Erhard Raus

Erhard Raus
Born	8 January 1889 Wolframitz,Austria-Hungary (nowOlbramovice, Czech Republic)
Died	3 April 1956(1956-04-03)(aged 67) Vienna,Austria
Allegiance	Austria-Hungary First Austrian Republic Nazi Germany
Service/branch	German Army
Years of service	1909–45
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands held	6th Panzer Division XI Corps 3rd Panzer Army
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Little Saturn Evacuation afterOperation Citadel Second Battle of Kiev Operation Doppelkopf East Prussian Offensive Battle of Memel
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Erhard Raus(8 January 1889 – 3 April 1956) was a general in theWehrmachtofNazi GermanyduringWorld War II.He commanded the6th Panzer Divisionduring the early years of the war on the Eastern Front before taking army andarmy groupcommands. Raus was one of three former Austrians who rose to the rank ofGeneraloberst(Colonel General) within the GermanWehrmacht.The other two wereAlexander LöhrandLothar Rendulic.

Biography

At the age of 18, Raus enrolled in theAustro-Hungarianofficer school inBrno,later being stationed inCormòns.During theFirst World Warhe experienced combat on theEastern Front,in southernPoland,where he commanded a company ofBicycle infantry.

At the end ofFirst World War,he was included in the newly formedAustrianarmy, first as the commander of theViennabicycle infantry battalion, later as a tactician at the military academy.

After the annexation of Austria to Germany in 1938, he transferred allegiance to the German military, becoming themilitary attachéof the German embassy inRome.

At the outbreak ofSecond World War,he was recalled to active duty.

On 7 September 1941, duringOperation Barbarossa,Raus was appointed the acting commander of the6th Panzer Division.On 15 September, the 6th Panzer Division, minus its artillery, was transferred toArmy Group Centreto take part inOperation Typhoon,the advance onto Moscow.On 11 October he was awarded theKnights Cross.Raus's unit was transferred to the LVI Panzer Corps.

In early April, the 6th Panzer Division was transferred to France to refit and rest; Raus was appointed the commander of the division on 29 April.In mid-November 1942, the division left France for the Soviet Union.Following the failure ofOperation Citadel(the Kursk offensive), he organized the withdrawal of Axis units across theDnieperriver.On 10 December 1943 he was appointed acting commander of the Fourth Panzer Army. Several days later he moved the divisions across the river as well as thousands of plundered cattle and horses.Raus commanded the1st Panzer Army,then the3rd Panzer Army(August 1944 – March 1945) which included the III SS Panzer Corps, XI SS Army Corps and Corps Group Tettau (early March 1945).

After the war, Raus wrote and co-wrote a number of books and publications focusing on strategic analysis of the tank tactics used by his forces on the Eastern Front.

Raus died on 3 April 1956. He was buried in Vienna with full military honors on 6 April.

Awards

• Iron Cross(1939) 2nd Class (29 June 1941) & 1st Class (6 July 1941)
• German Cross in Goldon 14 February 1943 asGeneralmajorand commander of the 6. Panzer-Division
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 11 October 1941 asOberstand commander of the 6. Schützen-Brigade
  • Oak Leaves on 22 August 1943 asGeneral der Panzertruppeand commanding general of the XI. Armeekorps

Works

• Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941–1945(edited and translated by Steven H. Newton),ISBN978-0-306-81247-7
• Peculiarities of Russian warfare (German reportseries, 1949),OCLC38291522
• Tactics in unusual situations(Small unit tactics,1951),OCLC37669938
• Improvisations and field expedients: Their use as instruments of command(1951),OCLC38373401
• Effects of climate on combat in European Russia(German Report Series, CMH Pub 104-6,1952)
• The Pomeranian battle and the command in the east(1952)OCLC14445144
• Strategic deceptions(Deceptions & Cover Plans Project# 29, 1948),OCLC37161255

References

Bibliography

• Heuer, Gerd F.:Die Generalobersten des Heeres. Inhaber höchster deutscher Kommandostellen 1933–1945.Rattstatt: Moewig 1988.ISBN3-8118-1408-7
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001).Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II[The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall.ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
• Thomas, Franz (1998).Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z[The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.ISBN978-3-7648-2300-9.
• Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941–1945(with Steven H. Newton)