Erhard Raus

Erhard Raus (8 January 1889 – 3 April 1956) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded the 6th Panzer Division during the early years of the war on the Eastern Front before taking army and army group commands. Raus was one of three former Austrians who rose to the rank of Generaloberst (Colonel General) within the German Wehrmacht. The other two were Alexander Löhr and Lothar Rendulic.

Erhard Raus
Born8 January 1889
Wolframitz, Austria-Hungary
(now Olbramovice, Czech Republic)
Died3 April 1956(1956-04-03) (aged 67)
Vienna, Austria
Allegiance Austria-Hungary
First Austrian Republic
 Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
Years of service1909–45
Rank Generaloberst
Commands held6th Panzer Division
XI Corps
3rd Panzer Army
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

World War II

On 7 September 1941, during Operation Barbarossa, Raus was appointed the acting commander of the 6th Panzer Division. On 15 September, the 6th Panzer Division, minus its artillery, was transferred to Army Group Centre to take part in Operation Typhoon, the advance onto Moscow.[1] On 11 October he was awarded the Knights Cross.[2] Raus's unit was transferred to the LVI Panzer Corps.[3]

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.[4] In mid-November 1942, the division left France for the Soviet Union.[5] Following the failure of Operation Citadel (the Kursk offensive), he organized the withdrawal of Axis units across the Dnieper river.[6] 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.[7] Raus commanded the 1st Panzer Army, the 3rd Panzer Army (1944) and the XI SS Panzer Corps (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.[8]

Awards

Works
  • Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941–1945 (with Steven H. Newton), ISBN 978-0-306-81247-7
  • Peculiarities of Russian warfare (German report series, 1949), OCLC 38291522
  • Tactics in unusual situations (Small unit tactics, 1951), OCLC 37669938
  • Improvisations and field expedients: Their use as instruments of command (1951), OCLC 38373401
  • 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) OCLC 14445144
  • Strategic deceptions (Deceptions & Cover Plans Project # 29, 1948), OCLC 37161255

References

Citations
  1. Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 84
  2. Scherzer 2007, p. 615.
  3. Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 93
  4. Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 352
  5. Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 138
  6. Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 249
  7. Raus, Erhard. Panzer Operations p. 254
  8. Heuer 1988, p. 157
  9. Thomas 1998, p. 184.
  10. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 367.
  11. Scherzer 2007, p. 615.

Bibliography
  • Heuer, Gerd F.: Die Generalobersten des Heeres. Inhaber höchster deutscher Kommandostellen 1933–1945. Rattstatt: Moewig 1988. ISBN 3-8118-1408-7
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
  • Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941–1945 (with Steven H. Newton)
Military offices
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Franz Landgraf		 Commander of 6th Panzer Division
29 April 1942–7 February 1943		 Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Walther von Hünersdorff
Preceded by
—		 Commander of XI Corps (known as Provisional Corps Raus until 10 May 1943)
10 February 1943–5 November 1943		 Succeeded by
—
Preceded by
General of Panzer Troops Heinrich Eberbach		 Commander of XLVII Panzer Corps
5 November 1943–30 November 1943		 Succeeded by
General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck
Preceded by
Generaloberst Hermann Hoth		 Commander of 4. Panzer-Armee
10 November 1943–21 April 1944		 Succeeded by
General of Panzer Troops Walter Nehring
Preceded by
Generalorberst Hans Hube		 Commander of 1. Panzerarmee
21 April 1944–July, 1944		 Succeeded by
—
Preceded by
General of Panzer Troops Erhard Raus		 Commander of Armeegruppe Raus
July, 1944–August, 1944		 Succeeded by
Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici
Preceded by
Generaloberst Georg-Hans Reinhardt		 Commander of 3. Panzer-Armee
16 August 1944–10 March 1945		 Succeeded by
General Hasso-Eccard von Manteuffel
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