__NOTOC__{{Infobox military person |name=Johannes Block |birth_date={{birth date|1894|11|17|df=y}} |death_date={{death date and age|1945|1|26|1894|11|17|df=y}} |birth_place=Büschdorf, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |death_place=near Kielce, Poland |image= |image_size= |caption= |nickname= |allegiance=German Empire<br>Weimar Republic<br>Nazi Germany |branch=German Army |service_years=1914–1924<br />1934–1945 |rank=''General der Infanterie'' |commands=294th Infantry Division<br>VIII Army Corps<br>XIII Army Corps<br>LVI Panzer Corps |unit= |battles={{tree list}} *World War I *World War II **Invasion of Poland **Battle of France **Operation Barbarossa **Battle of Kiev (1941) **First Battle of Kharkov **Lower Dnieper Offensive **Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive **Vistula–Oder Offensive (KIA) {{tree list/end}} |awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |other_work= }}
'''Johannes Block''' (17 November 1894 – 26 January 1945) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who held commands at division and corps level. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Block was killed on 26 January 1945 near Kielce, Poland during the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive.
==Early life and career== '''Johannes Friedrich Gustav Block''' was born on 17 November 1894 in Büschdorf, a village near Halle (Saale){{efn|Büschdorf was incorporated into Halle in 1950.}} in the Prussian Province of Saxony as the son of Richard Block, a factory owner, and Bertha, ''née'' Beil. He was married on 23 May 1925 to Christel, ''née'' Neumann. He had one stepson from her previous marriage and the couple had one daughter.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81">German Federal Archives (''Bundesarchiv''), Personalakte von Johannes Block, BArch PERS 6/81</ref>
At the beginning of the First World War, on 13 August 1914, Block joined the Prussian Army as a war volunteer (''Kriegsfreiwilliger'') in the Manfeld Field Artillery Regiment No. 75 ('' Mansfelder Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 75''). On 17 October 1914, he went into the field with the 1st Artillery Ammunition Column of the IV Army Corps. From there, on 15 February 1915, he was transferred to the Magdeburg Fusilier Regiment No. 36 (''Füsilier-Regiment „General-Feldmarschall Graf Blumenthal“ (Magdeburgisches) Nr. 36'').<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
Block was wounded in the right eye on 27 April 1915 during the trench warfare in Flanders. After spending almost two months in the hospital, he was assigned to the 1st Replacement Battalion of his regiment and then transferred as a ''Fahnenjunker'' (officer candidate) to the 2nd Replacement Battalion of the 1st Masurian Infantry Regiment No. 146 (''1. Masurisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 146'') in mid-July 1915.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
From September to November 1915, Block attended a ''Fahnenjunker'' course in Döberitz. He was then transferred back to the regiment on the Eastern Front and was commissioned a ''Leutnant'' on May 11, 1916. In mid-November 1916, Block was declared unfit for service due to shell shock. He returned to the regiment's replacement battalion in March 1917, and was then transferred to the Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 208 on 16 May 1917. From 20 May 1917, Block served as the leader of an assault detachment (''Sturmabteilung'').<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
Block was wounded in the fighting at Verdun on 18 July 1917, and after his recovery, he returned to Infantry Regiment No. 146 on 6 November 1917, where he was assigned as the leader of a battalion mortar detachment. At this time, Infantry Regiment No. 146 had been deployed to the Middle East as part of the Asia Corps. There, Block saw action in Transjordan, Northern Palestine and Syria. On 1 June 1918, Block was commanded as the leader and instruction officer of a training course for Turkish troops in the Yildirim Army Group, but this assignment was cut short by illness (malaria) in mid-July 1918. After recovering, on 10 October 1918 he returned to the regiment as a battalion adjutant.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
After the Armistice, Block was interned in Constantinople, returning to Germany at the end of January 1919. Block then served in a Freikorps formation before being retained in the ''Reichswehr'', initially in ''Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 40'' and then ''Infanterie-Regiment 120''. On 1 October 1920, he was transferred to the ''2. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment''. On 21 September 1923, Block was sent to an officer training course at the Infantry School in Munich. While there, he took part in the Beer Hall Putsch and as a consequence was discharged from the Reichswehr on 31 May 1924.{{efn|Generally, the cadets who took part in the march on the Feldherrnhalle as part of the Putsch attempt were excused and remained in service, but the officers who led them were discharged from service.}}<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
==Wehrmacht service== After the Nazis came to power, Block returned to the army on 1 July 1934 as a ''Hauptmann'' with a seniority date of 1 September 1931. He was promoted to ''Major'' on 1 March 1936. He was named commander of the 1st Battalion of ''Infanterie-Regiment 4'' of the 32nd Infantry Division on 1 February 1937, with his seniority date as Major adjusted to 1 November 1935. Promotion to ''Oberstleutnant'' followed on 1 August 1938.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
Block began World War II still in command of his battalion. On 14 March 1940, Block was named commander of ''Infanterie-Regiment 202'' of the 75th Infantry Division, leading the regiment in the Battle of France in 1940 and in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. He was promoted to ''Oberst'' on 1 August 1941. On 15 May 1942, he was tasked with the command of the 294th Infantry Division. Following promotion to ''Generalmajor'' on 1 September, he was formally named commander of the division. On 1 January 1943, he was promoted to ''Generalleutnant''.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
Block was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 22 November 1943 in recognition for the actions of his troops in the defensive battles by Krivoy Rog. He was transferred to the ''Führerreserve'' (Leaders Reserve) in late December and attended a course for commanding generals from 5 to 25 January 1944.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/>
On 1 April 1944, Block took temporary command of the VIII Army Corps and on 25 April the XIII Army Corps. On 5 June 1944, he took command of the LVI Panzer Corps. He was promoted to ''General der Infanterie'' on 1 July 1944 and named commanding general of the corps on 15 July.<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> Block was killed in action near Kielce during the Soviet Vistula–Oder offensive.
