General Erich Brandenberger and 8. Panzer-Division in 1942

Generalleutnant Erich Brandenberger (Kommandeur 8. Panzer-Division) inspecting his division in Russia, 1942. In that year, General Brandenberger, a seasoned Wehrmacht commander who had led the 8th Panzer Division since early 1941, continued to oversee the unit's demanding operations on the Eastern Front amid the brutal realities of the Soviet campaign. The division found itself engaged in grueling defensive and relief operations around the Leningrad sector and the Valdai Hills, particularly in the successful relief of the Kholm pocket earlier in the year, where it helped break through Soviet lines to rescue encircled German forces. Later that autumn and winter, as part of efforts to relieve the besieged garrison at Velikiye Luki, Brandenberger's men endured fierce combat and heavy casualties—suffering over 1,400 losses including dozens of officers in just weeks—against determined Red Army resistance in harsh, boggy terrain that hampered mobility and logistics. Brandenberger's leadership, marked by tactical flexibility and resilience, kept the division operational despite mounting attrition, fuel shortages, and the onset of another brutal Russian winter; he would depart command in early 1943 after multiple stints at the helm, going on to higher corps and army commands while earning the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz.

Source :
https://pixpast.wordpress.com/?query-10-page=5&cst&str=428&id_parent=7898&items=12&vd=downloaded&category=7902&flow=1

Erhard Milch in the Nuremberg Trials (1945)

The Nuremberg trial of German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch in 1945. Milch (30 March 1892 – 25 January 1972) served as State Secretary in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium from 1933 to 1944 and Inspector General of the Luftwaffe from 1939 to 1945, playing a central role in the rearmament and wartime expansion of German air power through mass production of aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and oversight of the Jägerstab (Fighter Staff) initiative launched in March 1944 alongside Albert Speer to dramatically increase fighter output amid mounting Allied bombing. Captured by British forces on 4 May 1945 near the Baltic coast, Milch was indicted on 14 November 1946 and tried before United States Military Tribunal II in the Milch Trial (officially United States of America v. Erhard Milch), the second of the twelve Subsequent Nuremberg Trials held at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg from 2 January to 17 April 1947. The three-count indictment charged him with war crimes for participating in the planning and execution of the ill-treatment, enslavement, and use of forced labor involving prisoners of war and deported foreign civilians to support Luftwaffe production (often sourced from concentration camps via SS cooperation under inhumane conditions); with crimes against humanity encompassing similar acts against civilians and German nationals; and specifically with involvement in fatal high-altitude and freezing medical experiments on unwilling subjects (Count II). Defended by his brother Werner Milch and other counsel, with the prosecution presenting 34 witnesses and 212 exhibits over 39 trial days, Milch was acquitted on the medical experiments charge but found guilty on the war crimes and crimes against humanity counts related to slave labor exploitation; he was sentenced to life imprisonment on 17 April 1947 and initially held at Rebdorf Prison near Munich (later transferred to Landsberg). In 1951 U.S. High Commissioner John J. McCloy commuted the sentence to fifteen years, leading to Milch’s parole in June 1954; he lived out his remaining years quietly in Düsseldorf as the last surviving Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe, having been central to the Nazi regime’s aircraft production efforts that relied heavily on the systematic exploitation of forced labor.

Source :
https://pixpast.wordpress.com/?query-10-page=3&cst&str=428&id_parent=7898&items=12&vd=downloaded&category=7902&flow=1

Alfred Jodl in the Nuremberg Trials (1946)

Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, former Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command, at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946. Jodl was arrested by British forces on 23 May 1945 along with the remnants of the Flensburg Government, he was transferred to Nuremberg and became one of the 24 major defendants tried before the International Military Tribunal (IMT) starting in November 1945, facing charges of conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, planning, initiating, and waging wars of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The prosecution's case against him centered heavily on his personal responsibility for issuing or transmitting directives such as the Commando Order, which mandated the summary execution of captured Allied commandos, and the Commissar Order, which called for the shooting of Soviet political commissars, alongside his central role in planning aggressive campaigns including the invasions of Poland, France, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia, as well as reprisals and scorched-earth policies in occupied territories. During the trial, Jodl mounted a vigorous defense, testifying at length about his duties, claiming he had often acted as a professional soldier merely following superior orders while sometimes attempting to moderate Hitler's more extreme demands, and asserting his personal opposition to certain violations of international law, yet the tribunal rejected these arguments, emphasizing his high-level involvement and knowledge in the criminal enterprise. On 1 October 1946, Jodl was convicted on all four counts and sentenced to death by hanging; he was executed on the morning of 16 October 1946 at Nuremberg Prison, where, showing visible nervousness as he ascended the gallows in his Wehrmacht uniform, he uttered his final words, "My greetings to you, my Germany," before his body was cremated and ashes scattered. His conviction and execution remain subjects of historical debate, particularly regarding the application of superior orders as a defense and the tribunal's judgment of military leaders for state-directed policies.

Source :
https://pixpast.wordpress.com/?query-10-page=3&cst&str=428&id_parent=7898&items=12&vd=downloaded&category=7902&flow=1

Waldemar Klepke Visiting Luftwaffe Flugplatz in France (1940)

General der Flieger Waldemar Klepke (left, Höherer Fliegerausbildungskommandeur 3) visiting unnamed Luftwaffe Flugplatz in France, 1940. Klepke, born on 6 October 1882 in Bromberg, West Prussia, and a veteran of the Imperial German Army who transitioned into aviation roles during the First World War as an observer and commander of various Feldflieger-Abteilungen before serving as Gruppenführer der Flieger 16, played a significant organizational role in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War as Höherer Fliegerausbildungskommandeur 3. Recalled to active duty on 26 August 1939 amid the general mobilization following his earlier interwar service as Inspekteur der Aufklärungsflieger und des Luftbildwesens in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium and various staff and instructional positions that honed his expertise in flight training and reconnaissance, Klepke assumed command of this higher flying training command, which oversaw advanced pilot instruction, specialized aircrew development, and the coordination of training programs across assigned Luftwaffe schools and facilities to prepare air personnel for operational demands. Holding the post until the end of May 1943, his tenure as Höherer Fliegerausbildungskommandeur 3 contributed to the Luftwaffe's efforts to maintain a steady supply of qualified aviators amid the escalating requirements of the air war, drawing on his prewar experience as a flight instructor at institutions such as the Infanterie-Schule in Dresden and the Kriegsakademie in Berlin, as well as his deep knowledge of aerial observation and photography. Promoted to General der Flieger on 1 January 1939, Klepke ultimately retired from active service on 31 May 1943 and died by suicide in Berchtesgaden on 5 May 1945.

Source :
https://pixpast.wordpress.com/?query-10-page=3&cst&str=428&id_parent=7898&items=12&vd=downloaded&category=7902&flow=1

Photograph of Walter Buhle by Walter Frentz

General der Infanterie Walter Buhle (Chef vom Heeresstab im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) in a picture taken in 1944 by Walter Frentz. General der Infanterie Walther Buhle (1894-1959), born on 26 October 1894 in Heilbronn in the Grand Duchy of Baden within the German Empire, was a senior Wehrmacht staff officer who rose through the ranks to play key organizational roles during the Second World War; he joined the Imperial German Army as a Fahnenjunker on 10 July 1913, served as an infantry officer in the First World War where he was seriously wounded in 1915 earning the Eisernes Kreuz 1. and 2. Klasse of 1914, the Ritter des Königlicher Preussischer Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern, the Ritter zum Militärverdienstorden, and the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, before transitioning into the Reichswehr between the wars with service on the General Staff as well as in infantry and cavalry units. By the outbreak of the Second World War he had attained the rank of Oberst and was appointed chief of the organizations section of the Oberkommando des Heeres, serving as senior officer to Oberst Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg; promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 April 1942 and later to General der Infanterie, Buhle became Chief of the Army Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht in 1942, where he oversaw critical army organization and planning efforts amid the escalating demands of the Eastern Front and other theaters. On 20 July 1944 he was badly injured by the bomb detonated by Stauffenberg during the 20 July plot at the Wolf's Lair headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia—having entered the conference room with the conspirator and briefly searching for him in the corridor before returning—yet he recovered sufficiently to be appointed by Adolf Hitler in the final days of the regime as chief of armaments for the army from February 1945; after the war Buhle was held as a prisoner of war at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, participating in the Hill Project translating German military documents for Allied analysis, before his release in June 1947, after which he lived quietly in Stuttgart until his death on 28 December 1959 at the age of 65.

Source :
https://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General/BUHLE_WALTER.html
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=100

Photograph of Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt by Walter Frentz

General der Infanterie Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt (Kommandierender General II. Armeekorps) in a picture taken in 1942 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt formally earned the 103rd Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 27 June 1942 for his steadfast leadership and the heroic combat performance of his six divisions during the intense defensive fighting in the Demyansk Pocket on the Eastern Front. In the winter of 1941-1942, after the Soviet counteroffensive had encircled roughly 100,000 German troops of II. Armeekorps and other units in a roughly 30-kilometer-wide pocket southwest of Demyansk, Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt's forces faced relentless Red Army assaults, severe supply shortages exacerbated by the harsh winter conditions, and repeated attempts to liquidate the pocket. Despite being cut off from the main German lines since February 1942, the general maintained firm command, personally overseeing critical sectors from his Fieseler Storch reconnaissance aircraft while suffering from severe rheumatic pain that he concealed from his troops to preserve morale; he inspired his Grenadiere, Pioniere, and Kanoniere through his visible devotion to duty and calm confidence amid crisis after crisis. Under his direction the encircled divisions conducted skillful mobile defenses, launched sharp counterattacks to restore threatened sectors, repelled massive infantry and tank assaults, and held key positions through artillery fire and close-quarters fighting, inflicting heavy losses on the attacking Soviet forces while the Luftwaffe sustained the pocket with air drops. The award citation highlighted both the collective honorable and heroic combat of his soldiers and the general's own exemplary leadership abilities, which served as a visible model for the troops and contributed decisively to the pocket's tenacious resistance until the eventual breakout and relief in the spring of 1942.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=641596&hilit=brockdorff#p641596
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28519/Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt-Graf-von-Walter.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=96

Photographs of Hermann Breith by Walter Frentz

General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps) in a picture taken on 27 April 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Schwerter award ceremony with Hitler at the Berghof in Obersalzberg, Bavaria. Breith formally received the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes with Eichenlaub on 21 February 1944 for his outstanding leadership during the relief operation and breakout from the Cherkassy Pocket in early 1944 on the Eastern Front. In January 1944, Soviet forces had encircled approximately 60,000 German troops of Gruppe Stemmermann in the Korsun-Cherkassy area, and Breith's corps, comprising several Heer divisions and one Waffen-SS division, was tasked with the critical relief effort under extremely difficult winter conditions and against fierce Soviet resistance. Demonstrating exceptional bravery and skillful command, Breith personally intervened at the hotspots of the fighting from the foremost lines, repeatedly breaking through one enemy position after another while drawing the bulk of Soviet forces toward his advancing Korps, thereby forcing open a corridor that enabled the encircled Kampfgruppe Stemmermann to execute a successful breakout westward despite heavy losses and adverse terrain. His corps' determined advance to a point just west of the pocket not only prevented the total annihilation of the trapped units but also inflicted significant damage on the opposing Red Army formations, showcasing Breith's tactical acumen in coordinating armored assaults, infantry support, and artillery under relentless pressure, actions that were pivotal in salvaging a desperate situation for Heeresgruppe Süd and earning him the 48th award of the Swords.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2156427&hilit=hermann+breith#p2156427
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28682/Breith-Hermann.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=69

Photograph of Erich Brandenberger by Walter Frentz

General der Panzertruppe Erich Brandenberger (Kommandierender General XXIX.Armeekorps) in a picture taken in February 1944 by Walter Frentz, during the Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at the Berghof in Obersalzberg, Bavaria. Brandenberger, serving as Korpskommandeur under 6. Armee of Heeresgruppe Süd on the Eastern Front in 1943, formally earned the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 12 November 1943 through his distinguished and resolute leadership during intense defensive operations and withdrawal maneuvers amid the Soviet summer offensives following the Battle of Kursk. In the fighting along the Mius River in July and August 1943, Brandenberger skillfully directed his corps' infantry and attached units in holding key positions against overwhelming Red Army assaults, conducting tenacious delaying actions that inflicted heavy casualties on advancing Soviet forces while preserving combat effectiveness despite severe pressure and limited resources. As the broader German front collapsed and Heeresgruppe Süd executed a phased retreat to the Dnieper River line, he orchestrated the corps' disciplined withdrawal across vast distances under continuous enemy pursuit, coordinating rearguard battles, river crossings, and the establishment of new defensive positions that prevented a complete breakthrough, maintained cohesion among battered divisions, and bought critical time for the stabilization of the Panther-Wotan defensive line. His calm command under fire, effective use of available armor and artillery in mobile counterattacks, and ability to inspire troops during these grueling operations exemplified exceptional generalship in a desperate defensive context, directly contributing to the partial success of the German withdrawal to the Dnieper despite the strategic retreat. Brandenberger later went on to command the 7. Armee in the Ardennes Offensive before surrendering in 1945.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/search.php?keywords=erich+brandenberger&t=46430&sf=msgonly
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28636/Brandenberger-Erich-8-Panzer-Division.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=69

Photographs of Fedor von Bock by Walter Frentz

Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd) in a picture taken in 1942 by Walter Frentz, during a meeting with Hitler. Von Bock served as commander in chief of Heeresgruppe Süd from 20 January 1942, succeeding Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Reichenau who had died of a stroke, and immediately faced the challenge of stabilizing the southern sector of the Eastern Front after the Red Army's winter counteroffensive had pushed German forces back from their advanced positions. A highly experienced Prussian staff officer and field commander known for his methodical approach and loyalty to traditional military principles, Bock took charge of a massive formation encompassing the 2. Armee under Maximilian von Weichs, the 6. Armee under Friedrich Paulus, the 17. Armee, the 1. Panzerarmee, and various allied contingents from Romania, Hungary, and Italy. In May 1942 he masterminded the successful German response to the Soviet Kharkov offensive, launching a devastating counterstroke that encircled and largely destroyed the Soviet South-Western Front, inflicting around 280,000 casualties and capturing enormous quantities of tanks, artillery, and supplies, thereby restoring the initiative to the Wehrmacht in the south and severely weakening Soviet armored capabilities ahead of the summer campaign. On 28 June 1942 Bock directed the launch of Operation Blue, the major German summer offensive, with his armies striking from the Kharkov and Kursk areas, rapidly advancing toward Voronezh and the Don River through coordinated panzer thrusts by Hoth's 4. Panzerarmee and Paulus's 6. Armee, achieving deep penetrations that split Soviet defenses and opened pathways toward the Volga and Caucasus. Despite these early gains Bock clashed repeatedly with Adolf Hitler over operational priorities, urging the destruction of remaining Soviet forces around Voronezh to secure flanks before committing to further eastward drives, warnings that highlighted his cautious professionalism against Hitler's more ambitious and risk-tolerant directives. These disagreements culminated on 7 July when Hitler split Heeresgruppe Süd into separate Army Groups A and B, and on 17 July relieved Bock of command, placing him in the Führerreserve for the remainder of the war and effectively ending his active military career despite the significant momentum his leadership had restored to German operations in the east that year.

Source :
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/193/Bock-von-Moritz-Albrecht-Friedrich-Franz-Fedor.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/

Photographs of Günther Blumentritt by Walter Frentz

General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe D) in a picture taken in September 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Ritterkreuz award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt formally received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 September 1944 as Chef des Generalstabes of Heeresgruppe D / Oberbefehlshaber West for his exceptional staff leadership and operational planning during the critical first four months of the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. Serving under successive commanders including Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt and later Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge amid the chaotic defense against the massive Allied landings on 6 June 1944, Blumentritt demonstrated outstanding initiative by coordinating the rapid redeployment of German reserves, organizing counterattacks such as those around Caen and in the bocage country, and maintaining operational coherence despite severe disruptions from Allied air superiority, naval gunfire, and the disintegration of the front following the American breakout at Operation Cobra and the subsequent encirclement threat in the Falaise Pocket. Frequently acting in the absence of his superiors or under extremely difficult command circumstances, exacerbated by Hitler's rigid no-retreat orders, communication breakdowns, and the July 20 Plot fallout that temporarily sidelined him, Blumentritt orchestrated the skillful withdrawal and reorganization of battered divisions from the Normandy battlefield toward the Seine and ultimately the German frontier, preventing total collapse of the Western Front and buying precious time for the establishment of new defensive lines. His meticulous planning, calm diplomacy in inter-service coordination with the Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS, and ability to adapt to rapidly deteriorating situations under relentless pressure were explicitly cited as the reasons for the high award, recognizing a career staff officer who, though more accustomed to headquarters roles, proved decisive in one of the Wehrmacht's most desperate defensive campaigns of the war.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1574014&hilit=blumentritt#p1574014
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/2314/Blumentritt-G%C3%BCnther-General-der-Infanterie.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=41

Photographs of Johannes Block by Walter Frentz

Generalleutnant Johannes Block (Kommandeur 294. Infanterie-Division) in a picture taken in late December 1943 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Generalleutnant Johannes Block, as Kommandeur of the 294. Infanterie-Division, formally earned the 331st Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 22 November 1943 for his outstanding leadership during the intense defensive battles in the sector between the Don and Donez rivers in the winter of 1942/43 and the subsequent engagements along the Mius in the summer of 1943. Commanding the Saxon 294. Infanterie-Division from May 1942 onward, Block repeatedly distinguished himself in the grueling winter fighting following the Soviet counteroffensives, where his troops held critical positions against superior enemy forces amid harsh conditions, contributing significantly to stabilizing the German lines after the setbacks around Stalingrad; his division's successful defensive stands were even highlighted in the Wehrmachtbericht of 6 February 1943. In the summer of 1943, Block led his men in fierce battles along the Mius River, repelling Soviet attacks and maintaining the integrity of the front through skillful tactical command, personal bravery, and resolute direction of counterattacks that inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. These sustained achievements in both winter and summer campaigns, showcasing exceptional divisional leadership under extreme pressure on the Eastern Front, directly led to the award of the Eichenlaub, recognizing Block's pivotal role in preventing breakthroughs and upholding the defensive efforts of Army Group South in one of the most demanding periods of the war. Block, who had earlier received the Ritterkreuz as Oberst commanding Infanterie-Regiment 202 for actions at Sumy in 1941, continued his career rising to General der Infanterie and command of LVI. Panzerkorps before being killed in action near Kielce in January 1945 during the Vistula-Oder Offensive.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1432367&hilit=johannes+block#p1432367
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28493/Block-Johannes.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=39

Photographs of Hermann Balck by Walter Frentz

Generalleutnant Hermann Balck (Kommandeur 11. Panzer-Division) in a picture taken in late March 1943 by Walter Frentz, during Schwerter award ceremony with Hitler at Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. In the bitter winter of early 1943, as the German southern front teetered on the brink of collapse following the Soviet encirclement of the Sixth Army at Stalingrad, Generalleutnant Hermann Balck, commanding the battle-hardened but exhausted 11th Panzer Division, orchestrated one of the most masterful displays of mobile armored defense and counterattack in modern military history along the Chir River. Arriving with his division after a grueling 400-mile redeployment, Balck faced overwhelming odds: a vastly superior Soviet 5th Tank Army and multiple tank corps surging across the frozen river, threatening to shatter the German lines and exploit the void left by the Stalingrad debacle. With often fewer than 25 operational tanks, limited fuel and ammunition, and a front stretching dozens of miles that should have required several divisions to hold, Balck refused static defense. Instead, he employed fluid, aggressive tactics, launching rapid, concentrated flank assaults, using his panzers as a "fire brigade" to strike Soviet spearheads in sequence, and coordinating with antitank guns and infantry to maximize firepower while minimizing his own exposure. Over relentless days of combat in December 1942 and into early 1943, his division destroyed entire Soviet armored brigades and much of the 5th Tank Army, inflicting disproportionate losses, including over 70 tanks in single engagements, without allowing the enemy to consolidate gains, thereby stabilizing the critical sector and buying vital time for Manstein’s larger operations. This brilliant combination of tactical audacity, real-time adaptability under extreme pressure, and inspirational frontline leadership earned Balck the 25th award of the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on March 4, 1943, cementing his reputation as one of the Wehrmacht’s most gifted panzer commanders.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1554411&hilit=hermann+balck#p1554411
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/204/Balck-Hermann.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=19

German Victory Parade in Warsaw (1939)

Victory Parade of the German 8th Army in Warsaw, held on 5 October 1939. From left to right: Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl Cranz (Commander of the 18th Infantry Division), General der Artillerie Emil Leeb (Commanding General of XI Army Corps), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (wearing glasses, partially obscured by Blaskowitz, Commanding General of XIII Army Corps), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Commander-in-Chief of the 8th Army), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (behind Blaskowitz, only his cap is visible; Commander-in-Chief of the 10th Army), and General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chief of Luftflotte 1). BTW, standing directly below Hitler is Erwin Rommel, who at that time was still a Generalmajor and served as commander of the Führer-Begleit-Bataillon (Führer’s Escort Battalion). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler’s personal photographers.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/10/koleksi-ratusan-foto-berwarna-dari-life.html
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/hugo-jaeger/m064km4b?categoryid=artist

Photograph of Ernst-Günther Baade by Walter Frentz

Generalmajor Ernst-Günther Baade (Kommandeur 90. Panzergrenadier-Division) in a picture taken on 25 May 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at Berghof in Obersalzberg, Bavaria. Previously, On 22 February 1944, then Oberst Ernst-Günther Baade formally received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as the 402nd recipient for his extraordinary personal bravery and outstanding leadership during the fierce defensive battles northwest of Cassino in the winter of 1943-1944 while leading elements of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division, initially in a Kampfgruppe role under the broader command structure supporting the 44. Reichsgrenadier-Division Hoch- und Deutschmeister. In the grueling attritional fighting around Monte Cassino, where Allied forces launched repeated assaults against the heavily fortified German positions in the Liri Valley and surrounding heights, Baade repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by conducting front-line inspections, directing counterattacks, and personally intervening to stabilize critical sectors threatened by breakthroughs; his small staff and hands-on command style inspired his troops amid relentless artillery barrages, infantry assaults, and armored thrusts, enabling the division to hold key ground, repel penetrations, and inflict heavy casualties on superior Allied forces in some of the most intense close-quarters combat of the Italian Campaign. This performance, highlighted in the Wehrmachtbericht for the multi-day defensive actions, exemplified Baade's eccentric yet fearless approach, already legendary from his Afrikakorps days, turning potential collapses into tenacious resistance that prolonged the Battle of Monte Cassino and delayed the Allied advance toward Rome, cementing his reputation as one of the Wehrmacht's most charismatic and effective divisional leaders before his later promotion to Generalmajor and full command of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1389437&hilit=baade#p1389437
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1514/Baade-Ernst-G%C3%BCnther.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/

Photograph of Karl Allmendinger by Walter Frentz

Generalleutnant Karl Allmendinger (Kommandeur 5.Jäger-Division) in a picture taken in December 1942 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Generalleutnant Karl Allmendinger, commanding the 5. Jäger-Division under II. Armeekorps of 16. Armee within Heeresgruppe Nord on the Eastern Front in late 1942, earned the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (153rd award) on 13 December 1942 for his outstanding leadership during the German offensive operation Michael from 27 September to 9 October 1942, which aimed to broaden and secure the vital land corridor to the encircled forces in the Demyansk Kessel southeast of Lake Ilmen. Under Allmendinger's determined command, the division executed aggressive attacks that played a pivotal role in shattering strong Soviet defensive positions, contributing decisively to the encirclement and subsequent destruction of significant Red Army forces in the area, actions that were explicitly highlighted in the Wehrmachtbericht of 9 October 1942 as a major success in stabilizing and expanding the German bridgehead amid fierce winter fighting. His personal direction of divisional operations, combining swift maneuver with resolute defense against repeated counterattacks, prevented Soviet breakthroughs that could have collapsed the corridor and isolated further German units, thereby maintaining the operational integrity of the Demyansk salient during a critical phase of the northern sector's attritional warfare; this achievement, building on his earlier Ritterkreuz for leadership of the 5. Infanterie-Division in 1941, underscored Allmendinger's tactical acumen in high-intensity Eastern Front conditions before he was relieved of divisional command in early January 1943.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1451176&hilit=karl+allmendinger#p1451176
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28081/Allmendinger-Karl.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/

Photograph of Erich Abraham by Walter Frentz

Generalleutnant Erich Abraham (Kommandeur 76. Infanterie-Division) in a picture taken in July 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at Berghof. Previously, in early April 1944, during the chaotic German withdrawal amid the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive on the southern Eastern Front northwest of Odessa, Generalleutnant Erich Abraham, as commander of the reinforced 76. Infanterie-Division under XXIX. Armeekorps of Heeresgruppe Südukraine, distinguished himself by orchestrating a critical counter-maneuver that secured the 516th award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 June 1944. Facing relentless Red Army pressure as German forces fought their way westward through Soviet formations, Abraham directed his division in a determined thrust to establish and hold a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Latka River, creating a vital corridor that enabled thousands of retreating troops, vehicles, and equipment to cross safely despite heavy enemy opposition. Under his personal leadership and tactical acumen, the reinforced division not only seized the crossing point against superior Soviet numbers and firepower but maintained the bridgehead open for an extended period through tenacious defensive fighting, repelling repeated assaults and preventing encirclement of larger withdrawing elements from Army Group South. This decisive feat stabilized a collapsing sector, bought precious time for the overall retreat, and exemplified outstanding command under extreme duress, directly contributing to the preservation of combat-effective forces in the face of the Red Army's spring offensive.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1438855#p1438855
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1227/Abraham-Erich-Gottfried.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=1