SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Priess (1901-1985)

Hermann August Fredrich Priess (24 May 1901 - 2 February 1985) was a German general in the Waffen-SS and a convicted war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf following the death of Theodor Eicke in February 1943 and later led the I SS Panzer Corps from October 1944 until the end of the war. Priess was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for his leadership on the Eastern Front. During the Ardennes Offensive, units under his command were involved in the Malmedy massacre, leading to his postwar conviction and imprisonment. He served in various artillery and divisional roles throughout the conflict, rising to the rank of SS-Gruppenfuhrer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS.

Priess was born on 24 May 1901 in Marnitz, a small town in Mecklenburg, German Empire, to Ernst Priess, a butcher, and Dorothea Thiede. Raised in a Protestant family, he completed his schooling and worked on his family's farm until January 1919, when he volunteered for service in the German army amid the chaos following World War I. Although the war on the Western Front had ended, threats persisted on Germany's eastern borders. His initial unit was disbanded due to the Treaty of Versailles restrictions, prompting him to join the Freikorps von Brandis, where he fought in the Estonian War of Independence from 1919 to 1920. Returning to the Reichswehr in 1920, Priess served a 12-year term, advancing to the rank of Oberfeldwebel before being discharged in June 1931 due to military downsizing. During this interwar period, he maintained a low profile, but his early military experience laid the foundation for his later career in the SS.

In the early 1930s, Priess aligned himself with the rising Nazi regime, joining the NSDAP on 1 December 1933 with membership number 1,472,296, and the SS on 10 July 1934 with number 113,258. He entered the SS-Verfugungstruppe as an SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer and took command of the 13th Company of SS-Standarte Germania. By June 1939, he was involved in establishing an artillery department for the new SS-Verfugungsdivision, earning promotion to SS-Sturmbannfuhrer on 20 April 1939. Priess led this unit during the invasion of Poland in September 1939, followed by participation in the Western Campaign in 1940. Promoted to SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer on 1 August 1940, he assumed command of the SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf, which he led into the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. His rapid promotions continued, reaching SS-Standartenfuhrer on 21 June 1941, reflecting his specialization in artillery tactics and his integration into the Waffen-SS elite.

On the Eastern Front, Priess's artillery regiment played a crucial role in the brutal campaigns of 1941-1943. During the defense of the Demyansk Pocket from February to April 1942, his coordinated fire support repelled sustained Soviet assaults along a 41-kilometer front, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 6 January 1942. Following Theodor Eicke's death on 26 February 1943, Priess took command of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf, redesignated as the 3rd SS Panzer Division. He led it through the Third Battle of Kharkov in March 1943, contributing to the destruction of the Soviet 3rd Tank Army and the recapture of the city. Promoted to SS-Oberfuhrer and later SS-Brigadefuhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS on 15 July 1943, Priess commanded during Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk) in July 1943, engaging in fierce tank battles around Prokhorovka. Despite heavy losses, his leadership maintained divisional cohesion against superior Soviet forces.

Priess's command extended into the defensive retreats of late 1943 and early 1944. After Kursk, the division held against Soviet counteroffensives on the Mius River and during the Fourth Battle of Kharkov in August 1943, facilitating German withdrawals to the Dnieper River. In November-December 1943, he orchestrated counterattacks in the Krivoi Rog sector, stabilizing lines amid the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. During the Korsun Pocket relief in January-February 1944, Priess's forces broke through to evacuate survivors under harsh winter conditions. Relieved of divisional command on 21 June 1944, he briefly led the XIII SS Army Corps from 7 August to 24 October 1944 before taking over the I SS Panzer Corps on 30 October 1944. Promoted to SS-Gruppenfuhrer and Generalleutnant on 20 April 1944, he commanded this corps during the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, where subordinated units like Kampfgruppe Peiper committed the Malmedy massacre, murdering 84 American POWs.

In early 1945, the I SS Panzer Corps was redeployed to Hungary, participating in Operation Southwind in February, which destroyed the Soviet Hron Bridgehead near Esztergom. Priess then led the corps in Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive, centered around Lake Balaton from 6 to 16 March 1945, ending in defeat and retreat toward Vienna. Surrendering to American forces in May 1945, Priess was initially held at Camp King, where he contributed to U.S. Army historical studies. From May to July 1946, he stood trial in the Malmedy massacre proceedings at Dachau, one of 73 defendants charged with the deaths of over 300 American POWs and 100 Belgian civilians. Convicted for issuing orders that encouraged "reckless brutality" and terror tactics, he received a 20-year sentence on 16 July 1946 but was released early from Landsberg Prison in October 1954. Priess lived quietly in Ahrensburg until his death on 2 February 1985 at age 83, married to Hildegard Schmidt with three children.

Priess's military decorations highlighted his combat effectiveness, particularly on the Eastern Front. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 22 September 1939 and 1st Class on 15 October 1939, followed by the Wound Badge in Black and Demyansk Shield. The Knight's Cross was awarded on 28 April 1943 for his artillery leadership in the Demyansk Pocket and early Kharkov battles. The Oak Leaves (297th recipient) came on 9 September 1943 for successes during Kursk and the Mius River defenses. The Swords (65th recipient) were granted on 24 April 1944 for defensive actions in the Korsun Pocket and Krivoi Rog. These honors underscored his tactical acumen but were overshadowed by his association with SS atrocities, including the Totenkopf Division's origins in concentration camp guards and the war crimes under his corps command. Post-release, Priess avoided public life, with no further notable activities recorded before his passing.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/priess-hermann
Books: "Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles" by Peter Mooney (Schiffer Publishing, 2010); "The Waffen-SS: A European History" edited by Jochen Boehler and Robert Gerwarth (Oxford University Press, 2017); "Totenkopf: The Structure, Development and Personalities of the 3.SS-Panzer-Division" by Mark C. Yerger (Bender Publishing, 2000)

General der Infanterie Hans Jordan (1892-1975)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

General der Gebirgstruppe Hans Kreysing (1890-1969)

Hans Kreysing (17 August 1890 - 14 April 1969) was a German general who served in both World Wars, rising to the rank of General der Gebirgstruppe during World War II. He commanded various infantry and mountain units, including the 3rd Mountain Division and later corps and army-level formations on the Eastern Front. Kreysing was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest military decorations in Nazi Germany, awarded for his leadership in defensive operations against Soviet forces. Born in Gottingen in the German Empire, he entered military service in 1909 and participated in campaigns across Europe, from the Alps to the Arctic and the steppes of Russia. After the war, he worked with the Red Cross and lived in West Germany until his death in Oldenburg.

Kreysing was born on 17 August 1890 in Gottingen, Lower Saxony, then part of the Province of Hanover in the German Empire. Little is documented about his early family life, but he pursued a military path from a young age. He entered the Imperial German Army on 23 February 1909 as a Fahnenjunker, an officer candidate, and was assigned to the Hannoversches Jager-Bataillon Nr. 10. His training progressed steadily, with promotions to Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier on 1 August 1910, Fahnrich on 1 February 1911, and Leutnant on 18 August 1911. When World War I erupted in 1914, Kreysing served in various theaters, including the mountainous regions of South Tyrol, the Balkans in Serbia, and operations in Greece. His frontline service earned him several decorations, such as the Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class in 1914, the Knight's Cross of the Royal Prussian House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords, the Hamburg Hanseatic Cross, and the Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords. These awards reflected his performance in infantry and mountain warfare, skills that would define his later career.

Following the armistice in 1918, Kreysing remained in the reduced Reichswehr, the interwar German military force limited by the Treaty of Versailles. He continued his professional development, receiving promotions to Oberleutnant on 1 September 1914 (retroactive from wartime), Hauptmann on 1 July 1920, Major on 1 February 1931, Oberstleutnant on 1 March 1934, and Oberst on 1 January 1937. During this period, he held various staff and command positions, adapting to the evolving doctrines of the German army as it secretly rearmed under the Weimar Republic and later the Nazi regime. By the late 1930s, Kreysing was positioned for senior roles, and at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, he commanded Infanterie-Regiment 16 within the 22nd Infanterie-Division. His unit participated in the invasion of Poland, where he demonstrated effective leadership in mobile warfare. Kreysing married Ilse Vissering, and they had a daughter, Iris Ilse Inka Auguste Helene Martha Blonay Kreysing, born on 11 September 1925 in Norderney, Lower Saxony.

In the early phases of World War II, Kreysing's regiment played a key role in the Western Campaign against France in 1940. As Oberst, he led Infanterie-Regiment 16 with distinction, particularly in identifying and countering an enemy flank attack that threatened to advance an entire division. His quick decision-making and bold countermeasures halted the threat, earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 May 1940. He also received the Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class on 24 November 1939 for earlier actions. Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 October 1940, Kreysing took command of the 3rd Gebirgs-Division on 23 October 1940, a unit specialized in mountain and arctic warfare. Under his leadership, the division deployed to Norway and Lapland, participating in operations against Allied forces and supporting the invasion of the Soviet Union in the far north. His command extended into the harsh conditions of the Arctic Front, where logistical challenges and extreme weather tested his strategic abilities.

Kreysing's tenure with the 3rd Mountain Division shifted to the Eastern Front in late 1941, where it engaged in intense combat against Soviet armies. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 November 1941, he received the Finnish Liberty Cross 1st Class with Swords on 26 October 1941 for cooperative efforts with Finnish allies. In late 1942, during the defensive battles around Millerovo on the middle Don River, his division held against overwhelming Soviet assaults from two, and later three, enemy corps. Despite encirclement, Kreysing orchestrated a successful breakout and relieved a besieged strongpoint, tying down significant Soviet resources and allowing German forces to stabilize a new defensive line. This resilience earned him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 20 January 1943, the 183rd such award. He commanded the division until 10 August 1943, overseeing operations that highlighted his expertise in defensive warfare under adverse conditions.

In November 1943, Kreysing assumed command of the XVII Army Corps on the Eastern Front, promoted to General der Gebirgstruppe on 1 April 1943. His corps defended the Zaporozhye and Nikopol bridgeheads from late 1943 into early 1944, engaging in prolonged heavy fighting around Nikopol from 5 November 1943 to 15 February 1944. Under his direction, the corps repelled multiple Soviet breakthrough attempts through a combination of defensive stands and counterattacks, inflicting heavy losses including over 1,700 tanks destroyed or captured, hundreds of artillery pieces, and numerous aircraft downed. He was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 18 February 1944 for these efforts. This defensive success led to the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 13 April 1944, the 63rd award of its kind. Kreysing briefly stepped down from corps command in April 1944 but returned from 25 May to 28 December 1944.

On 28 December 1944, Kreysing took over the 8th Army, leading it through the final months of the war in defensive actions against advancing Soviet and Allied forces. The army surrendered in Austria in May 1945, marking the end of his active military service. Postwar, Kreysing avoided major denazification proceedings and worked with the Red Cross, contributing to humanitarian efforts in the reconstruction of Germany. He lived quietly in West Germany until his death on 14 April 1969 in Oldenburg at the age of 78. Throughout his career, Kreysing accumulated long-service awards, including the Wehrmacht Long Service Awards for 4, 12, 18, and 25 years, and the Front Fighter's Cross of Honor, underscoring his decades of dedication to the German military.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Kreysing
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34541/Kreysing-Hans.htm
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/people/Hans-Kreysing/6000000053046672095
https://books.google.com/
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/KREYSING_HANS.html
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Hans_Kreysing

Oberst Dr.jur. Ernst Kupfer (1907-1943)

Dr. Ernst Kupfer (born 2 July 1907 in Coburg, Germany, died 6 November 1943 near Thessaloniki, Greece) was an 'old' man by contemporary standards when war started. He was something of a dynamic force of nature. He attended the Ernestium Coburg, a secondary school but dropped out before achieving his diploma and went on to complete a banking apprenticeship instead. After becoming unemployed in the depression that settled over Germany in the 1920's, he returned to school, completing his diploma in 1925. On 1 October 1928, he joined the Bavarian Cavalry Regiment 17, 5th Escadron.

From 1 May 1936 to 3 March 1937, he returned to university in preaparation for his Dr. jur. degree (Doctor of Law), which he attained on 4 March 1937. He joined 7/StG 2 in France in September 1940 and thus missed the mauling Stukas had received at the hands of the RAF in the Battle of Britain. Perhaps on account of his age, he rapidly gained promotion to Staffelkapitan on 1 October.

He didn't see action till he reached the Balkans in 1941, where he sank the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Gloucester off Crete with a direct hit, for which he gained the Deutsches Kreuz. Moving to the Russian front he repeated his feat, this time sinking a Russian cruiser at Kronstadt, again with a direct hit, but this time in the face of a massive barrage of anti-aircraft fire which shot away much of his Stuka including half his propellor blades! Despite becoming almost unflyable, Kupfer managed to limp the plane to safety.

Jumping straight into a new aircraft the undaunted Kupfer led a small group of five back to Kronstadt where he attacked another Russian ship, the battleship Oktober Revolution on which he scored another direct hit.

On a later visit to Kronstadt his engine took a serious hit from anti-aircraft fire and he was injured in the subsequent force landing, ending up in hospital.

Kupfer was appointed acting Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 'Immelmann' (StG 2—2nd Dive-Bomber Wing) on 13 February 1943. He led StG 2 in the battles of the Kuban bridgehead and Operation Citadel. In April and May, several other fighter and ground attack groups augmented his command. Following the failure of Operation Citadel in July 1943, he took command of all local ground attack units, named Gefechtsverband 'Kupfer' (Combat Detachment 'Kupfer).

On 1 April 1942 he was made Kommandeur II/StG 2 and fought over Stalingrad. Subsequently promoted to Kommodore StG on 1 March 1943 he took part in heavy actions over the massive tank battles at Kursk and over Orel.
 
In September 1943, Kupfer was appointed inspector of the attack aircraft (General der Schlachtflieger) and promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel). In this role he handled the procurement of the Focke Wulf Fw-190, which was to replace the old obsolete Junkers Ju 87 and especially the Henschel Hs 123. For this purpose he flew and visited a number of Schlachtgeschwader (ground attack wings) to meet with the various Geschwaderkommodore (wing commanders). He visited Oberstleutnant Kurt Kuhlmey, commander of Schlachtgeschwader 3, in early November 1943 and was killed when his Heinkel He 111 crashed returning to his base in bad weather on 6 November 1943. His body lay undiscovered until 17 November. He received a posthumous promotion to Oberst (Colonel) and was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

He is buried at Arsakli Military Cemetary near Saloniki (marked on map). He had been wounded 5 times during operations.

He achieved the remarkable feat of rescuing Oblt Thiede and R/O Ofw Stein (both Ritterkreuz winners) from behind enemy lines.

Ernst Kupfer had a colorful early life during the Weimar Republic, transitioning from banking to military service and law studies before finding his calling in aviation. As a Stuka pilot, he emphasized precision and discipline over dramatics, contributing to effective ground support in critical battles like Stalingrad, where his unit played a key role. On 28 September 1941, during attacks on Leningrad, he was shot down three times in one day but continued missions, showcasing remarkable resilience. His posthumous Swords award made him one of only a few ground-attack pilots to receive this high honor, reflecting his sustained combat impact. Kupfer's death at age 36 marked a significant loss for the Luftwaffe as the air war shifted against Germany.

Source:
- https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/K/KupferDrE.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Kupfer
- https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/24310/Kupfer-Ernst.htm
- https://grokipedia.com/page/ernst_kupfer
- https://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/stg2.htm
- https://airwarpublications.com/product/the-life-of-ernst-kupfer
- https://aircrewremembered.com/kupfer-ernst.html
- https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Ernst_Kupfer
- https://www.facebook.com/planehistoria/posts/ernst-kupfer-was-born-in-1907-and-became-one-of-the-luftwaffes-leading-ground-at/947777631096413
- https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=268128
- https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-i-k/#&gid=1&pid=72
- Luftwaffe Personnel of World War II (book via Google Books)

Major Alwin Boerst (1910-1944)

Alwin Boerst (20 October 1910 – 30 March 1944) was a German Luftwaffe officer and dive bomber pilot during World War II, renowned as one of the most experienced Stuka aces with over 1,060 combat missions to his credit. Serving primarily with Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann," he participated in major campaigns across Europe and the Eastern Front, contributing significantly to ground support operations, anti-shipping strikes, and anti-tank missions. Boerst's exceptional service earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest military honors in Nazi Germany, awarded posthumously for his cumulative achievements. His career exemplified the role of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka in close air support, though it also highlighted the high risks faced by such pilots in increasingly contested skies. Boerst's legacy is marked by his remarkable sortie count and key tactical successes, making him a notable figure among Luftwaffe aviators of the era.

Born on 20 October 1910 in Osterode am Harz, in the Province of Hanover, Germany, Alwin Boerst grew up in a period of economic and political turbulence following World War I. Little is documented about his early civilian life, but he demonstrated an early interest in military service, enlisting in the German Army in April 1934 as part of a transport unit. He served there until October 1937, rising to the rank of Unteroffizier before transferring to the Luftwaffe, the rapidly expanding air arm of the Wehrmacht. This move aligned with Germany's rearmament efforts under the Nazi regime, which prioritized aerial capabilities. Boerst underwent pilot training, specializing in dive bombing tactics, which were central to the Luftwaffe's blitzkrieg strategy. By 1939, he was assigned to I. Gruppe of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann," a unit equipped with the iconic Ju 87 Stuka, known for its precision strikes and psychological impact through its siren-equipped dives. His initial rank as Leutnant positioned him for frontline duties as war erupted in Europe.

Boerst's combat career began with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, where StG 2 provided crucial close air support to advancing German ground forces, disrupting Polish defenses and supply lines. For his performance in these early operations, he received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 27 September 1939. The following year, during the Battle of France in May-June 1940, Boerst flew numerous sorties against Allied positions, earning the Iron Cross 1st Class on 7 June 1940. His unit's effectiveness in neutralizing fortifications and troop concentrations contributed to the swift German victory. In 1941, Boerst participated in the airborne invasion of Crete, a daring operation where Stukas played a pivotal role in interdicting British naval forces. During intense engagements off the island, he assisted in the sinking of the destroyers HMS Kelly and HMS Kashmir on 23 May 1941, with sources attributing direct hits to his attacks that crippled these vessels amid heavy anti-aircraft fire. These actions underscored the Stuka's value in maritime strikes, though they also exposed pilots to significant dangers from naval defenses.

As the war shifted to the Eastern Front with Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Boerst's expertise in ground attack missions became even more critical. Promoted to Oberleutnant, he flew over 300 sorties by October 1941, destroying key infrastructure such as a vital bridge over the Lovat River and another over the Dnieper, the latter preventing Soviet forces from escaping the Smolensk pocket and aiding in the encirclement of large enemy formations. For these accomplishments, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 October 1941, along with the Luftwaffe Honor Goblet on 3 September 1941 for special achievements in aerial warfare. Continuing in the harsh conditions of the Soviet theater, Boerst received the German Cross in Gold on 5 June 1942 while serving in 3. Staffel of StG 2. By November 1942, having surpassed 600 combat missions, he was honored with the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 28 November 1942 as Staffelkapitän of 3./StG 2, becoming the 149th recipient of this distinction. His unit, redesignated as Schlachtgeschwader 2 in 1943, adapted to evolving battlefield needs, including anti-tank roles against Soviet armor.

Rising through the ranks to Hauptmann and eventually Major, Boerst assumed command of I. Gruppe of Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" in late 1943. He marked his 1,000th combat mission on 29 January 1944, a milestone recognized with the Front Flying Clasp in Gold with Pendant "1,000," reflecting his endurance and skill amid mounting losses for the Luftwaffe. Throughout his service, Boerst accumulated additional decorations, including the Wound Badge in Black for injuries sustained, the Combined Pilots-Observation Badge, and the Crete Cufftitle for his participation in that campaign. His partnership with radio operator and gunner Ernst Filius was particularly notable, as the duo operated in tandem on many missions, enhancing their effectiveness in targeting and evasion. By early 1944, with the Eastern Front under pressure from Soviet advances, Boerst's group focused on stemming Red Army offensives in Romania and Ukraine, where the Stuka's dive-bombing precision remained valuable despite growing air superiority challenges from Allied fighters.

On 30 March 1944, Boerst embarked on his first mission piloting the Ju 87G-1, a specialized anti-tank variant equipped with 37mm cannons for engaging armored vehicles. Accompanied by Ernst Filius, they took off to support German defenses near Iaşi in Romania but were shot down by Soviet ground fire north of the city, near Parliti. Both men were killed in the crash, marking a tragic end to Boerst's prolific career at age 33. Posthumously, he was awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross on 6 April 1944 as the 61st recipient, in recognition of his total of 1,060 ground attack sorties and overall contributions to the war effort. Filius also received the Knight's Cross posthumously on 19 May 1944. Boerst's death symbolized the declining fortunes of the Luftwaffe, as experienced pilots like him became irreplaceable casualties in the protracted conflict. His record of missions and awards places him among the elite Stuka pilots, whose daring operations left a lasting imprint on World War II aerial tactics.

Source:
Stuka-Pilot: Hans-Ulrich Rudel, Ernst Kupfer, Robert-Georg Freiherr Von Malapert-Neufville, Alwin Boerst, Theodor Nordmann, Kurt Kuhlmey (Bucher Gruppe)
Luftwaffe Personnel of World War II: Alwin Boerst, Bernhard Jope, Ernst Kupfer, Bernhard Woldenga, Paul-Werner Hozzel, Helmut Woltersdorf, Gustav Altmann, Kurt Plenzat, Peter Duttmann, Heinz Marquardt (Books LLC, Wiki Series)
Die Ritterkreuztrager der Luftwaffe (TracesOfWar.com reference)
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/22071/Boerst-Alwin.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/B/BoerstA.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alwin_Boerst
https://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/sg2.htm
https://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/stg2.htm
https://aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?q=boerst
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Alwin_Boerst
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alwin_Boerst
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29879 (various threads)
https://www.ww2.dk/Change%20Log%20LwOCS%202018-19.pdf

Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist (1881-1954)

Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was born in Braunfels on 8 August 1881 to the noble family Kleist, an old Pomeranian family with a long history of military service. There had been two previous Prussian field marshals in the family! His father was Geheime Studienrat Christof Hugo von Kleist, a high ranking civil servant.

At the age of 18, Kleist joined the Prussian field artillery regiment, "General Feldzeugmeister" No. 3 on 9 March 1900 as a fahnenjunker. He was commissioned as a leutnant on 18 August 1901. On March 22, 1914, he was promoted to Captain and joined the Leib-Husaren-Regiment No. 1.

During the First World War, Kleist served on the Eastern Front and commanded a cavalry squadron at the Battle of Tannenberg. From 1915 to 1918 he served as a staff officer of the Guards Cavalry Division on the Western Front.

After the First World War ended, Kleist joined the Freikorps and participated in the Latvian and Estonian Wars of Independence as a member of the Iron Division. In June 1919, he led an attack group during the Battle of Cēsis.

Kleist joined the Reichswehr in 1920. From 1924 to 1928 he was assigned as a tactics instructor at the Hannover Cavalry School. In 1928 he served as the chief of staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division in Breslau, then from 1929 to 1931 he held the same position in the 3rd Division in Berlin. Kleist was promoted to Colonel in 1931 and was given command of the 9th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment in Potsdam. At the beginning of 1932, he was given command of the 2nd Cavalry Division. In October 1932, he was promoted to Major General.

Kleist was a monarchist, and did not heavily involve himself in the politics of the Weimar Republic. After the Nazis seized power the Reichswehr was united with the newly formed Wehrmacht. On December 1, 1933, he was promoted to lieutenant general. In October 1934 he was given command of the "Breslau Army", which was later reorganized into the VIII. Army Corps. In 1935 he was given command of the newly formed military district VIII responsible for Silesia while simultaneously serving as the commanding general of the VIII. Army Corps. On August 1, 1936, he was promoted to General of the Cavalry.

In February 1938 Kleist was involved in the Blomberg–Fritsch affair and forced to retire from service when Hitler purged the army of staff who were unsympathetic to the Nazi regime. To secure his retirement, he acquired a property near Breslau.

At the outbreak of the Second World War Kleist was recalled to active duty and led the XXII Motorised Corps in the Invasion of Poland, during which his corps broke through the southern wing of the Polish army.

In May 1940 Panzer Group Kleist was formed, the first operational formation of several Panzer corps in the Wehrmacht. Panzer Group Kleist, consisting of XIV Corps, XLI Panzer Corps, and XIX Panzer Corps under Heinz Guderian, played a pivotal role in the Invasion of Belgium, France and the Low Countries. On 10 May, it spearheaded the German breakthrough in the Ardennes, as it advanced through southern Belgium, Kleist and Guderian clashed over where the main point of effort should fall. Kleist, Guderian's immediate superior, pressed for the main point to come at Flize, further west than Sedan. Kleist argued that the blow would avoid a double river crossing at the Meuse (at Sedan) and Ardennes canal (to the west of Sedan). Moreover, the blow would strike at the dividing line between the French Ninth Army and the French Second Army. Guderian saw things differently, and pointed out that a thrust along the lines of Kleist's plan would put the flank of the advance within range of the fortress artillery at Charleville-Mézières, some 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Sedan. The shift of operations further north would also disperse concentration (or Schwerpunkt) and disrupt the intense planning of the German tactical units, who had been in training for the Sedan attack and an advance north-west, for months. He also felt that a regrouping period in front of Sedan would delay the assault for 24 hours and allow the French to bring up reinforcements. Kleist agreed that such a delay was unacceptable, so he agreed to Guderian's plan. Panzer Group Kleist overwhelmed the French defenses at Sedan, advanced west and reached the sea, forming a huge pocket containing several Belgian, British, and French armies.

Kleist was promoted to Generaloberst on 19 July 1940 and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In April 1941 Panzer Group Kleist was renamed to 1st Panzer Group and spearheaded the invasion of Yugoslavia. Deployed against central Yugoslavia (Serbia), units of the 1st Panzer Group were the first to enter Belgrade.

In June 1941 with the launching of Operation Barbarossa, Kleist led the 1st Panzer Group as part of Army Group South - tasked with the capture of Moldavia and Ukraine - and saw success in the initial phase of the invasion, advancing deep into Ukraine. The 1st Panzer Group broke through the Stalin Line, then defeated the five mechanized corps of the Soviet 5th Army and 6th Army in the Battle of Brody (23 to 30 June 1941). In July 1941 during the Battle of Uman, the 1st Panzer Group broke through the Soviet Southern Front's lines, leading to the encirclement and annihilation of the Soviet 6th and 12th armies to the southeast of Uman city (in present-day Cherkasy Oblast). During the First Battle of Kiev of August–September 1941, 1st Panzer Group's northward turn from central Ukraine in conjunction with 2nd Panzer Group's southward advance from Smolensk led to the encirclement and destruction of the entire Soviet Southwestern Front east of Kiev, inflicting over 600,000 losses on the Red Army. However, the campaign had been costly, by then the German forces had just half the tanks they had had three months earlier.

After operations at Kiev concluded, Kleist's 1st Panzer Army advanced east to capture the important industrial Donbass region. On 26 September 1941 the Battle of the Sea of Azov began as the Southern Front launched an attack on the northern shores of the Sea of Azov against the German 11th Army advancing into the Crimea. On 1 October the 1st Panzer Army swept south and encircled the two attacking Soviet 9th and 18th armies at Melitopol (Zaporizhia Oblast), by 11 October both Soviet armies had been destroyed and the 1st Panzer Army had taken the Donbass. The 1st Panzer Army then attacked east along the shore of the Sea of Azov toward Rostov near the mouth of the Don river, the last barrier before the Caucasus.

On 17 November 1941 the German forces forced their way across the Mius River and launched an offensive against the Southern Front at Rostov. On 19 November 1941 the 1st Panzer Army reached Rostov and the following day, they seized bridges over the river Don. Three days after reaching Rostov the 1st Panzer Army had captured the city. However, on 27 November the Southern Front, as part of the Rostov Strategic Offensive Operation, counter-attacked the 1st Panzer Army's over-extended spearhead from the north, forcing them to pull out of Rostov. By 2 December 1941, the Soviet forces had retaken Rostov and forced the 1st Panzer Army to withdraw back to the Mius River, near Taganrog. This marked the first major German withdrawal of the war. On February 18, 1942, Kleist was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

During the Second Battle of Kharkov on 17 May 1942 as part of Operation Fredericus, Kleist's 1st Panzer Army attacked the Barvenkovo bridgehead from the south, advancing up to ten kilometres in the first day of the attack. On 19 May, the German 6th Army led by General Friedrich Paulus launched an offensive north of the bridgehead, encircling the Soviet 6th Army and 57th Army. After six days of encirclement, both armies were destroyed. By 28 May Kleist and Paulus' armies had captured 240,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured over 1250 Soviet tanks and 2000 artillery pieces.

The summer of 1942 saw Army Group South subdivided into Army Group A and B. Army Group A, which included Kleist's 1st Panzer Army, had the task of leading the Axis thrust into the Caucasus in the execution of Case Blue, the German offensive which aimed to capture the important oilfields of Grozny and Baku. The 1st Panzer Army was to spearhead the attack. Army Group A advanced deep into Southern Russia, capturing Rostov, Maykop, Krasnodar and the Kuban region. However, heavy Soviet resistance and the long distances from Axis sources of supply eventually reduced the Axis offensive to local advances only and prevented the Army Group A from capturing their ultimate objectives.

On 22 November 1942, Kleist replaced Field Marshal Wilhelm List as commander of Army Group A near the end of Case Blue. Hitler ordered him to hold position and to resume the offensive should the Axis forces take Stalingrad. This possibility ended after the Soviets launched counter-offensives Operation Uranus (November 1942), which encircled the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, and Operation Little Saturn (December 1942 to February 1943). Little Saturn aimed to cut off Army Group A in the Caucasus, however, the limited scope of the Soviet offensive gave Kleist enough time to withdraw his Army Group A in the direction of the Kuban, abandoning the Caucasus.

On 1 February 1943 Kleist was promoted to Field Marshal. In July 1943 the Red Army launched a massive offensive along the Dnieper river. By December 1943 the Soviets had conquered the west bank of the Dnieper, and Kleist's Army Group A was forced to retreat to southwest Ukraine. In December 1943 the Soviets launched the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive against Erich von Manstein's re-constituted Army Group South, intending to capture all of the Ukrainian and Moldovian territories occupied by the Axis forces. As part of the initial phase of the offensive, the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front to the south launched the Nikopol–Krivoi Rog Offensive against Kleist's Army Group A. Proceeding slowly at first, the front eventually destroyed the salient projecting around Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol, costing the Germans the important mining operations there as well as nearly encircling the reformed German 6th Army. By the end of March 1944 the Soviets had recovered most of right-bank Ukraine and the Germans were defeated with 20 divisions either destroyed, disbanded or requiring major rebuilding, while another 60 divisions were reduced to 50% of their establishment strength. Kleist had disagreed with Hitler over the withdrawal of Army Group A during the offensive. He had demanded permission to pull back his forces to more defensible positions, however, Hitler ordered his armies to stand where they were. Hitler blamed his generals for the overall strategic success of Soviet armies and on 30 March 1944, Kleist was dismissed and replaced by Ferdinand Schörner.

After the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler failed (1944), the Gestapo implicated and arrested Kleist due to the involvement of his cousin Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin in the Oster conspiracy. Kleist avoided trial and was later released.

Kleist was arrested in late April 1945 in Bavaria by United States' troops, and handed over to the British Army. In September 1946 he was extradited to Yugoslavia, where after a trial he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for war crimes.

In 1948 he was extradited to the Soviet Union, where he was charged with war crimes. After a trial he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

On 13 November 1954 Kleist died of heart failure in Vladimir Central Prison. He was the most senior ranking soldier among the German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union to die in Russian captivity.

Source: 
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/ 
https://www.tracesofwar.com/ 
https://grokipedia.com/ 
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300 
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html 
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html 
https://forum.axishistory.com/ 
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ 
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/ 
https://www.geni.com/ 
https://books.google.com/ 
Paul Ludwig Ewald Von Kleist (book, Wikipedia articles) 
Feldmarali: Feldmaraali Nacisticke Nemacke, Evald Fon KlaJst (book) 
Tysklands Militære Personel I 1 Verdenskrig (book)

Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (1887-1973)

Erich von Manstein was born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski on 24 November 1887 in Berlin, the tenth child of Prussian artillery general Eduard von Lewinski and his wife Helene von Sperling. His family had deep roots in the Prussian nobility, with his father descending from a line that included Polish and Kashubian ancestry, bearing the Brochwicz coat of arms. Due to his biological aunt and uncle, Hedwig and Georg von Manstein, being childless, he was adopted at birth and took their surname, growing up in a household steeped in military tradition. His adoptive grandfather, Albrecht Gustav von Manstein, had commanded a corps during the Franco-Prussian War, while his maternal grandfather, Oskar von Sperling, served as chief of staff in the First Army. Notably, his uncle was Paul von Hindenburg, who later became a field marshal and President of Germany. With sixteen relatives on each parental side serving as officers, many achieving general rank, Manstein's early environment was profoundly shaped by the Prussian military ethos. He attended the Imperial Lyzeum in Strasbourg from 1894 to 1899, followed by the cadet corps in Plön and Groß-Lichterfelde, where he excelled in academics and leadership. Commissioned as an ensign in the Third Foot Guards Regiment in March 1906, he was promoted to lieutenant in January 1907 and began training at the Prussian War Academy in October 1913, completing only the first year before the outbreak of World War I.

World War I saw Manstein serving on both the Western and Eastern Fronts, beginning as a lieutenant in the 2nd Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment during the invasion of Belgium, where he participated in the capture of Namur in August 1914. Transferred to East Prussia in September, he fought in the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes under Hindenburg's Eighth Army and later with the Ninth Army advancing toward Warsaw. On 16 November 1914, during a retreat, he sustained severe wounds from a bullet that struck his left shoulder, knee, and sciatic nerve, requiring six months of recovery in hospitals in Beuthen and Wiesbaden. Returning to duty in June 1915 as an assistant general staff officer with the 10th Army under Max von Gallwitz, he was promoted to captain and gained extensive experience in offensives across Poland, Lithuania, Montenegro, and Albania. By early 1916, he was stationed near Verdun, later serving as a staff supply officer under Fritz von Below at the Somme, witnessing the harsh winter withdrawals to the Hindenburg Line in 1916-1917. In October 1917, he became chief of staff for the 4th Cavalry Division in Riga, and following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, he transferred to the 213th Infantry Division near Reims, ending the war as a captain without full general staff training, having earned decorations for bravery including the Iron Cross First and Second Class.

The interwar period marked a time of personal and professional development for Manstein. In 1920, he married Jutta Sibylle von Loesch, the daughter of a Silesian landowner, after a brief courtship of three days; the couple had three children—a daughter Gisela born in 1921, and sons Gero born in 1922, who would later die as a lieutenant on the Eastern Front in 1942, and Rüdiger born in 1929. Remaining in the military after the war, he volunteered for a staff position in Breslau until 1919 and contributed to restructuring the Imperial Army into the Reichswehr, which was capped at 100,000 men under the Treaty of Versailles; he was among the 4,000 officers retained. Serving as company commander in the 5th Prussian Infantry Regiment from 1921, he held staff roles in Wehrkreiskommando II and IV, teaching military history and tactics until 1927. Promoted to major on 1 February 1927, he joined the General Staff at the Ministry of the Reichswehr in Berlin, working on mobilization plans and visiting foreign militaries. Advanced to lieutenant colonel, he commanded a light infantry battalion in the 4th Infantry Regiment until 1934. Following the Nazi rise to power in 1933 and the initiation of rearmament in defiance of Versailles, he became chief of staff for the 3rd Division under Erwin von Witzleben in February 1934. By 1 July 1935, he led the Operations Branch of the Army General Staff at the OKH, influencing plans like Fall Rot for defense against France and advocating for Sturmgeschütze assault guns, which became vital in World War II. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 4 February 1938, he commanded the 18th Infantry Division in Liegnitz but was passed over for Chief of the Army General Staff in favor of Franz Halder, breeding resentment. On 20 April 1939, he delivered a speech at Hitler's 50th birthday, praising the leader while warning of potential encirclement by hostile powers.

