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Erhard Raus
Born8 January 1889
Wolframitz, Austria-Hungary
(now Olbramovice, Czech Republic)
Died3 April 1956(1956-04-03) (aged 67)
Vienna, Austria
Allegiance Austria-Hungary
First Austrian Republic
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch German Army
Years of service1909–45
Rank Generaloberst
Commands held6th Panzer Division
XI Corps
3rd Panzer Army
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Erhard Raus (8 January 1889 – 3 April 1956) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded the 6th Panzer Division during the early years of the war on the Eastern Front before taking army and army group commands. Raus was one of three former Austrians who rose to the rank of Generaloberst (Colonel General) within the German Wehrmacht. The other two were Alexander Löhr and Lothar Rendulic.

Biography

At the age of 18, Raus enrolled in the Austro-Hungarian officer school in Brno, later being stationed in Cormòns. During the First World War he experienced combat on the Eastern Front, in southern Poland, where he commanded a company of Bicycle infantry.

At the end of First World War, he was included in the newly formed Austrian army, first as the commander of the Vienna bicycle infantry battalion, later as a tactician at the military academy.

After the annexation of Austria to Germany in 1938, he transferred allegiance to the German military, becoming the military attaché of the German embassy in Rome.

At the outbreak of Second World War, he was recalled to active duty.

On 7 September 1941, during Operation Barbarossa, Raus was appointed the acting commander of the 6th Panzer Division. On 15 September, the 6th Panzer Division, minus its artillery, was transferred to Army Group Centre to take part in Operation Typhoon, the advance onto Moscow.[1] On 11 October he was awarded the Knights Cross.[2] Raus's unit was transferred to the LVI Panzer Corps.[3]

In early April, the 6th Panzer Division was transferred to France to refit and rest; Raus was appointed the commander of the division on 29 April.[4] In mid-November 1942, the division left France for the Soviet Union.[5] Following the failure of Operation Citadel (the Kursk offensive), he organized the withdrawal of Axis units across the Dnieper river.[6] On 10 December 1943 he was appointed acting commander of the Fourth Panzer Army. Several days later he moved the divisions across the river as well as thousands of plundered cattle and horses.[7] Raus commanded the 1st Panzer Army, then the 3rd Panzer Army (August 1944 – March 1945) which included the III SS Panzer Corps, XI SS Army Corps and Corps Group Tettau (early March 1945).

After the war, Raus wrote and co-wrote a number of books and publications focusing on strategic analysis of the tank tactics used by his forces on the Eastern Front.

Raus died on 3 April 1956. He was buried in Vienna with full military honors on 6 April.[8]

Awards

Works

References

Citations

  1. ^ Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 84
  2. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 615.
  3. ^ Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 93
  4. ^ Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 352
  5. ^ Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 138
  6. ^ Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 249
  7. ^ Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 254
  8. ^ Heuer 1988, p. 157
  9. ^ Thomas 1998, p. 184.
  10. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 367.
  11. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 615.

Bibliography

  • Heuer, Gerd F.: Die Generalobersten des Heeres. Inhaber höchster deutscher Kommandostellen 1933–1945. Rattstatt: Moewig 1988. ISBN 3-8118-1408-7
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
  • Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941–1945 (with Steven H. Newton)
Military offices Preceded byGeneralleutnant Franz Landgraf Commander of 6th Panzer Division 29 April 1942–7 February 1943 Succeeded byGeneralleutnant Walther von Hünersdorff Preceded by— Commander of XI Corps (known as Provisional Corps Raus until 10 May 1943) 10 February 1943–5 November 1943 Succeeded by— Preceded byGeneral of Panzer Troops Heinrich Eberbach Commander of XLVII Panzer Corps 5 November 1943–30 November 1943 Succeeded byGeneral of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck Preceded byGeneraloberst Hermann Hoth Commander of 4. Panzer-Armee 10 November 1943–21 April 1944 Succeeded byGeneral of Panzer Troops Walter Nehring Preceded byGeneralorberst Hans Hube Commander of 1. Panzerarmee 21 April 1944–July, 1944 Succeeded by— Preceded byGeneral of Panzer Troops Erhard Raus Commander of Armeegruppe Raus July, 1944–August, 1944 Succeeded byGeneraloberst Gotthard Heinrici Preceded byGeneraloberst Georg-Hans Reinhardt Commander of 3. Panzer-Armee 16 August 1944–10 March 1945 Succeeded byGeneral Hasso-Eccard von Manteuffel
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