Walter Weiß
Encyclopedia
General Walter-Otto Weiß was a Wehrmacht High Command officer in World War II
. He became Commander in Chief of Army Group North
on the Eastern Front
in 1945. 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.
, during the Polish Campaign, Weiß was put in charge of I. Armee-Korps holding the position chief of the general staff. He 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. 26.Infanterie-Division was subordinated to Heeresgruppe Mitte
and participated in Operation Barbarossa
. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1942 and took command of the XXVII. Armeekorps on 1 July 1942. Again promoted on 1 September 1942, General der Infanterie Weiß led the 2. Armee on the Eastern front from 3 February 1943 on. He received command of Heeresgruppe Nord on 12 March 1945. He was held in American captivity until 1948.
1938 - 1939 Commanding Officer
1st Regiment
1939 - 1940 Chief of Staff I Corps
1940 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 97th Light Division
1941 - 1942 General Officer Commanding 26th Division
1942 - 1943 General Officer Commanding XXVII Corps
1943 - 1945 General Officer Commanding 2. Armee, Eastern Front
1945 Commander in Chief Army Group North
, Eastern Front
1945 In reserve
1945 - 1948 Prisoner of War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He became Commander in Chief of Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
in 1945. 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.
Career
Walter Weiß joined the military service on 19 March 1908. In the beginning of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during the Polish Campaign, Weiß was put in charge of I. Armee-Korps holding the position chief of the general staff. He 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. 26.Infanterie-Division was subordinated to Heeresgruppe Mitte
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
and participated in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1942 and took command of the XXVII. Armeekorps on 1 July 1942. Again promoted on 1 September 1942, General der Infanterie Weiß led the 2. Armee on the Eastern front from 3 February 1943 on. He received command of Heeresgruppe Nord on 12 March 1945. He was held in American captivity until 1948.
1938 - 1939 Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
1st Regiment
1939 - 1940 Chief of Staff I Corps
1940 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 97th Light Division
1941 - 1942 General Officer Commanding 26th Division
26th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 26th Infantry Division was a pre-Second World war German Infantry Division of the 1st mobilisation wave . It was mobilised for World War II on September 26, 1939, disbanded September 10, 1944 near Radom, reformed as the 26th Volksgrenadier Division The 26th Infantry Division (26....
1942 - 1943 General Officer Commanding XXVII Corps
1943 - 1945 General Officer Commanding 2. Armee, Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
1945 Commander in Chief Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
, Eastern Front
1945 In reserve
Military reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
1945 - 1948 Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1914) 2nd and 1st Class - Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decoration
- Gallipoli StarGallipoli Star (Ottoman Empire)The Ottoman War Medal , better known as the Gallipoli Star, or the Iron Crescent was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire which was instituted by the Sultan Mehmed Reshad V on 1 March 1915 for gallantry in battle...
- Officer Cross of the Bulgarian Order of Military MeritOrder of Military Merit (Bulgaria)The Order of Military Merit is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. In is the third highest order in the Republic of Bulgaria along with the Order of Civil Merit and the Order of the Madara Rider.-History:...
with Swords - Clasp to the Iron CrossClasp to the Iron CrossThe Clasp to the Iron Cross was a metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I. It was displayed on the uniforms of many high ranking officers during World War II as most had also served in World War I...
(1939) 2nd and 1st Class - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (19 February 1943) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 12 September 1941 as Generalmajor and commander of the 26.Infanterie-Division
- 646th Oak Leaves on 5 November 1944 as Generaloberst and Commander-in-Chief of the 2. Armee
- Mentioned in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 6 April 1944 | Verbände des Heeres und der Waffen-SS haben unter dem Oberbefehl des Generalobersten Weiß und unter der Führung der Generale der Infanterie Hoßbach und Mattenklott nach tagelangen harten Angriffskämpfen durch die Pripjetsümpfe bei ungewöhnlichen Geländeschwierigkeiten den feindlichen Ring um Kowel gesprengt und damit ihre Kameraden aus der Umklammerung befreit. | Units of the Army and the Waffen-SS Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside... have, under the High Command of Generaloberst Weiß and under the leadership of Generals of the Infantry Hoßbach Friedrich Hoßbach Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Hoßbach was a German staff officer who in 1937 was the military adjutant to the Fuehrer of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves... and Mattenklott Franz Mattenklott Franz Mattenklott was a German General der Infanterie during World War II and recipient of the renowned Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross was Nazi Germany's highest award for military gallantry and was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military... , after days of harsh fighting through the Pripyat Marshes at rough terrain, broken the enemy ring at Kowel and by that our comrades were freed from the clutch. |