==Awards and decorations== * Kingdom of Prussia: ** Iron Cross 2nd Class (5 July 1916)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> ** Iron Cross 1st Class (22 August 1918)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> * Kingdom of Bulgaria: Military Order for Bravery, 4th Class, 2nd Grade (17 November 1916)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> * Ottoman Empire: War Medal (8 May 1918)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> * German Empire: Wound Badge in Black (1918)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> * Nazi Germany: ** Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 for Combatants (30 December 1934)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> ** Blood Order (8 November 1935)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> ** Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 3rd Class (2 October 1936)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/81"/> ** 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd Class (8 September 1939)<ref name="Thomas p53">Thomas 1997, p. 53.</ref> ** 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross 1st Class (10 September 1939)<ref name="Thomas p53"/> ** Eastern Front Medal (15 January 1943)<ref name="BArch PERS 6/299414">German Federal Archives (''Bundesarchiv''), Generalskartei von Johannes Block, BArch PERS 6/299414</ref> ** Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves *** Knight's Cross on 22 December 1941 as ''Oberst'' and commander of 202nd Infantry Regiment<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 115.</ref> *** Oak Leaves on 22 November 1943 as ''Generalleutnant'' and commander of 294th Infantry Division<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 64.</ref>
==References== ===Notes=== {{Notelist}}
===Citations=== {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * Bradley, Dermot (ed.): ''Die Generale des Heeres 1921–1945. Die militärischen Werdegänge der Generale, sowie der Ärzte, Veterinäre, Intendanten, Richter und Ministerialbeamten im Generalsrang.'' Band 2: ''v. Blanckensee–v. Czettritz und Neuhauß .'' Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1993, ISBN 3-7648-2424-7, pp. 16–18. * {{Cite book |last=Fellgiebel |first=Walther-Peer |authorlink=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel |year=2000 |orig-date=1986 |title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile |trans-title=The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches |language=German |location=Friedberg, Germany |publisher=Podzun-Pallas |isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6 }} * Scherzer, Veit: ''Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945. Die Inhaber des Eisernen Kreuzes von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündete Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchivs''. 2. Auflage, Scherzers Militär-Verlag, Ranis/Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2, p. 225. * {{Cite book |last=Thomas |first=Franz |year=1997 |title=Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K |trans-title=The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K |language=German |location=Osnabrück, Germany |publisher=Biblio-Verlag |isbn=978-3-7648-2299-6 }} {{refend}}
{{S-start}} {{S-mil}} {{Succession box |before=''Generalleutnant'' Otto Gabcke |after=''Generalmajor'' Hermann Frenking |title= Commander of 294. Infanterie-Division |years=22 March 1942 – 12 August 1943 }} {{Succession box |before=''General der Infanterie'' Gustav Höhne |after=''Generalleutnant'' Hans Schlemmer |title= Commander of ''VIII. Armeekorps'' |years=1 April 1944 – 15 April 1944 }} {{Succession box |before=''General der Infanterie'' Arthur Hauffe |after=''General der Infanterie'' Arthur Hauffe |title= Commander of ''XIII. Armeekorps'' |years=25 April 1944 – 5 June 1944 }} {{Succession box |before=''General der Infanterie'' Friedrich Hoßbach |after=''General der Kavallerie'' Rudolf Koch-Erpach |title= Commander of ''LVI. Panzerkorps'' |years=15 June 1944 – 26 January 1945 }} {{S-end}}
{{Subject bar | portal1=Biography }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Block, Johannes}} Category:1894 births Category:1945 deaths Category:People from Złotów County Category:Military personnel from West Prussia Category:German Army generals of World War II Category:Generals of the infantry (Wehrmacht) Category:German Army personnel of World War I Category:Prussian Army personnel Category:German Army personnel killed in World War II Category:Collaborators who participated in the Beer Hall Putsch Category:Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Category:Reichswehr personnel Category:Nazis who participated in the Beer Hall Putsch Category:20th-century Freikorps personnel