Dietrich Kraiss
A career German military officer who commanded the 352nd Infantry Division during the D-Day landings, fiercely contesting the Allied foothold on Omaha Beach.
1889–1944 (age 55)·German general·Birthday: November 16·The Lost Generation
Biography
Dietrich Kraiss was a soldier's soldier, a professional officer who served his country through two world wars. His career followed a classic path in the German army: service as a young lieutenant in World War I, retention in the scaled-down Reichswehr, and steady promotion after Hitler's expansion of the military. By 1944, he was a lieutenant general in command of the 352nd Infantry Division, a unit fatefully stationed along the Normandy coast. On June 6, his division, which Allied intelligence mistakenly believed was further inland, provided the devastating resistance that turned Omaha Beach into a bloodbath. Kraiss's troops, a mix of seasoned veterans and conscripts, were dug into formidable defenses and inflicted catastrophic casualties on the American assault forces. He continued to lead his division in the grueling hedgerow fighting of the Normandy campaign until he was mortally wounded near Saint-Lô in August 1944. His legacy is inextricably tied to the brutal, unexpected defense that nearly thwarted the most critical Allied operation of the war.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Dietrich was born in 1889, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dietrich Was Born
The biggest hits of 1889
Dietrich's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1889Born
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1894Started school
President: Grover Cleveland
1902Became a teenager
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could drive
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Could vote
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Turned 21
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1919Turned 30
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1929Turned 40
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 50
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Died at 55
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
Key Achievements
- Commanded the 352nd Infantry Division during the D-Day landings, where its prepared defenses caused severe casualties to US forces at Omaha Beach.
- Was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for his leadership on the Eastern Front prior to the Normandy posting.
- Successfully delayed the Allied breakout from the Normandy beachhead for several weeks through determined defensive warfare.
Did You Know?
Before commanding the 352nd, he led the 168th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front for over two years.
He was wounded in action during World War I as well, receiving the Wound Badge in Black.
His death on August 2, 1944, came from wounds sustained during Allied aerial bombardment.
“The soldier's duty is to obey orders and hold his position, regardless of the cost.”
