Heerespersonalamt
The Army Personnel Office (Heerespersonalamt, Heeres-Personal-Amt or Heeres-Personalamt; HPA) was a German military agency in Berlin formed in 1920 under Lieutenant General Johann "Hans" Ritter und Edler von Braun (1867–1938) and charged with the personnel matters of all officers and cadets of the army of the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht, subordinated to the Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres; OKH) with the Reichskriegsministerium. With increased recruitment of officers in 1935 and especially in the Second World War, it was given multiple new tasks. The growing demands of the German Army led to numerous organisational changes.
Contents
History
In October 1942, Major General Rudolf Schmundt became the new head (Chef) of the HPA (sometimes OKH/PA) as successor to Bodewin Claus Eduard Keitel. After his death from wounds received during the assassination attempt on Hitler's life of 20 July 1944 General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf took over the function. The agency had several departments (Abteilungen).
- Abteilung P 1: Planning human resources, personnel management of the officers
- Abteilung P 2: Disciplinary matters of the officers
- Abteilung P 3: Staffing of the General Staff officers; transferred to the central department of the General Staff of the Heer in 1935
- Abteilung P 4: Personnel management of the officers of the special careers; was renamed P 3 on 1 April 1939
- Abteilung P 5: Orders and decorations (Orden und Ehrenzeichen) department
- SS-Sturmbannführer/SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Kment, responsible for the processing of high awards (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and German Cross) for Waffen-SS members since 1 October 1943, was subordinated to this department as liaison officer (Verbindungsoffizier) of the Reichsführer SS.
- Abteilung P 6: Orders, notices and documents regarding promotions and dismissals of officers
Colonel Fritz Goecke created an Heerespersonalamt-Außenstelle (field office; HPA/A). From 21 to 24 April 1945, the field office of the Army Personnel Office branch was split off due to the Battle of Berlin and relocated to Marktschellenberg (district Berchtesgadener Land) in Bavaria. Burgdorf stayed in Berlin, Goecke was appointed Chef HPA/A and was responsible for forwarding the decisions about promotions, appointments and decorations to the units defending the Reich. Berchtesgadener Land surrendered to the Americans on 4 May 1945.
The Luftwaffe (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe) and the Kriegsmarine (Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine) had their own personnel offices.
Luftwaffe (heads)
- Oberstleutnant Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (1889–1968) from 1 September 1933 to 31 May 1937
- Generalmajor Robert Ritter von Greim (1892–1945) from 1 June 1937 to 31 January 1939
- General der Flieger Gustav Kastner-Kirdorf (1881–1945) from 31 January 1939 to 23 March 1943
- Generaloberst Bruno Loerzer (1891–1960) from 23 March 1943 to 22 December 1944
- General der Flieger Rudolf Meister (1897–1958) from 22 December 1944 to 8 May 1945
Kriegsmarine (heads)
- Konteradmiral Günther Lütjens (1889–1941) from 11 January 1936 to 3 October 1937
- Admiral Conrad Patzig (1888–1975) from 3 October 1937 to 31 October 1942
- Kapitän zur See Werner Ehrhardt (1898–1967) from 1 November 1942 to 5 January 1943
- Vizeadmiral Martin Baltzer (1898–1971) from 6 January 1943 to 14 July 1945
See also
Further reading
- Dermot Bradley and Richard Schulze-Kossens: Tätigkeitsbericht des Chefs des Heerespersonalamts General der Infanterie Rudolf Schmundt 1.10.1942–29.10.1944. Fortgeführt von General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burg, Biblio-Verlag, 1984
