Johannes Jäger

Johannes Jäger was born on 10 January 1892 in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany to Wolfgang Jäger and Eva Jäger.

He 2 brothers: Paul Jäger and Martin Jäger.

In 1908, he joined the German Army. He was stationed in Windhoek, Khomas Region during the Herero Wars. He was commanded by Hauptmann August von Bahrfeldt. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1908 after an ambush in which his superior NCO Feldwebel Hermann Bruch was killed.

During the First World War, he served as a Lieutenant in the German empire.

Between 1918 and 1921, he took part in conflicts in Poland and Germany against uprisings. In 1920, he was made the rank Hauptmann. He continued to be in the military during the interwar years. In the 1920s, he supported the National Socialist Party and wished to make Germany great again. However, Jäger did not agree with Nazi policies against Jews.

In 1919, he married Marta Jäger.

In 1919, he had a son: Wilhelm Jäger.

In 1921, he had a son: Hugo Jäger.

During the interwar years, Jäger travelled the France and the United Kingdom extensively and studied military history in University.

In 1935, the German Military became known as Wehrmacht. He was made into the rank of Hauptmann. In 1936, he was one of the officers involved in the Remilitarization of the Rhineland. In Late 1936, he joined the Condor Legion and fought in the Spanish Civil War under Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. He was promoted to Major in early 1937. In mid-1937, he was sent as a military attaché to Japan, where he was based in the Tokyo Embassy for a few months and worked with Herbert von Dirksen to strengthen relations between the 2 nations. While in Tokyo, he helped training Japanese troops and worked with Kiichiro Higuchi, Joichiro Sanada and Jo Iimura. In early 1938, he stayed in China with the Central China Expeditionary Army and served with Shunroku Hata and Masakazu Kawabe. In November 1938, he was assigned to the Northern District Army in Sapporo, Hokkaido where he also helped training conscripts alongside Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki.

In April 1939, he was called back to Germany where he was assigned to the 3rd Army led by Georg von Kuchler of Army Group North led by Fedor von Bock on 1 September 1939. Between April and September, he took part in training troops in Brandenburg who would also later be assigned to the 3rd Army. He commanded a Rifle Company of 200 men during the Invasion of Poland. He took part in the attack on Warsaw. In October 1939, he was promoted to Major. In December 1939, he was assigned to the 170th Infantry Division under Walter Wittke and he took part in the invasion of Denmark during which he led an Infantry Battalion of 850 men. He was promoted to Oberstleutnant in April 1940 and was second in command of the 310th Infantry Regiment of 3000 men under Oberst Hans Wolf which was assigned to the 163rd Infantry Division which led by Erwin Engelbrecht assigned to XXI Army Corps led by Nikolaus von Falkenhorst. In May 1940, he was promoted to Oberst and given command of the 28th Panzer Division which was assigned to the XV Army Corps led by Hermann Hoth which was assigned to the 4th Army led by Gunther von Kluge which was assigned to Army Group A led by Gerd von Rundstedt. He took part in the invasion of France. During which, he developed somewhat of a friendship with Erwin Rommel.

In June 1940, he accepted the surrender of Victor Fortune of the 51st Highland Division in Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Normandy. In July 1940, the 28th Panzer Division is stationed in Paris and Jäger takes part in planning Operation Sealion. In December 1940, upon orders from Adolf Hitler, Jäger moves his Panzer Division to Warsaw and begins planning for the Invasion of Russia. In February 1941, a slight change in plans occurred and Rommel chose Jäger as one of his subordinates in Africa. Therefore, the 28th Panzer Division moves to Tripoli, Libya. In March 1943, Jäger withdrew from Africa and was promoted to Generalmajor and he took command of the 37th Infantry Division which was assigned to Finland where it fought the Continuation War against the Soviet Union. In July 1943, the 37th Infantry Division is moved to Italy to defend against the Italian Campaign.

In February 1944, he was promoted to Generalleutnant and his infantry division was moved to Normandy where they were set up on Omaha Beach as part of 7th Army led by Friedrich Dollmann as ordered by Erwin Rommel. Jäger agreed with Rommel on the basis that the 5th Panzer Army should be on the beaches. However, von Rundstedt and Hitler disagreed and placed them south of Caen. During the subsequent Battle of Normandy, the division was assigned to Army Group B. In October 1944, the 37th took part in the Battle of Aachen and in December it was assigned again toe Army Group B led by Walter Model and they took part in Battle of the Bulge. In February 1945, he was promoted to General der Infantrie and he was put in command of the 13th Army which was assigned to Army Group B. He was among those who surrendered in the Ruhr Pocket.