Fritz-Hubert Gräser

Fritz-Hubert Gräser
Fritz-Hubert Gräser
Born	(1888-01-03)3 January 1888 Frankfurt (Oder), Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	Göttingen, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Wehrmacht
Years of service	1907–45
Rank	General der Panzertruppe
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Fritz-Hubert Gräser (3 January 1888 – 4 November 1960) was a German officer. Having served in World War I, he was a general during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Early life and career

Gräser was born on 3 January 1888 in Frankfurt (Oder), at the time in the Province of Brandenburg, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. He was the son of Hauptmann (Captain) Ernst Gräser, later a Generalleutnant and commander of the 41st Division during World War I.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (16 September 1914)
  • 1st Class (9 October 1916)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st Class
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (24 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (23 October 1939)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Silver
  • in Gold
• Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze
• German Cross in Gold on 8 February 1942 as Oberst in Infanterie-Regiment 29
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 19 July 1940 Oberst and commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 29 (motorized)
  • 517th Oak Leaves on 26 June 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 3. Panzergrenadier-Division
  • 154th Swords on 8 May 1945 as als General der Panzertruppe and commanding officer of the 4. Panzerarmee
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (9 September 1944)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
9 September 1944 (addendum)	Im Weichselbrückenkopf, westlich Baranow, haben die unter dem Oberbefehl des Generals der Panzertruppen Balck, und dem Befehl der Generale der Panzertruppen Breith und Gräser sowie des Generals der Infanterie Recknagel stehenden Truppen im vergangenen Monat den Durchbruch massierter sowjetischer Kräfte vereitelt und den feindlichen Brückenkopf durch erfolgreiche Gegenangriffe eingeengt.	In the Vistula bridgehead west of Baranov, troops under the command in chief of General of Panzer Troops Balck, and commanded by the Generals of Panzer Troops Breith and Gräser as well as the General of the Infantry Recknagel prevented the break out last month of massed Soviet forces and narrowed the enemy bridgehead by counterattacks successfully.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by none	Commander of 3. Panzergrenadier-Division 1 March 1943 – March 1944	Succeeded by Generalmajor Hans Hecker
Preceded by General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring	Commander of XLVIII Panzer Corps 19 August 1944 – 20 September 1944	Succeeded by General der Panzertruppen Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim
Preceded by General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck	Commander of 4. Panzer-Armee 21 September 1944 – 8 May 1945	Succeeded by none