Fritz Kraemer
| Fritz Kraemer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
12 December 1900 Stettin, German Empire |
| Died |
23 June 1959 (aged 58) Hamburg, West Germany |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918).svg.png){kind=small} Weimar Republic (to 1933).svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
Heer (1918–44) Waffen SS (1944–45) |
| Years of service | 1918–45 |
| Rank |
 SS-Brigadeführer |
| Commands held |
I SS Panzer Corps SS Division Hitlerjugend |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Fritz Kraemer (12 December 1900 – 23 June 1959) was a high-ranking Waffen-SS member during World War II, and a commander of the I SS Panzer Corps and the SS Division Hitlerjugend. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Career
Kraemer joined the army in 1918 and later attended the Berlin War Academy. In 1939 he served as a company commander in the 13th Infantry Division, with which he took part in the invasion of Poland and the Battle of France. During the operations in the Soviet Union with the 13th Panzer Division, Kraemer was awarded both the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in 1942. In January 1943, he was appointed as a staff officer of the I SS Panzer Corps commanded by Sepp Dietrich. Kraemer was admitted into the SS on 1 August 1944.
During the battles in Normandy, Krämer acted as Dietrich’s deputy, and eventually succeeded Hubert Meyer as commander of the SS Division Hitlerjugend. He was in charge of the division until 13 November 1944 when he was transferred to the reserves. For the remainder of the war, Kraemer served as a chief of staff with the 6th Panzer Army and surrendered to the U.S. Army, along with Dietrich, in May 1945. He was tried in 1946 for his role in the Malmedy Massacre and was sentenced to a ten-year imprisonment. He died in 1959.
Decorations
- German Cross in Gold (1942)
- Iron Cross Second (1939) and First (1940) Classes
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 December 1942 as Oberstleutnant im Generalstab (i.G.; in the General Staff) and Ia (operations officer) in the 13. Panzer-Division[1]
References
Citations
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 469.
Bibliography
- 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.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich |
Commander of I. SS-Panzer Corps Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 9 August 1944 – 16 August 1944 |
Succeeded by SS-Obergruppenführer Georg Keppler |
| Preceded by SS-Obersturmbannführer Hubert Meyer |
Commander of 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend 24 October 1944 – 13 November 1944 |
Succeeded by SS-Brigadeführer Hugo Kraas |