At the onset of World War II, Manstein was appointed Chief of Staff to Gerd von Rundstedt's Army Group South on 18 August 1939 for the invasion of Poland, known as Fall Weiß. He devised a plan concentrating armored forces in the 10th Army for a breakthrough and encirclement west of the Vistula, supported by flanking armies, leading to major victories such as the encirclements at Radom from 8 to 14 September and the Battle of the Bzura from 8 to 19 September, resulting in the defeat of nine Polish divisions and Poland's surrender by 6 October. Although he attended a conference on 22 August where Hitler outlined the destruction of Poland as a nation, Manstein later claimed ignorance of extermination policies, despite receiving reports on Einsatzgruppen activities. For the Western campaign, Fall Gelb in May 1940, as Rundstedt's chief of staff for Army Group A, he proposed the innovative Sichelschnitt plan, channeling forces through the Ardennes to sever Allied troops in Belgium; refined with input from Heinz Guderian, it was initially rejected by Halder but adopted by Hitler on 17 February after a document leak. Manstein's XXXVIII Army Corps under Günther von Kluge's 4th Army achieved a breakthrough at Amiens and was the first to cross the Seine, earning him promotion to general and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 July 1940. He also pushed for Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain, which was abandoned after the Luftwaffe's defeat in the Battle of Britain by October 1940.

Manstein's role expanded during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union starting in June 1941, where he commanded the LVI Panzer Corps as part of Erich Hoepner's Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group North. His forces advanced rapidly to the Daugava River in just 100 hours, repelling counterattacks and encircling Soviet units near Luga, though a July offensive isolated his 8th Panzer Division, stalling momentum. In September 1941, following the death of Eugen Ritter von Schobert, he assumed command of the 11th Army for the conquest of Crimea, securing the Perekop Isthmus by November, capturing Simferopol on 1 November, and overrunning most of the peninsula except Sevastopol by 16 November, with around 300,000 Soviets evacuated. Initial assaults on Sevastopol faltered, leading to a siege; the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula in May 1942, bolstered by air support, culminated in Kerch's capture on 16 May and 170,000 prisoners taken. Promoted to field marshal on 1 July 1942 after a massive June artillery barrage and amphibious assault across Severnaya Bay allowed entry into Sevastopol on 1 July, his operations involved cooperation with Romanian forces under Ion Antonescu. However, in Crimea, he provided logistical support to Einsatzgruppe D, facilitating massacres of Jews and others, ignoring appeals to intervene, which later formed the basis of war crimes charges. Transferred to Leningrad in August 1942, he planned Operation Nordlicht to sever supply lines across Lake Ladoga but instead countered the Soviet Sinyavin Offensive from September to October, holding positions without assaulting the city itself.

In December 1942, amid the Battle of Stalingrad, Manstein took command of the newly formed Army Group Don to lead Operation Winter Storm, a relief effort starting on 12 December with three Panzer divisions advancing 48 kilometers by 20 December before being halted by blizzards and Soviet resistance. The tragic loss of his son Gero on 29 October 1942 added personal grief. He repeatedly urged Hitler to permit a breakout of the encircled Sixth Army on 18 December and later to authorize surrender on 24 January 1943, but these pleas were rejected, leading to the army's capitulation on 31 January with over 200,000 fatalities; historians attribute the disaster partly to his unheeded advice and Hermann Göring's failed air supply promises. Facing Soviet offensives like Operation Saturn threatening Rostov, his forces held key positions. By February 1943, redesignated as Army Group South, he executed the "backhand blow" counteroffensive at Kharkov from 20 February, reclaiming territory, annihilating three Soviet armies, and retaking Kharkov on 14 March after fierce urban combat, for which he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. He was awarded the Swords on 30 March 1944. During the Battle of Kursk in July-August 1943, his southern pincer made initial gains but was stopped; Hitler terminated the operation on 13 July due to the Allied landing in Sicily, despite Manstein's protests that reserves could secure victory. Ordered to retreat to the Dnieper in September 1943, he implemented scorched-earth policies, later cited in trials. Soviet advances recaptured Kharkov and Kiev by November, and in January 1944, he advocated further withdrawals, but Hitler refused. Without approval, he orchestrated a breakout from the Korsun Pocket in February and, encircled in Kamenets-Podolsky in March, persuaded Hitler to allow escape, though this led to his relief from command on 30 March 1944.

Following Germany's surrender, Manstein was captured by British forces on 26 August 1945. He testified at the Nuremberg Trials in August 1946, contributing to a document absolving the Wehrmacht of Holocaust responsibility, denying knowledge of Einsatzgruppen or the Commissar Order despite contradictory evidence. Tried in Hamburg from August to December 1949, he was convicted on nine of seventeen charges, including mistreatment of prisoners of war, civilian executions, enforcing the Commissar Order, and scorched-earth tactics, receiving an 18-year sentence reduced to 12 in February 1950. Due to health concerns, including eye problems, and advocacy from figures like Winston Churchill and Konrad Adenauer amid Cold War rearmament needs, he served less than four years and was released on 7 May 1953. In the mid-1950s, he advised the West German government on reconstructing the armed forces, addressing the Bundestag on 20 June 1953 to advocate for a professional army with 18-24 months of service and a robust reserve system. His memoirs, Verlorene Siege published in 1955 and translated as Lost Victories, critiqued Hitler's strategic meddling while emphasizing military operations, largely omitting political and ethical dimensions; a second volume, Aus einem Soldatenleben in 1958, covered his life from 1887 to 1939. After residing in Essen and Bonn, he settled near Munich, where his wife passed away in 1966. Congratulated by the Bundeswehr on his 80th birthday, Manstein died of a stroke on 9 June 1973 at age 85 near Munich, buried with full military honors in Dorfmark, Bad Fallingbostel. His legacy encompasses prestigious awards like the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, reverence as a strategic mastermind, and ongoing debates over his involvement in war crimes and potential perjury.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-l-m/
Additional books: Lost Victories by Erich von Manstein (1958); Erich von Manstein: Hitler's Master Strategist by Benoit Lemay (2010); Manstein: Hitler's Greatest General by Mungo Melvin (2010).

Generalleutnant Wend von Wietersheim (1900-1975)

Wend von Wietersheim was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II, born on 18 April 1900 in Neuland, Silesia, within the German Empire, now part of Poland. He rose to the rank of Generalleutnant and commanded several key armored formations, notably the 11th Panzer Division, during major campaigns on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. A recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest military honors in Nazi Germany, Wietersheim demonstrated tactical acumen in defensive and counteroffensive operations against superior forces. His military career spanned from World War I through the end of World War II, after which he lived quietly in West Germany until his death on 19 September 1975 in Bad Honnef-Aegidienberg at the age of 75. Coming from a noble family with a tradition of service, his father was the chamberlain Walter Eduard Gustav von Wietersheim, who lived from 1863 to 1919, and he had siblings including Mark and Alfred Ferdinand Anton Gustav Eugen Gabriel von Wietersheim. He married Rosi Dorothee Charlotte Paula Alexandra Margaret Anna von Cölln, and they had two sons, Gero born in 1930 and Armin Hans-Georg Kurt Mark born in 1931.

Wietersheim's early military service began during World War I when, as a young Fahnenjunker, he joined the 4th Hussars Regiment "von Schill" Number 4 on 26 September 1918, shortly before the war's end. He earned the Iron Cross Second Class on 5 April 1919 for his actions in that conflict. Following the armistice, he was transferred to the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, where he continued in cavalry units, being demobilized briefly on 15 May 1920 before reactivation. His interwar career involved steady promotions and assignments in various cavalry and motorized formations, reflecting the German military's transition from traditional horse-mounted troops to mechanized warfare. On 1 October 1923, he was assigned to the 2nd Squadron of Reiter-Regiment 12 in Grossenhain, and by 17 June 1925, he moved to the 4th Squadron of Reiter-Regiment 7 in Lüben. He advanced to Oberleutnant on 1 February 1930 and took command roles, such as chief of the 3rd Squadron of Reiter-Regiment 4 in Potsdam starting 1 January 1934. His promotion to Hauptmann came on 1 September 1935, and he shifted toward motorized units, serving as chief of the 1st Company in Kraftfahrkampf-Abteilung 3 in Wünsdorf from 15 August 1934.

By the late 1930s, Wietersheim fully transitioned to the Panzer forces, becoming adjutant of the 3rd Panzer Division in Berlin on 12 October 1937. With the outbreak of World War II, he participated in the invasion of Poland in September 1939 as part of this division, earning the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class on 1 October 1939. Promoted to Major on 1 August 1939, he then commanded the Motorcycle Battalion 1 of the 1st Panzer Division during the Battle of France in 1940, where his unit played a role in the rapid advances through the Low Countries and into France. For his leadership there, he received the Iron Cross First Class on 20 May 1940 and the Panzer Badge in Silver later that year. As the war expanded to the Eastern Front with Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Wietersheim, now an Oberstleutnant from 1 January 1941, took command of Schützen-Regiment 113 within the 1st Panzer Division on 20 July 1941. This regiment operated under Panzer Group 4, later Army Group North, engaging in fierce battles around Leningrad and the northern sector.

One of Wietersheim's most notable actions occurred during heavy defensive fighting west of Kalinin on the night of 19 to 20 October 1941, where his weakened battalion faced superior Soviet attacks that penetrated the German lines in several places. Recognizing the threat to a vital railway bridge over the Volga River, he personally assembled reserve forces and led a counterattack that sealed the breaches and restored the defensive position, preventing a potential Soviet breakthrough. This feat earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 10 February 1942. Earlier, on 24 December 1941, he had been awarded the German Cross in Gold for his command of the Motorcycle Battalion. Promoted to Oberst on 1 January 1942, he continued leading what became Panzergrenadier-Regiment 113, and at the end of November 1942 in the Toropez area, he seized an opportunity to launch a counterattack with his Kampfgruppe against numerically superior Soviet forces, repelling them and averting a major breakthrough. This action led to the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 12 January 1943.

In 1943, Wietersheim assumed higher command, becoming Generalmajor on 1 September 1943 and taking over the 11th Panzer Division on 4 March 1943, leading it through intense Eastern Front battles in Ukraine and related sectors. His division's performance southeast of Kirovograd in late 1943 and early 1944, involving sustained defensive and counteroffensive operations against Soviet advances, showcased his tactical skill in armored warfare, maintaining cohesion under pressure and stabilizing German lines. For this outstanding leadership on the southern Eastern Front, he received the Swords to his Knight's Cross on 26 March 1944, becoming one of only 159 recipients of this prestigious award. The division was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 December 1943 for its distinguished combat alongside the 13th Panzer Division. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 August 1944, Wietersheim shifted the 11th Panzer Division to southern France in mid-1944, where it faced the Allied Operation Dragoon landings near Toulon and Nice in August. Tasked with protecting the German retreat up the Rhône Valley, his unit excelled in both attack and defense, earning another Wehrmachtbericht mention on 4 September 1944.

As the war neared its end, Wietersheim's division fought in the Battle of Lorraine and advance battles at the Western Wall in the Saar region, again praised in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 December 1944 for magnificent fighting alongside the 25th Panzer-Grenadier Division. From 10 April to 19 April 1945, he briefly commanded the XXXXI Panzer Corps before returning to reserve status. He surrendered to U.S. forces of the 90th Infantry Division in Czechoslovakia near the Bavarian border in May 1945, marking the end of his active military service. Postwar, Wietersheim faced no major trials and lived in West Germany, passing away in 1975. His career was marked by a progression from cavalry to elite Panzer command, with additional decorations including the Wound Badge in Black, the Eastern Front Medal, and various service awards reflecting long-term dedication. Despite the controversies of serving in the Wehrmacht, his record highlights operational effectiveness rather than political involvement, as he was not affiliated with the NSDAP or SS.


Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wend_von_Wietersheim
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/W/WietersheimWv.htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/20818/Wietersheim-von-Wend-Hans-Georg-Herbert-Egmond-C.htm
https://www.geni.com/people/Wend-von-Wietersheim/6000000015233255164
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=160872
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-t-z/#&gid=1&pid=47
https://books.google.com/books/about/United_States_Army_in_World_War_II.html?id=1_duQav2AQAC
Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
Mitcham, Samuel W. (2006). The Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of World War II and Their Commanders. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3353-3.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.

Generalleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Postel (1896-1953)

Georg Wilhelm Postel (25 April 1896 - 20 September 1953) was a German general of the infantry who served in the Imperial German Army during World War I, the Reichswehr in the interwar period, and the Wehrmacht during World War II, achieving the rank of Generalleutnant. He is best known for his command roles on the Eastern Front, where he led infantry regiments and divisions in intense defensive and offensive operations against Soviet forces, earning the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest military decorations of Nazi Germany. Postel commanded the 320th Infantry Division through several key battles in Ukraine and Russia, and later briefly led the XXX Army Corps in Romania before his capture by the Red Army in 1944. Convicted as a war criminal by Soviet authorities in 1949, he died in captivity from tuberculosis. His military career spanned over three decades, marked by steady promotions, tactical acumen in crisis situations, and personal involvement in frontline actions that often resulted in wounds.

Born on 25 April 1896 in Zittau, Saxony, in the German Empire, Postel was the son of Georg Gustav Paul Eugen Postel, a retired Oberstleutnant and managing director, and his wife Sophie, nee Schroeder, who passed away on 3 April 1914. His father remarried on 5 February 1919 to Waleska Agnes Grimm, a teacher in Berlin, and died on 21 November 1943 from stomach cancer in Wiesbaden. Little is known about Postel's early education, but he entered military service at the age of 18, enlisting as a Fahnenjunker in the Saxon Army on 20 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I. He initially joined the 3rd Company of the Pomeranian Infantry Regiment Graf Schwerin Number 14 before transferring to the 10th Royal Saxon Infantry Regiment Number 134. Promoted to Leutnant on 3 April 1915 (with the patent dated 29 May 1915), he participated in trench warfare on the Western Front, attending specialized courses such as a gas protection course from 12 to 15 July 1915 and a field pioneer service course from 9 to 23 January 1916. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Royal Saxon Military Saint Heinrich's Order on 21 July 1915 and the Knight's Cross Second Class with Swords of the Royal Saxon Albrecht's Order on 30 August 1916. Serving in roles like battalion adjutant from 4 September 1916 and court officer from 7 September 1916, he also attended an Army Gas School course from 11 to 16 June 1917. By May 1918, he was an ordnance officer at the regimental staff and later detailed to the staff of the 46th Reserve Infantry Brigade. During the war, he earned both classes of the Iron Cross and the Wound Badge in Black.

Following the armistice, Postel remained in the military during the turbulent postwar period, serving as an ordnance and court officer in the staff of Border Jager Detachment 2 from early March 1919. He transitioned to the provisional Reichswehr and, by April 1920, was a platoon leader in the 1st Company of Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 24. As the Reichswehr was reduced to 100,000 men, he was assigned to the 10th Saxon Infantry Regiment, where he served as a company officer for several years. His personal life during this time included the birth of his son Joachim on 21 June 1921 in Bautzen and daughter Renate on 13 May 1922. His seniority as Leutnant was backdated to 1 September 1915 on 1 July 1922. By spring 1923, he was in the 5th Company in Bautzen, attending a physical training course from 16 January to 13 June 1924 and a machine gun course from 8 July to 6 August 1924. He trained as a driving and equipment instructor from 29 September to 23 October 1924 and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 31 July 1925 (backdated to 1 April 1925). His daughter Gisela was born on 21 July 1926. On 1 October 1926, he transferred to the staff of the 4th Division in Dresden for two-year leader assistant training, participating in exercise trips including one to the Riesengebirge from 5 to 12 February 1928. Returning to the 8th Machine Gun Company of the 11th Saxon Infantry Regiment in Leipzig on 1 October 1928, he attended an air raid protection course from 10 to 24 May 1930 and was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 November 1930, becoming chief of that company. He attended a heavy infantry weapons shooting course from 6 to 20 October 1931 and resided at Heerstrasse 7 in Leipzig-Mockern in 1932. Postel left active service on 28 March 1933, with his activities until 1 April 1934 unknown, possibly involving service in the Soviet Union. He was reinstated as Hauptmann on 1 April 1934, assigned to the 11th Saxon Infantry Regiment as chief of the 17th Machine Gun Company in the Training Battalion in Dobeln. With the military expansion, his unit became Infantry Regiment Leipzig on 1 October 1934, and he led the 4th Machine Gun Company. His first marriage ended in divorce on 10 October 1934, and he married Dr. phil. Irmgard Liebster, nee Rabe, a school principal in Leipzig, on 21 September 1935. On 15 October 1935, his unit was renamed Infantry Regiment 101 in Dobeln. Promoted to Major on 1 December 1935 (backdated to 5 May 1935), he was detailed as an instructor at the War School in Munich on 1 April 1936, officially transferring on 6 October 1936. His daughter Heidi was born on 5 June 1937 in Munich, and he was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1939, residing at Kadettenstrasse 1 in Munich.

At the start of World War II in September 1939, Postel was appointed commander of the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment 109 in the 35th Infantry Division, holding positions on the Western Front. On 11 January 1940, he transferred to command the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment 433, and on 30 April 1940, just before the invasion of France, he took over the I Battalion of Infantry Regiment 364, leading it during the campaign starting in early May 1940. After Oberst Kurt Heyser was wounded, Postel briefly served as deputy commander of Infantry Regiment 47 in the 22nd Infantry Division. On 5 July 1940, he was tasked with leading Infantry Regiment 364, officially becoming its commander on 26 September 1940. He was awarded the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords on 6 October 1940. In the summer of 1941, during Operation Barbarossa, he commanded the regiment as part of the 161st Infantry Division in the advance into central Russia. He received the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class on 10 July 1941 and First Class on 17 August 1941. Tragically, his son Leutnant Joachim Postel was severely wounded on 5 September 1941 near Aladynski while serving in the 6th Company of Schutzen-Regiment 101 and died that day from his injuries at Sanitäts-Kompanie 2/88, buried in the soldiers' cemetery in Bobowja. Postel was promoted to Oberst on 1 December 1941 (backdated to 1 November 1940). During the harsh winter defensive battles in the Rzhev sector from 1941 to 1942, his regiment played a crucial role in holding Soviet offensives, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 28 February 1942 (noted as Georg Postei in some records), the Infantry Assault Badge on 7 March 1942, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 August 1942 for actions including commanding units to close a Soviet penetration south of Wosszino on 4-5 February 1942. He also received the Eastern Medal and the Silver Wound Badge on 23 August 1942. Relinquishing command of Infantry Regiment 364 on 24 August 1942, he was placed in the OKH leader reserve.

On 26 November 1942, Postel was tasked with leading the 320th Infantry Division, stationed on the Channel Coast in France, and was promoted to Generalmajor effective 1 January 1943, officially appointed division commander. Transferred to the southern Eastern Front in January 1943, his division faced overwhelming Soviet assaults between the Don and Donets rivers in mid-January, defending isolated positions and repulsing attacks while withdrawing through a nine-day breakthrough battle, destroying several Soviet battlegroups, including a reinforced rifle regiment on 10 February 1943, and reaching German lines on 13 February 1943. Postel led from the front, suffering severe wounds during reconnaissance, and was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 14 February 1943 for this exemplary leadership. He received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 28 March 1943 as the 215th recipient. Evaluations from superiors like General Erhard Raus, General der Panzertruppen Werner Kempf, and Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein praised his tactical excellence and commitment in crisis situations. Due to illness, he relinquished command on 26 May 1943, with Oberst Kurt Ropke as deputy, but returned on 20 August 1943 to resume command, succeeding Ropke. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 September 1943, he led the division in the battles for Kharkov in the fall of 1943 and the winter retreat to the Dnieper River in 1943-1944, including operations near Belgorod in summer 1943 and Kremenchug in winter. The division distinguished itself at Cherkassy in early 1944, earning another Wehrmachtbericht mention on 19 January 1944. Postel was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 26 March 1944 as the 57th recipient for these campaigns. Superiors such as General der Panzertruppe Nikolaus von Vormann, General der Infanterie Otto Wohler, and Generaloberst Ferdinand Schorner commended his initiative, bravery, and troop leadership, recommending him for higher command.

Transferred to the OKH leader reserve on 10 July 1944, Postel assumed command of the XXX Army Corps in Romania on 16 July 1944. Following Romania's defection to the Allies and the collapse of German lines, he led the corps, along with the 306th and 15th Infantry Divisions and the 13th Panzer Division, in sacrificial battles against superior Soviet forces. He was severely wounded on 31 August 1944 at the Pruth River in Bessarabia, suffering a lung puncture and right arm fracture, and was captured by the Red Army on 30 August 1944. The Wehrmachtbericht additions on 31 August 1944 noted his heroic efforts. Evaluations from General der Artillerie Maximilian Fretter-Pico and Generaloberst Johannes Friessner highlighted his value as a leader. In Soviet captivity, Postel joined the Bund deutscher Offiziere and the Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland, signing the "Appeal to People and Wehrmacht" in early December 1944. He was held in various camps, including NKWD Camp Number 160 in Suzdal, Number 74 in Oranki, Number 48 in Cerny, Leznevo, Number 62 in Kiev, Number 149 in Kharkov, special hospital Number 5351 in Nowotscherkask, and Prison Number 1 in Kharkov. On 4 June 1949, he was sentenced to 25 years of forced labor by the Military Court of the Kharkov Military District as a war criminal. Postel died of lung tuberculosis on 20 September 1953 in the hospital of Prison Camp Schachty 8108 in the Soviet Union and was buried in the local cemetery (Row 3, Grave 14). His name is commemorated at the German War Cemetery in Krasnodar-Apscheronsk, though his remains were not transferred.

Throughout his career, Postel received numerous decorations beyond his Knight's Cross upgrades, including the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class (10 July 1941), First Class (17 August 1941), German Cross in Gold (28 February 1942), Wound Badge in Silver, Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, Eastern Front Medal, and various Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (4th to 1st Class for 4 to 25 years). He was also awarded the Honor Cross for Front Fighters and the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords. Postel's leadership was consistently rated highly in evaluations, emphasizing his tactical skill, personal bravery, and ability to maintain unit morale under extreme conditions, though his postwar fate reflected the broader reckoning faced by many Wehrmacht officers in Soviet captivity.

Source :
Thomas, Franz. Die Eichenlaubtrager 1939-1945 Band 2: L-Z. Osnabruck, Germany: Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001.
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939-1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbundeter Streitkrifte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, 2007.
Websites:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg-Wilhelm_Postel
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/16028/Postel-Georg-Wilhelm.htm
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29879&start=2160
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/P/PostelGW-R.htm
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=profile&id=693
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/postel-georg-wilhelm
https://alchetron.com/Georg-Wilhelm-Postel 
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-n-r/