Walter Krüger (SS officer)

Infobox Military Person
name=Walter Krüger
lived=birth date|1890|2|27|df=y — death date and age|1945|5|20|1890|2|27|df=yAccording to Florian Berger date of death is 20 May 1945, Fellgiebel states 8 May 1945]


caption=
placeofbirth=Straßburg
placeofdeath=Litauen
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
serviceyears=
branch=
rank=Obergruppenführer
commands=SS-PzGrenDiv "Das Reich"
VI. Waffen Armeekorps der SS
unit=
battles=World War
World War II
awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
laterwork=

Walter Krüger (February 27, 1890 - May 20, 1945) was an SS "Obergruppenführer". Born in Straßburg im Elsass, Germany (nowadays Strasbourg in France), Krüger was the son of an army officer and attended cadet school. As a young second lieutenant, he joined the 110th Fusilier Regiment during WWI. After WWI, he joined the Freikorps and fought in the Baltic region during 1919.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler gained power, Krüger worked in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht training department.

In 1935, he joined the SS-Verfugungstruppe where he formed the SS-Standarte "Germania". At the SS Officer's school at Bad Tölz, he served as an instructor. He earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, after taking command of the police division which fought on the Leningrad front, Krüger himself taking place in the siege of the city itself.

Krüger became commander of the SS Division "Das Reich" in March 1943. After that, he went on to become the inspector general of all infantry troops of the Waffen SS. He assumed command of the newly formed, voluntary, VI (Latvian) SS Corps.

Krüger committed suicide at the end of the war in the Courland Pocket on 20 May, 1945, 12 days after the surrender of Germany.

Awards

* House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
* Bavarian Military Merit Cross (3. Class)
* Wound Badge in Gold
* Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (13 December 1941)
** 286. Oak Leaves (31 August 1943)
** 120. Swords (11 January 1945)

References

;Specific;General

*Ailsby, Christopher. "SS: Roll Of Infamy". Motorbooks International, 1997. ISBN: 0-7603-0409-2.
* Berger, Florian, "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.

;External links
* [http://www.dasreich.ca/kruger.html Walter Krüger @ "Das Reich"]
* [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/KruegerW.htm Walter Krüger @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht]