Richard Ruoff

Richard Ruoff (18 August 1883 – 30 March 1967) was an officer in the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) before and during World War II.

Colonel-General (Generaloberst) Richard Ruoff commanded the 4th Tank Army from 8 January 1942 to 31 May 1942. The 4th Tank Army was part of Army Group A (Heeresgruppen A) which was formed when Army Group South (Heeresgruppen Sud) was split into two formations for the summer offensive of 1942.

Ruoff commanded the 17th Army from 1 June 1942 to 24 June 1943. The 17th Army was also part of Army Group A. Ruoff was the commander of the 17th Army when, on 3 June 1942, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) was briefly subordinated to it. From June to July, the German 17th Army, the CSIR, and the Romanian 3rd Army were organized as "Army Group Ruoff" (Heeresgruppen Ruoff).

By July 1942, Ruoff lost the Italian unit. The CSIR was subsumed by the larger Italian Army in Russia (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR) and transferred to Army Group B (Heeresgruppen B).

During the late summer, as part of Army Group A, Ruoff and the 17th Army attacked towards the Caucasus oilfields. By December, Soviet forces had destroyed the armies defending its flanks (including the ARMIR) and had en-circled the German 6th Army at Stalingrad.

Army Group B was withdrawn from southern Russia but Ruoff and the 17th Army were ordered to hold the "Kuban bridgehead."

Command History

 * Commanding Officer, 13th Regiment - 1933 to 1934
 * Chief-of-Staff, V Corps - 1934 to 1936
 * Chief-of-Staff, 3rd Army Group Command - 1936 to 1938
 * Chief-of-Staff, 5th Army Group Command - 1938 to 1939
 * General Officer Commanding V Corps - 1939 to 1942
 * General Officer Commanding, 4th Tank Army, Eastern Front - 1942
 * General Officer Commanding, 17th Army, Eastern Front - 1942 to 1943
 * Retired - 1943

Awards and decorations

 * Iron Cross(1914)
 * 2nd Class
 * 1st Class
 * Wound Badge (1914)
 * in Black
 * Cross of Honor
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class
 * 1st Class
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 July 1941 as General der Infanterie and commander of V. Armeekorps