Genlt. Franz Rossi

[Simon Orchard]

The second of two Generals i had yet to identify. Again the photo is taken May\June 44 in Kirkenes North Norway during wargames attended by Dietl and Hölter.

Based purely on a process of elimination and from what little i know of him i think this is GenLt. Franz Rossi. You can just make out the gebirgsjäger patch on his right arm and you can clearly see he is Austrian as was Rossi.

[harmel]

Hi Simon not pos on this one,Rossi was as you know was onboard the the
Ju 52 with Dietl Eglseer,von Wickede,when it crashed,he wasCmdt Petsamo
at the time,I was never sure he was a Geb officer.Nice pic again Xmas has
come early.I sure hope it is him.Freiherr will I know will have more info than
me hope I do not drop him in it.
Harmel

[Simon Orchard]

He was an Obstlt. commanding I./GAR 113 at the outbreak of war but that's all i know of him really.

[freiherr]

There was a learned discussion and an attempt to fill in the gaps and inconsistencies of Rossi's career at this forum some time ago. I can summarize it as follows:
-He was Kmdr of Hr KüstenArt Rgt Stab zbV 837 25.4.41.at Kirkenes.
-Made Arko 127 7.5.42 after predesessor GenMj Friedrich Kammel commited suicide.
-Arko 127 was disbanded in Dec 1942
-Rossi was Kdmt v Petsamo Dec 42 to 15.6.43.
-He was briefly Kmdr DivGr Rossi under XIX Korps and that was when he went to Bavaria with Dietl to see AH and died in a plane crash on his return flight on 23.6.43.

Petsamo is a very big stretch of land! So May/June military exercise in Kirkenes was still plausible according to the above dates. Now I notice his second ribbon on the left, where most officers normally put their Hindenberg Cross, was a somewhat distinct ribbon. Maybe Jürgen can help us narrow it down a little.

Slightly off topic.... but while Santa Simon is generously sprinkling on us Norwegian/Finnish Heers generals, I would just dig up five Geb generals from my "case truned cold" closet:


This belongs to Forum member Colin Walters




This has caption that said "Heli Finkenzeller whose father was Kmdr of XX Korps" Photo circa 1940


This belongs to Forum member Bjorn. Taken in Setermon. I mis-ID'ed him as v Beeren. I was dead wrong.


Theilacker got squared away. There is a chance LW CdS next to him was Hans v Weech, CdS for v Schleich. But how about the little fellow on the extreme left?

Cheers
Freiherr

[Simon Orchard]

Yes, i remember that thread now.

Well as we're talking of Rossi here's a few more bits and pieces.

An example of his signature


The operational area the formation covered in Jan.44, that's the Fischerhals peninsular on the right. div.gruppe and Korps HQ located at Parkinna.

http://www.orchard-family.net/pics/div%20gruppe%20Rossi.JPG

And the formation's gliederung in Jan.44
http://www.orchard-family.net/pics/div%20gruppe%20Rossi%20jan44.jpg

[Harri]

Based purely on a process of elimination and from what little i know of him i think this is GenLt. Franz Rossi. You can just make out the gebirgsjäger patch on his right arm and you can clearly see he is Austrian as was Rossi.

To me he appears to be Lt.Gen. August Wilhelm Krakau, Commander of 7.Geb.D / XVIII.Geb.-AK.

[Simon Orchard]

Based purely on a process of elimination and from what little i know of him i think this is GenLt. Franz Rossi. You can just make out the gebirgsjäger patch on his right arm and you can clearly see he is Austrian as was Rossi.

To me he appears to be Lt.Gen. August Wilhelm Krakau, Commander of 7.Geb.D / XVIII.Geb.-AK.

Nothing like Krakau Harri, wrong decorations too, he had the RK and '39 spange for both klasses of EK amongst others. Also, these wargames were to do with the XIX Geb.Korps. Not something Krakau had anything to do with.

[Harri]

OK. But how many totally bald Generals Germans had in the north in 1944 in addition to Krakau?

[Simon Orchard]

Or to put the question another way, how many photos of Rossi have you seen?

[Harri]

I think just one. (Another question is: was it really Rossi or someone else.)

[Frech]

Hi,

researching his ribbon bar it is with 98 - 99 % Rossi.

Wee see:
1914 EKII
k.u.k. Orden der Eisernen Krone
k.u.k. Militärverdiestrkeuz III. Klasse mit KD + Schwertern + Wiederholungsspange (2 times bestowed)
k.u.k. Silberne Militärverdienstmedaille mit KD + Schwertern + Wiederholungsspange (2 times bestowed)
k.u.k. Bronzene Militärverdienstmedaille mit KD + Schwertern
k.u.k. Karl-Truppenkreuz
Sudetenland-Medaille
...

The 2 clasps for 2nd bestowings of decorations are the best hint.

ROSSI!

Regards

Christian