Job Odebrecht

Job Wilhelm Odebrecht
Last front visit of Adolf Hitler on 3 March 1945. Standing behind Hitler from left to right: General der Artillerie Wilhelm Berlin, Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim, Generalmajor Franz Reuß, General der Flakartillerie Job Odebrecht and General der Infanterie Theodor Busse
Born	25 February 1892 Koblenz
Died	20 November 1982 (aged 90) Bad Homburg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1920)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kaiserliche Marine (1909–18)  Reichsmarine (1919–20) Luftwaffe (1935–45)
Years of service	1909–20 1935–45
Rank	General der Flakartillerie
Commands held	6. Flak-Division III. Flakkorps II. Flakkorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Annexation of Austria Annexation of the Sudetenland Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad East Pomeranian Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Police officer

Job Wilhelm Odebrecht (25 February 1892 – 20 November 1982) was a highly decorated General der Flakartillerie in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was captured in May 1945 and was released in 1947.

Career

Odebrecht entered the German navy as an officer cadet in 1909 and was commissioned in 1912. After serving on flotilla craft and capital ships, he was assigned to East Africa. He commanded a company of naval troops there when World War I broke out, and was captured by the Belgians in 1916, when German East Africa fell to the Allies. During the inter-war period, he served as a policeman, attaining the rank of major. He joined the German air force in 1935, and was promoted to Lt. Col at the end of that year. His commands included the 1st bn., 11th flak rgt. (1936), 71st flak bn. (1937), 1st bn., 34th flak rgt. (1938), 25th flak rgt. (1938), 8th flak rgt. (1939), 5th Luftwaffe defense command (1940), 6th Luftwaffe Defense Command (1941), 6th flak division (1942), 21st Luftwaffe Field Division (1942), III Luftwaffe Field Corps (1943), II flak corps (1944–45). He was promoted to General der Flakartillerie on December 1, 1942.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 1st Class
• Anschluss Medal
• Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 May 1940)
  • 1st Class (1 July 1940)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (4 July 1940)
• Anti-Aircraft Flak Battle Badge (31 October 1941)
• German Cross in Gold (20 October 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on September 5, 1944 as General der Flakartillerie and commanding general of the II. Flakkorps (motorized)^[1]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 268.

Bibliography

• 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.
• Hildebrand, Karl F. Die Generale der Deutschen Luftwaffe, 1935–45, vol.3, pp. 3–5. Osnabruck, Germany: Biblio Verlag, 1992. ISBN 3-7648-2209-0.
• 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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Job Odebrecht @ Axis Biographical Research at the Wayback Machine (archived January 20, 2011)