Harry Hoppe

Harry Hoppe
Harry Hoppe
Born	11 February 1894; Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick, German Empire
Died	23 August 1969 (aged 75); Wetzlar, Hesse, West Germany
Relatives	Christine Franziska Alice Hubertine Freiin von Eynatten (m. 1927)
	Military career
Allegiance	German Empire; Weimar Republic; Nazi Germany
Branch	Imperial German Army ; Freikorps ; Reichswehr ; Heer (Wehrmacht)
Service years	1914–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Nickname	Stan Laurel
Commands	Infanterie-Regiment 424; 126. Infanterie-Division; 278. Infanterie-Division
Conflicts	World War I; World War II Invasion of Poland; Battle of France; Operation Barbarossa; Siege of Leningrad; Italian Campaign; Operation Diadem; Gothic Line Offensive; ;
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Arthur Harry Karl Hoppe (11 February 1894 – 23 August 1969) was a German general during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Promotions

8 August 1914 Kriegsfreiwilliger (War Volunteer)
24 March 1915 Gefreiter (Private E-2 / Lance Corporal)
31 March 1915 Unteroffizier (NCO / Corporal / Junior Sergeant)
9 April 1915 Vizefeldwebel (Vice Sergeant / Vice Staff Sergeant)
- 13 April 1915 Offiziers-Aspirant (Officer Candidate)
24 April 1916 Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves)
18 March 1918 Leutnant (active 2nd Lieutenant) without Patent
- 10 December 1918 received Patent from 13 July 1915
- 1 July 1922 received Reichswehr Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 September 1915 (22)
1 April 1925 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with RDA from 1 April 1925 (2)
1 October 1929 Hauptmann (Captain) with RDA from 1 October 1929 (14)
1 October 1935 Major (7)
31 May 1938 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 June 1938 (32)
14 June 1941 Oberst (Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 July 1941 (6)
- 28 June 1942 received new and improved RDA from 1 August 1940 (3a)
16 November 1942 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1 December 1942 (15)
15 May 1943 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1 June 1943 (10)

Awards and decorations

DRA Sports Badge/Award for diverse achievements in the field of physical exercise (Auszeichnung für vielseitige Leistungen auf dem Gebiet der Leibesübungen) in Bronze on 25 October 1913
Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
- 2nd Class on 20 March 1916
- 1st Class on 15 March 1917
War Merit Cross (Brunswick), 2nd and 1st Class
- 2nd Class (BrKr2/BrK2) on the ribbon for combatants on 1 September 1916
  - Frontline Service Horse Clasp to the 2nd Class (BrKr2a/BrK2a) in 1918
- 1st Class (BrKr1/BrK1) on 1 August 1918
House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords (HOH3X) on 17 April 1918
Wound Badge (1918) in Mattweiß (Silver)
Bronze Statue for Sporting Achievements on 10 July 1921
DRA/German Gymnastics and Sports Badge (Deutsches Turn- und Sportabzeichen) in Silver on 12 May 1926
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords on 1 March 1935
Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st Class
- 2nd Class on 2 October 1936
- 1st Class in August 1939
Hungarian World War Commemorative Medal with Swords
Austrian War Commemorative Medal with Swords
West Wall Medal
Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd and 1st Class
- 2nd Class on 26 September 1939
- 1st Class on 12 July 1941
Infantry Assault Badge in Silver on 31 August 1941
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 12 September 1941 as Oberst and Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 424
- Oak Leaves on 18 December 1944 as Generalleutnant and Commander of the 278. Infanterie-Division
German Cross in Gold on 18 May 1942 as Oberst and Commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 424
Spanish War Cross, I. Class on 30 June 1942
Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal on 1 August 1942
Mentioned by name in the Wehrmacht Report (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) on 6 July 1944

Writings

Die 278. Infanterie-Division in Italien 1944/45, Verlag Hans-Henning Podzun, Bad Nauheim 1953
Werner Buxa / Erich von Manstein / Harry Hoppe: Die Deutsche Infanterie 1939–1945, Podzun Verlag, 1967

Sources

German Federal Archives: BArch PERS 6/640 and PERS 6/299902

References

Citations

↑ Harry Hoppe was nicknamed “Stan Laurel” by his comrades because of his facial resemblance to the English-born actor/comedian.
1 2 Thomas 1997, p. 301.
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 194.
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 78.
↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 197.

Bibliography

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [First published 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.
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.

Military offices

Preceded by

General der Infanterie Paul Laux

Commander of 126. Infanterie-Division
10 October 1942 – 31 April 1943

Succeeded by

Generalleutnant Friedrich Hofmann

Preceded by

Generalleutnant Friedrich Hofmann

Commander of 126. Infanterie-Division
8 July 1943 – 7 November 1943

Succeeded by

Oberst Gotthard Fischer

Preceded by

General der Infanterie Hubert Gercke

Commander of 278. Infanterie-Division
1 December 1943 – 28 January 1944

Succeeded by

Generalmajor Paul Bornscheuer

Preceded by

Generalmajor Paul Bornscheuer

Commander of 278. Infanterie-Division
5 March 1944 – 2 May 1945

Succeeded by

none

[1] Harry Hoppe was nicknamed “Stan Laurel” by his comrades because of his facial resemblance to the English-born actor/comedian.

[FOOTNOTEThomas1997301-2] 1 2 Thomas 1997, p. 301.

[FOOTNOTEFellgiebel2000194-3] Fellgiebel 2000, p. 194.

[FOOTNOTEFellgiebel200078-4] Fellgiebel 2000, p. 78.

[FOOTNOTEPatzwallScherzer2001197-5] Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 197.

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the 126th Infantry Division
Staff	Gotthard Fischer Kurt Haehling Paul Laux¹ (Oak Leaves)
Units	Günter Braake Josef Bremm⁴ (Oak Leaves & Swords) Alfred Hemmann Heinrich Hogrebe (Oak Leaves) Harry Hoppe³ (Oak Leaves) Rudolf Wulf (Oak Leaves)
¹ Oak Leaves with the II. Armeekorps. ³ Oak Leaves with the 228th Infantry Division. ⁴ Oak Leaves with the 277th Infantry Division.

Authority control databases
International	VIAF GND WorldCat
People	Deutsche Biographie

Harry Hoppe
Born	11 February 1894 Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick, German Empire
Died	23 August 1969(1969-08-23) (aged 75) Wetzlar, Hesse, West Germany
Relatives	Christine Franziska Alice Hubertine Freiin von Eynatten (m. 1927)
Military career
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Branch	Imperial German Army Freikorps Reichswehr Heer (Wehrmacht)
Service years	1914–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Nickname	Stan Laurel
Commands	Infanterie-Regiment 424 126. Infanterie-Division 278. Infanterie-Division
Conflicts	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Italian Campaign Operation Diadem Gothic Line Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves