Walter Weiß

General Walter-Otto Weiß was a Wehrmacht High Command officer in World War II. He became Commander in Chief of Army Group North on the Eastern Front in 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career
Walter Weiß joined the military service on 19 March 1908. In the beginning of World War II, during the Polish Campaign, Weiß was put in charge of I. Armee-Korps holding the position chief of the general staff. He was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 September. On 15 December 1940 he took command of the 97. leichten Division and on 15 January 1941 command of the 26.Infanterie-Division. 26.Infanterie-Division was subordinated to Heeresgruppe Mitte and participated in Operation Barbarossa. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1942 and took command of the XXVII. Armeekorps on 1 July 1942. Again promoted on 1 September 1942, General der Infanterie Weiß led the 2. Armee on the Eastern front from 3 February 1943 on. He received command of Heeresgruppe Nord  on 12 March 1945. He was held in American captivity until 1948.

1938 - 1939 Commanding Officer 1st Regiment

1939 - 1940 Chief of Staff I Corps

1940 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 97th Light Division

1941 - 1942 General Officer Commanding 26th Division

1942 - 1943 General Officer Commanding XXVII Corps

1943 - 1945 General Officer Commanding 2. Armee, Eastern Front

1945       Commander in Chief Army Group North, Eastern Front

1945       In reserve

1945 - 1948 Prisoner of War

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (9 September 1914)
 * 1st Class (15 December 1915)
 * Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decoration
 * Gallipoli Star
 * Cross of Honor
 * Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4th to 1st Class
 * Clasp to the Iron Cross
 * 2nd Class (19 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (2 October 1939)
 * Eastern Front Medal
 * Officer Cross of the Bulgarian Order of Military Merit with Swords
 * German Cross in Gold (19 February 1943)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 12 September 1941 as Generalmajor and commander of the 26.Infanterie-Division
 * 646th Oak Leaves on 5 November 1944 as Generaloberst and Commander-in-Chief of the 2. Armee
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht