Hermann Prieß

Hermann Prieß
Hermann Prieß
Born	(1901-05-24)24 May 1901
Died	2 February 1985(1985-02-02) (aged 83)
Place of birth	Marnitz, Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Place of death	Ahrensburg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer Waffen-SS
Rank	SS-Gruppenführer der Waffen-SS
Commands held	3rd SS Division Totenkopf 1st SS-Panzerkorps "Leibstandarte"
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Hermann Prieß (May 24, 1901 – February 2, 1985) was the commander of 3rd SS Division Totenkopf following the death of Theodor Eicke in February 1943. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

He was promoted to SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS on April 20, 1944. On October 30, 1944 he became the commanding officer of the 1st SS-Panzerkorps Leibstandarte and led it during the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war, Hermann Prieß was convicted of war crimes because of his involvement in the Malmedy massacre and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. He was released in 1954.

Awards

• Wound Badge in Black
• Demyansk Shield
• Infantry Assault Badge in Silver
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (22 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (15 October 1939)
• German Cross in Gold on 6 January 1942 as SS-Standartenführer in the SS-Artillerie-Regiment "Totenkopf"
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 28 April 1943 as SS-Oberführer and commander of Artillerie-Regiment of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf
  • 297th Oak Leaves on 9 September 1943 as SS-Brigadeführer and commander of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf
  • 65th Swords on 24 April 1944 as SS-Brigadeführer and commander of the 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Florian Berger (2000). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. 2., überarbeitete Auflage. Florian Berger, Wien. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS (in German). Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag GmbH. ISBN 3-920677-43-9.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2300-3.
• Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross, Oak-Leaves and Swords Recipients 1941-45. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-643-7.

External links

• German Hermann Prieß website

Military offices
Preceded by SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke	Commander of 3. SS-Division "Totenkopf" February 26, 1943 – June 21, 1944	Succeeded by SS-Brigadeführer Hellmuth Becker
Preceded by none	Commander of XIII SS-Armeekorps August 7, 1944 – October 24, 1944	Succeeded by SS-Gruppenführer Max Simon
Preceded by SS-Obergruppenführer Georg Keppler	Commander of I. SS-Panzer Corps October 30, 1944 – May 8, 1945	Succeeded by none