(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Infanterie Hans Krebs
Born: 04 Mar 1898 in Helmstedt, Braunschweig
Died: 01 May 1945 in Berlin (Suicide)
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (11 Dec 1914); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (05 Jan 1915); Fähnrich (22 Mar 1915); Leutnant (18 Jun 1915); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 Oct 1931); Major (01 Jan 1936); Oberstleutnant (01 Feb 1939); Oberst (01 Oct 1940); Generalmajor (01 Feb 1942); Generalleutnant (01 Apr 1943); General der Infanterie (01 Aug 1944)
Career:
Entered Army Service (03 Sep 1914)
War Volunteer in the 10th Jäger-Battalion (03 Sep 1914-27 Nov 1914)
Fahnenjunker in the 78th Infantry-Regiment (27 Nov 1914-19 Mar 1915)
Detached to Fahnenjunker-Course at Döberitz (12 Dec 1914-13 Feb 1915)
Detached to the Infantry-Instructor-Department of X. Army-Corps in Münsterlager (15 Feb 1915-15 Mar 1915)
In the Field with the 78th Infantry-Regiment (19 Mar 1915-23 Mar 1915)
Assigned to the MG-Company of the 78th Infantry-Regiment (23 Mar 1915-02 Jul 1915)
Wounded, in Hospital (02 Jul 1915-05 Aug 1915)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 78th Infantry-Regiment (05 Aug 1915-21 Aug 1915)
Back in the Field with the 78th Infantry-Regiment (21 Aug 1915-09 Feb 1916)
Detached to the 62nd Field-Artillery-Regiment (15 Jan 1916-08 Feb 1916)
Leader of MG-Troop 47 (09 Feb 1916-01 Nov 1916)
Detached to MG-Training-Command Sennelager (09 Feb 1916-12 Mar 1916)
Company-Leader in the 14th MG-Battalion (01 Nov 1916-24 Dec 1916)
Transferred to the Staff of the 14th MG-Battalion (24 Dec 1916-06 Mar 1917)
Transferred back to the 78th Infantry-Regiment (06 Mar 1917-01 Jun 1917)
Company-Leader in the 78th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jun 1917-06 Sep 1917)
Detached to the Regiment-Staff of the 78th Infantry-Regiment (06 Sep 1917-01 Oct 1917)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 78th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1917-06 Jul 1919)
Transferred to the 10th Reichswehr-Brigade-Battalion (06 Jul 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the 20th Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1919-08 Sep 1920)
Transferred into 12th Company of the 17th Infantry-Regiment (08 Sep 1920-01 Oct 1923)
Transferred into the 8th Mounted-Regiment, Breslau, Training-Squadron & Detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training to the Staff of the 6th Division (01 Oct 1923-01 Oct 1924)
While retaining previous Command in the 15th Company, transferred back into the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1924-01 Aug 1928)
Detached to the 6th Motor-Transport-Battalion (01 Jul 1926-20 Aug 1926)
Detached to the 6th Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1926-01 Oct 1927)
Detached to the 6th Pioneer-Battalion, Minden (01 Oct 1927-15 Jul 1928)
Assigned to the 13th Company of the 17th Infantry-Regiment, Goslar (01 Aug 1928-01 Oct 1930)
Detached to the Staff of Group-Command 2 (01 Mar 1929-30 Jun 1929)
Detached to Department T 4 in the RWM (01 Dec 1929-01 Oct 1930)
Transferred to the Training-Squadron of the 3rd Mounted-Regiment and Detached to Command-Office Berlin (Subsidiary-Leadership-Training), learning the Russian Language (01 Oct 1930-15 Jun 1931)
Detached to Department T 3 (Foreign Armies 'Fremde Heere') in the RWM (15 Jun 1931-01 Oct 1931)
Transferred to Department T 3 in the RWM, Service Trip to the USSR and Far East (01 Oct 1931-01 Jul 1933)
Assistant of the Military-Attaché with the Embassy in Moscow (01 Jul 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Company-Chief in Infantry-Regiment Gumbinnen (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of the 24th Division (15 Oct 1935-12 Oct 1937)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the Army-Household-Department (11th Department, OQu II) in OKH (12 Oct 1937-01 Oct 1938)
Chief of the Household-Department, OKH (01 Oct 1938-06 Oct 1939)
Führer-Reserve OKH (06 Oct 1939-15 Dec 1939)
Chief of the General Staff of VII. Army-Corps (15 Dec 1939-10 Jul 1940)
1st Assistant of the Military-Attaché with the German Embassy in Moscow (01 Oct 1940-22 Jun 1941)
At the same time, Acting-Military-Attaché with the Embassy in Moscow (17 Mar 1941-08 May 1941)
Transferred into OKH (00 Jul 1941-14 Jan 1942)
Chief of the General Staff of the 9th Army (14 Jan 1942-30 Jan 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (30 Jan 1943-01 Mar 1943)
Chief of the General Staff of Army-Group Centre (01 Mar 1943-01 Sep 1944)
Chief of the General Staff of Army-Group B (01 Sep 1944-17 Feb 1945)
Acting-Chief of the Operations-Staff of the Army General Staff (17 Feb 1945-15 Mar 1945)
Wounded in a US Bombing Attack on Zossen (15 Mar 1945-01 Apr 1945)
Chief of the Army General Staff (01 Apr 1945-01 May 1945)
Committed Suicide in Berlin (at 21:30 Hours by Pistol in the Führer-Headquarters) (01 May 1945)
Awards & Decorations:
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- Ritterkreuz (2843): am 26.03.1944 als Generalleutnant und Chef des Generalstabs der Heeresgruppe Mitte
- Eichenlaub (749): am 20.02.1945 als General der Infanterie und Chef des Generalstabs der Heeresgruppe B
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 26.01.1942 als Oberst i.G. und Chef des Generalstabs der 9. Armee
- 1914 EK I: 06.02.1917
- 1914 EK II: 22.08.1915
- Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
- Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse
- Bewährungsabzeichen zum Braunschweiger Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz II. Klasse
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz I. Klasse
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum EK I : 18.05.1940
- Spange zum EK II : 14.05.1940
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942
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