Oberst Erich Krebs - The hero of Cambrai

[JensF.]

I have found these pics/story in a Militaria-journal from 1991. There was an auction with the medals and documents of Oberst Erich Krebs, the hero of the Tankbattle of Cambrai 1917. He stopped the british tanks with just 600 man and nearly 300 tanks were destroyed with the 77mm field artillery in direct fire and by small units only with handgrenades and selfmade bombs.
There was an Unteroffizier Krüger of Art. Reg. 108 who, being the only survivor of his 77mm light field cannon, destroyed 16 tanks by loading, aiming and firing the gun alone before he was killed.

Krebs was wounded during that battle but continued to give his orders with blood flowing over his coat and standing in the first line of defense. He was awarded the Pour le Merite for that action.

[JensF.]

Here is his Pour le Merite:

[JensF.]

And his unbelieveable medal-bar. I would like to know the price these medals got during that auction in 1991...

EKII 1914
Hausorden v. Hohenzollern, RK w X
Red Eagle 4
Long Service 25
Centenar
Bav. MVO 4 w X and crown
Bav. MVO 4 w crown
Hessen Bravery Medal
Meckl. Schwerin MVK 2
Meckl. Strelitz Griffon Order w crown
Oldenburg FA-Cross 2
Anhalt Friedrichs-Cross
Lübeck Hanseatic Cross
Hamburg Hanseatic Cross

On his chest he has the EKI, Iron Halfmoon, FA-1 and the Silver Wound Badge

[JensF.]

One of the destroyed MK.I tanks. This one was hit by artillery:

[Rick Research]

I have an EK2 document to an infantry Gefreiter whose regiment was overrun and his battalion exterminated--overrun by British tanks stopped in the German trenches--in the same battle-- "worth" as much to me as the PLM that the divisional commander got for sitting 10 miles back at his headquarters.

Krebs' awards were hard earned at the front, not some staff type-- EXCELLENT group and thanks for showing us Jens-- I'll go look up his career and add that back in here later.

[JensF.]

I really like to know who the lucky man was, who got this group in that auction 12 years ago. Someone here who knows what happened to these medals?

[stogieman]

I s it me??

Jens, I'm looking at your photo and it sure looks like 2 BMVO's behind that Centennial Medal. One with swords on the "war ribbon" and one without on the peace-time white ribbon with blue stripes. BUT, the enamel on both look red in the photo. Am I losing it here, or what??

[JensF.]

Yes Rick, two Bayern. The enamel looked red in the picture on the cover of the magazine I've scanned it. Was their problem, your eyes are fine

[stogieman]

RE: Enamel colors

Hmmm, I cannot imagine what they did to take a picture that would turn blue to red. The rest of the colors don't seem to be off. Hmmmmm.

[Klaus O.]

Jens,

I remember to have seen this group on a HH auction? Am I correct? He was really lucky the guy who bought this lot, especially considering how much prices have increased for Imperial medal bars and PLM.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Rick Research]

Erich Krebs was born in Berlin 19 July, I believe 1870 (his Deutscher Ordens-Almanach entry obviously incorrectly says "80"), commissioned into Infantry Regiment 173, he attended the War Academy, then served in Inf Rgt 167, was Adjutant of the 81st Infantry Brigade, and when the war started, was Adjutant of the Vth Army Corps.

Sekondeleutnant 18.1.91
Premierleutnant 18.4.99
Hauptmann 18.7.05
Major 19.7.13
Oberstleutnant 15.7.18
charakterisiert Oberst aD, alive 1926

Pour le Merite 23.12.17
Hohenzollern HOX gazetted in MWB either 21.12.16 or 17.7.17 (the Prussian HHOX Roll SUCKS-- a "Maj. Krebs" received these on both dates-- no other info provided! )

Bavarian MMO4XwC 15.1.15

Per the Honor Rank List, his last command during the war was as CO of Reserve Infantry Regiment 27.

[JensF.]

Nice work Rick, you were faster. On the next page of the journal are pics of his documents.

[JensF.]

EKII:

[JensF.]

Anhalt Friedrichskreuz:

[JensF.]

Hohenzollern Order: