Löhr

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hi,
Who could tell me the reason of the dismissal of the commander in chief der 4. Lfte Generaloberst Alexander Löhr in spring 1942 ?
Willab

[David Thompson]

I think he was promoted:

Loehr (Löhr), Alexander (1885-1947) [Generaloberst] -- WWI service as Austro-Hungarian Army officer; service, Austrian Army (Bundesheer); commanding general and Luftwaffe commander in Austria (Km.Gen. & Befehlshaber der Luftwaffe in Österreich) 1 Apr 1938-31 Jan 1939; commander, Luftwaffe Command "Ostmark" (Kom.Gen. des Luftwaffen-Kommandos Ostmark) 1 Feb-17 Mar 1939; commander, 4th Air Fleet (Luftflotte 4) 18 Mar 1939-1 Jul 1942; commander, 12th Army 2 Jul-31 Dec 1942; commander-in-chief "Southeast" (Oberbefehlshaber Südost) 1 Jan-26 Aug 1943; commander, Army Group E (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe E) 1 Jan 1943-8 May 1945; commander-in-chief "Southeast" (Oberbefehlshaber Südost) 21 Mar-8 May 1945 [Knights Cross 1939; Oakleaves 1945] {arrested in the French occupied zone of Germany 21 Apr 1946 (LT 22 Apr 1946:3d); extradited to Yugoslavia and put on trial for war crimes -- massacre, deportations and atrocities against civilians -- by a Yugoslav military court at Belgrade 16 Feb 1947 (NYT 17 Feb 1947:1:3; LT 17 Feb 1947:3c); convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad 16 Feb 1947 (LT 17 Feb 1947:3:c); executed at Belgrade 16 Feb 1947 (Encyclopedia of the Third Reich p. 557; ABR-Luftwaffe) or 26 Feb 1947 (MacLean, Quiet Flows the Rhine p. 141; ABR-Croisier-H) or 27 Feb 1947 (History of the United Nations War Crimes Commission and the Development of the Laws of War p. 526, United Nations War Crimes Commission, London: HMSO, 1948).}

[USAF1986]

Hi! Here's his bio-sketch from Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand's "Die Generale der Deutschen Luftwaffe, 1935-1945, Band 2 (Habermehl-Nuber)" (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany, 1991) and the 1918 Austro-Hungarian Schematismus (army list).

Regards,
Shawn

Generaloberst Alexander Löhr (Luftwaffe)

Born: 20 May 1885, Turnu-Severin, Romania
Hanged: 16 February 1947, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

Promotions:
• Leutnant: 18 August 1906
• Oberleutnant: 1 November 1911
• Hauptmann: 1 March 1915
• Major: 1 July 1920
• Oberstleutnant: 1 January 1921
• Oberst: 20 July 1928
• Generalmajor: 25 September 1934
• Generalleutnant: 24 March 1938 (RDA 1 February 1938)
• General der Flieger: 25 March 1939 (RDA 1 March 1939)
• Generaloberst: 3 May 1941

Commands & Assignments:
• 18 August 1906: Entered the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Army.
• 18 August 1906-30 September 1910: Platoon Commander, Commander of the Pioneer Battalion and Machinegun Battalion in Infantry Regiment 85.
• 1 October 1910-31 October 1913: Detached to the War School Wien.
• 1 November 1913-25 July 1914: General Staff Officer in the Verkehrstruppen-Brigade, Wien.
• 26 July 1914-22 September 1914: General Staff Officer in the Operations Department of Army High Command 5 and, at the same time, served as an Aerial Observer.
• 23 September 1914-30 November 1915: In Department 5/Luftfahrtgruppe [Aviation Group] in the Imperial and Royal War Ministry.
• 1 May 1916-11 November 1918: Acting Representative of the Board in Department 5/L in the Imperial and Royal War Ministry.
• 15 January 1918-3 March 1918: At the same time, Battalion Commander in Infantry Regiment 74.
• 12 November 1918-31 December 1918: Acting Representative of the Department Leader of Department 11 in the State Department for Army Affairs.
• 1 January 1919-2 October 1927: Designer in the Organization Department and Military Aviation Affairs in the State Department for Army Affairs.
• 3 October 1927-31 March 1928: On the staff of Cycle Battalion 2.
• 1 April 1928-31 October 1928: Detached to the Federal Ministry of Army Affairs.
• 1 November 1928-30 April 1934: Board of Department 5/L (Luftwaffe) in the Federal Ministry for Army Affairs.
• 1 May 1934-30 June 1935: Commander of Air Raid Defenses.
• 1 July 1935-31 March 1938: Commander of the Austrian Air Force.
• 15 March 1938: Accepted into the German Luftwaffe.
• 1 April 1938-31 January 1939: Commanding General and Commander of the Luftwaffe in Austria.
• 1 February 1939-17 March 1939: Commanding General of Luftwaffe Command Ostmark.
• 18 March 1939-1 July 1942: Chief of Luftflotte [Air Fleet] 4. [Löhr’s air fleet took part in the 1939 Polish Campaign, played the lead air role in the 1941 conquest of Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete and was engaged in Russia in support of Army Group South from 22 June 1941.]
• 2 July 1942-11 July 1942: Delegated with the leadership of the 12th Army in the Balkans.
• 12 July 1942-31 December 1942: Commander-in-Chief of the 12th Army in the Balkans.
• 1 January 1943-26 August 1943: Commander-in-Chief Southeast in the Balkans.
• 1 January 1943-8 May 1945: At the same time, Commander-in-Chief of Army Group E in the Balkans.
• 21 March 1945-8 May 1945: At the same time, Commander-in-Chief Southeast in the Balkans.
• 15 May 1945-16 February 1947: Prisoner of war in Yugoslavian captivity; sentenced to death and executed for alleged war crimes.

Decorations & Awards:
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 30 September 1939, General der Flieger, Chief of Luftflotte 4.
• Oakleaves (No. 705): 20 January 1945, Generaloberst, Commander-in-Chief of Army Group E.
• Iron Cross, 1st Class (1939): 25 September 1939
• Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1939): 12 September 1939
• Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords
• Austrian Silver Military Merit Medal (“Signum Laudis”) with Bar
• Austrian Bronze Military Merit Medal (“Signum Laudis”)
• Austrian Military Jubilee Cross (1848-1908)
• Austrian Karl Troop Cross
• Austrian Wound Medal with One Stripe – Per photographic evidence, Löhr later wore a German World War I Wound Badge in Black (see below) after his transfer to the Luftwaffe in 1938.
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Austrian War Commemorative Medal with Swords
• Armed Forces Long Service Awards
• German Wound Badge in Black – World War I award
• “KRETA” Campaign Cuff-Title
• Crimea Shield
• Luftwaffe Combined Pilot/Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds