Date of birth:

February 28th, 1911 (Speyer/Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)

Date of death:

August 9th, 1955 (Dachau/Bavaria, Germany)

Service number:

SS-Nr.: 31.441 // NSDAP-Nr.: 3.061.726

Nationality:

German

Otto Wilhelm Kron was son of a Police Official and studied Law at Wurzburg University.

01.10.1931: joined the SS - 5./ II./ 3. SS-Standarte
02.06.1932: SS-Mann - Hilfspolizei
07.12.1932: SS-Unterscharführer
12.01.1933: SS-Scharführer
01.05.1933: joined the NSDAP
00.00.1933-00.00.1935: assigned to SS-Wachtruppe Dachau
01.04.1934: SS-Oberscharführer
00.00.1934: SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz (?)
01.11.1934: SS-Hauptscharführer
00.00.1935-00.00.1936: assigned to I./ SS-Totenkopf-Verbande 'Oberbayern'
01.06.1935: SS-Untersturmführer
01.05.1936: assigned to V./ SS-Totenkopf-Verbande 'Oberbayern'
13.09.1936: SS-Obersturmführer
10.07.1937: assigned to the V./ SS-Totenkopf-Verbande 'Brandenberg'
11.07.1938: Chef, 12. Hundertschaft, III./ SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 1 'Oberbayern'
01.07.1938-01.10.1938: assigned to the training of the 4./ II./ SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 'Ostmark'
02.10.1938: SS-Hauptsturmführer
01.10.1938: Chef, 4. Hundertschaft, SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 1 'Oberbayern'
16.10.1939-01.01.1941: Führer, 4./ SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1
01.01.1941-03.03.1941: Führer, 8./ SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1
03.03.1941-10.05.1941: SS-Totenkopf-Ersatz-Bataillon
00.04.1942: Kdr, SS-Totenkopf-Flak-Ausbildung-Abteilung - training at Truppenübungsplatz "Sennelager"
10.05.1941-27.08.1943: Kommandeur, SS-Totenkopf-Flak-Abteilung, SS-Division 'Totenkopf'
21.01.1942: SS-Sturmbannführer
17.03.1943: Kdr, SS-Totenkopf-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
06.07.1943: severely WIA to the legs during an air raid and sent to a Lazarret
27.08.1943-00.00.1944: appointed to the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Ausbildung- und Ersatz-Abteilung 1 - Ellwangen
20.04.1944: SS-Obersturmbannführer
00.02.1945: Chefgruppe, Amtsgruppe C - Waffen SS, SS-Personal-Haupt-Amt
00.05.1945: surrendered in Austria
00.00.1955: trialed at Dachau
09.08.1955: died abruptly of an incurable ilness on his Larynx during his detention in Dachau

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Awarded on:

December 1937

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Chef, 4. Kompanie, SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1

Awarded on:

June 22nd, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

in bronze

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Führer, SS-Totenkopf-Ersatz-Bataillon

Awarded on:

December 19th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Führer, SS-Totenkopf-Flak-Abteilung, SS-Division 'Totenkopf

Awarded on:

June 28th, 1942

Kron’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“SS-Hauptsturmführer Korn, who previously distinguished himself during the hard winter months in the defense of Molwotizy, has once again proven himself. On the night of the 24-25.04.1942, as part of Operation “Fallreep”, he led a Kampfgruppe which seized a crossing over the Wileny stream in a surprise attack and thereafter, despite heavy enemy resistance, the Kampfgruppe was able to create a bridgehead under Kron’s brave leadership.

Through the creation of this bridgehead it was possible to launch a further advance westwards towards Star Ramuschewo and northwards towards Prissmorshje from a solid starting point. This would lead to the first contact with the relief group led by von Seydlitz, which was attacking towards Ramuschewo from the northwest.

In the further prosecution of this operation, SS-Hauptsturmführer Kron received the order to cover the right flank of the attacking group with his Bataillon and create a frontline opposite the Sutschan bog.

On the afternoon of the 25.04.1942 freshly arrived strong enemy forces attacked the east wing of the advancing German troops in the forests west and southwest of Alexandrowko, threatening to roll them up from the flank. This would have threatened the territorial gains which had cost so much bloody combat to obtain. Recognizing the critical situation, SS-Hauptsturmführer Kron made an independent decision to intervene despite currently being attacked himself and having only very weak forces following the fall of all his officers. He ruthlessly exposed his front, assembled all available troops and used these to attack into the flank of the incoming enemy.

In hard and bloody forest combat, which was fought partially in belly-deep swamps, he was able to smash the hostile forces and force them to retreat in a display of death-defying devotion. Through this decisive action SS-Hauptsturmführer Kron has a major share in the successful conclusion of the Operation “Fallreep”, which resulted in the breaking of the encirclement around the Demyansk pocket. In recognition of his crucial intervention and its associated success, I ask that this brave officer be awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: STIWOT
• - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1991.
  - Kratschmer E.G., Die Ritterkreuztrager der W-SS
  - Schneider J.W., Their Honour was Loalty!
  - Nordmen I Waffen-SS
  - SS-Dienstalterliste 1935, 1938
  - NARA Berlin Doc. Ctr.
  - Axis History Forum