Alfons Hitter

Alfons Hitter
Hitter (second from right) and corps commander Gollwitzer surrender to Soviet forces.
Born	4 June 1892
Died	11 March 1968 (aged 75)
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	206th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II Soviet Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	National Committee for a Free Germany

Alfons Hitter (4 June 1892, Hochstatt, Alsace-Lorraine – 11 March 1968) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 206th Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Hitter surrendered to the Soviet forces during Operation Bagration when his division was encircled and destroyed at Vitebsk. Convicted as a war criminal in the Soviet Union, he was held in prison for eleven years, joining the National Committee for a Free Germany while in captivity. He was released in 1955.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (2 September 1914) & 1st Class (5 February 1916)^[1]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (13 May 1940) & 1st Class (2 July 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 15 December 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 206. Infanterie-Division^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 14 December 1941 as Oberst and commander of Artillerie-Regiment 178^[3]
  • 488th Oak Leaves on 4 June 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 206. Infanterie-Division^[4]
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht (19 November 1943 and 11 February 1944)

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 285.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 188.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 189.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 71.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• 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.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.