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Graffen, von, Karl (58. ID)

Date of birth:
June 6th, 1893 (Plön/Holstein, Germany)
Date of death:
November 1st, 1964 (Grödersby/Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Finally reached the rank of Generalleutnant.
29.09.1912: awarded RK des Grossherzoglich Mecklenburgischen Greifenordens

Promotions:
Charakter als Fähnrich (03 Apr 1911);
Fähnrich (19 Dec 1911);
Leutnant (18 Aug 1912);
Oberleutnant (15 Dec 1917);
Hauptmann (01 Feb 1926);
Major (01 Jul 1934);
Oberstleutnant (01 Jan 1937);
Oberst (01 Oct 1939);
Generalmajor (01 Jul 1942);
Generalleutnant (01 Jan 1943).

Career:
Entered Army Service (03 Apr 1911)
Passed Out the Cadet-Corps as Fähnrich in the 60th Field-Artillery-Regiment (03 Apr 1911-01 Aug 1914)
Detached to War School in Neiße (1911-31 Jul 1912)
Detached to the Military Gymnasium (01 May 1914-01 Aug 1914)
Transferred into the 45th Field-Artillery-Regiment (01 Aug 1914-29 Dec 1914)
Transferred into the 65th Reserve-Field-Artillery-Regiment (29 Dec 1914-18 May 1915)
Temporary-Battery-Leader in the 65th Reserve-Field-Artillery-Regiment (18 May 1915-06 Feb 1919)
Detached to Firing Course at the Artillery Mountain School in Sonthofen (03 Dec 1917-23 Jan 1918)
Transferred into the 60th Field-Artillery-Regiment (06 Feb 1919-01 May 1919)
Transferred into the 9th Light Reichswehr-Artillery-Regiment (01 May 1919-27 Apr 1920)
Transferred into the 2nd Reichswehr-Artillery-Regiment (27 Apr 1920-01 Dec 1926)
Detached to Subsidiary-Leadership-Training with Military-District-Command II (01 Oct 1923-01 Jul 1924)
Detached to the 4th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jul 1924-30 Sep 1924)
Regiments-Signals-Officer of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Dec 1926-01 Oct 1929)
Transferred to the 6th Battery of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1929-01 Nov 1929)
Chief of the 6th Battery of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Nov 1929-01 Oct 1931)
Chief of the 10th Battery of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1931-01 Apr 1934)
Detached to Firing Course for Artillery-Officers in Jüterbog (02 Oct 1931-29 Oct 1931)
Transferred to the Artillery Instruction & Experimental Command Schwerin (01 Apr 1934-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of the IV. Battalion of Infantry-Regiment Schwerin (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Adjutant of the Artillery-School Jüterbog (15 Oct 1935-06 Oct 1936)
Leader of the Experimental-Staff and the Specification-Officer of the Artillery-School, Jüterbog (06 Oct 1936-01 Oct 1939)
Administrator for Artillery and Munition Queries with the General Of Artillery in OKH (01 Oct 1939-24 Feb 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (24 Feb 1941-08 Mar 1941)
Commander of the 129th Artillery-Regiment (08 Mar 1941-28 Nov 1941)
Artillery-Commander 18 (28 Nov 1941-27 Mar 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 58th Infantry-Division (27 Mar 1942-01 Jul 1942)
Commander of the 58th Infantry-Division (01 Jul 1942-15 Sep 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Sep 1943-22 Sep 1943)
Higher Artillery Commander 316 (Army High Command 10) (22 Sep 1943-26 Apr 1945)
Delegated with the Leadership of LXXVI. Panzer-Corps (26 Apr 1945-18 May 1945)
German Leader of POW-Camps by Rimini, Italy (18 May 1945-18 Jul 1945)
In British Captivity (18 Jul 1945-03 Mar 1948)
Released (03 Mar 1948)

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:
Kdr, Arko 18, Artillerie-Regiment 129, 129.Infanterie-Division
Awarded on:
December 24th, 1941
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Führer, 58. Infanterie-Division
Awarded on:
August 13th, 1942
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
June 29th, 1941
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
June 17th, 1940
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
January 9th, 1935
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4.Klasse, 4 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  3.Klasse, 12 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  2. Klasse, 18 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  1.Klasse, 25 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
August 13th, 1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
November 25th, 1916
Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
September 25th, 1914
Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
September 8th, 1917
Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 6th, 1916
Militärverdienstkreuz 1.Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
December 8th, 1914
Militärverdienstkreuz 2.Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
July 25th, 1917
with Kriegsdekoration
Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
December 1st, 1938
Order of St. Sava 3rd Class

Sources

  • Photo 1:
  • Photo 2:
  • Photo 3:
  • - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
    - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
    - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
    - Scheibert, H., Die Träger des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold (Das Heer), Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Friedberg, Germany, 1983

Photos