Walter Weiß
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Walter Weiß | |
---|---|
Born | Tilsit, Province of East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russian Federation | 5 September 1890
Died | 21 December 1967 Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, West Germany | (aged 77)
Allegiance | German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
Years of service | 1908–45 |
Rank | Generaloberst |
Commands held | 26. Infanterie Division Second Army Army Group North |
Battles/wars | First World War Second World war |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
General Walter-Otto Weiß, also spelt Weiss (5 September 1890 – 21 December 1967), was a Wehrmacht High Command officer in the Second World War. In 1945 he became Commander in Chief of Army Group North on the Eastern Front. He was 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 with Oak Leaves was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Career
Weiss was born in Tilsit, East Prussia[1] and joined the Army on 19 March 1908. At the beginning of the Second World War, during the Polish Campaign, he was given command of I. Armee-Korps, holding the position chief of the general staff, and was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 September. On 15 December 1940 he took command of the 97. Leichten Division, and on 15 January 1941 command of the 26. Infanterie-Division. This Division was subordinated to Army Group Centre and participated in Operation Barbarossa. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1942, Weiss took command of the XXVII. Armee-Korps on 1 July 1942. Again promoted on 1 September 1942, to General der Infanterie, Weiss led the German 2nd Army on the Eastern Front from 3 February 1943 on. He received command of Heeresgruppe Nord on 12 March 1945. At the end of the war he was taken prisoner and held in American captivity until 1948.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1914)
- Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decoration
- Gallipoli Star
- The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4th to 1st Class
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Eastern Front Medal
- Officer Cross of the Bulgarian Order of Military Merit with Swords
- German Cross in Gold on 19 February 1943 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the XXVII. Armeekorps[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 12 September 1941 as Generalmajor and commander of the 26.Infanterie-Division[4]
- 646th Oak Leaves on 5 November 1944 as Generaloberst and Commander-in-Chief of the 2. Armee[4]
- Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht (6 April 1944 and 2 November 1944)
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
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suggested) (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.
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: 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.
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suggested) (help) - Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
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Template:KCwithOL Template:Knight's Cross recipients of the 26th ID
- 1890 births
- 1967 deaths
- Colonel generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht)
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht
- People from Tilsit
- People from East Prussia
- German military personnel of World War I
- Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
- Officers of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)
- Reichswehr personnel