(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Dipl.Ing. Walter Kathmann
Born: 27 Oct 1895 in Hannover
Died: 04 Apr 1982 in Nuremberg (Nürnberg)
Diploma In Engineering: 21 Mar 1932
Promotions:
Vizewachtmeister (04 Dec 1915); Leutnant der Reserve (26 Jan 1917); Leutnant (01 Oct 1920); Oberleutnant (01 Apr 1925); Hauptmann (01 Apr 1930); Major (01 Nov 1935); Oberstleutnant (01 Aug 1938); Oberst (01 May 1939); Generalmajor (01 Apr 1942); Generalleutnant (01 Jun 1944)
Career:
Entered the Army Reserves as a War Volunteer in the 4th Bavarian Field-Artillery-Regiment (08 Aug 1914-10 Feb 1915)
With the 4th Bavarian Artillery-Munitions-Column (11 Feb 1915-14 Apr 1915)
In the 4th Bavarian Field-Artillery-Regiment (15 Apr 1915-03 Jan 1916)
Battery-Officer in the 1st Bavarian Territorial-Field-Artillery-Regiment (04 Jan 1918-06 Feb 1918)
Artillery-Liaison-Officer to the 5th Bavarian Territorial-Infantry-Brigade (07 Feb 1918-00 Sep 1918)
With the Regiment-Staff of the 1st Bavarian Territorial-Field-Artillery-Regiment (00 Sep 1918-17 Dec 1918)
Battery-Officer in the 3rd Bavarian Field-Artillery-Regiment (18 Dec 1918-31 Mar 1919)
With the Volunteer-Battery Von Speck (24 Apr 1919-31 May 1919)
Active-Officer and Battery-Officer in the 24th Artillery-Regiment (01 Jun 1919-31 Dec 1920)
Battery-Officer in the 7th Artillery-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-31 Mar 1926)
Advisor in the Army Weapons Office, RWM (01 Apr 1926-30 Sep 1927)
Studies at the Technical College Berlin-Charlottenburg (01 Oct 1927-31 Mar 1932)
Detached to the Army Weapons Office, RWM (01 Apr 1932-30 Sep 1934)
Squadron-Chief in the 7th Transport-Battalion (01 Oct 1934-31 Mar 1935)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service as Battery-Chief in the 8th Flak-Regiment (01 Apr 1935-31 Oct 1935)
With the Staff of the I. Battalion of the 8th Flak-Regiment (01 Nov 1935-02 Jan 1936)
Detached to the Army Weapons Office, RKM (03 Jan 1936-31 Mar 1936)
Commander of the 88th Flak-Battalion – Legion Condor (Spain) (01 Apr 1936-16 Apr 1937)
Advisor in the RLM (17 Apr 1937-31 Oct 1938)
With the Instruction-Staff of the Air-War-Academy (01 Nov 1938-30 Jun 1939)
In the Luftwaffe General Staff (01 Jul 1939-31 Aug 1939)
Commander of the 3rd Flak-Regiment (01 Sep 1939-19 Jan 1940)
In the Staff of the Commander of Flak Artillery with Air-Region-Command VI (20 Jan 1940-19 May 1940)
Acting-Chief Of Staff of Air-Region-Command XVII (20 May 1940-11 Nov 1941)
Department-Chief in the RLM (12 Nov 1941-15 Jun 1943)
2nd Chief of Air-Defence, RLM (16 Jun 1943-25 Apr 1944)
2nd Chief of Flak-Weapons, RLM (26 Apr 1944-11 Aug 1944)
Acting-Motor-Transport-Commander 6 (12 Aug 1944-31 Oct 1944)
Commander of the 5th Flak-Division (01 Nov 1944-31 Jan 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKL (31 Jan 1945-00 May 1945)
Retired (00 May 1945)

Decorations & Awards:
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Kgl. Bayer. Militär-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Medalla de la Campaña de España
- Spanienkreuz mit Schwerter


Back to ABR Homepage