Raegener, Adolf

Date of birth:: February 17th, 1895 (Kleinleinungen/Saxony, Germany)
Date of death:: August 17th, 1983 (Braunschweig/Lowersaxony, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Promotions:
August 10th, 1914 Eintritt als Kriegsfreiwilliger;
November 6th, 1915: Leutnant der Reserve;
March 22nd, 1916: Leutnant;
July 31st, 1925: Oberleutnant;
February 1st, 1930: Hauptmann (9);
November 1st,1935: Major (29);
August 1st, 1935: Oberstleutnant (44);
September 1st, 1940: Oberst (22b);
March 1st, 1944: Generalmajor (9);
March 1st, 1945: Generalleutnant.

Career:
October 15th, 1935: Kommandeur I. / Infanterie-Regiment 67;
February 1st, 1940: Kommandeur II. / Infanterie-Regiment 68;
March 1st, 1940: Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 309;
February 1st, 1941: Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 9;
June 1st, 1943: Lehrgangskommandeur genesende Offiziere, Wehrkreis III;
January 15th, 1944: Kommandeur Fahnenjunkerschule IX, Hagenau/Elsass;
September 13th, 1944: Kommandeur Fahnenjunkerschule IX, Randers/Dänemark;
January 1945: Kommandeur Verteidigungsbereich Warthe;
January 25th, 1945: Kommandeur Festung Küstrin;
February 7th, 1945: Kommandeur Divisionsstab Raegener;
March 13th, 1945: Kommandeur Verteidigungsbereich Magdeburg;
May 1st, 1945: Kommandierender General Korpsgruppe Raegener;
May 8th, 1945: American POW.

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel)
Unit:: Kommandeur, Infanterie-Regiment 309, 208. Infanterie-Division, Heer
Awarded on:: June 25th, 1940

The following wartime excerpt describes why Raegener received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberstleutnant Raegener achieving outstanding feats of arms near Antwerp as a result of the fearless devotion to duty that he displayed under enemy fire. His unstoppable forward drive was an invaluable factor that led to the swift capture of the city and fort of Antwerp. This in turn majorly facilitated the subsequent operations against the Belgians.”

Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Generalleutnant (Major-general)
Unit:: Kommandant, Verteidigungsbereich Magdeburg, Heer
Awarded on:: April 17th, 1945

Awarded for his untiring devotion to duty during the defense of Magdeburg in early 1945. Despite having suffered very severe wounds earlier in the war (one leg amputated and the other badly mutilated) he nonetheless was able to ensure that countless refugees were able to escape over the Elbe river to the comparative safety of Western allied captivity.

842nd Award.