The The Surrender of General von Choltitz and the Liberation of Paris

General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered to Général de brigade Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (Commander 2e Division Blindée), 25 August 1944. On 7 August previously he was appointed as Kommandierenden General und Wehrmachtbefehlshaber von Groß-Paris (Military Governor of Paris). At a meeting in Germany the following day, Hitler instructed him to be prepared to leave no Parisian religious building or historical monument standing. After Choltitz's arrival in Paris on 9 August, Hitler confirmed the order by cable: "The city must not fall into the enemy's hand except lying in complete rubble." A week later Hitler, in a rage, screamed, "Brennt Paris?" (Is Paris burning?).

On 15 August 1944, the Paris police went on strike, followed on 19 August by a general insurrection led by the French Communist Party. The German garrison under Choltitz fought back but was far too small to quell the uprising. He brokered a ceasefire with the insurgents on 20 August, but many Resistance groups did not accept it, and a series of skirmishes continued on the next day. On 25 August, Choltitz surrendered the German garrison of 17,000 men to the Free French, leaving the city largely intact. Because Hitler's directive was not carried out, Choltitz has been described by some as the "Saviour of Paris". General von Choltitz later claimed in his memoir of 1951 that he defied Hitler's order to destroy Paris because he loved the city and had decided that Hitler was by then insane.

It is known that the Swedish consul-general in Paris, Raoul Nordling, and the president of the municipal council, Pierre Taittinger, held several meetings with Choltitz, during which he negotiated the release of political prisoners. The all-night confrontation between Nordling and Choltitz on the eve of the surrender, as depicted in the 1965 book and 1966 film, Is Paris Burning?, and again in the 2014 film Diplomacy — in which Nordling persuades Choltitz to spare the city in return for a pledge to protect his family — was reported as factual in some newspaper stories, but lacks a definitive historical basis.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_von_Choltitz
https://wtop.com/europe/2019/05/rare-color-footage-brings-d-day-memories-alive-75-years-on/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbBA77lgbak

General der Fallschirmtruppe Eugen Meindl (1892-1951)

Eugen Albert Max Meindl was a German general who commanded paratrooper forces in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Born on 16 July 1892 in Donaueschingen in the Grand Duchy of Baden, he enlisted in the Imperial German Army in 1912 as an artillery officer candidate. Commissioned as a Leutnant in 1914, he served with distinction on the western front throughout the First World War, rising to battery command and staff roles while earning both classes of the Iron Cross and several other Imperial decorations. After the war he remained in the Reichswehr, holding successive artillery commands, staff positions in the Reichswehrministerium, and instructional duties at the artillery school in Juterbog. By the late 1930s he had transferred to mountain artillery and took command of Gebirgs Artillerie Regiment 112 of the 3. Gebirgs Division in November 1938.

Meindl saw action in the Polish campaign before participating in the Norwegian campaign of 1940. As an Oberst he led Gruppe Meindl and volunteered for an improvised parachute insertion to reinforce German forces at Narvik, executing his first jump without formal training. This experience paved the way for his transfer to the Luftwaffe in November 1940, where he assumed command of the Luftlande Sturm Regiment 1. During the airborne invasion of Crete on 20 May 1941 his regiment formed Group West and assaulted the vital Maleme airfield. Descending under heavy fire from New Zealand and Greek defenders, Meindl was severely wounded in the chest by machine gun fire shortly after landing near the Platanias bridge. Refusing evacuation he continued to direct operations from a stretcher, coordinating flanking attacks on Hill 107 and close quarters assaults that ultimately secured the airfield despite heavy casualties. This decisive action enabled the German victory on the island and earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 June 1941.

After recovering from his wounds Meindl commanded Luftwaffen Division Meindl on the eastern front in 1942, where he stabilized defensive lines in the Demjansk and Kholm sectors amid harsh winter conditions and partisan threats. He later led XIII Fliegerkorps and I Luftwaffen Feldkorps before being appointed commanding general of II Fallschirmkorps in November 1943. In Normandy from June 1944 his corps, particularly the 3. Fallschirmjager Division, engaged in bitter hedgerow fighting around Carentan and St Lo. Under relentless Allied air and artillery bombardment the paratroopers constructed tenacious defensive positions and launched sharp counterattacks that inflicted significant casualties on American forces. During the collapse triggered by Operation Cobra and the Falaise Pocket encirclement in August 1944, Meindl orchestrated a skillful fighting withdrawal. He personally led assault groups through enemy territory to keep escape corridors open, enabling thousands of troops to break out eastward. For this leadership he received the Eichenlaub on 31 August 1944.

