Walter Krüger (SS general)

Walter Krüger (27 February 1890 – 22 May 1945) was an SS Obergruppenführer. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career
Born in Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire (nowadays in France), Krüger was the son of an army officer and attended cadet school. As a young second lieutenant, he joined the 110th Fusilier Regiment during World War I. After World War I, he joined the Freikorps and fought in the Baltic region during 1919.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler gained power, Krüger worked in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht training department.

In 1935, he joined the SS-Verfügungstruppe where he formed the SS-Standarte Germania. At the SS Officer's school at Bad Tölz, he served as an instructor. He earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, after taking command of the SS Polizei Division which fought on the Leningrad front, Krüger himself taking place in the siege of the city itself.

Krüger became commander of the SS Division Das Reich in March 1943. After that, he went on to become the inspector general of all infantry troops of the Waffen SS. He assumed command of the newly formed, voluntary, VI (Latvian) SS Corps.

On 22 May 1945, Krüger committed suicide in the Courland Pocket fourteen days after the surrender of Nazi Germany.

Rank promotion

 * April 30, 1935 – SS-Obersturmbannführer
 * January 30, 1939 – SS-Standartenführer
 * April 20, 1941 – SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of Waffen-SS
 * January 30, 1942 – SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of Waffen-SS
 * June 21, 1944 – SS-Obergruppenführer and General of Waffen-SS

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1914), 1st and 2nd class
 * Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
 * Bavarian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class
 * Wound Badge in Gold
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (13 June 1940)
 * 1st Class (22 June 1940)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
 * Knight's Cross on 13 December 1941 as SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and commander of the SS-Polizei-Division
 * 286th Oak Leaves on 31 August 1943 as SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS and commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Das Reich"
 * 120th Swords on 11 January 1945 as SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS and commanding general of the VI. SS-Freiwilligen Armeekorps
 * Sword of honor of the Reichsführer-SS
 * SS Totenkopf Ring