Dietrich Kraiß
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Dietrich Kraiss
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Kraiss during World War II
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Born | 16 November 1889 Stuttgart, Germany |
Died | 6 August 1944 (aged 54) near Saint-Lô, France |
Allegiance | German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
Service/ |
Heer |
Years of service | 1909–44 |
Rank | Generalleutnant |
Battles/wars | World War I
World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Dietrich Kraiß (16 November 1889 – 6 August 1944) was a German Generalleutnant during World War II, awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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. Kraiß was a stern anti-semite, as is evidenced by his repeated mentions of allegedly hostile Jewish elements among the Russian political officers in his orders and field diaries.
Contents
Career
Kraiss was born in Stuttgart. He was a commander of the 90th Infantry Regiment (from September 1939 to March 1941), 168th Infantry Division (from July 1941 to March 1943) and 355th Infantry Division until May 1943. In November 1943 he took command of the 352nd Infantry Division which was in 1944, with six other divisions, located in Normandy in front of the Allied invasion. His 352nd Infantry Division had 7,409 soldiers and kept defensive positions around St. Lô. He eventually died on August 6, 1944 of injuries sustained 2 days earlier.
Awards and decorations
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class (18 September 1914)
- 1st Class (7 June 1915)
- Wound Badge (1914)
- in Black
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (9 October 1918)
- Knight's Cross of the Military Merit Order (Württemberg) (21 June 1915)
- Knight's Cross Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords (15 September 1914)
- Sudetenland Medal
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Eastern Front Medal
- German Cross in Gold on 28 February 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of the 168. Infanterie-Division[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 23 July 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of 168. Infanterie-Division
- 549th Oak Leaves on 11 August 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 352. Infanterie-Division
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (11 June 1944)
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th class with 1st class
Wehrmachtbericht reference
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
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11 June 1944 | Bei den schweren Kämpfen im feindlichen Landekopf und bei der Vernichtung der im Hintergelände abgesetzten feindlichen Fallschirm- und Luftlandetruppen haben sich das rheinisch-westfälische Grenadierregiment 736 unter Führung von Oberst Grug, die 352. Infanteriedivision unter Führung von Generalleutnant Kraiß und das Fallschirmregiment 6 unter Führung von Major v. d. Heydte besonders ausgezeichnet.[3] | In the heavy fighting in the enemy's bridgehead and in the destruction of enemy parachute and air landing troops which have been dropped in the rear area, the Rhenish-Westphalian Grenadier Regiment 736 under the leadership of Colonel Grug, the 352nd Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant General Kraiß and the Parachute Regiment 6, under the leadership of Major v. d. Heydte have particularly excelled. |
References
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
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- Death-date and age transclusions with invalid parameters
- Articles containing German-language text
- 1889 births
- 1944 deaths
- People from Stuttgart
- People from the Kingdom of Württemberg
- Wehrmacht generals
- German military personnel killed in World War II
- Knights Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion
- Knights of the Military Merit Order (Württemberg)
- Knights of the House Order of Hohenzollern
- Recipients of The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Recipients of the Gold German Cross
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht
- Military personnel of Württemberg
- Operation Overlord people
- Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class