Siegfried Gerstner

On January 15, 1944, Siegfried Gerstner’s chain of command recommended him for accelerated promotion.  Major General Gustav Wilke, acting division commander wrote the following:

“Captain Gerstner is of short, strong, very wiry appearance with friendly, sincere presence.  Open, definitely reliable character with a healthy degree of self-confidence and ambition.  Good concept of his profession.  Expressed personality with excellent leadership qualities.  Mentally above average, he possesses good clarity and great flexibility.  Very good understanding and know-how.  Clear orders.  Captain Gerstner understood how to train and educate the 2nd Parachute Engineer Battalion under the most difficult circumstances.  He has led this battalion very successfully during the engagements in the battle for Rome and in the particularly difficult defensive and attack battles east of Zhitomir and south-east of Kirowograd, until he was transferred to a field hospital on January 6, 1944 due to being wounded in action.  Captain Gerstner has functioned very well in his position as acting battalion commander of the 2nd Parachute Engineer Battalion and has full aptitude for the grade of Major.  Therefore, he is being recommended for preferential promotion to this service rank.”  (Luftwaffe Efficiency and Promotion Reports for the Knight’s Cross Winners)

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Paul Conrath

Paul Conrath, Luftwaffe Lieutenant General, born November 21, 1896 in Berlin, commander of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division, Inspector-General of Parachute Troops (Inspekteur der Fallschirmtruppe,) winner of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, died January 15, 1979 in Hamburg, on attacking the Allies in Sicily:

“If you mean to go for them Field Marshal [Kesselring], then I’m your man.”  (2,000 Quotes From Hitler’s 1,000-Year Reich)

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Chicago Crime Calendar

January 15, 2001 – William Hanhardt, the Chicago Police Department’s former Chief of Detectives, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of masterminding a ring of Chicago Outfit-related thieves who stole $4.85 million in jewels in heists across the nation.