Medal bar of the later Generalmajor Hans Sturm

[Claudio]

Dear forumites,

I was tempted to purchase this medal bar but unfortunately I wasn't able to get the documents, which were sold separately.

I couldn't find on internet no information about Generalmajor Hans Sturm. He served in WWI as Artillery officer. Very likely if I am lucky, I will get additional information from the Bayerisches Kriegsarchiv (Rangliste).

Here is the description of the medal bar:

? Preu?en, Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, 1914 (OEK 1909)

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern

? Bayern, Milit?rverdienstorden 4. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern (OEK 412), Medallion S vg

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer (OEK 3803/1), Hersteller G & S (Godet & Sohn)

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, DA 1. Klasse f?r 25 Dienstjahre (OEK 3852)

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, DA 3. Klasse f?r 12 Dienstjahre (OEK 3854)

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Erinnerungsmedaille an den 01.10.38, Anschluss Sudetenland (OEK 3517)

? Bayern, bronzene Luitpold-Medaille (OEK 461)

Some medals have been detached from the medal bar... I guess, the previous owner thought to sell them one by one making more profit , but maybe he realized that it was a huge mistake, because of the pedigree of such a piece. The FEK is a Godet piece (quite common on General or Senior officers medal bars), and although some medals have been brutally ripped off the bar, it looks in very good conditions and very easy to restore. The Iron Cross 2nd class is of a really high class manufacture... too bad that it was so badly ruined when somebody attempted to take it off the bar (Why???? )

Additional information given on the auction's catalogue about the documents:

1904 Kgl. Bayerische Armee Patent als F?hnrich

? Leutnant im 2. Fu?artillerie-Regiment

1905 Verleihung der Luitpold-Medaille

25.12.1914 MVO 4. Klasse mit Schwertern

1916 Bef?rderung zum Hauptmann

1934 Frontk?mpfer-Ehrenzeichen

02.10.1936 Verleihung DA 1. u. 3. Klasse

23.01.1938 Ernennungsurkunde zum Oberst, OU Adolf Hitler u. GFM von Brauchitsch

1938 Anschluss-Erinnerungsmedaille Sudentenland

30.01.1941 KVK 2. Klasse mit Schwertern

30.07.1941 Anstellungsurkunde als Oberst, OU GFM von Brauchitsch

Furthermore during the auction were sold separately also the Schirmm?tze (General) and the tunic of Hans Sturm.

I would really appreciate if anybody could add some information about H. Sturm's career. Thank you very much in advance!

Ciao,

Claudio

[P.F.]

A great find Claudio, my congratulations to you!

Shame about the damage though.....

Best regards

Pierce

[Guest Rick Research]

Born 1884.

Bavarian Foot Artillery officer-- in their 3rd Regiment when war started. I have noted in my xerox copy of the 1918 Bavarian Rank List that he features in "Bayerns Schwere Artillerie" as commander of RAILWAY GUNS, of Foot Artillery Battalion 29, and of IInd/Res Foot Art Rgt 3... will check those out for you later today. The UNITS are listed, but there is no NAME index, so I'll have to hunt down the "railways" part again by re-reading it.

Leutnant 8.3.05

Oberleutnant 28.10.12

Hauptmann 14.1.16 (Bavarian seniority)/28.11.14 #63 (Reichsheer seniority)

aD from Art Rgt 7 1923/24

Major ???

OTL ???

Oberst (E) 1.2.38 #2 according to the January 1939 Stellenliste BUT as of 1.5.40 he is among the z.D. officers with that rank/seniority! I'll scan the 1940 DAL "B" page for you.

3rd in charge of OKH "Wa Pr?f 4" which was the department for "Artillerie Entwicklung und Pr?fung"

I have absolutely nothing to indicate that he was ever a General. The Generalmajor CARL Sturm, also a weapons inspectorate OKH type was not a Bavarian.

Crown to BMV4X 23.8.18

Vandals. Morons. :angry:

[Glenn J]

Claudio, Rick,

he is not listed in the 1 April 1934 Stellenbesetzung but does appear in the 12 October 1937 Stellenbesetzung as an Oberstleutnant (E) in OKH "Wa Pr?f 4" . He retired from Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 7 on 31 January 1924.

Regards

Glenn

[Claudio]

Many thanks Rick and Glenn for your kind and most appreciated additional information.

Now let's hope that the Kriegsarchiv in M?nchen will reply to my request... if I get their Rangliste, I will be able to confirm a lot of datas.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Guest Rick Research]

I am SO glad Glenn and Chris have found what may be most if not all of the secret, never published army Seniority Lists covering the war years!

Couldn't make scans of the Bavarian Heavy Artillery "Waffengedenkbuch" without cracking the binding.

Sturm was Adjutant, not the commander of K.B. II./RFu?aRgt 3.

Bavarian Foot Artillery Battalion 29 WAS the railways gun unit--

Sturm was commander 19.01. to 18.8.18 (so Crown to BMV4X earned in this post): formed at Grafenw?hr and K?ln January to March 1918. Served at the front from 15.03 to 30.8.18 under Sturm's command on "Untergruppe 'S?d' der schwersten Flachfeuergruppe 18. Armee." The Battalion had three batteries of 28cm "Kurf?rst" railway guns-- I believe that was ONE in each battery. This was the only such unit in the Bavarian army.

Here he is from Glenn's 1.5.40 DAL "B" in the z.D. category!

[Claudio]

Hi Everybody!

I already received the reply from the Bavarian Archives... they told me that they sent me exceptionally copies of the Rangliste. For more details on Generalmajor H. Sturm and of his later career I should contact the WAst in Berlin.

The problem is that the Kb limitation to post pictures on this website doesn't allow me to show you larger images of the scans!

I'll try later to add some more scans...

Ciao,

Claudio

Edited November 27, 2008 by Claudio

[Claudio]

Part 2... right top side... this sheets are really big and don't fit into a normal A4 scan format! aaaargggh....

I replaced the previous scan with a bigger one... Now it should look better!

Ciao,

Claudio

Edited November 27, 2008 by Claudio

[Guest Rick Research]

They sent you SCANS of his Auszug aus der Kriegsrangliste-- his wartime "personnel record."

I used to get xerox copies of Ausz?ge back in the 1980s.

[Claudio]

Hey Rick!

These are the scans from my brother who received them... Tomorrow I'll try to post bigger images of the scans and try to already decypher and translate some of this for me still difficult to read "S?tterlin-Schrift".... Man! The handwriting is definitely elegant and nice, but a pain in the a.. to read.

At least for sure I got also the date of birth and the names of his parents...

I already sent an email to the WAst in Berlin to found out if they have any details about his promotion as Generalmajor der WH during WW2.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Claudio]

Here is the bar completely restaured to its formal beauty...

[Claudio]

back... mission accomplished! Another bar rescued...

Edited December 29, 2008 by Claudio

[Paul R]

Congratulations! It is one beautiful bar.

[Claudio]

Dear forumites,

I just got some scans of documents of Hans Sturm from the Archives; I'd like to share them with you...

His residence was in beautiful and idyllic small Bavarian villages Hindelang (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Hindelang).

Claudio

[Claudio]

continuation...

[Claudio]

continuation...

[Claudio]

continuation (dates awards of the KVK)...

[Claudio]

Very interesting; his superior officers' assessment!

[Claudio]

...this reformatting of the scans is a pain in the a..!!! The text becomes smaller and smaller...

[Claudio]

...some more details about his previous assignments and his family...

[Claudio]

I admit; it's a crappy photo, but it's all what I got...

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: Well well well. It seems that Keilig-- back in 1958-- COMPLETELY screwed up, confusing your Hans with Carl Sturm. 51 years to sort THAT out!

Note the casual mention that the loss of his leg in peacetime hasn't slowed him down!

[sturm10]

hello, by accident i found your page. i bought the uniform and pictures. regards thomas sturm thomas.sturm10@gmail.com

[Claudio]

Hi Thomas,

I guess you got the rest at Kube's auction, didn't you? I might know some details I don't (in red); can you provide them to me?

15.07.1903 Diensteintritt in die bayerische Armee

1904 Kgl. Bayerische Armee Patent als Fähnrich

08.03.1905 Leutnant im 2. Fußartillerie-Regiment

1905 Luitpold-Medaille

28.10.1912 Oberleutnant

25.12.1914 MVO 4. Klasse mit Schwertern

14.01.1912 Hauptmann (28.11.1914 gem. bayr. Dienstalterliste, Nr. 63 gem. Reichsheer-Dienstalterliste)

23.08.1918 MVO 4. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern im Dienste der Untergruppe Süd der schwersten Flachfeuergruppe, 18. Armee

31.01.1924 Rücktritt vom Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 7, 31. Januar 1924

02.10.1936 Dienstauszeichnungen 1. u. 3. Klasse

12.10.1937 Oberstleutnant (E) gemäß der Stellenbesetzung im OKH, Wa Prüf 4

01.02.1938 Dienstalterliste Oberst (E), Nr. 2 gem. Januar 1939 Stellenliste

1938 Anschluss-Erinnerungsmedaille Sudentenland

01.05.1940 Oberst z.D. gemäß Dienstaltersliste der Offiziere z.D. OKH, Wa Prüf 4

30.01.1941 KVK 2. Klasse mit Schwertern

30.07.1941 Anstellungsurkunde als Oberst, OU von Brauchitsch

01.02.1943 Generalmajor, gem. Rangliste 1944-45, Oberes Kommando des Heeres OKH, WaPrüf 4

Any other decorations (WWII) missing?

Thanks in advance!

ciao,

Claudio

[Glenn J]

Claudio,

Fähnrich: 31.1.04

Regards

Glenn