In the final months of the war II Fallschirmkorps under Meindl conducted rearguard actions in the Reichswald, around Kleve and Goch, and at the Wesel bridgehead on the Rhine. Facing overwhelming Allied superiority in men, armor and air power his troops used urban ruins and river lines for ambushes and delaying actions. In early March 1945 Meindl assumed direct command of the Wesel bridgehead, organizing an orderly evacuation across the Rhine that preserved much of his remaining forces. His corps continued fighting until surrendering near Grossbrekendorf in Schleswig in early May 1945. A nomination for the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz was submitted in April 1945 for these final defensive achievements and is recognized by some sources as awarded on 8 May 1945. After the war he was held as a prisoner until 1947.

Meindl was widely known among his troops as Papa Meindl for his paternal leadership style and genuine concern for their welfare, qualities that helped maintain morale in some of the most intense fighting of the war. He survived the conflict and settled in Munich, where he died on 24 January 1951 at the age of fifty eight. Throughout his career he exemplified the adaptable artillery officer who successfully transitioned to elite airborne command, earning respect across Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe lines for his tactical competence and personal bravery under fire. His actions in Crete, Normandy and the final defensive battles highlighted the determination of German parachute forces even against overwhelming odds.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Meindl
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/24875/Meindl-Eugen-Albert-Max.htm
https://grokipedia.com/page/Eugen_Meindl
https://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/General%20der%20Fallschirmtruppe%20Eugen%20Meindl.htm
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/meindl-eugen-papa/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://web.archive.org/web/... geocities orion47 biographical archives
Scherzer, Veit. Die ritterkreuztrager 1939-1945.

General der Panzertruppe Fritz-Hubert Gräser (1888-1960)

Fritz-Hubert Gräser was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born on 3 January 1888 in Frankfurt an der Oder in the German Empire, he came from a military family as the son of a Prussian captain who later became a general lieutenant. Gräser entered the army in February 1907 as a cadet and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Grenadier Regiment Prinz Carl von Preußen No. 12 in his hometown the following year. He served as an adjutant before the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the Western Front, where he was promoted to first lieutenant in 1914 and captain in 1915. During the conflict, he held various staff positions, including roles with Austro-Hungarian army groups on the Eastern Front and as first general staff officer in a reserve division, earning multiple decorations for his service including Iron Crosses of both classes.

After the armistice, Gräser was briefly involved in border protection duties before being discharged from the army in 1920. He then worked as a landowner near Reppen and managed a motor vehicle company in Frankfurt an der Oder during the Weimar years. Recalled to service in 1932 as a land protection officer, he was reactivated in the expanding army and progressed through command roles, leading a machine gun battalion and eventually an infantry regiment. By 1939, as colonel, he commanded Infantry Regiment 29, which he led during the invasion of Poland and the campaign in the West. His regiment distinguished itself in the Battle of France, particularly during the crossing of the Aisne River in June 1940, where Gräser personally inspired his troops amid heavy resistance and artillery fire, overcoming multiple crises including a French counterattack with tanks. For these actions he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in July 1940.

Gräser's unit participated in Operation Barbarossa in 1941, where he was severely wounded in July, resulting in the amputation of his left leg and damage to his right knee. Despite these injuries, he recovered and was promoted to major general while in the Führer Reserve. In March 1943 he assumed command of the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division as lieutenant general and led it effectively on the Italian front, notably in the recapture and defense of Aprilia against Allied forces near Anzio in early 1944, actions for which he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross in June 1944. His leadership involved mobile defense and counterattacks that inflicted significant losses on opposing armored units. Later in 1944, he successively took temporary command of the XXIV Panzer Corps and then the XLVIII Panzer Corps before being promoted to general of panzer troops and given command of the 4th Panzer Army in September 1944.

As commander of the 4th Panzer Army, Gräser oversaw operations on the Eastern Front, including efforts to contain Soviet bridgeheads along the Vistula River and defensive actions in Silesia and the Upper Lusatia region. In the spring of 1945, his forces engaged in the Battle of Bautzen, where German units under his overall direction achieved a tactical success against Soviet and Polish forces, though at high cost. His army, incorporating elite formations such as the Hermann Göring Parachute Panzer Division and the Brandenburg Panzergrenadier Division, conducted counterattacks amid the collapsing German position. Gräser issued motivational orders emphasizing retaliation against advancing Soviet troops, and postwar accounts have examined incidents of violence against prisoners and medical personnel during these final battles. He remained in command until the unconditional surrender in May 1945.

Following the end of the war, Gräser was taken into American captivity along with remnants of his army and was released in June 1947. He settled in Göttingen in West Germany, where he lived quietly after his military career. He passed away on 4 November 1960 at the age of 72 and was buried in the Stadtfriedhof in Göttingen alongside his wife Edelgard. His son, a lieutenant, had been killed in action on the Eastern Front in 1941. Gräser's military record included additional honors such as the German Cross in Gold and multiple wound badges, reflecting a career that spanned both world wars and culminated in high-level armored command during the defense of the Reich.

Throughout his service, Gräser was noted for leading from the front in earlier campaigns and for his organizational skills in managing depleted formations during the later stages of World War II. His progression from infantry regimental command to army-level leadership illustrated the Wehrmacht's reliance on experienced officers amid mounting losses. While recognized with the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves in the final days of the war, the award's formal presentation remains a subject of historical discussion regarding its authorization. Gräser's life exemplified the trajectory of many professional German officers who transitioned from the imperial army through the interwar period into the expansive conflicts of the mid-20th century.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz-Hubert_Gräser  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/5357/Gr%C3%A4ser-Fritz-Hubert-General-der-Panzertruppe.htm  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/graser-fritz-hubert/  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/ (general Wehrmacht officer references)  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html  
https://forum.axishistory.com/ (discussions on spelling and career details)  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.geni.com/ (family connections)  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945. Jena 2007.  
Patzwall, Klaus D. / Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945. Norderstedt 2001.  
Thomas, Franz. Die Eichenlaubträger 1939-1945. Osnabrück 1997.  

General der Panzertruppe Karl Decker (1897-1945)

Karl Gustav Adolf Decker was a German general in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War who rose to the rank of general der panzertruppe. Born on 30 November 1897 in Borntin in farther pomerania as the son of an officer he entered military service as a volunteer on 3 August 1914 shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. He saw his first combat in east prussia and earned rapid promotion to officer candidate for bravery before the enemy. By 1915 he fought in poland russia and courland before serving as a platoon leader in a machine gun unit after attending the field war school of the eighth army. Transferred to the western front in 1917 he participated in the battle of lys as a battalion adjutant and later served as a weapons instructor at the infantry school in döberitz in 1918. After the armistice he was accepted into the reichswehr where he gained experience in cavalry and early armored units serving with jäger regiments and the sixth cavalry regiment.

Decker steadily advanced through the interwar ranks becoming rittmeister in 1931 major in 1936 and oberstleutnant in 1939. He commanded the 38th armored detachment in mühlhausen which was subordinated to the second panzer division during the invasion of poland in 1939 where his forces engaged near kraków and the jabłonka pass. In the battle of france in 1940 he led a battalion of panzer regiment 3 fighting at the maas river near sedan saint quentin and abbeville demonstrating skill in armored breakthroughs. During the balkans campaign in 1941 his regiment advanced through yugoslavia and northern greece occupying athens and crossing the corinth canal. On 18 april 1941 decker distinguished himself at the head of kampfgruppe balck by forcing a crossing of the pinios river breaking through australian and new zealand fortified lines and thrusting toward larissa. This action forced the enemy to abandon the olympus position. His earlier smashing of yugoslav defenses in the strumica basin also enabled the division drive to salonika. For these feats he received the knights cross of the iron cross on 13 june 1941.

Following the balkans decker commanded panzer regiment 3 at the start of operation barbarossa earning the german cross in gold in august 1942. In april 1943 he assumed command of the fifth panzer division a silesian formation. He led the division with distinction in defensive operations on the eastern front particularly during the winter and spring of 1944. North of rogachev in late february 1944 soviet forces penetrated the line and decker committed his units piecemeal to stabilize the front. When three soviet divisions attacked he rushed reserves heavy antitank guns and pioneers to a threatened sector along the pruth river personally directing the defense from the foremost line and repelling repeated assaults until reinforcements arrived. His division later participated in relief operations at kovel establishing contact with outer strongpoints and capturing villages northwest of the fortress on 5 april 1944. These actions earned him the oak leaves to the knights cross on 4 may 1944 and promotion to generalleutnant. The fifth panzer division received multiple mentions in the wehrmachtbericht under his leadership for its fighting spirit in battles southwest of kaunas and north of the memel.

In late 1944 decker was promoted to general der panzertruppe on 27 december and took command of the thirty ninth panzer corps attached to the third panzer army. The corps transferred to the western front in early 1945 where it conducted delaying actions against american forces in the uelzen area and alsace. Subordinated to army group b the formation became trapped in the ruhr pocket amid overwhelming allied pressure fuel shortages and constant air attacks. Despite fierce resistance and attempts at breakout the pocket collapsed in april 1945. On 21 april 1945 decker committed suicide near groß brunsrode in lower saxony to avoid capture as his forces faced total encirclement. Some sources indicate he was recommended for or posthumously awarded the swords to the knights cross with oak leaves around 26 april 1945 recognizing his final leadership in the desperate defense.

Throughout his career decker was noted for leading from the front combining personal courage with tactical competence in both offensive maneuvers and tenacious defensive fighting. From the mobile campaigns of 1939 to 1941 to the attritional battles on the eastern front and the collapse in the west he exemplified the professional wehrmacht officer dedicated to duty amid increasingly hopeless conditions. His decorations reflected repeated recognition for decisive actions that stabilized critical sectors or accelerated advances against determined opposition. Decker remained a frontline commander until the end never seeking rear echelon positions even as germany position deteriorated. His death at age 47 marked the end of a military life that spanned two world wars and the transformation of the german army from cavalry traditions to panzer warfare.

Decker place in history rests among the capable panzer leaders of the wehrmacht whose skills prolonged german resistance but could not alter the strategic outcome of the war. His service illustrated the demands placed on mid level and senior officers in mechanized operations across diverse theaters from the mountains of greece to the plains of russia and the industrial ruhr. Postwar accounts highlight his professionalism and the respect he earned from subordinates for his steady command under fire. Though little personal detail survives about his family or private life his military record stands as a testament to the experiences of a generation of german officers shaped by the conflicts of the twentieth century.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Decker
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/3351/Decker-Karl-Gustav-Adolf.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://grokipedia.com/page/karl_decker
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General/DECKER_KARL.html (archived)
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.

Generalmajor Hermann-Heinrich Behrend (1898-1987)

Hermann-Heinrich Behrend was a German general during World War II who rose to the rank of generalmajor in the Heer. Born on 25 August 1898 in Perleberg, Brandenburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, he became a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest decorations awarded by Nazi Germany. His military career spanned both world wars, marked by consistent frontline leadership, tactical initiative, and resilience in encirclement situations. Behrend served primarily on the Eastern Front during the Second World War before commanding a division in the final defensive battles in northwest Germany. He died on 19 June 1987 in Soltau, West Germany, at the age of 88.

Behrend enlisted as a war volunteer in the Imperial German Army on 1 June 1915 at the age of sixteen, joining Füsilier-Regiment 90 and deploying to the Eastern Front. After a brief period with Infanterie-Regiment 43, he gained rapid promotions through demonstrated competence under fire, advancing to gefreiter in January 1916, unteroffizier in March 1916, fähnrich in February 1917, and leutnant in April 1917. He served in various roles including company officer, ordinance officer, and machine-gun platoon and company leader. His World War I service earned him the Iron Cross second class in June 1917 and first class in November 1918, along with the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross second class in January 1918 and the Wound Badge in black. After the armistice he participated in volunteer formations before retiring from active service in March 1920.

Reentering the Reichswehr in January 1924 as a leutnant with Infanterie-Regiment 1, Behrend undertook extensive training and staff roles, including signals and pioneer detachments and officer courses in Dresden. He progressed steadily through company commands in several infantry regiments, reaching hauptmann in September 1933. A riding accident forced his temporary retirement in January 1937, after which he worked as a defense representative at Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in Berlin. Recalled to service in 1939 as a supplemental officer, he directed noncommissioned officer courses before assuming command of the first battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 489 in the 269th Infantry Division upon mobilization.

During the 1939 Polish Campaign and 1940 Western Campaign, Behrend earned clasps to both classes of the Iron Cross. His most notable early World War II action came on the opening day of Operation Barbarossa, 22 June 1941. As major commanding his battalion on the left flank near Tauroggen in Lithuania, Behrend advanced ahead of schedule at around 3:05 a.m. to exploit morning fog and the dust of the German artillery barrage. His troops rapidly penetrated ten kilometers of fortified Soviet lines, seized a key railway viaduct over the Jeziorupa River within thirty minutes, cleared the southern sector of the town despite sniper and grenade resistance, and neutralized a motorized battery. By 6:30 a.m. they had secured the eastern part of Tauroggen, enabling a larger kampfgruppe breakthrough. For this decisive leadership from the front he received the Knight's Cross on 15 July 1941 as the 353rd recipient.

Behrend was wounded near Krasnogvardeisk in September 1941 and later held various staff and security commands in Ukraine and Norway. Promoted to oberst, he took command of Grenadier-Regiment 154 in the 58th Infantry Division in late 1943. In early February 1944 west of Luga his regiment became encircled for three days by a full Soviet division while partisan forces cut supply lines. Behrend maintained cohesion, integrated reconnaissance elements for counterattacks, secured much of Potschap village, and executed a nighttime breakout across the Pljussa River under darkness. This successful extrication preserved the regiment's fighting strength and earned him the Oak Leaves on 6 March 1944 as the 421st recipient, presented personally by Adolf Hitler later that April.

In April 1945 Behrend was promoted to generalmajor and assumed command of the improvised 490th Infantry Division on the Western Front. Positioned along the Fladder Canal with limited resources and mixed troops including Volkssturm, the division faced advancing American armored forces. Behrend emphasized close-quarters anti-tank defense with Panzerfausts. He personally destroyed an Allied tank at close range during intense fighting, rallied his men, and organized a breakout that accounted for fourteen Sherman tanks destroyed mostly by infantry ambushes. Elements of the division temporarily recaptured Sage airfield in a counterattack. These actions, which delayed the enemy advance despite overwhelming odds, brought him the Swords on 26 April 1945 as the 148th recipient and a mention in the Wehrmachtbericht. Captured by British forces at the end of the war, Behrend was released from captivity in May 1947 and lived quietly afterward, working as a farmer in the Soltau area.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann-Heinrich_Behrend
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/B/BehrendHH.htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28334/Behrend-Hermann-Heinrich.htm
https://grokipedia.com/page/hermann_heinrich_behrend
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor/BEHREND_HERMANN.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/

Major Werner Schröer (1918-1985)

Werner schröer was a german military aviator and fighter ace in the luftwaffe during the second world war. He was credited with one hundred fourteen aerial victories achieved in only one hundred ninety seven combat missions. The majority of his claims were scored against western allied aircraft including sixty one in north africa and twenty two over italy with an additional twelve victories claimed on the eastern front. Among his successes were twenty six four engined heavy bombers. He rose to the rank of major and ended the war as geschwaderkommodore of jagdgeschwader three udet. Schröer received the knight's cross of the iron cross with oak leaves and swords for his leadership and combat performance across multiple theaters.

Born on twelve february nineteen eighteen in mülheim an der ruhr in the rhine province schröer was the son of friedrich johann schröer and his wife maria née schmitz. He attended school from nineteen twenty four until nineteen thirty seven graduating with his abitur. After completing compulsory reichsarbeitsdienst service he joined the luftwaffe in nineteen thirty seven initially serving as ground personnel. His recruit training began on three november nineteen thirty seven with the fourth company of flieger ersatz abteilung twenty four in quakenbrück. He progressed through various ground and training units before beginning flight training and later fighter pilot instruction. Schröer was promoted to gefreiter in nineteen thirty eight and to unteroffizier in nineteen thirty nine eventually reaching feldwebel by december of that year.

Schröer joined jagdgeschwader twenty seven in nineteen forty and flew his first combat missions during the battle of britain though without confirmed victories at that stage. In march nineteen forty one his unit transferred to north africa to support the afrika korps under erwin rommel. On nineteen april nineteen forty one he claimed his first victory a hawker hurricane near tobruk but was himself shot down and forced to make an emergency landing with his messerschmitt bf one zero nine riddled by bullets. Early scoring proved slow as he adapted to the vast desert skies and skilled royal air force opponents. His progress accelerated dramatically after he was appointed staffelkapitän of the eighth staffel of the third group of jagdgeschwader twenty seven in june nineteen forty two. In july he recorded sixteen victories often in fierce dogfights over the gazala line and during the advance toward el alamein where swirling combats involved hurricanes curtiss p forty tomahawks and kittyhawks.

His most remarkable day came on fifteen september nineteen forty two during heavy air battles over el alamein when schröer claimed six royal air force fighters in a single mission bringing his total close to fifty. These intense engagements unfolded amid contrails and smoke trails as german bf one zero nine fighters clashed repeatedly with determined british and commonwealth squadrons attempting to regain air superiority. By twenty october nineteen forty two after adding fifteen more victories including a hurricane or p forty southwest of deir el tarfa he reached forty nine confirmed claims. For these achievements as leutnant and staffelführer he was awarded the knight's cross of the iron cross. On four november he intercepted us army air forces b twenty four liberators raiding benghazi downing one for his sixtieth victory. His sixty first and final north african claim came on sixteen november a p forty south of tecis just before the axis retreat. With sixty one victories in africa he ranked as the second highest scoring german ace in the desert campaign after hans joachim marseille.

Following the evacuation from north africa schröer continued operations over sicily and southern italy during the allied invasion of sicily. Promoted to hauptmann he assumed command of the second group of jagdgeschwader twenty seven in april nineteen forty three. Between april and july nineteen forty three his pilots faced overwhelming allied air power including large formations of boeing b seventeen flying fortresses and b twenty four liberators escorted by lockheed p thirty eight lightnings and other fighters. Schröer personally claimed around twenty two additional victories in this period including twelve four engined bombers. These high altitude intercepts over the mediterranean and italian coastline demanded precise head on attacks or diving passes to disrupt bomber boxes while evading escorts. For his continued success and steady leadership against superior numbers he received the oak leaves to the knight's cross on two august nineteen forty three as the two hundred sixty eighth recipient after approximately eighty four or eighty five victories.

In the final phase of the war schröer commanded the third group of jagdgeschwader fifty four before being appointed geschwaderkommodore of jagdgeschwader three udet on fourteen february nineteen forty five. Operating in the desperate defense of eastern germany during the soviet oder offensive he claimed twelve soviet aircraft including il two sturmoviks and yak fighters in low level highly dangerous missions amid intense anti aircraft fire and numerical inferiority. These actions pushed his total past one hundred ten victories. On nineteen april nineteen forty five following his one hundred tenth confirmed claim he was awarded the swords to the knight's cross with oak leaves as the one hundred forty fourth recipient. Schröer survived the war and was held in british captivity until seven february nineteen forty six.

After his release schröer initially worked as a taxi driver in frankfurt while studying to earn a diplom kaufmann degree in business administration. He later lived and worked in rome italy for eleven years with his family. Upon returning to germany he joined the aviation industry and served as head of the central protocol department at messerschmitt bölkow blohm in ottobrunn until retirement. In nineteen sixty eight he adjusted the spelling of his surname to schröer with the umlaut. Werner schröer died on ten february nineteen eighty five in ottobrunn two days before his sixty seventh birthday and was buried with military honors at the parkfriedhof cemetery there. His career exemplified the skill adaptability and resilience required of luftwaffe fighter pilots who operated across vastly different theaters under increasingly difficult conditions.

