Career
He had initially joined the army on January 20, 1914, and served as a Leutnant in World War I.
On January 12, 1942, he succeeded Wilhelm Wetzel as command of the 255th Infantry Division between the Eastern Front and France until it was disbanded in October 1943, at which point he succeeded Otto Lasch as command of the 217th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front, until it was also disbanded a month later on November 15. He participated in Operation Market Garden, leading the 59th Infantry Division where he led his troops across a river crossing between Breskens and Flushing. After the war he was credited as a "Military Advisor" on the 1974 film A Bridge Too Far even though he had died in 1968.
By war"s end, he held command of the 467th Infantry Division.
Leutnant ohne Patent: 20 January 1914 (Granted Patent on 22 June 1912)
Oberleutnant: 18 August 1917
Hauptmann: 1 April 1925
Major: 1934
Oberstleutnant: 1 October 1936
Oberst 1 June 1939
Generalmajor: 1 April 1942
Generalleutnant: 1 January 1943
Information.Regt.465 1 September 1939
255 Information.Div. 12 January 1942
217 Information.Div.
(mdFb) October - 15 November 1943
364 Information.Div. 15 December 1943 - 21 January 1944
77.Inf.Div.
1 February 1944 - 25 April 1944
59.Inf.Div.
5 July 1944 - February.45
467.Inf.Div.
