Traugott Herr

Traugott Herr
File:Traugott Herr.jpg
Born	(1890-09-16)16 September 1890
Died	13 April 1976(1976-04-13) (aged 85)
Place of birth	Weferlingen, Province of Saxony
Place of death	Achterwehr
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1911–1945
Rank	General der Panzertruppe
Commands held	13th Panzer Division LXXVI Panzer Corps 14th Army 10th Army
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Traugott Herr (16 September 1890 – 13 April 1976) was a German general of Panzer (armoured) troops who served during World War II. 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.

Second World War

Herr, a colonel (Oberst), commanded the 66th Infantry Regiment, part of the 13th Motorized Infantry Division, in Poland (September 1939 to May 1940) and France (May 1940 to October 1940). In October 1940 the division was reformed in Vienna as 13th Panzer Division and was sent to Romania as a training unit. Herr was given command of 13th Rifle Brigade (13. Schutzen-Brigade) which controlled the division's two infantry regiments. In May 1941 the division returned to Germany to take part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. In December 1941, Herr was given acting command of the division when Major-General (generalmajor) Walter Duvert fell ill. Herr's appointment was confirmed on 1 April 1942 along with promotion to major-general.

On 25 September 1942, still on the Eastern Front, Herr was seriously wounded and repatriated to Germany to recuperate. By June 1943 he had recovered and was appointed acting commander to form the headquarters of a new LXXVI Army Corps in the rank of lieutenant-general (generalleutnant). The corps headquarters was re-designated LXXVI Panzer Corps the following month and in August was sent to Italy. His command was confirmed on 1 September along with promotion to general of amoured troops (general der panzertruppe).

Herr commanded the corps in the Italian Campaign with only minor breaks until 26 December 1944. He also took command of 14th Army for a brief period from late November to mid-December 1944. He then spent a short time in reserve before returning in mid-February 1945 to take command of 10th Army. The Allied final and decisive spring 1945 offensive in Italy opened in early April and Herr was captured by the British on 2 May 1945. He was held captive until his repatriation in 1948.

Herr was born in Weferlingen in the Prussian Province of Saxony. He died in Achterwehr.

Awards

• Wound Badge in Black
• 1914 Iron Cross
  • 2nd Class (14 September 1914)
  • 1st Class (21 October 1915)
• House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Bavarian Military Merit Cross (3rd Class)
• Panzer Badge in Silver
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (24 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (12 May 1940)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 2 October 1941 as Oberst and commander of the 13th Rifle Brigade (13. Schützen-Brigade)
  • 110th Oak Leaves on 9 August 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of 13th Panzer Division (13. Panzer-Division)
  • 117th Swords on 18 December 1944 as General der Panzertruppe and commanding general of LXXVI Panzer Corps (LXXVI. Panzerkorps)
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 June 1944 and 22 September 1944

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
24 June 1944	Bei den schweren Abwehrkämpfen der letzten Tage haben sich die unter Führung des Generals der Panzertruppen Herr stehenden Divisionen des Heeres und der Luftwaffe, besonders das Grenadierregiment 145 unter Oberst Kühl, hervorragend bewährt.	Divisions of the Army and Air Force standing under the command of General of Panzer troops Herr, particularly the 145 Grenadier Regiment under Colonel Kühl, haven excellently proven themselves.
22 September 1944	In den schweren Abwehrkämpfen am Narew haben sich die Verbände des XXVI. Panzerkorps unter Führung des Generals der Panzertruppen Herr, unterstützt durch Flakartillerie der Luftwaffe sowie durch Heeres- und Marineküstenbatterie, besonders ausgezeichnet. In der Zeit vom 26. August bis 20. September wurden allein von diesem Korps 661 feindliche Panzer vernichtet.	In the fierce defensive battles on the Narew, the units of the XXVI. Panzer Corps under the command of General of Panzer troops Herr, supported by the Air Force anti-aircraft artillery, as well as military and naval coastal batteries, haven distinguished themselves. In the period from 26 August to 20 September the corps alone destroyed 661 enemy tanks.

References

Citations

Biography

• Berger, Florian (2000). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (in German). Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
• Exton, Brett; Bohannon, Shawn. "Some of the prisoners held at Special Camp 11: General der Panzertruppe Traugott Herr". Island Farm Prisoner of War Camp: 198 / Special Camp: XI Bridgend, South Wales.. http://www.bridgend-powcamp.fsnet.co.uk/General%20der%20Panzertruppe%20Traugott%20Herr.htm. Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
• 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. 
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940–1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham - Huppertz (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-20-3.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

External links

• Traugott Herr @ Special Camp 11