Introduction
Siegfried Rasp (10 January 1898 – 2 February 1968) was a German general of infantry, serving during World War II.
Career
Born in Munich, Rasp became an officer aspirant on September 6, 1915 and earned his commission as a Leutnant on June 24, 1916 in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment.
He was promoted to Oberst in July 1941, Generalmajor in November 1943, Generalleutnant in April 1944, and General der Infanterie in December 1944.
Rasp held several staff positions before commanding the following formations:
3rd Gebirgsjäger Division on August 26, 1943
335th Infantry Division on September 10, 1943
78th Sturm Division on July 12, 1944
19th Army on December 15, 1944
Corps Ems on April 2, 1945
An unusual aspect of Rasp's career is that he advanced directly from command of a division to command of a field army without first commanding an army corps. Captured at the end of the war, Rasp spent almost three years in a British POW camp in Münster. Rasp died in 1968 in Garmisch.
Awards and decorations
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Wound Badge (1914)
- in Black
- The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- German Cross in Gold (27 January 1944)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 April 1944 as Generalmajor and commander of 335th Infantry Division
- Scherzer 2007, p. 613.
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 350.