Generalleutnant Karl Böttcher Born: 25 Oct 1889 in Thorn, West Prussia (Westpreußen) Died: 09 Feb 1975 in Bad Wimpfen Promotions:
Fähnrich (13 Mar 1909); Leutnant (27 Jan 1910); Oberleutnant (25 Feb 1915); Hauptmann (18 Aug 1917); Major (01 Nov 1930); Oberstleutnant (01 May 1934); Oberst (01 Apr 1936); Generalmajor (01 Mar 1940); Generalleutnant (01 Mar 1942) Career:
Entered Army Service (13 Mar 1909)
Fähnrich in the 5th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (13 Mar 1909-03 Aug 1914)
Detached to the War School Hersfeld (00 Apr 1909-00 Dec 1909)
Detached to the Gun Factory in Danzig (02 Apr 1912-22 Apr 1912)
Detached to Course F at the Military Technical Academy (01 Oct 1913-31 Dec 1913)
Detached to Flying-Half-Battalion Thorn (15 Apr 1914-30 Jul 1914)
Battery-Leader in the 5th Reserve-Foot-Artillery-Regiment (03 Aug 1914-28 Jun 1915)
Detached as Artillery-Observer to the 46th Flying-Battalion (27 Dec 1914-15 Mar 1915)
Transferred to the 46th Flying-Battalion (28 Jun 1915-06 Jun 1916)
Detached to Observer-Courses at Jüterbog (01 Sep 1915-30 Sep 1915)
Assigned to the Replacement-Battalion of the 6th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (06 Jun 1916-09 Aug 1916)
Leader of the Replacement-Battery of the 1st Guards-Foot-Artillery-Regiment (09 Aug 1916-29 Aug 1916)
Battery-Leader in the 5th Reserve-Foot-Artillery-Regiment (29 Aug 1916-18 Sep 1917)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 5th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (18 Sep 1917-20 Nov 1917)
Teacher at the Foot-Artillery-Firing-School in Jüterbog (20 Nov 1917-29 Sep 1918)
Commander of the 149th Foot-Artillery-Battalion (29 Sep 1918-09 Dec 1918)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 28th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (09 Dec 1918-20 Jan 1919)
Battery-Leader in the 5th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (20 Jan 1919-01 Jun 1919)
Detached to the Military-Riding-School in Hannover (01 Jun 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the Battalion-Staff of the 7th Reichswehr-Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1919-16 May 1920)
Adjutant of the Commander of the Troop-Exercise-Grounds Kummersdorf (16 May 1920-01 Oct 1920)
Command-Leader with the Commander of the Troop-Exercise-Grounds Kummersdorf (01 Oct 1920-10 Sep 1921)
Squadron-Chief in the 1st Transport-Battalion (10 Sep 1921-01 Oct 1925)
Battery-Leader in the 1st Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1925-01 Oct 1927)
Major with the Staff of the I. Battalion of the 1st Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1927-01 Oct 1929)
Instructor with Training-Staff I of Artillery School Jüterbog (01 Oct 1929-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of the I. Battalion of the 59th Artillery-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-06 Oct 1936)
Commander of the 1st Artillery-Regiment (06 Oct 1936-01 Apr 1939)
Artillery-Officer on Location of the Fortifications of Oppeln and Commandant of Kattowitz (01 Apr 1939-26 Aug 1939)
Staff-Officer of Artillery in the Border-Protection-Section-Command 3 (26 Aug 1939-30 Sep 1939)
Artillery Commander 104 (30 Sep 1939-01 Dec 1941)
Commander of the 21st Panzer-Division (01 Dec 1941-18 Feb 1942)
Führer-Reserve – Military-District-Command VIII (Sick-Leave) (18 Feb 1942-25 Nov 1942)
Commander of the 345th Infantry-Division (25 Nov 1942-01 Mar 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH and Detached to the Reformation-Staff of the 29th Motorised-Infantry-Division (01 Mar 1943-11 Mar 1943)
Detached to Army-Group D then Army-Group Felber (11 Mar 1943-01 Apr 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (01 Apr 1943-09 Apr 1943)
Temporary-Commander of the 326th Infantry-Division (09 Apr 1943-08 May 1943)
Commander of the 326th Infantry-Division (08 May 1943-31 May 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (31 May 1943-01 Oct 1943)
Placed to the Supervision of Training in Military-District-Command VIII (01 Oct 1943-12 Oct 1943)
Commander of the 347th Infantry-Division (12 Oct 1943-10 Dec 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (10 Dec 1943-01 Mar 1944)
Higher Artillery Commander 305 (01 Mar 1944-10 Mar 1945)
Special-Purpose-General of Artillery 4 (2nd Panzer-Army) (10 Mar 1945-08 May 1945)
In captivity (08 May 1945-25 Jun 1947)
Released (25 Jun 1947)
Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz (723): am 13.12.1941 als Generalmajor und Führer einer selbständigen Kampfgruppe in der Panzergruppe Afrika
- 1939 EK I –S-: 15.11.1940
- 1939 EK II –S-: 05.06.1940
- 1914 EK I: 27.07.1916
- 1914 EK II: 23.11.1914
- Anhaltisches Friedrich-Kreuz: 27.01.1916
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer: 01.01.1935
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes: 10.12.1939
- Ärmelband “Afrika”: 19.11.1943
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