The newest addition and the first General in my Soldbuch collection.
Bernhard von Loßberg (1899-1965) was a professional officer who came from a Prussian military family, he joined the prestigious 2 Garde Rgt zu Fuß in July 1916 as an officers candidate.
A year later he went to front with this regiment, in September 1917 he was wounded for the first time, in January 1918 he was back with his unit and in March 1918 he was wounded for the second time and for a third time in April 1918.
He remained with the Reichwehr after the war ended but the injuries he sustained limited his career possibilities in combat units and he became a staff officer.
When the Nazi's took power he joined the Reich War Ministry as a planner, in the years that followed he held all kinds of commands from company commander in an infantry unit till supply officer but his break came in August 1938 when he joined "Special staff W", the unit that coordinated the support to Franco in the Spanish civil war.
In April 1939 he joined the OKW in the National Defence Department as a planner under Oberst Warlimont and General Jodl, the name was rather euphemistical because the plans they made were far from defensive plans.
In February 1938 the OKW was established to replace the War Ministry, in theory this command controlled all the German armed forces but in reality the OKH held most of his power and the OKW was used to transform Hitler's military ideas in to practical plans.
OberstLt von Loßberg was one of the key planners in this staff, in 1940 he created operation "Weserübung", the invasion of Denmark and Norway and later operation "Fritz", the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Also the OKH made plans for an invasion of Soviet Russia, plans made by General Marcks, the big difference between these two plans was that Gen. Marcks lay the focus of his offensive in a march to Moscow, a strong push towards Kiev and little effort in the Baltic states; the plan of von Loßberg had its focus on the Baltic states and Moscow and only minimal forces used in the Ukraine.
The OKW managed to promote there plan (Operation Fritz) to Hitler as the way to move forward, the plan was adapted with a bit more forces used in the South but the focus would be in the North and Centre: operation "Barbarossa" was created.
In December 1941 the military career of Bernhard von Loßberg came to an abrupt end, he was one of the staff officers that tried to convince Hitler to tactically retreat for winter quarters so that most of the gains they made in the summer of 1941 could be consolidated.
Hitler personally sacked von Loßberg from the OKW staff.
He was promoted to Oberst in January 1942 and in 1944 to General but was also banished to the military district Norway were his military career was basically dead.
In May 1945 he was detained by the British in Special Camp 11 but wasn't prosecuted for war crimes, in 1947 he was released and in 1949 he wrote his memoires about the time he spend as a planner in the OKW.
Bernhard von Loßberg (1899-1965) was a professional officer who came from a Prussian military family, he joined the prestigious 2 Garde Rgt zu Fuß in July 1916 as an officers candidate.
A year later he went to front with this regiment, in September 1917 he was wounded for the first time, in January 1918 he was back with his unit and in March 1918 he was wounded for the second time and for a third time in April 1918.
He remained with the Reichwehr after the war ended but the injuries he sustained limited his career possibilities in combat units and he became a staff officer.
When the Nazi's took power he joined the Reich War Ministry as a planner, in the years that followed he held all kinds of commands from company commander in an infantry unit till supply officer but his break came in August 1938 when he joined "Special staff W", the unit that coordinated the support to Franco in the Spanish civil war.
In April 1939 he joined the OKW in the National Defence Department as a planner under Oberst Warlimont and General Jodl, the name was rather euphemistical because the plans they made were far from defensive plans.
In February 1938 the OKW was established to replace the War Ministry, in theory this command controlled all the German armed forces but in reality the OKH held most of his power and the OKW was used to transform Hitler's military ideas in to practical plans.
OberstLt von Loßberg was one of the key planners in this staff, in 1940 he created operation "Weserübung", the invasion of Denmark and Norway and later operation "Fritz", the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Also the OKH made plans for an invasion of Soviet Russia, plans made by General Marcks, the big difference between these two plans was that Gen. Marcks lay the focus of his offensive in a march to Moscow, a strong push towards Kiev and little effort in the Baltic states; the plan of von Loßberg had its focus on the Baltic states and Moscow and only minimal forces used in the Ukraine.
The OKW managed to promote there plan (Operation Fritz) to Hitler as the way to move forward, the plan was adapted with a bit more forces used in the South but the focus would be in the North and Centre: operation "Barbarossa" was created.
In December 1941 the military career of Bernhard von Loßberg came to an abrupt end, he was one of the staff officers that tried to convince Hitler to tactically retreat for winter quarters so that most of the gains they made in the summer of 1941 could be consolidated.
Hitler personally sacked von Loßberg from the OKW staff.
He was promoted to Oberst in January 1942 and in 1944 to General but was also banished to the military district Norway were his military career was basically dead.
In May 1945 he was detained by the British in Special Camp 11 but wasn't prosecuted for war crimes, in 1947 he was released and in 1949 he wrote his memoires about the time he spend as a planner in the OKW.