Gruppenkommando 2

[Stauffenberg II]

Hi!

I am trying to find out the Chief of Staff of Gruppenkommando 2 from 1934-1937 (Cdr.: Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb).

Here is my list:

Gruppenkommando 1:
1933-1935: Kress v. Kressenstein Frhr. Franz, Gen. d. Kav.
1935-1937: Hoepner Erich, Gen. Obst.
1937-1941: Salmuth v. Hans, Gen. Obst.

Gruppenkommando 2:
1932-1933: Feige Hans, Gen. d. Kav.
1933-1934: Geyer Hermann, Gen. d. Inf.
1934-1937: ???????????????????????????
1937-1938: Apell v. Georg, Gen. Lt.
1938-1940: Sodenstern v. Georg, Gen. d. Inf.

Can anybody give me the name of the missing guy (guys).

Thanks,
Stauffenberg II

[Glenn2438]

Stauffenberg II,

Gruppenkommando 1

01 Oct 1933: Generalmajor Franz Frieherr Kreß von Kressenstein
15 Oct 1935: Generalmajor Erich Hoepner
01 Oct 1937: Generalmajor Hans von Salmuth


Gruppenkommando 2

01 Dec 1931: Generalmajor Erich Kühlenthal
01 Feb 1933: Generalmajor Hermann Geyer
01 Aug 1934: Oberst/Generalmajor Max von Viebahn
01 Oct 1937: Generalmajor Siegfried Mummenthey
01 Dec 1937: Generalmajor Georg von Appel
01 Dec 1938: Generalmajor Georg von Sodenstern

Regards
Glenn

[Stauffenberg II]

Thanks Glenn!

I didn´t know that Viebahn was a such a high qualified officer. I only knew that he led the Wehrmachtsführungsstab during the Anschluss and suffered a nervous breakdown in this time.

BTW:

1. Do you know why Gen. Maj. Siegfried Mummenthey had to retire (retired) on Nov. 30th, 1937? I read his bio for the first time after you gave me the info.

2. You don´t have Feige as CoS Grp. Kdo. 2 (from Dec. 1st, 1932)?

Greetings,
Stauffenberg II

[Gareth Collins]

General der Infanterie Hans Feige
Born: 10/11/1880 in Königsberg, Prussia.
Died: 17/09/1953 in Schussenried, Württemberg.
Major Awards: German Cross In Gold (19/12/1941).
Promotion Dates: Lieutenant (22/03/1900); Senior Lieutenant (18/10/1909); Captain (18/12/1913); Major (15/07/1918); Lieutenant-Colonel (01/04/1925); Colonel (01/04/1928); Major-General (01/10/1931); Lieutenant-General (01/10/1933); Honorary General Of Infantry (01/09/1940); General Of Infantry (01/12/1940).
MILITARY CAREER
Pre WWI and WWI: Entered the Army as Lieutenant in the 135th Infantry-Regiment (22/03/1900-01/10/1903); Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 135th Infantry-Regiment (01/10/1903-01/04/1907); Educator at the Cadet-House Naumburg, Saale (01/04/1907-17/09/1909); Transferred into the 162nd Infantry-Regiment (17/09/1909-01/10/1909); Transferred into the 126th Infantry-Regiment (01/10/1909-01/11/1912); Detached to the War Academy (01/10/1909-20/07/1912); Transferred into the 162nd Infantry-Regiment (01/11/1912-22/03/1912); Detached to the Grand General-Staff (22/03/1912-01/04/1914); Transferred into the Grand General-Staff (01/04/1914-01/08/1914); Transferred into the General-Staff of the IX. Army-Corps (01/08/1914-04/11/1914); Transferred into the General-Staff of Staging-Inspection I (04/11/1914-09/03/1915); Transferred into the General-Staff of the 11th Army (09/03/1915-12/09/1915); General-Staff-Officer of the 38th Infantry-Division (12/09/1915-18/03/1916); Wounded (18/03/1916-01/07/1916); Transferred into the General-Staff of the Supreme Army Administration (01/07/1916-30/03/1917); General-Staff-Officer of the 1st Naval-Division (30/03/1917-31/01/1918); General-Staff-Officer of the Guards-Replacement-Division (31/01/1918-~).
Inter-War Years: General-Staff-Officer of the Guards-Replacement-Division (~-05/01/1919); Transferred into the General-Staff of the Guards-Corps (05/01/1919-28/02/1919); With Freikorps Görlitz (28/02/1919-01/03/1920); With the Staff of the Infantry-Leader in Schweidnitz (01/03/1920-01/10/1920); With the Army-Peace-Commission (01/10/1920-30/11/1920); With the Staff of the 1st Division (30/11/1920-01/07/1923); Commander of the III. Battalion of the 6th Infantry-Regiment (01/07/1923-01/02/1926); Chief Of Staff of the 1st Division (01/02/1926-01/02/1929); Commander of the 9th Infantry-Regiment (01/02/1929-01/02/1931); Chief of the Army-Department (T1), Troop-Office, Reichs Defence Ministry (01/02/1931-01/10/1932); With the Staff of Group-Command 2 (01/10/1932-01/12/1932); Chief Of Staff of Group-Command 2 (01/12/1932-01/10/1933); Commander of the 1st Cavalry-Division (01/10/1933-30/09/1935); Retired (30/09/1935); Placed to the Order of the Army and Commanding General of the Replacement II. Army-Corps and Commander in Military-District II (26/08/1939-~).
WWII: Commanding General of the Replacement II. Army-Corps and Commander in Military-District II (~-14/05/1940); Commanding General of the XXXVI. Mountain-Corps (14/05/1940-21/11/1941); Führer-Reserve OKH (21/11/1941-30/06/1942); Retired (30/06/1942).

[Gareth Collins]

General der Infanterie Hermann Geyer
Born: 07/07/1882 in Stuttgart.
Died: 10/04/1946 in Wildsee by Wildbad.
Major Awards: Knight’s Cross (25/06/1940).
Promotion Dates: Officer-Candidate (25/02/1901); Lieutenant (18/10/1901); Senior Lieutenant (19/02/1910); Captain (02/08/1914); Major (20/03/1922); Lieutenant-Colonel (01/02/1927); Colonel (01/02/1930); Major-General (01/12/1932); Lieutenant-General (01/01/1934); General Of Infantry (01/08/1936).
MILITARY CAREER
Pre WWI and WWI: Entered the Army as an Officer-Aspirant in the 119th Grenadier-Regiment (04/07/1900-14/02/1906); Detached to the 13th Pioneer-Battalion (01/06/1904-28/06/1904); Detached to the 13th Pioneer-Battalion (01/10/1904-30/09/1905); Detached to the I. Sea-Battalion (14/02/1906-14/08/1906); Transferred into the I. Sea-Battalion (14/08/1906-17/09/1909); Transferred into the 119th Grenadier-Regiment (17/09/1909-22/03/1913); Detached to the War Academy (01/10/1909-??/07/1912); Detached to the Grand General Staff (22/03/1913-02/08/1914); Transferred into the Grand General Staff and Captain in the General-Staff of the Government Cologne (02/08/1914-15/05/1916); Transferred into the 33rd Fusilier-Regiment (15/05/1916-21/05/1916); Company-Leader in the 33rd Fusilier-Regiment (21/05/1916-10/06/1916); Temporary-Leader of the I. Battalion of the 33rd Fusilier-Regiment (10/06/1916-03/07/1916); Transferred to the Chief the General Staff of the Field-Army (03/07/1916-12/08/1916); Transferred to the Chief of the General-Staff of the Field-Army and Detached to the 103rd Reserve-Infantry-Brigade (12/08/1916-20/08/1916); In the General-Staff of the 199th Infantry-Division (20/08/1916-15/09/1916); Again in the General-Staff with the Chief of the General-Staff of the Field-Army (15/09/1916-~).
Inter-War Years: Again in the General-Staff with the Chief of the General-Staff of the Field-Army (~-13/11/1918); Detached to the Armistice-Commission in Spaa (13/11/1918-14/03/1919); Member of the German Peace-Legation (14/03/1919-15/06/1919); Transferred into the Grand General Staff (15/06/1919-01/10/1919); Transferred into the Reichs Defence Ministry (01/10/1919-01/03/1922); With the Staff of the Commander of the Troop-Exercise-Grounds in Döberitz (01/03/1922-01/05/1922); Company-Chief in the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01/05/1922-01/10/1923); With the Staff of the 5th Division (01/10/1923-01/02/1927); Commander of the II. Battalion of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01/02/1927-01/10/1928); Transferred into the Reichs Defence Ministry (01/10/1928-01/11/1928); Department-Leader in the Reichs Defence Ministry (01/11/1928-01/02/1931); Commander of the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01/02/1931-01/10/1932); Infantry-Leader V (01/10/1932-01/02/1933); Chief of the General-Staff of Group-Command 2 (01/02/1933-01/08/1934); Commander of the 5th Division and Commander in Military-District V (01/08/1934-16/05/1935); Commanding General of the V. Army-Corps and Commander in Military-District V (16/05/1935-30/04/1939); Retired with the Honour of being Allowed to Carry the Uniform of the 119th Infantry-Regiment and Placed to the Disposal of the Army (30/04/1939-~).
WWII: Placed to the Disposal of the Army (~-25/10/1939); Commanding General of the IX. Army-Corps (25/10/1939-01/01/1942); Führer-Reserve (01/01/1942-31/12/1943); Retired (31/12/1943).
Post WWII: Committed Suicide at Wildsee by Wildbad (10/04/1946).

[Stauffenberg II]

Thanks for your prompt reaction Gareth!

Now we have two Chief of Staffs Grp. Kdo. 2:

Feige Hans, 01.12.1932-01.10.1933
Geyer Hermann, 01.02.1933-01.08.1934

Better than none.

Thanks,
Stauffenberg II

[Stauffenberg II]

For your records Gareth!

Feiges rank (Gen. d. Inf.) seems to be strange:

I have a letter from Demelhuber (Cdr. SS-Nord) to Feige (23.06.1941) and the following letter from Feige (Höh. Kdo. XXXVI) to Demelhuber (24.06.1941). In both letters Feige is stated as

General der Kavallerie.

Greetings,
Stauffenberg II

[Gareth Collins]

Simple, Demelhuber made an error in his correspondance. This is very common among letters and transcripts to and fro. As you can see, Feige had little connection with the Cavalry.
Regards,
Gareth

[Gareth Collins]

Feige was Chief Of Staff and Geyer was Chief Of The General Staff, Feige kept his position while Geyer was being familiarised with his command, as the General-Staff was just re-introduced after it's ban by the Versailles Treaty.
Regards
Gareth

[Stauffenberg II]

Thanks a lot Gareth!

I would follow your arguments if there were only one letter from Demelhuber to Feige, stating Feige as Gen. d. Kav.

But Feige wrote back and signed with Gen. d. Kav.

I will send the 2nd letter (24.06.1941) to you.

Regards,
Stauffenberg II

[Glenn2438]

Stauffenberg II and Gareth,

According to the "Stellenbesestzung der Deutschen Heere 1815-1939", General Feige was the chief of staff of Gruppenkommando 1 from 01 Dec 1932 being succeeded by Kreß on the 1st of October 1933. I think the entry in "Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945" showing his as chief of staff of Gruppenkommando 2 may well be a typo. Geyer's entry in the latter source agrees with the "Stellenbesetzung".

Regards
Glenn

[Stauffenberg II]

You are right again, Glenn.

See the enclosed Wehrpaß of Feige. It is mentioned that he was in Group 2 and in Group 1 from 01.10.1932-30.09.1933.

The Bradley entry states "with the Staff of Group Command 2" and "Chief of Staff Group Command 2". So Bradley/Keilig don´t show his change to Group Command 1 as Chief of Staff and assumed he held this position while still being in Group 2.

Thanks Glenn for clearing up this Errata.

Stauffenberg II