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
In the third part of our Countdown to D-Day officer bios, Peter Margaritis reveals the life and legacy of Ōshima, a Japanese diplomat and staunch Nazi supporter. 58-year old Baron Hiroshi Ōshima came from a wealthy Japanese samurai family. His father had served as the Japanese Minister of War in World War I. Hiroshi became a… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Ōshima
In the second Countdown to D-Day blog, Peter Margaritis reveals the life of a lesser known officer who would later serve as first of the German liaison staff for the United States Army Europe, Wilhelm Meyer-Detring. Tall, robust, dark-haired Oberst i.G. (im Generalstab―in the General Staff) Wilhelm Meyer-Detring attended the Kriegsakademie in Berlin in 1936.… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Meyer-Detring
In this first biography of the German generals of the Atlantic Wall, Peter Margaritis explores the life and career of Marcks, one of the leading officers in France and the mastermind behind Operation Barbarossa. General der Artillerie Erich Marcks was born June 6, 1891, in Berlin, the son of a historian. After three semesters studying philosophy,… Read More »Countdown to D-Day: Marcks
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