He was born in Sankt Peter-Ording in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1922 he joined the German Navy. On 1 June 1934, he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant. Then on 1 November 1937, he was promoted to the rank of Korvettenkapitän. When Karl-Jesco von Puttkamer, Hitler's liaison officer to the Navy, was transferred to active service on 19 June 1938, Albrecht took over that position. However, on 30 June 1939, the Commander of the Navy Grossadmiral Erich Räder wanted him transferred to Tokyo as a military attaché or kicked out of the Navy completely when it was found out that Albrecht had married a woman "with a past". Hitler was against it. So on 1 July 1939, Hitler appointed Albrecht a NSKK-Oberführer and made him one of his adjutants. Hitler had an argument with Räder over it and this was something Räder never forgot. Hitler went on to meet Albrecht's wife and liked her. Under Reichsleiter Philipp Bouhler, Albrecht remained on Hitler's staff and worked in the Reich Chancellery. Albrecht was last seen defending Hitler's Reich Chancellery with a machine gun. He is believed to have committed suicide on 1 May 1945, aged 41. |
Grawitz was born in Charlottenburg, in the western part of Berlin, Germany. As the Soviets approached, Grawitz decided to kill himself along with his family. While eating supper with his wife and two children house in Babelsberg, he pulled the pins out of two grenades that he held under the table. The explosion blew up his family and himself. |
Burgdorf joined the German Army (Reichsheer) at the outbreak of World War I as an officer cadet and was commissioned as an infantry officer in Grenadier Regiment 12 in 1915. Between the wars he served in the Reichswehr and was promoted to captain in 1930. In 1935 he became an instructor in tactics at the military academy in Dresden with the rank of major and was appointed an adjutant on the staff of the IX corps in 1937. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1938 and served as the commander of the 529th Infantry Regiment from May 1940 to April 1942. In May 1942, he became Chief of Department 2 of the Army Personnel Office. Burgdorf became the Deputy Chief in October 1942, when he was promoted to Generalmajor. Burgdorf was promoted to Chief of the Army Personnel Office and Chief Adjutant to Hitler in October 1944. At that time, he was further promoted in rank to Generalleutnant. Burgdorf retained that rank and position until his death. Shortly before the Battle of Berlin, Burgdorf was overheard by Philipp Freiherr von Böselager saying, "When the war is over, we will have to purge, after the Jews, the Catholic officers in the army." Böselager, a Roman Catholic Wehrmacht officer, vocally objected, citing his own decorations for heroism in combat. Böselager then left before General Burgdorf could respond. |
Krebs was born in Helmstedt. He volunteered for service in the Imperial German Army in 1914, was promoted to lieutenant in 1915, and to first lieutenant in 1925. Krebs was a career officer, and reached the position of chief of staff of various army groups until he became a General of Infantry. Request immediate report. Firstly, of the whereabouts of Wenck's spearheads. Secondly, of time intended to attack. Thirdly, of the location of the 9th Army. Fourthly, of the precise place in which the 9th Army will break through. Fifthly, of the whereabouts of General Holste's spearhead. Firstly, Wenck's spearhead bogged down south of Schwielow Lake. Secondly, 12th Army therefore unable to continue attack on Berlin. Thirdly, bulk of 9th Army surrounded. Fourthly, Holste's Corps on the defensive. On 1 May, after Hitler's suicide on 30 April, Göbbels sent Krebs and Colonel Theodor von Dufving, under a white flag, to deliver a letter he had written to General Vasily Chuikov. Dufving was General Helmuth Weidling's Chief of Staff. The letter contained surrender terms acceptable to Göbbels. Chuikov, as commander of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, commanded the Soviet forces in central Berlin. Krebs arrived shortly before 4 a.m. and took Chuikov by surprise. Krebs, who spoke Russian, informed Chuikov that Hitler and Eva Braun, his wife, had killed themselves in the Führerbunker. Chuikov, who was not aware that there was a bunker complex under the Reich Chancellery or that Hitler was married, calmly said that he already knew all of this. Chuikov was not, however, prepared to accept the terms in Göbbels' letter or to negotiate with Krebs. The Soviets were unwilling to accept anything other than unconditional surrender, as it was agreed with the other Allies. Krebs was not authorized by Göbbels to agree to such terms, however, and so the meeting ended with no agreement. According to Traudl Junge, Krebs returned to the bunker looking "worn out, exhausted". Krebs's surrender of Berlin was thus impeded as long as Göbbels was alive. Chuikov: "You are the commander of the Berlin garrison?" |
He was born in Westerheim, Baden-Württemberg and after trade school he worked as a construction technician. He joined the SS on 1 February 1930. On 1 March 1932, Schädle became one of eight founding members of Hitler's personal bodyguard. He also served on the staff of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler from 1 May 1934. Schädle guarded Hitler at his headquarters and accompanied him on all his trips. |