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{{Infobox military person
|name=Hugo Kraas
|birth_date={{Birth date|1911|January|25}}
|death_date={{death-date and age|df=yes|20 February 1980|25 January 1911}}
|image=Kraash.jpg
|caption=Hugo Kraas, here with the rank SS-Sturmbannfuehrer
|birth_place=[[Witten]]
|death_place=[[Selk, Germany|Selk]]
|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|serviceyears=1935-1945
|rank=[[File:SS-Brigadeführer Collar Rank.svg|40px]] SS-[[Brigadeführer]]
|commands=[[12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend|12.SS-Panzer-Division ''Hitlerjugend'']]
|unit=
|battles=
|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub]]
|relations=[[Hauptsturmführer]], [[Boris Kraas]]<br>[[Emil Kraas]]
}}

SS-[[Brigadeführer]] '''Hugo Kraas''' (25 January 1911 &ndash; 20 February 1980) was a German [[Waffen-SS]] officer who served with the [[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|1.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division ''Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'']] and was the last commander of the [[12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend|12.SS-Panzer-Division ''Hitlerjugend'']]. At the Enns River, Austria, Kraas surrendered to Major General Stanley Eric Reinhart's 261st Infantry Regiment.

==Early Life - Pre-War SS Service==
Hugo Kraas was born in [[Witten]] in the Province of Westphalia. He became a member of the [[Nazi Party]] in 1934 and the SA later the same year. In July 1935, Krass joined the ''[[Wehrmacht Heer|Heer]]'' with the 6. Infantry Regiment (''Ratzeburger Jäger''). His stay in the army was not long and after only 3 months he was placed into the reserves. In October 1935, Kraas became a member of the ''Germania Standarte'' with the rank of [[Schutzstaffel|SS]]-''[[Rottenführer]]''. In 1937, Kraas was selected to attend the ''[[SS Junkerschule]]'' in Braunschweig. He was commissioned on 12 March 1938 as an SS-[[Untersturmführer]] and assigned to the ''[[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler]]'', ''14 Panzerjägerkompanie'' under the command of [[Kurt Meyer (Panzermeyer)|Kurt Meyer]].

==Early World War II Operations==
With the [[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|LSSAH]], Kraas took part in the invasion of [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|Poland]] where he was awarded the [[Iron Cross]] second class. He also became the first officer in the entire division to be awarded the [[Iron Cross]] first class for repeated personal bravery during the invasion of [[Battle of the Netherlands|Holland]]. As a ''Kompanie'' commander in the [[Kurt Meyer (Panzermeyer)|Meyer's]] [[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|LSSAH's]] ''Aufklärungsabteilung'' (Reconnaissance Detachment), Kraas fought in the [[Balkans Campaign (World War II)|Balkans]] and [[Operation Barbarossa|Russia]]. On Christmas Day in 1941, he was again decorated, this time with the [[German Cross]] in Gold for his exemplary leadership during the [[Battle of Rostov (1941)|first battle of Rostov]]. In June 1942, Kraas was given command of the [[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 2 (I. Battalion)]] leading it throughout the [[Third Battle of Kharkov]]. For his role in this operation he was awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|''Ritterkreuz'']] on 28 March 1943. During the ensuing summer Kraas then succeeded [[Theodor Wisch]] as a commander of [[Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 2]] and short time later was also promoted to SS-''[[Obersturmbannführer]]''.

==Zitadelle==
{{Empty section|date=November 2014}}

==Death==
Kraas, died from heart attack in his home in Selk, Schleswig-Holstein, on February 20, 1980.

==Summary of his SS career==
===Dates of rank===
* SS-''[[Rottenführer]]'': 15 October 1935
* SS-''[[Untersturmführer]]'': 12 March 1938
* SS-''[[Obersturmführer]]'': 20 April 1939
* SS-''[[Hauptsturmführer]]'': 1 September 1940
* SS-''[[Sturmbannführer]]'': 20 April 1942
* SS-''[[Obersturmbannführer]]'': 21 June 1943
* SS-''[[Standartenführer]]'': 30 January 1944
* SS-''[[Oberführer]]'': 30 January 1945
* SS-''[[Brigadeführer]]'': 20 April 1945

===Notable decorations===
* [[German Cross]] in Gold (1941)
* [[Eastern Front Medal]] (1942)
* [[Infantry Assault Badge]] in Bronze (1940)
* [[Iron Cross]] Second (1939) and First (1940) Classes
* [[Wound Badge]] in Black (1941)
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|Knight's Cross]] (1943)
* [[Close Combat Clasp]] in Silver (1943)
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|Oak Leaves]] (1944)
* Mentioned in the ''[[Wehrmachtbericht]]'' on 27 February 1943

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. ''Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945''.  Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. ''Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II''. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
* Schaulen, Fritjof (2004). ''Eichenlaubträger 1940 - 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe II Ihlefeld - Primozic'' (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-21-1.
* Thomas, Franz (1997). ''Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K'' (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.eestileegion.com/?home/waffen-ss/waffen-ss-leaders/ss-brigadefuehrer-hugo-kraas.html Hugo Kraas]
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box|
before= SS-Brigadeführer [[Fritz Kraemer]]|
after= dissolved on 8 May 1945|
title= Commander of [[12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend]]|
years=13 November 1944 - 8 May 1945
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Related recipients of the Knight's Cross}}

{{Wikipedia|Hugo Kraas}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kraas, Hugo}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Witten]]
[[Category:SS generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Close Combat Clasp]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves]]
[[Category:Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht]]
[[Category:Military personnel from North Rhine-Westphalia]]