Walter Fries ( German Walter Fries ; April 22, 1894 - August 6, 1982 ) - German officer, member of the First and Second World Wars, general of tank forces , Knight's Cross with Oak leaves and Swords.
| Walter Fries | |||||||||||||||
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| him Walter fries | |||||||||||||||
| Date of Birth | April 22, 1894 | ||||||||||||||
| Place of Birth | Husternhein, Province of Hesse-Nassau , Kingdom of Prussia , German Empire | ||||||||||||||
| Date of death | August 6, 1982 (88 years) | ||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Weilburg , Hessen , Germany | ||||||||||||||
| Affiliation |  German Empire Weimar Republic Third Reich | ||||||||||||||
| Type of army | infantry, tank troops | ||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1912-1945 | ||||||||||||||
| Rank | tank general | ||||||||||||||
| Commanded | 46th tank corps | ||||||||||||||
| Battles / Wars | World War I
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| Awards and prizes | German Empire
Third Reich
 | ||||||||||||||
Content
Beginning of military career
In October 1912 he entered the military service as a volunteer in an infantry regiment. He retired after a year of service, was promoted to vice feldwebel.
World War I
August 3, 1914 called up from the reserve for military service. In January 1915 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant of the reserve (that is, without graduating from a military school). From August 1915 - commander of an infantry company. During the war he was awarded the Iron Crosses of both degrees.
Between the world wars
After the war, demobilized. From January 1919 in the service of the police (adopted in the rank of lieutenant), by 1934 reached the rank of police major.
In March 1936 he returned to military service, with the rank of major. From March 1938 - lieutenant colonel, battalion commander of the 15th motorized infantry division.
World War II
Participated in the Polish and French campaigns, received strips to the Iron Crosses of both degrees (re-award).
From November 1940 - commander of the regiment of the 36th Infantry Division . From March 1941 - Colonel.
On June 22, 1941, he participated in the German-Soviet war. Fighting near Polotsk, then near Moscow. In December 1941, Colonel Fris was awarded the Knight's Cross, in October 1942 - the Golden German Cross.
In January-March 1943 - a teacher in an infantry school. From March 1943 - commander of the 29th motorized division (in France), from June 1943 Fries with the rank of major general. Since July 1943, the 29th Division (reformed into a tank-grenadier) - in southern Italy.
From January 1944 - in the rank of lieutenant-general, for fights in Italy he was awarded Oak leaves (No. 378) to the Knight's Cross, in August 1944 - Swords (No. 87) to the Knight's Cross with Oak leaves.
From September 1944 - Commander of the 46th Tank Corps (in the Warsaw area), from December 1944 promoted to the rank of General of Tank Forces.
On January 19, 1945, the general of tank forces, Fris, was removed from the command of the corps for retreating from Warsaw. On March 24, 1945, Hitler ordered that a military tribunal be tried. Hitler demanded a death sentence, but the tribunal found General Fries innocent. However, Fris did not get a new position. On May 8, 1945, he was taken into American captivity.
After the war
Released from captivity in June 1947.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
- Breastplate "For the injury" (1918) black
- Honorary Cross of the First World War 1914/1918 with swords (1934)
- Medal "For long service in the Wehrmacht" from the 4th to the 1st grade
- Medal "In memory of October 1, 1938" with a buckle "Prague Castle" (1938)
- Buckle to the Iron Cross 2nd Class (September 24, 1939)
- Buckle to the Iron Cross 1st Class (October 9, 1939)
- Medal "For the winter campaign in the East 1941/42"
- Breast Assault Infantry Badge in Silver
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross (December 14, 1941)
- oak leaves (No. 378) (January 29, 1944)
- swords (No. 87) (August 11, 1944)
- German Cross in Gold (October 9, 1942)
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (June 28, 1944 and July 29, 1944)
Literature
- Berger, Florian. Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges . Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2000. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5 .
Links
- Fries, Walter (eng.)