Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

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genstab
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Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#1

Post by genstab » 22 Feb 2009, 00:27

Would anyone having Hildebrand's "Generale der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1935-1945" be able to scan GenLt Heinrich Niehoff's bio pages for me? I'd be eternally grateful and do what I could for you regarding O/B or ground forces commander dates questions from my research.

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Bill McCroden
Genstab in Cleveland

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Jeremy Dixon
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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#2

Post by Jeremy Dixon » 25 Feb 2009, 00:58

Here are the two pages about GL Niehoff
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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#3

Post by genstab » 25 Feb 2009, 01:56

Hey, thanks a lot for your help! Really appreciate it. Let me knmow if I can help you with any O/B info or commanders dates (division up).

Best regards,
Genstab
Bill in Cleveland

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Jeremy Dixon
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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#4

Post by Jeremy Dixon » 25 Feb 2009, 14:58

Bill,

Can you help with German Army commanders or is just Luftwaffe you are interested in?

I would like to know what awards were given to Gen.d.Inf Franz Mattenklott,see
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=150213

Thanks

Jeremy

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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#5

Post by genstab » 26 Feb 2009, 02:54

Oh jeez- the Army generals are my specialaty as I research the ground forces commanders. But I know nothing about medals unfortunately. I just get into O/Bs and command dates. Wish I could help but maybe someone can.

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Genstab

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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#6

Post by Jeremy Dixon » 26 Feb 2009, 14:35

Oh, OK. No problem. Would you be able to help with promotion dates and assignments of the top generals of the Army

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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#7

Post by genstab » 27 Feb 2009, 01:57

pretty much so- I have all the ranks and assignments for the ones in Bradley but it's only been published thru the letter L.
I have Keilig also but it's incomplete for the intermediate ranks, and I have bios of a few scattered generals past L from other websites. I'll give you what I have- just ask for what you need.
You can send me a PM and i'll give you my email address direct.

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Genstab

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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#8

Post by askropp » 20 May 2015, 15:38

As I mentioned in the "Luftwaffe Generale" thread, Niehoff is kind of a mystery to me.

His promotions to Polizeigeneral (later GM der Polizei), Luftwaffe GM and Char. GL seem clear. But then comes the year of 1938 ...

Hildebrand says:
"30.01.1938 RDA als GL" (S. 445)

Schulz / Zinke say:
"30.01.1938 GL (RDA erhalten)" (S. 341)

As the date on which an officer erhält his RDA is not necessarily identical with the date of his RDA, I would assume that 30 January is the date the promotion was issued, but not the date of the RDA (in contrast to "RDA vom 30.01.1938 erhalten"). Even promotions on "Nazi holidays" were usually dated onto the first of a month (e.g. Göring himself was promoted to Generaloberst on 20.04.1936 to rank from 01.04.1936). The first instance that another officer than Niehoff was promoted to GL on an "uneven" date was 19.07.1940 (to celebrate the victory over France).
So maybe 01.01.1938 was Niehoff's RDA?

To make things even more complicated, Absolon says that the following officers were retired during the restructuring of the Luftwaffe
after the Blomberg-Fritsch-Krise: "Die Generale der Flieger Wachenfeld, Halm and Kaupisch, die Generalleutnante Wilberg and Karlewski,
der char. Generalleutnant Niehoff." (S. 115) This suddenly sounds as if Niehoff never was a full Luftwaffe GL, but was retired as Char. GL.

And according to Schulz / Zinke, Niehoff was:
"28.02.1940 z.V. im Heer" (S. 343)
"01.02.1941 GL z.V. (Heer)" (S. 341)

If he was promoted to full GL in 1938 and put z.V. in the Heer in 1940, shouldn't he already have been a GL z.V. (Heer) after 28.02.1940 so that the 1941 promotion would have been unnecessary? Could there exist a possibility that Niehoff never was a full Luftwaffe GL, but was retired as Char. GL in 1938?

Does anybody know more?
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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#9

Post by histan » 20 May 2015, 20:02

He was char GL zV when appointed Kdt OFK 670 mit Wirkung vom 28.02.1940.

His "Generalskartei" is confusing but does show him as 30.01.1938 char GL zV.

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John

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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#10

Post by askropp » 20 May 2015, 22:20

Great, another mystery solved! Once more, I'm greatly indebted to you and your sources. Books are good, original documents are better!
But we still have to bring the dates of 01.10.1937 and 30.01.1938 into agreement. When you say that Niehoff's Generalskarte shows him as 30.01.1938 Char. GL z.V. (the z.V. was probably added only in 1940), was 30.01.1938 the RDA date or the date of the promotion? Could he have been promoted to Char. GL on 30.01.1938 with rank from 01.10.1937, or even the other way round, or is there no indication of 1937 altogether?
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Generalleutnant z.V. Heinrich Niehoff (1882-1946)

#11

Post by askropp » 25 Jan 2018, 00:57

* 20.11.1882 Bochum
+ 19.02.1946 Berlin

Vater: Heinrich Niehoff, Schiffskapitän
Mutter: Lucia Niehoff, geb. Trüggen
04.06.1908 Heirat mit Alexandra von Hartmann

19.08.1903 Leutnant
02.08.1914 Hauptmann
22.12.1919 Polizei-Major
22.12.1921 Polizei-Oberstwachtmeister [what is that?!]
01.12.1928 Polizei-Oberstleutnant
01.10.1929 Polizei-Oberst

18.02.1902 Eintritt ins Infanterieregiment 15
04.04.1940 Oberfeldkommandant 670 (Lille)
15.12.1942 Kommandant im Heeresgebiet Südfrankreich
05.08.1944 Führerreserve OKH (V)
31.10.1944 Mobilmachungsverwendung und z.V.-Stellung aufgehoben

15.01.1941 KVK II mit Schwertern
30.01.1942 KVK I mit Schwertern

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What do we make of his later promotions?
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I don't trust the dates, but essentially his career path must have been:
1.) Polizeigeneral / Generalmajor der Polizei
2.) Generalmajor (Luftwaffe), 1936
3.) Charakter als Generalleutnant (Luftwaffe), 1938
4.) Charakter als Generalleutnant z.V. (Heer), 1940
5.) Generalleutnant z.V. (Heer), 01.02.1941
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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#12

Post by Dieter Zinke » 25 Jan 2018, 01:24

Heinrich Niehoff:

Sohn des Fabrikdirektors Heinrich Niehoff und seiner Ehefrau Mathilde geb. Hellawecke
04.06.1908 Eheschließung mit Maria von Drygalski
__________________________
Hermann Niehoff:

Eltern: Schiffskapitän Heinrich Niehoff & Luzia geb. Brüggen
Verheiratet seit 09.1924 mit Alexandra geb. von Hartmann

___________________________________________________________________
Heinrich Niehoff:

18.02.1902 Fahnenjunker
27.02.1902 Fähnrich
19.08.1903 Leutnant (mit Patent vom 19.08.1902 O)
Quellen: laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a und Offizier-Stammliste des Infanterie-Regiments 15; Hildebrandt und Sammlung Krug nennen fälschlicherweise den 22.11.1902

18.08.1911 Oberleutnant (F7f)
08.11.1914 Hauptmann (J8i)
laut Dienstalters-Liste 1917, 1918 und 1919; in der Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a wird der 02.08.1914 genannt; möglicherweise am 02.08.1914 zum Hauptmann ohne Patent ernannt

30.09.1919 Charakter als Major
Quellen: Hildebrandt, Keilig und Sammlung Krug, laut Degener und Führerlexikon: 00.01.1920

22.12.1919 Polizeimajor
laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a; auch Degener und das Führerlexikon geben Dezember 1919 an, Hildebrand und Sammlung Krug den 01.10.1919

22.12.1921 Polizeioberstwachtmeister
laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a, Dienstaltersliste der Polizei-Offiziere 1926 und Hildebrandt; Keilig nennt den 20.12.1921

01.10.1927 Polizeioberstleutnant (durch Umbenennung)
Die Amtsbezeichnung Polizeioberstwachtmeister wird zum 01.10.1927 in Polizeioberstleutnant umgewandelt. (vgl. GS. 1927, S. 239); die Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a nennt hier den 01.12.1928

26.11.1929 Polizeioberst
Dienstaltersliste der Polizeioffiziere der Schutzpolizei in Preußen vom 10.10.1930; auch das Führerlexikon gibt November 1929 an; die Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a nennt hier irrtümlich den 01.10.1929

21.03.1933 Polizeikommandeur (mit Wirkung vom 01.04.1933)
05.05.1933 Polizeigeneral (Umbenennung)
Chefbesprechung des Preußischen Staatsministeriums, 05.05.1933, Punkt 5: Anstelle der bisherigen Bezeich-nung “Polizeikommandeur” wird mit sofortiger Wirkung die Dienstgradbezeichnung “Polizeigeneral” treten. (Die Protokolle des Preußischen Staatsministeriums 1817 -.1934/38, Bd. 12/1)

01.01.1936 Generalmajor der Landespolizei
laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a

01.02.1936 Generalmajor (Luftwaffe)
Quellen: Hildebrandt, Keilig; laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a: 01.04.1936 Generalmajor z.b.V.

00.00.1936 Generalhauptluftschutzführer (im RLB)
es erscheint logisch, dass Niehoff zum (bzw. mit Wirkung vom) 30.04.1936 seinen RLB-Rang erhält, eine Bestätigung dafür konnte nicht gefunden werden

01.10.1937 Charakter als Generalleutnant (Luftwaffe)
Quellen: Hildebrandt, Keilig; laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a: 30.01.1938 char. Generalleutnant z.V., 17.04.1940 char. Generalleutnant

30.01.1938 Generalleutnant (RDA erhalten) (Luftwaffe)
Quellen: Hildebrandt, Keilig; laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a: 30.01.1938 char. Generalleutnant z.V.

01.02.1941 Generalleutnant z.V. (Heer)
laut Generalskartei Sig. H 6/26a


Dieter Z.

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Re: Luftwaffe GL Heinrich Niehoff

#13

Post by graveland » 25 Jan 2018, 15:57

Thank you, Dieter & askropp.

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Generalleutnant z.V. Heinrich Niehoff (1882-1946)

#14

Post by askropp » 25 Jan 2018, 16:06

One thing that I believe to be clear is that Niehoff did not become a full GL until 01.02.1941. His Luftwaffe retirement order (reprinted in Absolon) and the Karteikarten support this.
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Generalleutnant z.V. Heinrich Niehoff (1882-1946)

#15

Post by askropp » 20 Jan 2019, 19:15

From the Zeitschrift "Flugsport" (Jahrgang 1938):

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