Sunday, March 21, 2021

Bio of General der Artillerie Wilhelm Leeb


General der Artillerie Emil Leeb
Born: 17 Jun 1881 in Passau, Bavaria (Bayern)
Died: 08 Sep 1969 in Munich (München)

Promotions:
Fähnrich (07 Jul 1901); Leutnant (09 Mar 1903); Oberleutnant (26 Oct 1911); Hauptmann (01 Jun 1915); Major (01 Feb 1925); Oberstleutnant (01 Dec 1929); Oberst (01 Oct 1932); Generalmajor (01 Jul 1935); Generalleutnant (01 Aug 1937); General der Artillerie (01 Apr 1939)

Career:
Entered Army Service (07 Jul 1901)
Passed Out the Cadet-Corps as Fähnrich in the 4th Bavarian Field-Artillery-Regiment König (07 Jul 1901-02 Jun 1914)
Detached to the War School Munich (01 Mar 1902-06 Feb 1903)
Detached to the Bavarian Artillery & Engineer School (01 Oct 1905-01 Jul 1906)
Battalion-Adjutant in the 4th Bavarian Field-Artillery-Regiment König (01 Jan 1909-01 Jul 1911)
Detached to the Bavarian War Academy (01 Oct 1911-01 Jul 1914)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 1st Bavarian Reserve-Field-Artillery-Regiment (02 Jun 1914-04 Mar 1915)
2nd Adjutant of the 10th Bavarian Infantry-Division (04 Mar 1915-11 May 1915)
Transferred into the General-Staff of the 10th Bavarian Infantry-Division (11 May 1915-01 Jun 1915)
While retaining previous position, transferred into the Bavarian General Staff (01 Jun 1915-13 Aug 1917)
Assigned to the General-Staff of XV. Reserve-Corps for Special Use (13 Aug 1917-24 Dec 1917)
Detached to Course for Staff-Officers & General-Staff-Officers at the Artillery Survey School Wahn (12 Nov 1917-17 Nov 1917)
Assigned to the Army-Artillery-Firing-School Bitsch for Special Use (24 Dec 1917-01 Mar 1918)
Transferred into the General-Staff of XV. Reserve-Corps (01 Mar 1918-19 May 1918)
Detached to the Staff of Army-Artillery-Firing-School Bitsch (19 May 1918-22 Aug 1918)
Transferred back into the General-Staff of XV. Reserve-Corps (22 Aug 1918-05 Oct 1918)
1st General-Staff-Officer of the 2nd Bavarian Infantry-Division (05 Oct 1918-00 Jan 1919)
Transferred into the 4th Bavarian Field-Artillery-Regiment (00 Jan 1919-00 Mar 1919)
With Detachment Hierl (Freikorps) (00 Mar 1919-23 May 1919)
With the Staff of the 24th Reichswehr-Brigade (23 May 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred to the RWM (01 Oct 1919-01 Oct 1921)
Transferred into the 7th Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1921-01 Oct 1924)
With the Staff of the 7th Division (01 Oct 1924-01 Oct 1928)
Transferred into the 7th Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1928-01 Feb 1929)
Commander of II. Battalion of the 7th Artillery-Regiment (01 Feb 1929-01 Apr 1929)
With the Staff of II. Battalion of the 7th Artillery-Regiment (01 Apr 1929-01 Oct 1929)
Commander of Mountain-Transport-Squadron Landsberg (01 Oct 1929-01 Apr 1933)
Director of Provision Matters in the Army Weapons Office (01 Apr 1933-01 Apr 1936)
Commander of the 15th Division (01 Apr 1936-01 Apr 1939)
Commanding General of XI. Army-Corps (01 Apr 1939-16 Apr 1940)
At the same time, Commander in Military-District XI (01 Apr 1939-31 Aug 1939)
Chief of the Army Weapons Office (16 Apr 1940-00 Jan 1945)
Supervisory-Advisory of the Reichs-Works AG for Weapons & Mechanical Engineering Hermann Göring, Berlin (17 Jan 1941-29 Dec 1942)
In the Präsidialrat of the Reichs Research Advisory (RFR), whose president is by Führer Decree of 06 Jun 1942 Göring (00 Jun 1942-01 May 1945)
Member in the Armaments Advisory (1942-01 May 1945)
Retired (01 May 1945)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern: am 14.06.1944 als General der Artillerie und Chef des Heeres-Waffenamtes/ OKH
- Deutsches Kreuz in Silber: am 01.09.1943 als General der Artillerie und Chef des Heeres-Waffenamtes/ OKH
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Kgl. Bayer. Prinz-Regent-Luitpold Jubiläums-Medaille
- Kgl. Bayer. Militär-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern
- k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern

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Emil Leeb (17 June 1881 – 8 September 1969) was a German general during World War II. A professional soldier, he saw active service during both World Wars. Leeb's older brother was Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.

Leeb entered Army service on 7 July 1901. He attended the War School in Munich, the Bavarian Artillery & Engineer School, and then the Bavarian War Academy. Before and during World War I, Leeb served as an adjutant in artillery units and then was appointed a General Staff officer. Leeb was promoted to captain on 1 June 1915. In June 1917, he was transferred to the General staff in the XVth Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps and an infantry division. Leeb participated in battles around Lorraine, Northern France, Galicia, the Carpathian Mountains, Flanders and the German withdrawal from Northern France. Leeb's older brother, Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, had the knightly rank of "Ritter" and the nobiliary particle of "von", not by birth, but thanks to the conferment of the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph and a patent of nobility. Hence, the older brother had “von” between his names, but the younger brother did not.

Remaining in the downsized Reichswehr after the end of the war in November 1918, during 1919 Leeb served as a staff officer with the 4th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment, the Detachment Hierl (Freikorps), the 24th Reichswehr Brigade, Niederwerfung des Spartacus Aufstandes in Bavaria, before a posting to the German War Ministry (1 October 1919 – 1 October 1921), an artillery regiment (1 October 1921 – 1 October 1924), and the War Academy (7th Division) in Munich (1924 - 1 October 1928). He was promoted to Major on 1 February 1925. Between 1929 and 1933, Leeb served as commander of the Mountain Transport and Observation Squadron in Landsberg. He became a supply officer (Provision Matters) in the War Ministry (1 April 1933 – 1 April 1936), before promotion to Generalmajor on 1 July 1935, and later was given command of the 15th Infantry Division (1 April 1936 – 1 April 1939) at Frankfurt-am-Main. After promotion to Generalleutnant in early 1937, he became Commanding General of the XI Army Corps (1 April 1939 – 16 April 1940) in Hanover, where he was responsible for recruiting, training, and mobilization. During this period he was promoted to General of the Artillery (1 April 1939) and also became commander of Military District XI (1 April 1939 – 31 August 1939).

Leeb took part in the invasion of Poland, with his XI Corps attacking towards Warsaw. He initially reported to Walther von Reichenau of the 10th Army, before his unit formed the left wing of Reichenau's drive towards Łódź. Later, his unit was transferred to Johannes Blaskowitz's 8th Army in its attack from the east-central region of Germany into west-central Poland, before sweeping on towards Warsaw. On 15 April 1940, Leeb became Chief of the Waffenamt (Army Ordnance Weapons Depot) at the War Ministry in Berlin (15 April 1940 – 1 January 1945). His predecessor, Karl Becker, had committed suicide because he was unable to properly supply the field units with ammunition. During this period, Leeb also served as an advisor to the Works Company for Weapons and Mechanical Engineering, which was directed by Hermann Göring in Berlin (17 January 1941 – 29 December 1942), and he then served as a member of the Armaments Advisory Service (December 1942 - 1 May 1945). In late 1944, Leeb's section became part of Heinrich Himmler's Replacement Army. Leeb retired on 1 May 1945, the day following Adolf Hitler's death. 

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Leeb
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/LEEB_EMIL.html
http://www.sjsmilitaria.com/photos-autographs/general-emil-leeb-signed-photo/

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