Request for Identification of Generals and Admirals

Beppo Schmidt · Post by **Beppo Schmidt** » 11 Nov 2003 21:59

Actually it was on the back of the cover of the A & E Video Biography Rommel: The Last Knight.

Steen Ammentorp · Post by **Steen Ammentorp** » 11 Nov 2003 22:31

Beppo,
We have a winner

Thank you very much. When one see the full picture all doubts disappear. It is the Desert Fox.

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

J.N. Houterman · Post by **J.N. Houterman** » 12 Nov 2003 00:17

If my humble opinion counts in any way I would say it's NOT Erwin Rommel. I've seen literally hundreds of pictures of him and I see no match. Taking a closer look at his decorations (I'll leave that to the specialists) will probably give evidence.

Speaking from experience: I've seen several generals wrongly labeled as Rommel, both in print and on film.

Cheers,

Hans

Steen Ammentorp · Post by **Steen Ammentorp** » 12 Nov 2003 13:55

Okay - it's possible two doubt my quick conclusion. Since Hans made his
positing I have been looking at one picture of Rommel after another, and I
must agree with Hans. It does not look like Rommel, and as I have mentioned those goggles is very different from those he normally wore.
Maybe I have an unhealthy interest in goggles?

(Btw. The text in the picture is also clearly wrong. Tunisia, 1940 ??)

If not Rommel - Beppo's picture made me think. A general present in Tunisia 1942-43 (if so), but who previously had served in Russia and received the Winterschlacht im Osten madaille (if Freiherr is right). Could it then be Walter K. Nehring? I'm not an expert on awards some I'm purely guessing here.

Does it look like him? Sadly it is in another uniform.

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

Stauffenberg II · Post by **Stauffenberg II** » 12 Nov 2003 14:27

Maybe it´s Wolfgang Fischer, Cdr. 10. Panzerdivision.

I once get a pic which allegedly shows Fischer. Look what he is wearing ... looks quite similar. Moreover he served in Russia.

The caption is great. Wrong name and wrong year ... a great source.

Regards

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 12 Nov 2003 14:40

Hello gentlemen!

I believe the mystery General is Ludwig Cruewell. Attached are a couple of pics for comparison.

Regards,

VJK

Stauffenberg II · Post by **Stauffenberg II** » 12 Nov 2003 15:06

Hi VJK!

I also thought about Crüwell, a further veteran from Russia. But unless the caption is totally wrong Crüwell is out. He never was in Tunisia.

Regards

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 12 Nov 2003 15:22

Hi Stauffenberg II !

Personally I tend to dismiss the caption in its entirety:
1. The pic is not of Rommel;
2. Rommel was not a Field Marshal in 1940;
3. Why should they get the location right?

Regards,

VJK

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 12 Nov 2003 15:26

Here is another pic of Cruewell - if you put the 2 pics side by side, the similarity to the mystery General is remarkable!

Regards,

VJK

Stauffenberg II · Post by **Stauffenberg II** » 12 Nov 2003 15:27

3. Why should they get the location right?

You are right VJK!

But Crüwell was already decorated with Eichenlaub on arrival in Africa (in 1941). I´m not sure but I think there is no Eichenlaub.

JC · Post by JC » 12 Nov 2003 15:27

Gentlemen,

I agree with VJK...... and with Stauffenberg! I would discount anything the caption says, but I don't think it is Ludwig Crüwell either!

The larger photo does put the setting as N. Africa though.

Just my $.02!

Jeff

Steen Ammentorp · Post by **Steen Ammentorp** » 12 Nov 2003 15:29

Hi,

Two new interesting suggestions. However I do not think it is Cruewell. Arriving in Africa in September 1941 I do not think he recieved the Winterschlacht medaille and being captured in May 1942 he was not in Tunisia. I do not know about Fischer.

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 12 Nov 2003 15:35

Hi!

A thought just occurred to me (it doesn't happen all that often!!

)
I'm no expert on uniforms, but can we even be sure that the pic was taken in N. Africa? Unless there is something specific about the uniforms of the officers around the mystery man, there is no real indication of the location.

Over to the uniform experts.

Regards,

VJK

JC · Post by JC » 12 Nov 2003 15:44

I was going by the uniforms & boots for the location, but I could be wrong.

I have a WAG...GM Friedrich Weber, Kdr. 334 I.D. He is one of the few major players in N.Africa whom I've never seen a photo of.

Jeff

Stauffenberg II · Post by **Stauffenberg II** » 12 Nov 2003 15:48

Forget it Jeff! Weber had a "Führer-beard".

I sent a pic to Hans which you can see at:
http://home.wxs.nl/~j.n.houterman/bio/g ... erW.htm#We