreuzträger Ferdinand Schörner (2nd from right) with cadre from 12. Kompanie / Bayerische Infanterie-Leib-Regiment in early April 1918 just before the Battle for Kemmel. From left to right: Feldwebelleutnant Fritz Baier (born 11 September 1884), Fähnrich Richard Steinhäuser (11 November 1897), Kompanieführer Leutnant Ferdinand Schörner (12 June 1892), and Bernhard Freiherr von Pechmann (14 May 1898). Fw. Lt. Fritz Baier is a recipient of the Austrian Golden Bravery medal; Richard Steinhäuser was promoted to Leutnant on 11 April 1918; Schörner is a recipient of Pour le mérite; while Bernhard von Pechmann received the Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse on 20 March 1918 but buried by shellfire and reported as badly wounded and MIA at Kemmel on 29 April 1918, two weeks before his 20th birthday.

Source :
https://gmic.co.uk/topic/73564-fantastic-lil-photo-before-the-battle/#comment-668572
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/iron-cross/20200930/282621740435210

Ferdinand Schörner during World War I

Ferdinand Schörner during the WW1.

Son of a superintendent of the police of Munich has never been able to hide his origin of petty bourgeois. Throughout his life he avoided mentioning his parents in their conversations. The school teacher candidate served between 1911/12 as a one-year volunteer at the Leibregiment in Munich in Bavaria. At the beginning of the war he was a reserve NCO. In November 1914, he became Vizefeldwebel of the Reserve and was badly injured as an officer candidate in the assault on the Fleury fortress in the Verdun Massif. He was already a reserve lieutenant and the leader of the 12. Company of the Leibregiment, when in October 1917 he had the luck of war during the battle of the Piave. At that time Schörner already had a tendency to self-exaltation.

The goal of General von Below was to penetrate the main line of defense south of the Isonzo River. The key points of the line were the imposing Mount Mataiur, Mount Kuk, Kolovrat mountain range and Hill 1114. Lieutenant Ferdinand Schörner, a Bavarian commander, set the pace, urging his coughing and staggering volunteers forward so ruthlessly in spite of their heavy loads of machine guns and ammunition that one of its men fell dead of exhaustion before the unit reached the objective: Hill 1114, key of all the mountain range of Kolovrat, whose fortress was occupied by an Italian unit numerically very superior. The professional mountaineers of his company suggested to Schörner that he should tackle the task under the cover of darkness. Schörner decided. The company climbed through a hole in the wire obstacle to the Italian position. At dawn, 300 frightened Italians surrendered without resistance.

By taking Hill 1114, Schoerner was awarded the highest Prussian medal, the Pour le Mérite. That outraged Rommel, who considered that he owed the credit to him. With the Pour le Mérite around his neck, Schörner decided to change his career as a school teacher to that of an active officer. A lieutenant with the Pour le Mérite was also attractive after the lost war for the new Reichswehr. There were only 101 bourgeois subaltern infantry soldiers with the Pour le Mérite. Schörner was accepted.

Source :
"The Trail of the Fox" by David Irving
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=94182&hilit=ferdinand+sch%C3%B6rner

Erich Raeder Wearing Hohenzollern Order

Studio portrait of Korvettenkapitän Erich Raeder after the awarding of the Ritterkreuz des königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords), 3 June 1916. The medal - which were hung with the ribbon in the middle button - was the intermediate decoration between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Pour le Mérite for Prussian junior officers. There were over 8,000 awards during World War I of this class (there were far fewer awards of the other classes, or of any class before the war). Thus, among the ranks of Imperial German Army junior officers who earned the Royal House Order as lieutenants, captains or majors in World War I are several hundred who reached the rank of general or admiral in World War II.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Order_of_Hohenzollern

Korvettenkapitän Erich Raeder

Portrait of Korvettenkapitän (Sea Major) Erich Raeder wearing Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) uniform during World War I. Raeder was promoted to Korvettenkapitän on April 15, 1911, and was promoted again to Fregattenkapitän six years later, on April 26, 1917. In this photo he wears the 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse, which he received on February 18, 1915. His colleagues know him as people who are "loners, uncomfortable in relationships that are more than work, religious, authoritarian, puritanical, lack respect for individual initiative... and highly sensitive to any criticism." Because of his cold demeanor and always avoiding close contact with other people, Raeder's friends (who were only a handful) admitted that they knew very little about the man who would later become Commander in Chief of the German Navy in World War II.

Source :
Bundesarchiv Bild 134-C1917

Pour le Mérite Action of Erwin Rommel

Oberleutnant Erwin Rommel (Kompaniechef in Württembergische Gebirgs-Bataillon) in a photo taken in December 1917. In that month, on December 10, 1917, he was awarded the most prestigious military medal of the German Empire, the Pour le Mérite. During the German offensive in the Italian front known as the Battle of Caporetto (began on 24 October 1917), Rommel's battalion, consisting of three rifle companies and a machine gun unit, was part of an attempt to take enemy positions on three mountains: Kolovrat, Matajur, and Stol. In two and a half days, from 25 to 27 October, Rommel and his 150 men captured 81 guns and 9,000 men (including 150 officers), at a loss of six dead and 30 wounded. Rommel achieved this remarkable success by taking advantage of the terrain to outflank the Italian forces, attacking from unexpected directions or behind enemy lines, and taking the initiative to attack when he had orders to the contrary. In one instance, the Italian forces, taken by surprise and believing that their lines had collapsed, surrendered after a brief firefight. In this battle, Rommel helped pioneer infiltration tactics, a new form of manoeuvre warfare just being adopted by German armies, and later by foreign armies, and described by some as "Blitzkrieg without tanks", though he played no role in the early adoption of Blitzkrieg in World War II. Acting as advance guard in the capture of Longarone on 9 November, Rommel again decided to attack with a much smaller force. Convinced that they were surrounded by an entire German division, the 1st Italian Infantry Division – 10,000 men – surrendered to Rommel. For this and his actions at Matajur, he received the order of Pour le Mérite.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Rommel
https://www.leo-bw.de/detail/-/Detail/details/PERSON/kgl_biographien/118602446/Rommel+Erwin+Eugen+Johannes

Johann Pflugbeil with General Von Schenckendorf

Generalleutnant Johann Pflugbeil (right, Kommandeur 221. Sicherungs-Division) explaining something in the map to General der Infanterie z.V. Max von Schenckendorf (center, Befehlshaber rückwärtiges Heeresgruppe-Gebiet-Mitte). The picture was taken in the summer of 1941 during Unternehmen Barbarossa before Schenckendorf received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (26 December 1941). In his neck, Pflugbeil is wearing Kommandeurkreuz II.Klasse des Königlich Sächsischen Militär St. Heinrichs-Ordens, an old World War I medal which he received on 31 August 1916.

Source :
https://www.ebay.de/itm/394366307628?hash=item5bd2104d2c:g:pkYAAOSwjGdjj4UC

Kurt Oppenländer in World War I

Kurt Oppenländer (11 February 1892 – 17 March 1947) joined the Württemberg Army on July 3, 1911 as a Fahnenjunker. He came to the 8th Württemberg Infantry Regiment "Grand Duke Friedrich von Baden" No. 126. With the 3rd Württemberg Infantry Regiment "Alt-Württemberg" No. 121 he was promoted to lieutenant on November 19, 1912 after attending military school . The patent was dated November 18, 1910. Shortly before the beginning of World War I, he also served in the 3rd Württemberg Infantry Regiment "Alt-Württemberg" No. 121. He came to the front as platoon leader. On March 22, 1916 he was promoted to first lieutenant. As such, he was used in the summer of 1916 for a long time as the leader of the storm division of the 26th Infantry Division. From July 1917 he was employed with the regimental staff of the 3rd Württemberg Infantry Regiment "Alt-Württemberg" No. 121. In December 1917 he was appointed deputy leader of the 2nd Battalion. On April 22, 1918 he was appointed deputy regimental adjutant of the 3rd Württemberg Infantry Regiment "Alt-Württemberg" No. 121. In the summer of 1918 he became XXV. Reserve Corps commands. During World War I he was not only wounded several times, which was reflected in the award of the wound badge in silver. In addition to the two Iron Crosses, he was also awarded other awards.

Source :
https://www.leo-bw.de/web/guest/detail-gis/-/Detail/details/DOKUMENT/labw_findmittel_06/labw-1-328630/Oppenl%C3%A4nder+Kurt+Bild+3
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/O/OppenlaenderKurt.htm

Bio of Generalleutnant Walther Krause

Generalleutnant Walther Krause
Born: 31 Dec 1890 in Schweidnitz, Silesia (Schlesien)
Died: 25 Oct 1960 in Göttingen

Promotions:
Fähnrich (18 Jul 1909); Leutnant (16 Jun 1910); Oberleutnant (18 Dec 1915); Hauptmann (01 Apr 1922); Major (01 Oct 1932); Oberstleutnant (01 Jun 1935); Oberst (01 Jan 1938); Generalmajor (01 Jan 1942); Generalleutnant (01 Sep 1943)

Career:
Entered Army Service (13 Jan 1909)
Fahnenjunker in the 156th Infantry-Regiment (13 Jan 1909-02 Aug 1914)
Platoon-Leader in the 156th Infantry-Regiment (02 Aug 1914-20 Sep 1914)
Adjutant of I. Battalion of the 156th Infantry-Regiment (20 Sep 1914-11 Nov 1914)
Wounded, in Hospital, transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 156th Infantry-Regiment (11 Nov 1914-21 Mar 1916)
Company-Leader in the 156th Infantry-Regiment (21 Mar 1916-01 Dec 1916)
Temporary Adjutant of the 23rd Infantry-Brigade (01 Dec 1916-01 Feb 1917)
Leader of the Mortar-Company of the 156th Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1917-01 Mar 1917)
Adjutant of the 22nd Reserve-Infantry-Brigade (01 Mar 1917-01 Jan 1919)
Transferred back into the 156th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1919-01 Feb 1919)
MG-Officer with the Staff of Infantry-Brigade z.b.V. 5 (01 Feb 1919-01 May 1919)
Company-Leader in the 1st Guards-Landesschützen-Detachment of Freikorps von Neufville (01 May 1919-01 Jan 1921)
Adjutant of I. Battalion of the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-01 Oct 1921)
Transferred into the 6th Mounted-Regiment and Detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of 6th Division (01 Oct 1921-01 Oct 1922)
Company-Chief in the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1922-01 Oct 1924)
MG-Officer with the Staff of the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1924-01 Oct 1927)
Company-Chief in the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1927-01 Oct 1930)
Detached to the RWM (01 Oct 1930-01 Oct 1932)
Transport-Officer with the Staff of the 3rd Cavalry-Division (01 Oct 1932-01 Oct 1935)
Commander of I. Battalion of the 66th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1935-01 Oct 1938)
Commander of the 66th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1938-10 Oct 1939)
Commander of the Infantry-School Döberitz (10 Oct 1939-01 Oct 1942)
At the same time, Detached as Leader of the 243rd Infantry-Regiment (01 Jun 1940-08 Jul 1940)
At the same time, Detached as Leader of Motorised-Instruction-Brigade z.b.V. 900 (21 Jun 1941-27 Mar 1942)
Commander of the 14th Motorised-Infantry-Division (01 Oct 1942-01 Jan 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (01 Jan 1943-25 Feb 1943)
Commander of the 170th Infantry-Division (25 Feb 1943-15 Feb 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (30 Apr 1944-15 Jul 1944)
Commander of Division 462 (15 Jul 1944-15 Oct 1944)
Commander of Rear Army Area 593 (6th Army) (15 Oct 1944-08 May 1945)
In US Captivity (08 May 1945-27 Jun 1947)
Released (27 Jun 1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz: am 10.06.1943 als Generalmajor und Kommandeur der 170. Infanterie-Division
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 19.12.1941 als Oberst und Führer der Lehr-Brigade z.b.V. 900 (mot)
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum EK II
- Spange zum EK I

Source :
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalleutnant2/KRAUSE_WALTHER.html
http://www.sjsmilitaria.com/photos-autographs/generalleut-walther-krause-signed-photo/

Bio of Generalmajor Erich Geißler

 

 

Erich Geißler before becoming a Generalmajor. He is showing the Ritterkreuz on his neck, while in his uniform is the following awards and decorations: 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse, Panzerkampfabzeichen, and the Hessian Kriegerehrenzeichen in Eisen. The last one is from the time of the Imperial Germany.

Generalmajor Erich Geißler
Born: 11 Dec 1895 in Büdingen, Hesse
Died: 02 May 1967 in Oldenburg

Promotions:
Gefreiter (08 Jan 1915); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (13 Mar 1916); Fähnrich (14 Apr 1916); Leutnant (21 Jun 1916); Charakter als Oberleutnant (14 Sep 1921); Leutnant (01 Jun 1924); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 Jul 1933); Major (01 Apr 1937); Oberstleutnant (01 Mar 1940); Oberst (01 Apr 1942); Generalmajor (01 Mar 1945)

Career:
Entered Army Service (10 Aug 1914)
War Volunteer in the Replacement-Battalion of the 168th Infantry-Regiment (10 Aug 1914-22 Sep 1914)
In the Field with the 168th Infantry-Regiment (22 Sep 1914-05 Jan 1915)
Severely Wounded, in Hospital (05 Jan 1915-19 Dec 1915)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 168th Infantry-Regiment (19 Dec 1915-31 Dec 1915)
Transferred as Fahnenjunker to the Replacement-Battalion of the 25th Infantry-Regiment (31 Dec 1915-03 Feb 1916)
In the Field with the 25th Infantry-Regiment (03 Feb 1916-29 Oct 1916)
Ordinance-Officer with the Staff of the 25th Infantry-Regiment (28 Oct 1916-14 Apr 1917)
Adjutant of the III. Battalion of the 25th Infantry-Regiment (14 Apr 1917-28 Apr 1917)
Wounded, in Hospital (28 Apr 1917-14 May 1917)
Adjutant of the III. Battalion of the 25th Infantry-Regiment (14 May 1917-19 May 1919)
Platoon-Leader in the 8th Squadron of Freikorps Lützow (19 May 1919-15 May 1920)
Retired (15 May 1920)
Reactivated (01 Jun 1924)
Leutnant in the 15th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jun 1924-01 Mar 1927)
Detached to Officer-Weapons-Course in Dresden (01 Oct 1926-20 Feb 1927)
Adjutant of the Training-Battalion of the 15th Infantry-Regiment (01 Mar 1927-15 Jun 1929)
Company-Officer in the 4th (MG) Company of the 15th Infantry-Regiment (15 Jun 1929-01 Oct 1929)
Detached to Subsidiary-Leadership-Training to the Staff of the 6th Division (01 Oct 1929-01 Oct 1931)
Transferred back to the 15th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1931-01 Oct 1934)
Regiments-Adjutant of the Infantry-Regiment Kassel (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Chief of the 4th Company of the 15th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-12 Oct 1937)
Tactics-Instructor at the War School in Munich (12 Oct 1937-26 Aug 1939)
Commander of the III. Battalion of the 87th Infantry-Regiment (26 Aug 1939-13 Jan 1940)
Commander of the II. Battalion of the 382nd Infantry-Regiment (13 Jan 1940-21 Aug 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (21 Aug 1941-10 Sep 1941)
Commander of Special-Purpose-Regiment-Staff 200 (10 Sep 1941-01 Apr 1942)
Commander of the 200th Motorised-Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1942-25 Jul 1942)
Commander of the 200th Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment (25 Jul 1942-22 Dec 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH (22 Dec 1942-01 May 1943)
Detached to the Army Personnel Office, OKH (05 Jan 1943-07 Jan 1943)
Detached to OKH/Org.E/Tr. (20 Jan 1943-01 May 1943)
Department-Chief in OKH/Org.E/Tr. (01 May 1943-01 May 1945)
Commander of the 78th Volkssturm-Division (01 May 1945-08 May 1945)
In Soviet Captivity (08 May 1945-06 Oct 1955)
Released (06 Oct 1955)

Awards & Decorations:
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (27 Jul 1942 as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 200 (motorisiert) ) / 90.leichte Afrika-Division

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2201669#p2201669
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor/GEISSLER_ERICH.html
http://www.sjsmilitaria.com/photos-autographs/generalmajor-erich-geissler-signed-photo/