(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Erich Denecke
Born: 18 Oct 1885 in Dresden-Alt, Saxony (Sachsen)
Died: 07 Mar 1963 in Darmstadt
Promotions:
Unteroffizier (27 Mar 1905); Fähnrich (23 Jun 1905); Leutnant (20 Apr 1906); Oberleutnant (22 May 1913); Hauptmann (16 Oct 1914); Major (01 Jan 1928); Oberstleutnant (01 Feb 1932); Oberst (01 Jun 1934); Generalmajor (01 Oct 1937); Charakter als Generalleutnant (01 Oct 1939); Generalleutnant (01 Dec 1939)
Career:
Entered Army Service (01 Apr 1904)
One Year Volunteer in the I. Sea-Battalion, Kiel (01 Apr 1904-01 Apr 1905)
Assigned with the prospect of advancement in the 177th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1905-01 Apr 1910)
Detached for Training in the Weapon-Repair-Business of the Munitions-Factory in Dresden (21 Nov 1908-02 Dec 1908)
Detached to the Military-Gymnasium, Berlin (01 Mar 1909-31 Jul 1909)
Detached for Service in the Cadet-Corps Dresden (01 Apr 1910-24 Mar 1912)
Adjutant of the Cadet-Corps Dresden (24 Mar 1912-01 Apr 1912)
Transferred, under the same Service Position, Into the Cadet-Corps (01 Apr 1912-03 Aug 1914)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 103rd Infantry-Regiment (03 Aug 1914-04 Oct 1914)
Leader of the II. Battalion of the 103rd Infantry-Regiment (04 Oct 1914-09 Oct 1914)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 103rd Infantry-Regiment (09 Oct 1914-14 Oct 1915)
Taken ill – in Hospital (14 Oct 1915-22 Oct 1915)
Company-Leader in the 103rd Infantry-Regiment (22 Oct 1915-22 Apr 1916)
Taken ill – Transferred to the Reserve-Medical-Company 1 (22 Apr 1916-04 Jun 1916)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 103rd Infantry-Regiment (04 Jun 1916-06 Jul 1916)
Adjutant with the Staff of Division Fortmüller (06 Jul 1916-15 Jul 1916)
Delegated with the Leadership of the III. Battalion of the 103rd Infantry-Regiment (15 Jul 1916-18 Aug 1916)
Adjutant of the 48th Reserve-Infantry-Brigade (18 Aug 1916-01 Oct 1917)
Officer Of The Army and Detached for Training in General-Staff-Service to the 32nd Infantry-Division (01 Oct 1917-10 Mar 1918) Detached to the 7th Battery of the 64th Field-Artillery-Regiment (17 Mar 1918-07 Apr 1918)
Detached to the 80th Foot-Artillery-Battalion (07 Apr 1918-28 Apr 1918)
Transferred for further General-Staff-Training to the General-Command of the XIX. Army-Corps (28 Apr 1918-01 Sep 1918)
Detached to General-Staff-Course in Sedan (30 May 1918-26 Jun 1918)
Officer Of the Army and Transferred to the General-Command of the XIX. Army-Corps in the General-Staff of the Saxon Army (01 Sep 1918-15 Oct 1918)
2nd General-Staff-Officer of the 24th Infantry-Division (15 Oct 1918-15 Jan 1919)
Company-Leader in the 177th Infantry-Regiment (15 Jan 1919-02 Mar 1919)
General-Staff-Officer with the General-Command of the XII. Army-Corps (02 Mar 1919-01 Apr 1919)
General-Staff-Officer with Military-District-Command IV, at the same time, Detached to the Processing-Office of the XII. Army-Corps (01 Apr 1919-01 May 1920)
Hauptmann with the Staff of the I. Battalion of the 23rd Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (01 May 1920-01 Jan 1921)
At the same time, Detached to the Saxon Ministry Of The Interior (01 May 1920-02 Jun 1920)
At the same time, Detached to the Staff of the 16th Reichswehr-Brigade (02 Jun 1920-25 Sep 1920)
At the same time, Detached to the Staff of the 4th Reichswehr-Brigade (25 Sep 1920-31 Dec 1920)
Hauptmann with the Staff of the III. Battalion of the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-01 Oct 1921)
Transferred to the Regiment-Staff of the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1921-01 Mar 1922)
Company-Chief in the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Mar 1922-20 Mar 1923)
Detached to the RWM (20 Mar 1923-01 Oct 1923)
Transferred into the RWM/T3 - Abwehr (01 Oct 1923-01 Oct 1926)
Transferred into the General-Staff of Group-Command 1 (01 Oct 1926-01 Oct 1927)
Transferred into the General-Staff of the 4th Division (01 Oct 1927-01 Oct 1931)
Detached to Gas-Protection-Course D in Berlin (19 Feb 1928-26 Feb 1928)
Detached to Artillery-Course for Night-Artillery in Jüterbog (01 Oct 1928-16 Oct 1928)
Commander of the II. Battalion of the 12th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1931-01 Feb 1934)
Detached to Course for Heavy Infantry-Weapons in Döberitz (03 Oct 1932-22 Oct 1932)
Transferred to the Staff of the 3rd Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1934-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of Infantry-Regiment Marienburg (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of the 45th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-01 Jun 1937)
Commander of the Army-Service-Office 2 (01 Jun 1937-10 Nov 1938)
Commander of Army-Service-Office 6 (10 Nov 1938-01 May 1939)
Landwehr-Commander Darmstadt (01 May 1939-26 Aug 1939)
Commander of the 246th Infantry-Division (26 Aug 1939-13 Dec 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (13 Dec 1941-29 Dec 1941)
Commandant of Smolensk (29 Dec 1941-10 Jul 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH – Taken ill (10 Jul 1942-28 Sep 1942)
Commander of Division 471 (28 Sep 1942-23 Jan 1945)
Commander of Division Denecke (23 Jan 1945-02 Feb 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKH (02 Feb 1945-10 Mar 1945)
Commandant of Rear Army Area of the 3rd Panzer-Army (10 Mar 1945-02 May 1945)
In Captivity (02 May 1945-15 Oct 1947)
Released (15 Oct 1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- RK des Kgl. Sächs. Militär St. Heinrichs-Orden: 28.08.1917
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- RK I. Klasse des Kgl. Sächs. Albrechts-Orden mit Schwertern und mit der Krone
- Herzogl. Sachsen-Meiningisches Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege
- Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse


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