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Balck, Hermann

Date of birth:
December 17th, 1893 (Danzig-Langfuhr, Germany)
Date of death:
November 29th, 1982 (Eberbach/Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Nationality:
German

Biography

Promotions:
1st November 1943: General der Panzertruppen.

Career:
24th November 1938 until 22nd October 1939: Oberkommande des Heeres, Wehrkreis VI;
23rd October 1939 until 15th December 1940: Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 1;
16th December 1940 until 14th May 1941: Kommandeur Panzerjäger-Regiment 3;
15th May 1941 until 6th July 1941: Kommandeur 2.Panzer-Brigade;
7th July 1941 until 31st October 1941: Führer Reserve Oberkommande des Heeres;
1st november 1941 until 22nd May 1942: General der Schnelle Truppen beim Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres;
23rd May 1942 until 12th March 1943: Kommandeur 11.Panzer-Division;
13th March 1943 until 12th November 1943: Führer Reserve Oberkommande des Heeres;
13th November 1943: Kommandierender General XXXXVIII.Panzer-Korps

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberstleutnant (Luitenant-kolonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 1
Awarded on:
May 12th, 1940

Had already received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on October 15th 1914.
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 1
Awarded on:
May 13th, 1940

Had already received the Iron Cross 1st Class on November 26th 1914.
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberstleutnant (Luitenant-kolonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 1
Awarded on:
May 17th, 1940
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 1 / 1.Panzer-Division / Panzergruppe Kleist / 4.Armee / Heeresgruppe B
Awarded on:
June 3rd, 1940
The following wartime excerpt describes why Balck was awarded the Knight’s Cross…

“Breakthrough near Martelange. Pursuit towards Bouillon. Capture of Bouillon. Regiment as the first to reach and cross the Maas. Breakthrough of the bunker position. Defense against attacks at Bois de la Marfe. Victorious pursuit battles along the route Chanery—Omont. Several thousand prisoners and about 30 guns captured.”

53rd Award.
Submitted on May 27th 1940.
Preliminary document dated June 4th 1940.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 15th, 1940

Bronze version.
Panzerkampfabzeichen (ohne Zahl)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Kolonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur 11. Panzer Division
Awarded on:
December 2nd, 1941
Voenen Orden
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Kommandeur 11.Panzer-Division / Heeresgruppe Don
Awarded on:
December 20th, 1942
Awarded for holding the Chir river line with his 11. Panzer-Division during late 1942. In this time his Division smashed all the corps of the Soviet 5th Tank Army one after another.

155th Award
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor
Unit:
Kommandeur 11. Panzer Division
Awarded on:
December 20th, 1942
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalleutnant (Major-general)
Unit:
Kommandeur 11.Panzer-Division / XXXXVIII.Armee-Korps / 4.Panzer-Armee / Heeresgruppe Süd
Awarded on:
March 4th, 1943
Awarded for assisting in the destruction of Mobile Group Popov in the Barwenkowo area during early 1943.

25th Award.
Submitted on March 1st 1943.
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
General der Panzertruppen (Lieutenant-General of Armoured Forces)
Unit:
Stellvertretender Führer 4.Panzer-Armee / Heeresgruppe Nordukraine
Awarded on:
August 31st, 1944
Ritterkreuz, Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten
Awarded for achieving the first successful offensively-conducted defensive battle along the Vistula river in 1944.

19th Award.
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
General der Panzertruppe (Luitenant-generaal)
Unit:
Oberbefehlshaber der 4. Panzerarmee
Awarded on:
September 9th, 1944
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
January 30th, 1944
Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS

Sources

  • Photo: Wilco Vermeer collection, the Netherlands
  • - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
    - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1987.
    - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
    - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
    - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
    - Kursietis, Andris J., The Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945, Aspekt, The Netherlands, 1999
    - Helden der Wehrmacht, Sammelband (Miscellany), FZ-Verlag GmbH, München, Deutschland, 2000
    - Williamson, G., Knight’s Cross with Diamonds Recipients, Osprey Publishing Ltd., Great Britain, 2006
    - Federl, C., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, Germany, 2000
    - Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer, Elite of the Third Reich - The Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-45: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, England, 2003
    - Berger, F., Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern – Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges, Selbstverlag Florian Berger, Wien, Österreich, 2002/03
    - Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, 2001
    - Axis Biographical Research
    - Beurteilung 20.Marz 1943

Photo