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121st Infantry Division (Germany)
The 121st Infantry Division () was a German Wehrmacht division in World War II. It was a part of the German XXVIII Army Corps. In September 1941 the formation, on arriving in Pavlovsk, Saint Petersburg; engaged in the siege of Leningrad. By October 1941 it was down to 40% of its authorized strength and 3 infantry battalions had to be disbanded due to high casualties. In 1944 it was involved in the retreat from Leningrad through the Baltic states wherein it fought in the Battle of Pskov. It remained in the Courland pocket until the end of the war. In the winter of 1943/44, the Blue Legion of Spanish volunteers (formerly part of the Blue Division, dissovled in late 1943) was initially attached to the 121st Division before its dissolution in March 1944. Commanding officers *General der Artillerie Curt Jahn, 5 October 1940 – 6 May 1941 *Generalleutnant Otto Lancelle, 6 May 1941 – 3 July 1941 *General der Artillerie Martin Wandel, 8 July 1941 – 11 Nov 1942 *General der I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Army (Wehrmacht)
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the German Air Force, ''Luftwaffe'' (German Air Force). , the German Army had a strength of 63,047 soldiers. History Overview A German army equipped, organized, and trained following a single doctrine and permanently unified under one command was created in 1871 during the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia. From 1871 to 1919, the title ''German Army (German Empire), Deutsches Heer'' (German Army) was the official name of the German land forces. Following the German defeat in World War I and the end of the German Empire, the main army was dissolved. From 1921 to 1935 the name of the German land forces was the ''Reichswehr, Reichsheer'' (Army of the Realm) and from 1935 to 1945 the name ''German Army (We ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Division
The 250th Infantry Division (), better known as the Blue Division (, ), was a unit of volunteers from Francoist Spain operating from 1941 to 1943 within the German Army () on the Eastern Front during World War II. It was officially designated the Spanish Volunteer Division () by the Spanish Army. Francisco Franco had secured power in Spain after the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), during which the Nationalists received support from Nazi Germany. Franco's authoritarian regime remained officially non-belligerent in World War II but sympathised with the Axis powers. After lobbying by the Spanish Foreign Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer and by senior figures within the Spanish Army following the 22 June 1941 launch of Operation Barbarossa, Franco agreed that Spanish people would be permitted to enlist privately in the German Army and undertook to provide tacit support. An infantry division was raised from Falangist and Spanish Army cadres and was sent f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infantry Divisions Of Germany During World War II
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadly encompasses a wide variety of subspecialties, including light infantry, irregular infantry, heavy infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry, mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and naval infantry. Other subtypes of infantry, such as line infantry and mounted infantry, were once commonplace but fell out of favor in the 1800s with the invention of more accurate and powerful weapons. Etymology and terminology In English, use of the term ''infantry'' began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French , from older Italian (also Spanish) ''infanteria'' (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin '' īnfāns'' (without speech, newbo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Werner Ranck
__NOTOC__ Werner Karl Otto Leopold Ranck (25 October 1904 – 7 December 1989) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by for successful military leadership. Ranck, promoted to Generalleutnant in April 1945, surrendered to the Soviet forces in May 1945 in the Courland Pocket. Routinely convicted as a "war criminal" in the Soviet Union, he was held until 1955. Promotions * 1 April 1924 Kandidat (Officer Candadate) * 1 July 1925 Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (Officer Candidate with Lance Corporal rank) * 1 November 1925 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank) * 1 September 1926 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet) * 10 August 1927 Oberfähnrich (Senior Officer Cadet) with effect from 1 August 1927 * 20 December 1927 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with effect from 1 December 1927 * 1 August 1930 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) * 20 April 1935 Hauptmann (Captain) wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theodor Busse
Ernst Hermann August Theodor Busse (15 December 1897 – 21 October 1986) was a German officer during World War I and World War II. Early life and career Busse, a native of Frankfurt (Oder), joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in 1915 and was commissioned in February 1917. He also won the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Hohenzollern Order. After the armistice, he was accepted as one of 2,000 officers into the new Reichswehr in which he steadily rose in rank. World War II Busse was a General Staff officer in April 1939 and prepared a training program that was approved by the Chief of the General Staff in August and covered a period from 1 October 1939 to 30 September 1940. Between 1940 and 1942, he served as the Chief of Operations to General (later Field Marshal) Erich von Manstein in the 11th Army on the Eastern Front. He remained serving on von Manstein's staff from 1942 to 1943 as Chief of Operations of Army Group Don and then from 1943 to 1944 he was Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rudolf Bamler
Rudolf Bamler (6 May 1896 – 13 March 1972) was a German general during World War II. Although Bamler was a member of the Nazi Party he would later serve as a leading member of the East German security forces. Early life Bamler was born in Osterburg (Altmark), Saxony-Anhalt, the son of Protestant clergyman Johannes Bamler (born 1864) and his wife Anna Garlipp (1873-1932).Rüdiger Wenzke, "Rudolf Bamler – Karrierebruch in der KVP" on Hans Ehlert, Armin Wagner (eds.), ''Genosse General! Die Militärelite der DDR in biografischen Skizzen'', Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin 2003, p. 33 He enlisted in the Prussian Army and served in the First World War with the 15th Division. Abwehr Bamler was attached to the Abwehr as the head of section III ( counterespionage) and here he helped to encourage closer co-operation with the Gestapo and Sicherheitsdienst (SD). This role also meant that Bamler maintained a network of informers across German society rivalled only by that of the SD. Although h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helmuth Prieß (Wehrmacht General)
__NOTOC__ Helmuth Prieß (6 March 1896 – 21 October 1944) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded the XXVII Army Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Prieß was killed on 21 October 1944 in Hasenrode, East Prussia. Awards and decorations * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 March 1944 as ''Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...'' and commander of 121. Infanterie-DivisionFellgiebel 2000, p. 281. References Citations Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Priess, Helmuth 1896 births 1944 deaths German Army personnel of World War I German Army personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross People ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Wandel
__NOTOC__ Martin Wandel (15 April 1892 – went missing 14 January 1943) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Wandel went Missing in action on 14 January 1943 when his command post was overrun in part of the encirclement in the Battle of Stalingrad. He was declared dead by a court in Berlin in 1948. Awards * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 November 1941 as ''Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...'' and commander of 121. Infanterie-DivisionFellgiebel 2000, p. 353. References Citations Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wandel, Martin 1892 births 1943 deaths German Army personnel of World War I Prussian Army personnel Recipients of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otto Lancelle
Otto Quirin Lancelle (27 March 1885 – 3 July 1941) was a German soldier who fought in both world wars and was awarded both the ''Pour le Mérite'' and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest military awards of the German Empire and Nazi Germany, respectively. During the interwar period, he joined Der Stalhelm and the Nazi Party, and participated in the failed Beer Hall Putsch that aimed to overthrow the Weimar Republic. He also was a member of the Supreme SA Leadership of the Nazi paramilitary organization, the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), in which he attained the rank of SA-''Oberführer''. Returning to military service, he became a general in command of an infantry division in the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War and was killed in action in the first weeks of the invasion of the Soviet Union. Early life and military service Lancelle was descended from a French Huguenot family that fled persecution in Catholic France and resettled in Germany in the seventeen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curt Jahn
General Kurt Jahn, aka Curt Jahn, (February 16, 1892 – November 7, 1966) was a German Army general and commander in Lombardy, Italy during World War II. Born in Schmalkalden, Germany, he was captured west of Milan on 1 May 1945 and interned in Britain as a prisoner of war until May 1948. Jahn had also been a member of the Baltische Landeswehr during the Latvian War of Independence. Jahn died in Coburg on 7 November 1966. Awards and decorations * German Cross in Gold (18 June 1942) * Iron Cross of 1914, 1st and 2nd Class * Clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd Class * Order of the Zähringer Lion, Knight 2nd Class with Swords (Baden) * Saxe-Ernestine House Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords * Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award The Wehrmacht Long Service Award () was a List of military decorations of the Third Reich, military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service. Hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Legion
The Blue Legion (; ), officially called the Spanish Volunteer Legion (; ), was a volunteer legion created from 2,133 falangist volunteers who remained behind at the Eastern Front after most of the Spanish Blue Division was withdrawn in October 1943 because Francisco Franco had started negotiations with the Allies. It officially consisted of two battalions. It was later estimated that the legion grew to over 3,000 Spaniards. A certain number of Spanish volunteers refused to return to Spain and remained on the Eastern Front, integrated into different German units. Some of them would continue to fight until the end of World War II. The 101st SS Spanish Volunteer Company () of 140 men, composed of four rifle platoons and one staff platoon, was attached to the 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division ''Wallonien'' (the Walloon Legion) and fought against the Soviets in Pomerania and Brandenburg. Under the command of Miguel Ezquerra, remnants of the legion defended Berlin against an overw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadly encompasses a wide variety of subspecialties, including light infantry, irregular infantry, heavy infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry, mechanized infantry, Airborne forces, airborne infantry, Air assault, air assault infantry, and Marines, naval infantry. Other subtypes of infantry, such as line infantry and mounted infantry, were once commonplace but fell out of favor in the 1800s with the invention of more accurate and powerful weapons. Etymology and terminology In English, use of the term ''infantry'' began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French , from older Italian (also Spanish) ''infanteria'' (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
