I must have heard the name somewhere before but I found just today that he has made a book on tactics by both sides on Ostfront. Anyone know more of the man like what he was capable of, and were his skills as good as men like Guderian, Manstein etc..?? --------- Panzers on the Eastern Front: General Erhard Raus and His Panzer Divisions in Russia, 1941-1945 by Tsouras, Peter G. ---------- "General Raus' name is obscure to western historians, but was well known to OKW as someone to get you out of a tough situation. "Raus will pull us through!" " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1853674893/p11-20/ref%3Dnosim/102-7375951-3348908
Generaloberst Erhard Raus (January 8th 1886 - April 3rd 1956). Erhard Raus completed the cadet school at Königsfeld Bruenn —Austria— at 18 and was comissioned to the 20th Feljäger battalion at Cormons. At the outbreak of WWI he became commander of the battalion's Radfahrkompanie in southern Poland. In the Italian front years later, he along with 31 of his men the captured 200 Italian soldiers. After the war he was transferred to the Austrian Bundesheer to command his old Radfahrkompanie. Subsequently, he worked as a tactics teacher for the new generation of officers in the infantry school. In 1934 he became commander of the infantry school, and in 1936 Colonel of the General Ataff. He was at about to be sent to Rome in March 1938 as a Militar ataché when Austria was integrated into the German Reich. Therefore he was shifted into the staff of the 5th Group Command 5 in Vienna. At the outbreak of WWII Raus became Chief of Staff of the XVII military district, Vienna —leter XVII Armeekorps. On July 15th 1940 he was appointed commander of the 4th Schütze regiment and on April 15th 1941 commander of the 6th Schütze brigade. On November 18th 1941 he became commander of the 7th Panzer division, but he hadn't taken command when he was appointed to the 6th Panzer division instead, which led the fight for Moscow. The retreat engagementsin Volokolamsk and the snail offensive in Szitschévka followed. On January 1st 1943 Raus took over the Panzerkorps 'Raus' which had Khárkov conquered back. On November 1st 1943 he became commander of the IV Panzer Army and on May 1stcommander of the I Panzer Army. From August 16th 1944 until March 12th 1945 he led III Panzer Army, when Hitler dismissed him for pulling back his position at Gollnow, overwhelmed by the Red Army's superior forces. After the war, colonel general Raus wrote two very valuable books about the armoured battles in the eastern front: "Fighting in Hell" and "Panzers in the Eastern Front: 1941-1945". Promotions: Gen.Obst.: 15. 8. 44; Gen.d.Pztr: 1. 5. 43; Gen.Lt.: 1. 1. 43; Gen.Maj.: 1. 9. 41; Lt.: 1. 9. 12; Assignments: III Pz. Armee: 16. 8. 44 - 10. 3. 45 I Pz. Armee: 1. 5. 44 - 15. 8. 44 IV Pz. Armee: 10. 12. 43 - 20. 4. 44 XXXXVII Pz.K.: 5. 11. 43 - 30. 11. 43 XI A.K.: 21. 7. 43 - 4. 11. 43 Gen.Kdo. z.b.V. Raus: 10.2.43 - 20. 7. 43 6 Pz. Div.: 23. 11. 41 - 9. 2. 43 6 Sch. Brig.: 1. 5. 41 - 22. 11. 41 Sch. R. 4: 15. 7. 40 - 30. 4. 41 Chef d.Gen.Stab stell. XVII A.K.: 26. 8. 39 z.b.V. Gr. Kdo. 5: 10. 11. 38 Übernahme ins Reichsheer als Oberst: 19. 12. 36 Österr. Bundesheer Decorations & Awards: - Ritterkreuz (569): am 11.10.1941 als Oberst und Komm. der 6. Schützen-Brigade/ 6. Panzerdivision/ XLI Panzerkorps/ Heeresgruppe Nord - Eichenlaub (280): am 22.08.1943 als General der Panzertruppe und Komm. Gen. XI Armeekorps/ Armeeabteilung “Kempf”/ Heeresgruppe Súd - Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (304/1): am 14.02.1943 als Generalmajor und Komm. der 6. Panzerdivision - 1939 EK I: 06.07.1941 - 1939 EK II: 29.06.1941 - K.u K. Österr. Orden der Eisernen Krone III Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern - K.uK. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern - Bronzene Militär-Verdienstmedaille (« Signum Laudis ») am Bande des Militär-Verdienstkreuzes und den Schwertern - Silberne Militär-Verdienstmedaille (« Signum Lauids ») am Bande des Militär-Verdienstkreuzes und den Schwertern - Karl Truppen-Kreuz - Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer - Österr. Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Medaille mit Schwertern - Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse - Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg” - Ungar. Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Medaille mit Schwertern - Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber - Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942” [ 26. March 2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]
