Military Wiki
Walter Weiß
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-088-3724-06A, Russland, Generale vor Holzhaus
Walter-Otto Weiß (2nd from left)
Born (1890-09-05)5 September 1890
Died 21 December 1967(1967-12-21) (aged 77)
Place of birth Deggendorf, Bavaria
Place of death Aschaffenburg, Bavaria
Allegiance German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Years of service 1908 – 1945
Rank Generaloberst
Commands held 26. Infanterie Division
Second Army
Army Group North
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

General Walter-Otto Weiß was a Wehrmacht High Command officer in World War II. He became Commander in Chief of Army Group North on the Eastern Front in 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career[]

Walter Weiß joined the military service on 19 March 1908. In the beginning of World War II, during the Polish Campaign, Weiß was put in charge of I. Armee-Korps holding the position chief of the general staff. He was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 September. On 15 December 1940 he took command of the 97. leichten Division and on 15 January 1941 command of the 26.Infanterie-Division. 26.Infanterie-Division was subordinated to Heeresgruppe Mitte and participated in Operation Barbarossa. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1942 and took command of the XXVII. Armeekorps on 1 July 1942. Again promoted on 1 September 1942, General der Infanterie Weiß led the 2. Armee on the Eastern front from 3 February 1943 on. He received command of Heeresgruppe Nord on 12 March 1945. He was held in American captivity until 1948.

1938 - 1939 Commanding Officer 1st Regiment
1939 - 1940 Chief of Staff I Corps
1940 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 97th Light Division
1941 - 1942 General Officer Commanding 26th Division
1942 - 1943 General Officer Commanding XXVII Corps
1943 - 1945 General Officer Commanding 2. Armee, Eastern Front
1945 Commander in Chief Army Group North, Eastern Front
1945 In reserve
1945 - 1948 Prisoner of War

Awards[]

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht[]

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording English translation
6 April 1944 Verbände des Heeres und der Waffen-SS haben unter dem Oberbefehl des Generalobersten Weiß und unter der Führung der Generale der Infanterie Hoßbach und Mattenklott nach tagelangen harten Angriffskämpfen durch die Pripjetsümpfe bei ungewöhnlichen Geländeschwierigkeiten den feindlichen Ring um Kowel gesprengt und damit ihre Kameraden aus der Umklammerung befreit.[2] Units of the Army and the Waffen-SS have, under the High Command of Generaloberst Weiß and under the leadership of Generals of the Infantry Hoßbach and Mattenklott, after days of harsh fighting through the Pripyat Marshes at rough terrain, broken the enemy ring at Kowel and by that our comrades were freed from the clutch.

References[]

Citations
  1. 1.0 1.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 776.
  2. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 74.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). 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.
  • 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[]

Military offices
Preceded by
None
Commander of 97. leichte-Division
15 December 1940 – January 15, 1941
Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Sigismund von Förster
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Sigismund von Forster
Commander of 26. Infantrie-Division
January 15, 1941 – April 15, 1942
Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Friedrich Wiese
Preceded by
General Hans von Salmuth
Commander of 2. Armee
February 4, 1943 – March 9, 1945
Succeeded by
General Dietrich von Saucken
Preceded by
Generaloberst Dr. Lothar Rendulic
Commander of Heeresgruppe Nord
March 12, 1945 – April 2, 1945
Succeeded by
none


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