Erich Abraham

For the Wehrmacht soldier, see Erich Abraham (soldier).
Erich Abraham

Erich Abraham
Birth name Erich Gottfried Abraham
Born (1895-03-27)27 March 1895
Marienburg, Province of West Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire now Malbork, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Died 7 March 1971(1971-03-07) (aged 75)
Wiesbaden, Hesse, West Germany
Buried at Südfriedhof in Wiesbaden
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1914–45
Rank General der Infanterie
Commands held 76. Infanterie-Division
LXIII. Armeekorps
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Erich Gottfried Abraham (27 March 1895 – 7 March 1971) was a German General der Infanterie (Lieutenant General) who command the 76th Infantry Division then the LXIII Corps on the Eastern Front during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Biography

Abraham was born in Marienburg, East Prussia in 1895. He volunteered for military service after the outbreak of World War I and the following year was commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve. He was demobilised in 1920 as an honorary Oberleutnant, and joined the police. He returned to military service in 1935 in the rank of Major, He commanded an infantry battalion in the 105th Infantry Regiment in 1936–39, being promoted to Oberstleutnant in 1938. In 1939, he was transferred to the 266th Infantry Regiment, again commanding a battalion for a year. In 1940 he was appointed as the commanding officer of the 230th Infantry Regiment, and in 1941 was promoted to Oberst, continuing in command of that regiment until 1942.[1] During his time in command of the 230th Infantry Regiment, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[2] On 17 February 1943 he was appointed to command the 76th Infantry Division which was being rebuilt in France after the original division had been destroyed at Stalingrad. He was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 June 1943, after which he led the division initially to Italy before being moved to Army Group South on the Eastern Front during the winter of 1943–44. On 1 January 1944, Abraham was promoted to Generalleutnant. He continued to command the division in heavy fighting and during the withdrawal in the face of the Red Army Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, and other than for a short time in July-August, commanded the division until October 1944.[3] While commanding the division, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[2] Later that year he was appointed to command LXIII Corps. In March 1945 he was promoted to General der Infanterie. Captured at the end of the war, he was released in August 1947. After release he lived in Wiesbaden, West Germany. He died in 1971.[1]

Awards

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Mitcham 2008, p. 242.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Scherzer 2007, p. 187.
  3. ↑ Mitcham 2007, p. 94.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thomas 1997, p. 1.
  5. 1 2 3 Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 10.
  6. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 10.

Bibliography

  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle: 1st-290th Infantry divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3416-5. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2008). Panzer Commanders of the Western Front: German Tank Generals in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-4922-0. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color I Abraham – Huppertz] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1987). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 1: A–Be [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 1: A–Be] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1153-2. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 
Military offices
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Carl Rodenburg		 Commander of 76. Infanterie-Division
April 1, 1943 – July, 1944 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Otto-Hermann Brücker
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Otto-Hermann Brücker		 Commander of 76. Infanterie-Division
August, 1944 – 17 October 1944 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Siegfried von Rekowski
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