Erich Abraham

For the Wehrmacht soldier, see Erich Abraham (soldier).

Erich Abraham
Erich Abraham
Birth name	Erich Gottfried Abraham
Born	(1895-03-27)27 March 1895 Marienburg, Province of West Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire now Malbork, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Died	7 March 1971(1971-03-07) (aged 75) Wiesbaden, Hesse, West Germany
Buried	Südfriedhof in Wiesbaden
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	76. Infanterie-Division LXIII. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Erich Gottfried Abraham (27 March 1895 – 7 March 1971) was a German General der Infanterie (Lieutenant General) who command the 76th Infantry Division then the LXIII Corps on the Eastern Front during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Biography

Abraham was born in Marienburg, East Prussia in 1895. He volunteered for military service after the outbreak of World War I and the following year was commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve. He was demobilised in 1920 as an honorary Oberleutnant, and joined the police. He returned to military service in 1935 in the rank of Major, He commanded an infantry battalion in the 105th Infantry Regiment in 1936–39, being promoted to Oberstleutnant in 1938. In 1939, he was transferred to the 266th Infantry Regiment, again commanding a battalion for a year. In 1940 he was appointed as the commanding officer of the 230th Infantry Regiment, and in 1941 was promoted to Oberst, continuing in command of that regiment until 1942. During his time in command of the 230th Infantry Regiment, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On 17 February 1943 he was appointed to command the 76th Infantry Division which was being rebuilt in France after the original division had been destroyed at Stalingrad. He was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 June 1943, after which he led the division initially to Italy before being moved to Army Group South on the Eastern Front during the winter of 1943–44. On 1 January 1944, Abraham was promoted to Generalleutnant. He continued to command the division in heavy fighting and during the withdrawal in the face of the Red Army Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, and other than for a short time in July-August, commanded the division until October 1944. While commanding the division, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Later that year he was appointed to command LXIII Corps. In March 1945 he was promoted to General der Infanterie. Captured at the end of the war, he was released in August 1947. After release he lived in Wiesbaden, West Germany. He died in 1971.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (2 September 1915)
  • 1st Class (27 June 1917)
• Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration (20 March 1917)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (1 December 1934)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 2nd Class (2 October 1936)
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (10 March 1940)
  • 1st Class (21 June 1940)
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (Romania, 22 June 1942)
• Infantry Assault Badge (13 November 1942)
• German Cross in Gold on 7 March 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 230
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 13 November 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 230
  • 516th Oak Leaves on 26 June 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 76. Infanterie-Division

References

Bibliography

• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle: 1st-290th Infantry divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3416-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2008). Panzer Commanders of the Western Front: German Tank Generals in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-4922-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1987). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 1: A–Be (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1153-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)