Hermann Breith

Hermann Breith
Born	7 May 1892 Pirmasens
Died	3 September 1964 (aged 72) Pech district of Wachtberg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1910–45
Rank	General der Panzertruppe
Commands held	III. Panzerkorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Hermann Albert Breith (7 May 1892 – 3 September 1964) was a German General der Panzertruppe, serving during World War II. He was also a 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. Breith commanded the III. Panzerkorps.

World War II

At the beginning of World War II, Breith commanded the 36th Panzer Regiment (sometimes listed as Panzer-Regiment 36) under the 4th Panzer Division during the 1939 Invasion of Poland, leading his regiment to the gates of Warsaw. On 15 February 1940, he received command of the 5th Panzer Brigade, still under the 4th Panzer Division, and he led this brigade during the 1940 Battle of France, where he was wounded in action, and where he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.^[1]

On 16 October 1941, after his promotion to Generalmajor, he was given command of the 3rd Panzer Division, which he led during into battle around Briansk, Orel, and Tula, as well as into the Battle of Moscow. Breath kept command of this division into Fall Blau in 1942.^[1] On 1 March 1943, after having been promoted to General der Panzertruppe, he took command of III Panzerkorps. He had command of III Panzerkorps until 8 May 1945, outside of a few week in 1944, and surrendered the unit to American troops in Austria.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (10 September 1914)^[2][3]
  • 1st Class (30 July 1916)^[2][3]
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (28 October 1918)^[3]
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg (16 April 1917)^[3]
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 1st Class (2 October 1936)^[3]
• Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (23 September 1939)^[2][3]
  • 1st Class (2 October 1939)^[2][3]
• Wound Badge
  • in Black (1 June 1940)^[3]
  • in Silver
  • in Gold
• Panzer Badge in Silver (20 May 1940)^[3]
• Eastern Front Medal (1 August 1942)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 3 June 1940 as Oberst and commander of the 5. Panzer-Brigade^[4][5][6]
  • 69th Oak Leaves on 31 January 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of the 3. Panzer-Division^[4][7][8]
  • 48th Swords on 21 February 1944 as General der Panzertruppe and commanding general of the III. Panzer-Korps^[4][9][10]
• Mentioned four times in the Wehrmachtbericht (31 January 1942, 20 February 1944, 9 September 1944 and 30 October 1944)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Saturday, 31 January 1942	Im Raum nordostwärts von Kiew führte ein Gegenangriff deutscher Infanterie und Panzertruppen unter Führung des Generalmajors Breith nach mehrtägigen Kämpfen zu einem vollen Erfolg.[11]	In the area northeast of Kiev, a German counter-attack of infantry and armored troops under the leadership of Major General Breith resulted in a great success after several days of fighting.
20 February 1944 (addendum)	Die zum Entsatz dieser Kampfgruppe angetretenen Verbände des Heeres und der Waffen-SS unter Führung des Generals der Panzertruppe Breith schufen im Zusammenwirken mit den unter Führung des Generalleutnants v. Vormann stehenden Truppen unter schwierigsten Wetter- und Geländeverhältnissen durch vorbildlichen Einsatz jedes einzelnen Soldaten die Voraussetzung für den Durchbruch.[12]	The to the relief of the battle group deployed units of the army and the Waffen SS under the command of General of Panzer Troops Breith, in cooperation with the under the leadership of Lieutenant General v. Vormann standing troops, created the requirements for the breakthrough under difficult weather and terrain conditions through exemplary dedication of every soldier.
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.[13]	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.
30 October 1944	An diesem großen Erfolg haben Panzerverbände unter dem Befehl des Generals der Panzertruppe Breith und Verbände einer Luftflotte unter Führung von Generaloberst Deßloch hervorragenden Anteil.[14]	Armored units under the command of General of Panzer Troops Breith and units of an air fleet under the command of Colonel General Deßloch have an outstanding share in this great success.

References

Citations

1. Glantz & House 2009, p. 30.
2. Thomas 1997, p. 77.
3. Wegmann 2004, p. 193.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 242.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 144.
6. Von Seemen 1976, p. 95.
7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 58.
8. Von Seemen 1976, p. 27.
9. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 42.
10. Von Seemen 1976, p. 16.
11. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 2, p. 23.
12. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 3, p. 40.
13. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 3, p. 237.
14. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 3, p. 313.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan (2009). To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1630-5.
• 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 (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.
• Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4.
• Wegmann, Günter (2004). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 1: A–E [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VIIIa: Panzer Force Volume 1: A–E] (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2322-1.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 2, 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1943] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
• Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan (2009). To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 9780700616305.

External links

• "das-ritterkreuz.de". Hermann Breith. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
• "Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Hermann Breith (in German). Retrieved 25 November 2007.