Friedrich Kittel – 62. Volksgrenadier-Division

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Friedrich Kittel. Generalmajor Friedrich Kittel (19 January 1896, Weida † 11 March 1973, Bad Mergentheim) was a German officer who rose to the rank of Generalmajor during the Second World War. He earned both the German Cross in Gold and the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his leadership of infantry and Volksgrenadier formations in the bitter fighting on the Eastern and Western Fronts.

Awards and Decorations:

• German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) – 1 April 1942, as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 468, 268. Infanterie-Division.

• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) – 9 January 1945, as Generalmajor and Kommandeur of 62. Volksgrenadier-Division.

Career Highlights:

• First World War veteran who stayed in the Reichswehr and rose through the ranks in the interwar years.

• Distinguished as commander of Infanterie-Regiment 468 in the 268. Infanterie-Division, earning the German Cross in Gold for his regiment’s performance during heavy combat on the Eastern Front in 1942.

• Delegated with the leadership of the 272. Volksgrenadier-Division (17 September 1944 – 23 September 1944).

• Hospitalized following an accident (23 September – 1 November 1944).

• Commander of the 62. Volksgrenadier-Division (1 November 1944 – 1 February 1945). Awarded the Knight’s Cross in January 1945 for his handling of the division during the desperate late-war fighting.

• Captured in 1945, later released from captivity. Lived in West Germany until his death in 1973.

Item Details:

• Authentic postwar signature of Generalmajor Friedrich Kittel.

• Signed on a postwar photograph.

• Condition: Clear, well-preserved autograph.

Collector’s Note:
Kittel’s short but important divisional commands in the chaotic final months of the war, combined with his dual decorations of German Cross in Gold and Knight’s Cross, make his autograph a significant addition to any advanced Heer collection. His brief leadership of the 272. Volksgrenadier-Division and subsequent command of the 62. Volksgrenadier-Division illustrate the turbulent reality of the Wehrmacht’s final campaigns.