Walther Wadehn

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Walther Wadehn (born August 1, 1896 in Wilhelmshaven ; † July 13, 1949 in Hanover ) was a German major general in the Air Force in World War II .

Life

Wadehn joined the Imperial Army on September 1, 1914 and served in the First World War first in the supply force and later in the air force . After the end of the war he was promoted to first lieutenant on December 31, 1920 and then dismissed in the course of the downsizing of the army.

On September 1, 1934, he was reactivated as a first lieutenant and went to the German Aviation School in Schleissheim, a camouflaged training facility for the future air force. After his promotion to captain on April 1, 1935, he took part in a course at the Jüterbog Aviation School and did an infantry course in Königsbrück. He then took on various tasks as a fighter pilot unit until 1939 and was promoted to major on August 1, 1937 . On February 1, 1939, he took over his first troop command when he was Staffelkapitän in Kampfgeschwader 255 (later Kampfgeschwader 51 ). From September 13, 1939 he took over the III. Group of Kampfgeschwader 77 as a group commander . This group, with its twin-engine Dornier Do 17 bombers , took part in the attack on Poland within Air Fleet 4 in the southern section of the front . From December 15, 1939 he resumed training, where he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1941 and to colonel on September 1, 1942. From September 25, 1942, he was initially provisional, from December 28, permanent commander of the 10th Air Force Field Division which at that time, in the German-Soviet War , was subordinate to the 18th Army of Army Group North in the north of the Eastern Front. After his promotion to major general on September 1, 1943, he was released from his duties on November 5, 1943 and transferred to the Führerreserve . On September 1, 1944 he took over the leadership of the 3rd Paratrooper Division , which was in reserve behind the Western Front due to high losses . He then led this division in the Battle of the Bulge , after which he was replaced as commander and took over the 8th Parachute Division. With this he got into British captivity on May 15, 1945, from which he was released in February 1948.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Wadehn, Walther
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German major general in the Luftwaffe in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH August 1, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH Wilhelmshaven
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1949
Place of death Hanover