Categories
  • Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
  • Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
    •   Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
      supported by EncyclosphereKSF

    Rudolf Koch-Erpach

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 6 min
    Rudolf Koch-Erpach
    Born9 April 1886
    Munich, Bavaria, German Empire
    Died27 November 1971(1971-11-27) (aged 85)
    Bad Boll
    Allegiance German Empire (to 1918)
     Weimar Republic (to 1933)
     Nazi Germany
    Service/branch German Army
    Years of service1904–45
    RankGeneral of the Cavalry
    Commands held8th Jäger Division
    LVI Panzer Corps
    1st Army
    Battles/warsWorld War I
    World War II
    • Invasion of Poland
    • Battle of Krasnobród
    • Battle of France
    • Vistula–Oder Offensive
    AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

    Rudolf Koch-Erpach (9 April 1886 – 28 November 1971) was a German general during World War II who commanded the LVI Panzer Corps and the 1st Army.

    Biography[edit]

    Koch-Erpach was born in Munich, and eventually rose to the rank of general. In 1939, he commanded the German 8th Infantry Division during the invasion of Poland. On 24 June 1940, after the Battle of France he was awarded a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. From 1 November 1940 to 1 March 1941, Koch-Erpach commanded the German LX Corps. After a short break, he briefly commanded the XXXV Corps from 1 April 1941 to 1 May 1941.

    Koch-Erpach commanded Military District VIII from 1 May 1942 to 26 January 1945. The headquarters for this military district was Breslau and the district included Silesia, Sudetenland, parts of Moravia, and parts of southwestern Poland. Military District VIII ceased operations in February 1945. From 26 January 1945 to 10 April 1945, Koch-Erpach commanded the LVI Panzer Corps. Later in 1945, Koch-Erpach was acting commander of the German 1st Army for two days before the war ended, from 6 May to 8 May. He died in Bad Boll.

    Awards and decorations[edit]

    • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 June 1940 as Generalleutnant and commander of 8 Infanterie-Division[1]

    References[edit]

    Citations[edit]

    1. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 217.

    Bibliography[edit]

    • 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.
    Military offices
    Preceded by
    None
    		 Commander of 8. Infanterie-Division
    15 October 1935 – 25 October 1940     		Succeeded by
    General der Infanterie Gustav Höhne
    Preceded by
    General der Infanterie Max von Schenckendorff
    		 Commander of XXXV Army Corps
    1 April 1941 - 1 May 1941     		Succeeded by
    General der Artillerie Rudolf Kämpfe
    Preceded by
    General der Infanterie Johannes Block
    		 Commander of LVI Panzer Corps
    26 January 1945 – 10 April 1945     		Succeeded by
    General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling
    Preceded by
    General der Infanterie Hermann Foertsch
    		 Commander of 1. Armee
    6 May 1945 – 8 May 1945     		Succeeded by
    None
    This article is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
    Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf Koch-Erpach
    Status: article is cached
    Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF