Helmut Friebe

Helmut Friebe
Born	(1894-11-04)4 November 1894
Died	14 January 1970(1970-01-14) (aged 75)
Place of birth	Namslau
Place of death	Friedrichshafen
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	125. Infanterie-Division 22. Infanterie-Division LXIV. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of Belgium Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of the Caucasus Kerch–Eltigen Operation
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations	Werner Friebe

Helmut Friebe (4 November 1894 – 14 January 1970) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the LXIV. Armeekorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

He took up his command in Crete in May 1944 after the kidnap of General Kreipe by Patrick Leigh Fermor and Bill Stanley Moss working with Cretan andartes.

Friebe was captured by American troops in May 1945 and was released in 1947. Helmut Friebe was the older brother of Generalmajor Werner Friebe, who is also a Knight's Cross recipient.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (4 December 1917)
• Cross of Honor
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold (16 January 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 August 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 164

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht

Military offices
Preceded by General der Infanterie Wilhelm Schneckenburger	Commander of 125. Infanterie-Division 24 December 1942 – 31 March 1944	Succeeded by none
Preceded by Generalmajor Heinrich Kreipe	Commander of 22. Infanterie-Division 1 May 1944 – 4 April 1945	Succeeded by Generalmajor Gerhard Kühne
Preceded by General der Artillerie Maximilian Grimmeiß	Commander of LXIV. Armeekorps 15 April 1945 – April 1945	Succeeded by General der Artillerie Rudolf Freiherr von Roman