Bruno Bräuer
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In 1905 Bruno Bräuer (executed 20 May 1947) joined the army cadets and started his military career. In World War I he received the iron cross first and second class whilst serving in the 7th west Prussian Infantry regiment. After joining the Reichswehr, he took command of the first Battalion, General Goring regiment. By 1938 he was in command of the first Fallschirmjager regiment. He commanded this unit through Poland, France, the Netherlands and the Balkans. Later He became commander on Crete and then commanded the 9th Paratroopers division as a major General. After the war he was executed for war crimes.
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[edit] Early war
He led the regiment in Poland, France and the lower Countries but it was in the Netherlands where he got his reputation for outstanding bravery. His objective was to take two bridges: Moerdijk and Dordrecht. At Moerdijk his second battalion under Captain Prager captured the bridge by dropping two of his companies at each end and storming the bridge, taking it before it could be blown. At Dordrecht the first Battalion, first Fallschirmjager regiment under Lieutenant von Brandis could only drop one company. Fierce fighting took place but the bridge remained in Dutch hands.
A near by airfield, Waalhaven, was skillfuly taken by the third Battalion, first Fallschirmjager regiment by luring the defenders away from the airfield and then landing in it. As Dutch resistance increased and Dordrecht Bridge still had not been taken Bräuer commandeered Dutch vehicles and, after terrible fighting and incredible bravery from Bräuer, the Bridge was taken intact. He received the Knights cross for this feat.
[edit] Crete
On the 20 May 1941 Germany launched its air attack on Crete. Bruno Bräuer was to lead the first Fallschirmjager regiment and the second battalion, second Fallschirmjager regiment. His objective was to take the airfield at Heraklion. This was not to be a brilliant success. The second battalion, first Fallschirmjager regiment, landed on the coast road and came under extreme enemy fire as there was little cover. Bräuer and the first battalion, who had landed to the east of the town quickly moved westwards to try and find any remnants of the second battalion. Eight days later the airfield still had not been taken but as the news that the Germans were advancing across the Island from Maleme reached the Allies, they withdrew to the harbour and were evacuated. See main article: Battle of Crete
[edit] Commander on Crete
In November 1942 Brauer replaced General Waldemar Andrae as commander on Crete. He tried to make his officers treat the Cretans with more respect. On the 25 March, Greek national day, he released 100 Cretan prisoners from jail. He quickly got the reputation as hard but fair and the most humane commander of Crete.
[edit] 9th Paratroopers
In December 1944 the German 9th Parachute Division was formed under Bruno Brauer. It had only five battalions. It was mainly made up of Luftwaffe ground forces and not battle-hardened German Paratroopers Goering had boasted of.
In January 1945 two of his battalion were encircled by the first Ukrainian front in Breslau where it was destroyed. The rest of the division retreated all the way back to the Seelow Heights where it dug in and prepared to defend against an imminent Russian Offensive. Due to the fact that its troops had seen hardly any action many were uncontrollable when the Russian barrage began. It did not take long before the line had almost completely collapsed and many of Bräuer’s men began to desert. Bräuer was so tired that he suffered a nervous collapse and was relieved of his command.
[edit] Execution
As with any war, someone has to pay the price of being on the losing side and it seemed that Bräuer was to do this. Along with General Müller, he was first to stand trial in Athens for committing atrocities on Crete. Although Müller was known for his brutality, Brauer was most definitely not, so it was a surprise to everyone when he was accused of the death of 3000 Cretans, massacres, systematic terrorism, deportation, pillage, wanton destruction, torture and ill treatment[1]. He was sentenced to death on 9 December 1946. The sentence was so unpopular that Waldemar Andrae, who was much guiltier, escaped with life imprisonment. Bräuer was shot at 5 o'clock on the 20 May 1947 on the anniversary of the invasion of Crete. Years later the association of German Airborne troops requested that his Body be moved to Crete and buried on hill 107 with all of the other German troops killed on the Island. He was buried by George Psychoundakis, the writer of 'the Cretan runner'. Antony Beevor describes him as 'a truly unfortunate man'.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Beevor, Antony (1991). Crete, the battle and the resistance
- Beevor, Antony (2002). Berlin, the downfall 1945, Penguin Books, ISBN 0-670-88695-5
- Antill, Peter D (2005). Crete 1941, Osprey publishing,
- Airborne operations, salamander Books LTD
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Beevor Berlin, the downfall 1945 p.236
