Albert Praun
Encyclopedia
General Albert Praun was a General
in the German
army who became the Chief Signals Officer of the Wehrmacht
during World War II
.
He joined the Bavarian Telegraph Battalion in 1913 as an officer cadet and served as a leutnant in Imperial German Army during World War I
. He was retained in the Reichswehr
and appointed the head of the telegraph force at Königsberg
in 1933. In 1935 he was appointed commander of the 38th Signals Battalion.
In 1940 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 396th Signals Regiment with the rank of Oberst
. He was then appointed Chief Signals Officer of Panzer Group Hoth and Panzer Group Guderian in France
where he was Chief Signals Officer at Military District C from 1940 to 1941. He was then posted to the Eastern Front
where he served as Chief Signals Officer of the 2nd Panzer Group and was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 August 1942. He was the commanding officer of the 482nd and 486th Regiments and the 4th Panzer Grenadier Brigade. He was then appointed the commander of the 18th Panzer Division in February 1943 with the rank of Generalleutnant and the 129th Division and he served as the Chief Signals Officer of Army Group Centre
and commander of the 277th Division.
When General Erich Fellgiebel
and then his deputy Fritz Thiele
were arrested and subsequently executed for their roles in the July 20 plot
, Praun was appointed to succeed them on 1 November 1944 as Chief Signals Officer at the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
and Oberkommando des Heeres
and was promoted to General der Nachrichtentruppe
. Following his appointment he requested to Ernst Kaltenbrunner
at the RSHA
that no further signals officers be arrested as it would damage the operational effectiveness of the signals service and he acceded to the request.
At the end of the war in May 1945 Praun was taken into captivity by the western allies and interrogated in France about his activities when serving there. At the end of August 1945 he was moved to prison camps at Neustadt
and Bad Hersfeld
and he was released from captivity in June 1947. In 1950 France requested Praun's extradition for war crimes committed when he served there, but the request was refused by the Americans on grounds of lack of evidence. He lived in Munich until his death aged 80. In describing his military service, he wrote: Soldat in der Telegraphen- un Nachrichtentruppe.
General (Germany)
General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
army who became the Chief Signals Officer of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He joined the Bavarian Telegraph Battalion in 1913 as an officer cadet and served as a leutnant in Imperial German Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was retained in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
and appointed the head of the telegraph force at Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
in 1933. In 1935 he was appointed commander of the 38th Signals Battalion.
In 1940 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 396th Signals Regiment with the rank of Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
. He was then appointed Chief Signals Officer of Panzer Group Hoth and Panzer Group Guderian in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where he was Chief Signals Officer at Military District C from 1940 to 1941. He was then posted to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
where he served as Chief Signals Officer of the 2nd Panzer Group and was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 August 1942. He was the commanding officer of the 482nd and 486th Regiments and the 4th Panzer Grenadier Brigade. He was then appointed the commander of the 18th Panzer Division in February 1943 with the rank of Generalleutnant and the 129th Division and he served as the Chief Signals Officer of Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
and commander of the 277th Division.
When General Erich Fellgiebel
Erich Fellgiebel
Fritz Erich Fellgiebel was a career German Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.-Military career:...
and then his deputy Fritz Thiele
Fritz Thiele
General Fritz Thiele was a member of the German resistance who served as the communications chief of the German Army during World War II.Thiele was born in Berlin and joined the Imperial Army in 1914...
were arrested and subsequently executed for their roles in the July 20 plot
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
, Praun was appointed to succeed them on 1 November 1944 as Chief Signals Officer at the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
and Oberkommando des Heeres
Oberkommando des Heeres
The Oberkommando des Heeres was Nazi Germany's High Command of the Army from 1936 to 1945. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht commanded OKH only in theory...
and was promoted to General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe was a rank of German Army General introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940....
. Following his appointment he requested to Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. Between January 1943 and May 1945, he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , President of Interpol and, as a Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS, he was the...
at the RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
that no further signals officers be arrested as it would damage the operational effectiveness of the signals service and he acceded to the request.
At the end of the war in May 1945 Praun was taken into captivity by the western allies and interrogated in France about his activities when serving there. At the end of August 1945 he was moved to prison camps at Neustadt
Neustadt
- Germany :* in Baden-Württemberg:** Titisee-Neustadt, a town in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald* in Bavaria:** Bad Neustadt an der Saale, the capital of the Rhön-Grabfeld district...
and Bad Hersfeld
Bad Hersfeld
The festival and spa town of Bad Hersfeld is the district seat of Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany, roughly 50 km southeast of Kassel....
and he was released from captivity in June 1947. In 1950 France requested Praun's extradition for war crimes committed when he served there, but the request was refused by the Americans on grounds of lack of evidence. He lived in Munich until his death aged 80. In describing his military service, he wrote: Soldat in der Telegraphen- un Nachrichtentruppe.
Awards
- German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (7 February 1943) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
(27 October 1943)