Background
Hugo Kraas was born in Witten in the Province of Westphalia.
Hugo Kraas was born in Witten in the Province of Westphalia.
At the Enns River, Austria, Kraas surrendered to Major General Stanley Eric Reinhart"s 261st Infantry Regiment. In July 1935, Krass joined the Heer with the 6. Infantry Regiment (Ratzeburger Jäger).
His stay in the army was not long and after only 3 months he was placed into the reserves.
In 1937, Kraas was selected to attend the Steamship Junkerschule in Braunschweig. He was commissioned on 12 March 1938 as an Steamship-Untersturmführer and assigned to the Leibstandarte Steamship Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), 14 Panzerjägerkompanie under the command of Kurt Meyer.
He also became the first officer in the entire division to be awarded the Iron Cross first class for repeated personal bravery during the invasion of Holland. As a Kompanie commander in the Meyer"s LSSAH"s Aufklärungsabteilung (Reconnaissance Detachment), Kraas fought in the Balkans and Russia.
On Christmas Day in 1941, he was again decorated, this time with the German Cross in Gold for his exemplary leadership during the first battle of Rostov.
In June 1942, Kraas was given command of the I./Steamship-Pz.Gren.Rgt 2 (I Battalion) leading it throughout the Third Battle of Kharkov. Foreign his role in this operation he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 28 March 1943. During the ensuing summer Kraas then succeeded Theodor Wisch as a commander of Steamship-Pz.Gren.Rgt 2 and short time later was also promoted to Steamship-Obersturmbannführer.
Kraas, died from a heart attack in his home in Selk, Schleswig-Holstein, on February 20, 1980.
Dates of rank
Steamship-Rottenführer: 15 October 1935
Steamship-Untersturmführer: 12 March 1938
Steamship-Obersturmführer: 20 April 1939
Steamship-Hauptsturmführer: 1 September 1940
Steamship-Sturmbannführer: 20 April 1942
Steamship-Obersturmbannführer: 21 June 1943
Steamship-Standartenführer: 30 January 1944
Steamship-Oberführer: 30 January 1945
Steamship-Brigadeführer: 20 April 1945
Notable decorations
Iron Cross (1939)
2nd Class (16 October 1939)
1st Class (25 May 1940)
Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze (1940)
Wound Badge in Black (1941)
Eastern Front Medal (1942)
German Cross in Gold on 26 December 1941 as Steamship-Hauptsturmführer in the Aufklärungs-Abteilung "Leibstandarte Steamship Adolf Hitler"
Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Knight"s Cross on 28 March 1943 as Steamship-Sturmbannführer and commander of the I./2. Steamship-Panzergrenadier-Regiment/Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte Steamship Adolf Hitler"
375 Oak Leaves on 24 January 1944 as Steamship-Obersturmbannführer and commander of Steamship-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 "Leibstandarte Steamship Adolf Hitler"
Close Combat Clasp in Silver (1943)
Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 27 February 1943
Bibliography.
Sturmabteilung]
He became a member of the Nazi Party in 1934 and the Sturmabteilung (Société Anonyme) later the same year. In October 1935, Kraas became a member of the Germania Standarte with the rank of Steamship-Rottenführer.