Gittner, Johannes, born 09-08-1897 in Eckartsberga, Thüringen, entered the Army Service on 26-01-1916 as a Fahnenjunker and promoted to Leutnant on 05-12-1917 in the 45th Infantry Regiment, age 20. He was allowed in the new Reichswehr and Gittner became the command of the 5th Infanterie Division on 12-10-1937, promoted to Oberstleutnant on 01-10-1938. He got the post of Ia des XXVI. Armeekorps, under command of General der Artillerie Albert Wodrig on 01-08-1940 and landed on 30-09-1940 in the Führer-Reserve. General Wodrig survived the war and died 31-10-1972, aged 89. Assigned as Oberst on 01-11-1941 and Higher Quartermaster Command of the 15th Army, under General Curt Haase, First seeing service in France, the 15th Army was involved in the protection of the Channel coast from a possible Allied invasion. It defended against Allied forces with success during Operation Market Garden . It suffered defeat against the Canadian First Army , under General Henry Duncan “Harry” Crerar in the Battle of the Scheldt during which the Army Headquarters at Dordrecht/Holland was subject to a mass attack by Hawker Typhoons of the Second Tactical Air Force on 24-10-1944. Two generals and 70 other staff officers were killed in the attack. On 09-02-1943, Haase died at the age of 61 from advanced heart disease. The 15th Army was activated on 15-01-1941 with Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Oberst Kommand West, Curt Haase in command. Gittner again landed in the infamous Führer Reserve (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know), on 20-05-1943 and on 15-06-1943 he already gets the post of commander of the 193rd Artillery Regiment and again in the Reserve on 01-11-1943. On 20-03-1944 he becomes commander of the 5th Jäger Division, he succeeded Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur der LXIV Heeresgruppe, Helmut Thumm. Lost this command in May 1944 to Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur der 5th Jäger Division, Friedrich Sixt
and was assigned as commander of the 292nd Infantry Division , he succeeded General Richard John. Lost this command in October 1944 to Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur 292th Infanterie Regiment, Rudolf Reichert He was promoted to Generalmajor on 01-07-1944 and the post of Chief of the General Staff of Wehrkreis VI. Again in the Reserve and captured on 08-05-1945 by the Allied forces.
Death and burial ground of Gittner, Johannes.
Released he lived in Tutzing, where he at the age of 77 died, on 15-05-1975 and he is buried with his wife Karola, born Stegemann, who died age 76, on 07-03-1984, on the village cemetery of Tutzing and only steps away of the graves of WWI General and Hitler’s (see Alois Hitler), first hour supporter, Erich Ludendorff and Hauptmann and Jagdfliegerass. 1st Group of the 2nd Jagdgeschwader, Franz Hrdlicka.
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