Walter Krüger (general)

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Walter Krüger
Walter Karl Willy Krüger II.jpg
Birth date 23 March 1892
Place of birth Zeitz, Kreis Merseburg, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 11 July 1973 (aged 81)
Place of death Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Military Order of St. Henry (Saxony 1916), Grand Cross.jpg Royal Saxon Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1910–45
Rank General der Panzertruppe
Commands held 1st Panzer Division
LVIII Panzer Corps
Battles/wars World War I

World War II

Awards Iron Cross
Saxon Military Order of St. Henry
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations ∞ 1927 Benita Freiin von Hammerstein-Equord

Walter Karl Willy Krüger (23 March 1892 – 11 July 1973) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally General der Panzertruppe and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves in World War II.

Military career (chronology)

Walter Karl Willy Krüger III.jpg
Walter Karl Willy Krüger Ib.jpg
General Walter Krüger (center), commanding general of the LVIII. Panzer Corps, and Colonel [Bronsart von Schellendorff, Heinrich-Walter Heinrich-Walter Bronsart von Schellendorff] (left) at a meeting on 21 June 1944 on the invasion front.[1]
Complete uniform belonging to Panzer General Walter Krüger
  • 17 March 1910 Joined the 15. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 181
  • 7 November 1910 to 26 June 1911 Commanded to the War School in Metz
  • 20 February 1911 Still at War School, transferred to the Königlich Sächsisches 2. Husaren-Regiment Nr. 19 „Kronprinz Wilhelm des Deutschen Reiches und von Preußen“
  • 1 October 1913 to 24 July 1914 Commanded to the Military Riding School in Dresden
  • 4 August 1914 Transferred to the Reserve-Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 18 as squadron officer (Eskadron-Offizier)
  • 23 August 1914 Commanded to the Royal Saxon 24. Reserve-Division as orderly officer
  • 13 July 1916 Transferred to the Reserve-Husaren-Regiment as squadron officer
  • 17 June 1917 Commanded to the General Command XII. Reserve Corps for training as a general staff candidate
  • 15 October 1917 Commanded to the 23. Division (1. Königlich Sächsische) for further training as a general staff candidate
  • 27 November 1917 General staff officer with the 4. Armee (AOK 4)
  • 27 January 1918 Transferred to the Royal Saxon Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 104
  • 2 June to 20 July 1918 Commanded to the Royal Saxon 1. Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 12 for training
  • 21 to 31 July 1918 Adjutant of the 1. Königlich-Sächsische Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 45
  • 1 August to 1 October 1918 Commanded to the Schützen-Regiment „Prinz Georg“ (Königlich Sächsisches) Nr. 108 as company leader
  • 13 November 1918 Officially transferred to the Schützen-Regiment „Prinz Georg“ (Königlich Sächsisches) Nr. 108
  • 2 January 1919 Transferred back to the Königlich Sächsisches 2. Husaren-Regiment Nr. 19 „Kronprinz Wilhelm des Deutschen Reiches und von Preußen“ for demobilization
  • 8 March 1919 Commanded to the Central Department of the Saxon General Staff
  • 1 October 1919 Transferred to the Reichswehr Kavallerie-Regiment 12 in Dresden
  • 17 November 1919 Newly sworn-in (Reichswehr)

Reichswehr

On 1 May 1920, he was transferred to the Reiter-Regiment 12 as squadron officer. From 19 July to 24 August 1921, he was commanded to cavalry school in Hanover attending the Rittmeister training course. From 16 February 1923, Krüger was employed for several years as head of the 1st Squadron in the 12th (Saxon) Cavalry Regiment in Grimma. In 1928, he was also the oldest at the site and lived privately at Kasernenstraße 3 in Grimma. On 16 March with effect from 1 April 1929, he was transferred to the staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division in Breslau. On 20 October with effect from 1 November 1931, he was transferred to the Reichswehr Ministry in Berlin at the same time subordinated to the 7th (Prussian) Cavalry Regiment. There he was now employed in the Cavalry Department/Inspection (In 3).

Wehrmacht

  • 25 October 1934 Newly sworn-in (Adolf Hitler)
  • 24 September 1935 Appointed head of the Cavalry Department (In 3) of the Reich War Ministry (RKM)
  • 12.10.1937 Appointed commander of the Kavallerie-Regiment 10 in Torgau
  • 8.11.1939 Delegated with the leadership of the 1. Schützen-Brigade with effect from 3.11.1939
  • 6/10.2.1940 Appointed commander of the 1. Schützen-Brigade with effect from 15.2.1940
    • 14.4.1941 After medical examination found suitable for tropical conditions
  • 26.7.1941 Delegated with the leadership of the 1. Panzer-Division with effect from 17.7.1941 for Generalleutnant Friedrich Kirchner who had fallen ill.
    • at the same time still commander of the 1. Schützen-Brigade
  • 14.8.1941 Führerreserve with effect from 31.7.1941 but further delegated with the leadership of the 1. Panzer-Division
  • 7.11.1941 Delegated leadership canceled with effect from 1.11.1941
  • 24.11.1941 Again delegated with the leadership of the 1. Panzer-Division with effect from 15.11.1941
  • 30.1.1942 (until 31.12.1943) Appointed commander of the 1. Panzer-Division with effect from 12.1.1942 (arrived on 16.1.1942)
  • 5.1. to 25.1.1944 Commanded to the 1st training course for commanding generals and corps chiefs
  • 10.2.1944 Delegated with the leadership of LVIII. Reserve-Panzer-Korps
    • 6 July 1944 renamed LVIII. Panzer-Korps
  • Appointed Commanding General of the LVIII. Panzer-Korps (with his promotion to General der Panzertruppe)
  • 7 February 1945 Granted leave to Torgau (it remains uncertain exactly when he left the corps)
    • originally delegated with the deputy leadership of the corps by Oberbefehlshaber West was Fritz Hermann Bayerlein, but in fact this order did not take effect for Bayerlein, instead Ernst-Günther Baade was entrusted with the leadership, but this order did not take effect either. Krüger never returned. Apparently Walter Hugo Botsch took over the corps on 23 March 1945 which capitulated on 16 April 1945 in the Ruhr pocket.[2]
  • 9.4.1945 Führerreserve OKH with effect from 10.4.1945
  • 10.4.1945 Appointed Commanding General of the Deputy General Command IV Army Corps and Commander in Military-District IV in Dresden[3]
  • 10 May 1945 to 26 Jun 1947 In British (later US) captivity
    • As such, he volunteered with the Operational History (German) Section of the Historical Division of the United States Army. Known written treatises are:
      • LVIII. Panzerkorps, Organisation und Ausbildung, 6.6. – 24.7.1944
      • Rückzug des LVIII. Panzerkorps in Nordfrankreich, 22.8. – 6.9.1944
      • Das LVIII. Panzerkorps in den Kämpfen westlich der Vogesen, 17.9. – 4.11.1944
      • Das LVIII. Panzerkorps in der Ardennen-Offensive, 16.12.1944 – 2.2.1945
      • Das LVIII. Panzerkorps in den Ardennen II. Teil, 13.1. – 2.2.1945

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
14 December 1943 Bei diesen Kämpfen haben sich die 1. thüringische Panzer-Division unter Generalleutnant Krüger und die brandenburgische 68. Infanterie-Division unter Oberst Scheuerpflug besonders bewährt.[4] In these battles, the 1st Thuringian Panzer Division under Lieutenant General Krüger, and the 68th Brandenburg Infantry Division under Colonel Scheuerpflug have particularly proven themselves.

Family

Walter was the son of Commerce Council (Kommerzienrat) Dr.-Ing. h. c. Willy Krüger and his wife Emma, née Bührer. His father was the chairman of the board of directors of the Sächsische Maschinen-Fabrik, formerly Richard Hartmann Aktiengesellschaft in Chemnitz. Willy Krüger was a member of the Schiffbautechnische Gesellschaft in Hamburg as well as the Chemnitz Aviation Association (Chemnitzer Verein für Luftfahrt). In 1925, he was appointed Honorary Senator of the Technical University of Dresden.

Marriage

On 14 November 1927[5] or 15 January 1928[6] in Berlin-Grünewald, depending on the source, Rittmeister Krüger married his fiancée Benita Maria Charlotte Editha Freiin von Hammerstein-Equord (b. 2 March 1900 in Potsdam; d. 3 February 1957 in Baden-Baden), daughter of Lieutenant General Arnold Hermann Wilhelm Georg Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord (1860–1930). Their daughter Ingeborg was born on 23 October 1928 in Grimma.

Promotions

  • 17 March 1910 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 16 June 1910 (Fahnenjunker-)Gefreiter (Officer Candidate with Lance Corporal rank)
  • 18 August 1910 (Fahnenjunker-)Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 7 November 1910 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet) with Patent from
  • 18 August 1911 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Patent from 20 August 1909
  • 20 October 1915 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with Patent from 21 October 1915
  • 28 July 1920 Rittmeister with Patent from 18 August 1918
  • 1 October 1931 Major
  • 1 October 1934 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 20 April 1937 Oberst (Colonel) with effect from 1 April 1937
  • 20 April 1941 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1 April 1941
  • 16 November 1942 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1 October 1942
  • 20 April 1944 General der Panzertruppe with effect and RDA from 1 May 1944

Awards and decorations

Gallery

  • Walter Karl Willy Krüger Ia.jpg
  • Krüger delegated with the leadership of LVIII. Reserve-Panzer-Korps.jpg
  • Walter Karl Willy Krüger IIIb.jpg
  • Krüger, Walter - General der Panzertruppe3.jpg

References

  1. ↑ der Panzertruppe Walter Krüger
  2. ↑ Botsch taking over on or even before 23 March 1945 is presumed right, he also wrote for the Operational History (German) Section of the Historical Division of the United States Army. The name of his written treatise: Das LVIII. Panzerkorps im Ruhrkessel, 23.3. – 16.4.1945
  3. ↑ Krüger, Walter
  4. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 626.
  5. ↑ Military files (BArch PERS 6/242)
  6. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Freiherrlichen Häuser, 1938, p. 209
  7. ↑ Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheeres, 1931, p. 128
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