Hauptmann Robert Praxa

Hauptmann Robert Praxa, the commander of III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 135 / 45.Infanterie-Division at the start of the Battle for Brest Fortress (22 June 1941). Likely, he was the first battalion commander in the Wehrmacht to be killed in the Operation Barbarossa. Praxa had planned the attack for the fortress in detail, building sand tables based on aerial photographs and maps from the days of the occupation in 1939; the battalion's task was to conquer the western island and the citadel. When the artillery barrages began the assault waves were some 30 meters away from the river Bug, at 03:19 hours the first wave, led by Leutnant Wieltsch rushed into the river dragging their boats and crossed the stream, the second wave will followed at 03:23 hours. The German soldiers stormed the fort and clashed heavily against around 300 defenders mostly from the detachment of border guards and school units, after overcoming the resistance the Germans broke through the Terespol gate and entered the citadel, taking the officers' mess (the old church) and the mess of the 84 Rifle Regiment, but then the assault stalled. III/IR135 was pinned down in the vicinity of the church and partly surrounded by Russians. Reinforcements attempting to follow up through the West Island were slowed to crawling pace, picking their way forward with extreme difficulty. Commanders were being struck down by snipers with depressing rapidity. Hauptmann Praxa and his artillery battery commander, Hauptmann Krats, were killed at 04:45 hours attempting to coordinate the move forward. Major Oeltze, commanding I/IR135 trying to break into the citadel from the eastern side, was struck down alongside his artillery forward observer Leutnant Zenneck. The advance was steadily denuded of its leadership.

Source :
Book "The Siege of Brest 1941: A Legend of Red Army Resistance on the Eastern Front" by Rotislav Aliev
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