Source :
Obermaier, Ernst: Die ritterkreuzträger der luftwaffe 1939-1945, band i: jagdflieger  
Spick, Mike: Luftwaffe fighter aces  
Zabecki, David T. (editor): World war ii in europe, an encyclopedia  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/werner_schröer  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/26616/schroer-werner.htm  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/ (general luftwaffe officer references)  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
https://aircrewremembered.com/krackerdatabase/  
https://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html  
https://aufhimmelzuhause.com/id240.htm  
https://luftwaffeinprofile.se/  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/schroer-werner/  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.geni.com/ (family name basics)  
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html

Generalmajor Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski (1899-1966)

Hermann leopold august von oppeln-bronikowski was a german army officer and olympic equestrian champion who rose to the rank of generalmajor during the second world war. Born on 2 january 1899 in berlin into a prussian noble family with deep military roots his father was a general of the infantry. He entered cadet school in 1912 first at bensberg and later at gross-lichterfelde. During the first world war he volunteered for frontline service and was commissioned as a leutnant in late 1917. He fought on the western front with infantry regiment prince carl no. 118 earning both classes of the iron cross 1914 by october 1918 at a young age. After the war he continued his career in the reichswehr transitioning through various cavalry and infantry postings while steadily advancing in rank.

In parallel with his military duties von oppeln-bronikowski excelled in competitive dressage. He represented germany at the 1936 summer olympics in berlin where he contributed to the team gold medal riding the east prussian gelding gimpel. The horse had previously helped secure gold in 1928. Individually he placed tenth. His horsemanship and cavalry background later informed his reputation as a bold and energetic commander once the wehrmacht began emphasizing armored warfare. By 1939 he had reached the rank of major and commanded the reconnaissance battalion of the 24th infantry division during the invasion of poland. For his performance he received the 1939 clasps to both classes of the iron cross.

With the expansion of the panzer forces von oppeln-bronikowski transferred to armored units in 1941. He commanded panzer-regiment 35 then panzer-regiment 204 of the 22nd panzer division on the eastern front. In the desperate winter fighting of 1942-43 near army group don his kampfgruppe conducted aggressive counterattacks that helped delay soviet encirclement efforts connected to stalingrad destroying hundreds of enemy tanks and guns despite heavy losses. On 1 january 1943 he was awarded the knight's cross of the iron cross as an oberst. He later commanded panzer-regiment 11 with the 6th panzer division and earned the german cross in gold in august 1943 before being wounded.

In 1944 von oppeln-bronikowski took command of panzer-regiment 22 within the 21st panzer division stationed in normandy. On 6 june he led immediate counterattacks against the allied landings pushing some elements toward the coast although superior numbers and air power forced withdrawals. His regiment held defensive lines around caen for roughly a month under intense pressure. For these actions he received the oak leaves to the knight's cross on 28 july 1944 as the 536th recipient. Described by contemporaries as exuberant and dashing he was known for his frontline leadership style though occasional tensions with superiors arose linked to his personal habits including drinking.

By late 1944 he prepared to assume command of the 20th panzer division on the eastern front. Promoted to generalmajor with effect from 1 january 1945 he led the division during the final defensive battles in silesia. His forces conducted counterattacks near the oder river defended neisse opened a temporary corridor toward breslau and relieved encircled troops at bautzen freeing around 1 200 soldiers. For his leadership in these actions he was awarded the swords to the knight's cross with oak leaves on 17 april 1945 as the 142nd recipient. On 8 may 1945 upon hearing of the unconditional surrender he dissolved the division in orderly fashion allowing small groups to attempt breakout toward american lines. He was taken prisoner shortly afterward and after interrogation and a period of internment was released in 1947 classified as innocent.

After the war von oppeln-bronikowski worked as a civil engineering consultant and participated in early planning for the reconstruction of the west german bundeswehr. He remained active in equestrian circles serving as a riding instructor and helping prepare the canadian dressage team for the 1964 tokyo olympics. He was also interviewed by author cornelius ryan during research for the book the longest day. Hermann von oppeln-bronikowski died of a heart attack on 19 september 1966 in gaissach bavaria at the age of 67. He was survived by his wife edelgard von kleist whom he had married in 1931 and their three children. His career bridged the old prussian cavalry tradition olympic achievement and the mechanized battles of the second world war marking him as one of the more colorful and capable panzer leaders of his generation.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_von_Oppeln-Bronikowski
https://gmic.co.uk/topic/85662-oppeln-bronikowski-hermann-von/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/12987/Oppeln-Bronikowski-von-Hermann-Leopold-August.htm
https://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2015/10/generalmajor-hermann-von-oppeln.html
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-n-r/