Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke

Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke
Ramcke as a Generalmajor
Born	(1889-01-24)24 January 1889 Schleswig, German Empire
Died	4 July 1968(1968-07-04) (aged 79) Kappeln, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Imperial German Navy Reichsheer Army Luftwaffe
Years of service	1905–45
Rank	General der Fallschirmtruppe
Unit	1st Parachute Division
Commands held	Ramcke Parachute Brigade German 2nd Parachute Division Fortress Brest
Battles/wars	World War I Russian Civil War World War II Battle of Crete Second Battle of El Alamein Battle for Brest
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Criminal conviction
Conviction(s)	War crimes
Criminal penalty	5 years and 6 months imprisonment
Details
Victims	French civilians

Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (24 January 1889 – 4 July 1968) was a German general of paratroop forces during World War II. He led units in Crete, North Africa, Italy, the Soviet Union and France, and was captured by American forces at the conclusion of the Battle for Brest in September 1944. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, one of only 27 people in the Nazi German military so decorated. Ramcke's career was unusual in that he served in all three branches of the German armed forces.^[1]

Ramcke was an ardent Nazi who committed war crimes in Crete and France. Following the fighting on Crete in 1941, he ordered his men to attack civilians as punishment for guerrilla attacks. In 1951 Ramcke was convicted of war crimes against French civilians during the Battle for Brest, but was released after three months, since he had already spent nearly five years in prison. During the 1950s he was a prominent nationalist and supported extreme right-wing movements.