Johannes Block

Johannes Block
Georg Rietscher (left) and Johannes Block (right) at Hans Guhr's award ceremony.
Born	17 November 1894 Buschdorf
Died	26 January 1945 (aged 50) Kielce
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1924)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–24 1934–45
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	Infanterie-Regiment 202 294. Infanterie-Division VIII. Armeekorps XIII. Armeekorps LVI. Panzerkorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) First Battle of Kharkov Lower Dnieper Offensive Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive Vistula–Oder Offensive †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Johannes Block (17 November 1894 – 26 January 1945) was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who held commands at division and corps level. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Johannes Block was killed on 26 January 1945 near Kielce, Poland during the Vistula-Oder Offensive.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (5 July 1916)^[1]
  • 1st Class (22 August 1918)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (30 December 1934)
• Blood Order
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (8 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (10 September 1939)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal (15 January 1943)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 December 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 202^[2]
  • 331st Oak Leaves on 22 November 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 294. Infanterie-Division^[3]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (6 February 1943)

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 53.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 115.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 64.

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.
• 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.
• Stockert, Peter (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 4 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 4] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-932915-03-1.
• 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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945