In the twelth Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis writes about the defiant general Hans von Salmuth, a fierce critic of the Führer himself. Hans Eberhard Kurt von Salmuth, born in Metz on November 11, 1888, was a stocky, self-confident leader with a reputation for being outspoken and for often directly presenting his views when he felt… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: von Salmuth
With one week to go before June 6th, Peter Margaritis presents a short biography of Josef Reichert, a officer who witnessed first hand the Allied paratrooper landings of Operation Neptune. Josef Reichert, a decorated veteran of World War I, was a 48-year old colonel commanding the 6th Infantry Regiment on the Polish border when war broke… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Reichert
In the tenth Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis presents a brief look at Generalmajor Wilhelm Meise, the chief engineer for the Atlantic Wall under Rommel. Wilhelm Meise was born in Munich on August 16, 1891. In the summer of 1910, he joined the army as a cadet and was assigned to the 3rd Bavarian Engineer… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Meise
In the ninth Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis presents Heinrich von Lüttwitz, an aristocratic officer who played a pivotal role in the Battle of the Bulge. Diepold Georg Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz, born December 6, 1896, was an aristocratic Prussian Junker. Already an excellent horseman when World War I began, he immediately joined the army and… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: von Lüttwitz
In the seventh Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis explores the life of Dietrich Kraiss and his role in one of the bloodiest battles in Normandy, Omaha Beach. Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss, born in Stuttgart in 1889, was a distinguished, seasoned World War I veteran. He commanded the 90th Infantry Regiment in the Polish invasion,… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Kraiss
In the eight Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis chronicles the life of Theodor Krancke, a prominant naval officer who commanded the entirity of the Kriegsmarine in the Western Theatre. Theodor Krancke, born March 30, 1893, in Magdeburg, joined the navy in April 1912. During World War I serving on in the IX Torpedo Boat Flotilla,… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Krancke
In the sixth Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis presents the wartime exploits of the Johannes Blaskowitz, the general who spearheaded the invasion of Poland and had a tense relationship with the Führer himself. Johannes Blaskowitz was a veteran of World War I, an elder from the Prussian officer corps, even-tempered, happily married, and devout.… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Blaskowitz
In the fifth Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis presents the wartime career of Richter, an officer who suffered a tremendous loss during the inital invasions of Normandy. Wilhelm Richter, born in Hirschberg in 1892, was a son of the Lord Mayor of Hirschberg. A World War I veteran, he stayed in the Reichswehr… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Richter
In our fourth Countdown to D-Day officer bio, Peter Margaritis provides a snapshot of Max-Josef Pemsel, an officer who after the war helped shape one of history’s greatest war films. Generalmajor Max-Josef Pemsel, a Bavarian who turned 47 on January 15, 1944, was also a veteran of the Great War. When the Second World War… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Pemsel
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