Awards (OL, Sw. & Diam.) personally bestowed by Hitler

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 13 Apr 2004 14:04

Von Gazen
See his "specific" nose and compare with the guy onto the photo posted previously

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 13 Apr 2004 14:04

Another one :
In tropical dress

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 13 Apr 2004 14:05

A last one,
a front view

Waland66 · Post by **Waland66** » 13 Apr 2004 18:24

Hi!

Gazen it is...

Regards
Paal

Mark V. · Post by **Mark V.** » 13 Apr 2004 22:54

Hello Denis!

two more:

late October 1943:

SS-Grupf. Walter Krüger (286. EL) and SS-Ostubaf. Sylvester Stadler (303. EL).

April-May 1944:

A group of EL and Swords recipients (mostly generals):
From left to right: Heer general??, Hermann Breith (Schw), Dr. Franz Bäke (Schw), Walter Nehring (EL), Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin (EL), ...

Cheers

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 14 Apr 2004 01:49

Hi Mark V,

Would you kindly post the latter since Santa gave you a scanner last X'mas?

Cheers
Freiherr

Mark V. · Post by **Mark V.** » 14 Apr 2004 10:54

,

I was going to post it anyway, since I am not 100% sure about v.Senger u. Etterlin and others.

Anyway the photo is captioned (in Schadewitz's Die Traditionstruppenteile des Panzerbataillons 194) as Bäke's EL ceremony, but that's definitely Breith on Bäke's right and Nehring on his left and the only time these three could have been together was in spring 1944 - thus Bäke must have received the Swords (like Breith). I unsuccessfully tried to pin down the exact date through Panzer Aces (Kurowski is wrong

- he was still on the front in March) and Nehring's biography (but according to it Nehring received the EL from Hitler's adjutant

).

Hope someone can confirm v.Senger u. Eterlin (the tall general - 5th from left) and identify any other.

cheers

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 14 Apr 2004 13:01

Hello Mark
Thanks for posting it.
The 5th left soldier is definitively Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin. So we have from left to Right :
- unidentified WH general receiving the Schwertern
- Gen. d. Pz.Tr. Hermann Breith (48. Schw.)
- Obslt. d.R. Franz Bäke (49. Schw.)
- Gen. d. Pz.Tr. Walther K. Nehring (383. EL)
- Gen. d. Pz.Tr. Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin (439. EL)
Maybe 5-6 other Eichenlaubträger
Regards
Denis

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 14 Apr 2004 13:16

Hello
Would the first general who has just received the Schwertern might be Georg Hans Reinhardt ?? This is seemingly the only one who is matching with the criteria (i.e. No DKiG before the Schwertern, at least a Gen. d. Inf. or higher rank and who would have been awarded the Swords before 01/06/44
Just a guess
Regards
Denis

Dieter Zinke · Post by **Dieter Zinke** » 14 Apr 2004 17:47

Hi Denis,
surely Reinhardt is not on the pic. Reinhardt was tall, with mighty figure and a pair of eye-glasses.
Best
Oberstab

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 15 Apr 2004 02:20

The recipient after Senger und Etterlin looks like GenMj Hans Källner, ELT #392, awarded 12.02.44. Time of award and rank fits.

Cheers
Freiherr

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 15 Apr 2004 13:39

Hello
Thanks Oberstab for the info about Reinhardt.
Findidng this soldier should not be a hard task though !
If we try to restrict the field of scope :
- He is seemingly a Schwerternträger : 159 cases possible (excl. Yamamoto)
- He belongs to the Heer : 76 possiblities
- His rank was superior or equal to Gen.Major : 57 possibilities
- His award date should be included in the following range : superior to 30/06/43 and inferior to 01/09/44 (I have purposedly taken broad limits to be sure not to exclude our guy, even if I agree with Mark to say it is likely it was taken in April-May 1944) : consequently 20 possibilities

Here is the short list :
BAYERLEIN FRITZ 20/07/1944 81 Gen.Lt.
BREITH HERMANN 21/02/1944 48 Gen. d. Pz.Tr. : Can't be since he is already identified on this same photo
DIETL EDUARD 01/07/1944 72 Gen.Obst. : doesn't look like
FRIES WALTER 11/08/1944 87 Gen.Lt.
HARPE JOSEF 15/09/1943 36 Gen.Obst.
HOTH HERMANN 15/09/1943 35 Gen.Obst.
JORDAN HANS 20/04/1944 64 Gen. d. Inf.
KLEIST (v.) EWALD 30/03/1944 60 GFM
KLUGE (v.) GÜNTHER 29/10/1943 40 GFM
KREYSING HANS 13/04/1944 63 Gen. d. Gb.Tr. : can't be since he received the Swords in another ceremony on 13/04/44
LÜTTWITZ (Frhr. v.) SMILO 04/07/1944 76 Gen.Lt.
MANSTEIN (v.) ERICH 30/03/1944 59 GFM
MANTEUFFEL (v.) HASSO-ECCARD 22/02/1944 50 Gen.Lt.
MAYER (Dr., Dr.-Ing.) JOHANNES 23/08/1944 89 Gen.Lt.
POSTEL GEORG-WILHELM 26/03/1944 57 Gen.Lt.
REINHARDT GEORG-HANS 26/05/1944 68 Gen.Obst. : doesn't look like (see Oberstab's thread above)
SAUCKEN (v.) DIETRICH 31/01/1944 46 Gen.Lt.
SCHÖRNER FERDINAND 28/08/1944 93 Gen.Obst. : doesn't look like
SCHWERIN (Graf v.) GERHARD 04/11/1943 41 Gen.Lt.
WIETERSHEIM (v.) WEND 26/03/1944 58 Gen.Major
Let me know
Denis

John Toner · Post by **John Toner** » 16 Apr 2004 07:25

There is a photo of Heinz Harmel and Otto Baum receiving the Oakleaves from Hitler on:

http://www.assonetart.com/consignautogr.html

John

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 25 Apr 2004 04:41

OK, fresh from Paris....

I am pretty sure the Luftwaffe officer was ObstLt Walter Sigel (EL 116) versus Hptm Johannes Kümmel (EL133)

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 25 Apr 2004 15:12

More from Denis:

I guess the two pictures must be taken at the same time.

Cheers
Freiherr

28/08/43, FHQ
Heer Ceremony
From left to right :
- Gen. d. Inf. Hans von Obstfelder (251. EL)
- Gen. d. Inf. Paul Laux (237. EL)
- Gen.Lt. Gustav Hoene (238. EL)
- Major Bruno Kahl (270. EL)
- Major Karl Langesee (211. EL)

The "outside" pic shows Schimmel and Engel in place of Obstfelder and Laux