Date of birth:

July 23rd, 1891 (Mülheim an der Ruhr/Rhineprovince, Germany)

Date of death:

March 11th, 1977 (Hameln/Lower Saxony, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Promotions:
08.04.1911: Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
30.06.1911: Fähnrich
04.05.1912: Leutnant
13.03.1916: Oberleutnant
01.12.1921: Hauptmann
01.10.1932: Major
01.04.1936: Oberstleutnant
01.06.1938: Oberst
01.10.1941: Generalmajor
01.02.1943: Generalleutnant
01.05.1944: General der Artillerie

Career:
01.10.1910: entered Army
01.10.1910: Fahnenjunker in the 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
01.10.1913: Mounted Battalion of the 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
26.03.1916: Replacement-Battalion of the 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
16.04.1916: Beobachter, 7th Flying-Replacement-Battalion
14.06.1916: 232nd Artillery-Flying-Battalion
27.01.1917: 1st Adjutant of Artillery-Flying-School East
01.06.1918: Flying-Group-Commander 21, Training in General Staff Service to XXI. Reserve-Corps
15.12.1918: Adjutant of the Commander of Flying 9, Kurland
01.01.1919: Battery-Leader in the Kurland Field-Artillery-Regiment
01.06.1919: General-Staff-Officer with General-Command of VI. Reserve-Corps
05.12.1919: 12th Field-Artillery-Regiment
01.04.1920: Adjutant of Artillery-Leader 12
01.01.1921: 4th Artillery-Regiment
03.01.1921: training of Officers with Special Duties with the Staff of 4th Division, Dresden
18.05.1921: training as Subsidiary Detached Officer
01.10.1921: subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of 4th Division
01.10.1922: 4th Artillery-Regiment
01.05.1923: Staff of 4th Division
01.10.1925: 4th Artillery-Regiment
01.10.1926: Staff of the 4th Division
01.04.1928: Chief, 5th Battery, 4th Artillery-Regiment
22.10.1928: Firing-Course for Artillery Officers in Munster
01.10.1931: Staff, II. Battalion, 4th Artillery-Regiment
31.10.1932: retired
01.11.1932: instructor in China
01.03.1934: reactivated, Staff of the 4th Artillery-Regiment
01.10.1934: Commander, IV. Battalion, Artillery-Regiment Naumburg
15.10.1935: Commander, I. Battalion, 60th Artillery-Regiment
12.10.1937: Commander, 24th Artillery-Regiment
25.11.1940: Artillery-Commander 140 (Artillery-Leader of LII. Army-Corps)
15.07.1941: Severely Wounded (lost left arm and left leg) - in Hospital the Führer-Reserve
01.05.1942: Commander, Special-Purpose-Division 407
10.09.1942: Commander, 390th Field-Training-Division
01.04.1943: Commander, 87th Infantry-Division
20.11.1943: Führer-Reserve OKH
05.01.1944: course for Commanding Generals
05.02.1944: Army-Group North for Use as Representative for Leave and Sick Commanding Generals
01.02.1944-30.03.1944: delegated with the Leadership of I. Army-Corps
02.05.1944: Army-Group South Ukraine for Use as Representative for Leave and Sick Commanding Generals
10.05.1944: commanding General, XXXXIX. Mountain-Corps
10.09.1944: commanding General, VIII. Army-Corps
18.04.1945: commanding General, XXIV. Panzer-Corps
08.05.1945: US POW
20.06.1947: released

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Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

September 28th, 1914

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

March 9th, 1915

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

September 30th, 1916

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

with swords

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

1934

Awarded on:

1936

Awarded on:

1936

Awarded on:

1936

Awarded on:

1936

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 21st, 1939

Had already received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 28th September 1914.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 1st, 1939

Had already received the Iron Cross 1st Class on 30th September 1916.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 1941

WIA 15.07.1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Arko 140, 17. Armee, Heeresgruppe Süd

Awarded on:

July 30th, 1941

151st Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Artillerie-Kommandeur 140, 17. Armee, Heeresgruppe Süd

Awarded on:

August 10th, 1941

Awarded for his decisive role in the successful breakthrough of the 100. (leichten) Infanterie-Division through the Stalin line at Koserowka on the 15.07.1941. Only by his directing the artillery fire from the foremost line (in the face of furious enemy fire) was it possible to swiftly and flexibly adjust the artillery support to suit the needs of the German infantry. In the end it would help massively in enabling the Division to achieve a swift breakthrough.

409th Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Generalleutnant (Major-general)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 87. Infanterie-Division, VI. Armee-Korps, 3. Panzer-Armee, Heeresgruppe Mitte

Awarded on:

November 30th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)

Unit:

Kommandierender General, VIII. Armee-Korps, 17. Armee, Heeresgruppe Mitte

Awarded on:

March 18th, 1945

• Photo 1: Wehrkundearchiv
• Photo: Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv
  
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
  - German Officer Biography - Walter Hartmann