(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)

Generalleutnant Friedrich (Fritz) Cranz
Born: 03 Jan 1890 in Memel
Died: 17 Mar 1945 by Breslau (Air Crash)
Promotions:
Fähnrich (24 Mar 1909); Leutnant (27 Jan 1910); Oberleutnant (27 Jan 1915); Hauptmann (18 Apr 1917); Major (01 Apr 1930); Major (01 Apr 1930); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1934); Oberst (01 Mar 1936); Generalmajor (01 Jan 1939); Generalleutnant (01 Nov 1940)
Career:
Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker, Company-Officer and Platoon-Leader in the 3rd Grenadier-Regiment (01 Aug 1908-14 Dec 1914)
Educator at the Cadet-House in Potsdam (10 Mar 1914-02 Aug 1914)
Detached to Flying-Troop Training (15 Dec 1914-23 Jan 1915)
Observer with the Field-Flying-Battalion 30 (24 Jan 1915-17 Feb 1915)
Observer and Photographic-Officer with the Field-Flying-Battalion 53 and the Flying-Battalion A 272 (03 Mar 1915-07 Mar 1917)
Adjutant of the Leader of Flying-Troops 1 (08 Mar 1917-24 Jun 1917)
Leader of the Flying-Battalion A 248 (24 Jun 1917-10 Jan 1918)
Leader of the Flying-Battalion Lb 261 (Army-High-Command 1) (11 Jan 1918-01 Mar 1918)
Director of the Officers-Photographic-School with the Inspection Photographic-Reconnaissance-Affairs (02 Mar 1918-18 Dec 1918)
With the German Military-Commission in Koblenz (19 Dec 1918-12 Jun 1919)
Leader of the Processing-Office of the Airbase Hannover (13 Jun 1919-13 Oct 1919)
Company-Leader and Photographic-Officer with the Reichswehr-Airbase Paderborn (14 Oct 1919-01 May 1920)
Photographic-Officer with the Staff of Military-District-Command VI (02 May 1920-30 Sep 1920)
Company-Chief in the 16th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-14 Oct 1922)
With the Staff of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1922-30 Sep 1924)
Main-Photographic-Officer with the Staff of the 3rd Division (Central-Office for Photographic-Affairs for Officers and Crews at the Creation of the Head-Photographic-Office) (01 Oct 1924-09 Nov 1928)
Director of the Head-Photographic-Office, RWM (10 Nov 1928-31 Aug 1933)
At the same time, Specialised-Advisor for Photographic Affairs in RWM 2/In 1 (10 Nov 1928-16 May 1933)
Department-Director of the Department Of Air Photography Affairs, LB IV and Fl. In 1/III in the RLM (17 May 1933-28 Feb 1936)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service (01 Sep 1933)
At the same time, Director of the Head-Photographic-Office, RLM (01 Sep 1933-28 Feb 1936)
Commander of Reconnaissance-Group Würzburg and at the same time, Airbase-Commandant Würzburg (01 Mar 1936-31 Jul 1937)
With the Staff of Air-Region-Command 11 (01 Aug 1937-30 Jun 1938)
Commander of the Flying-School and the Flying-Replacement-Battalion 11 (01 Jul 1938-25 Aug 1939)
Commandant of the Luftwaffe-Training-Grounds at Dramburg (26 Aug 1939-22 May 1940)
Temporary Commanding General of Air-Region Warsaw (23 May 1940-30 Sep 1940)
Military-Replacement-Inspector Poland (01 Oct 1940-00 Jan 1945)
Liaison-Officer of the Luftwaffe to Fortress Breslau (00 Jan 1945-17 Mar 1945)
Killed in an Air Crash over Breslau (17 Mar 1945)

Decorations & Awards:
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Kgl. Preuss. Flieger Erinnerungs-Abzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse


Back to ABR Homepage