Martinus Antonius Johannes Paap - Revision history

Per.kuskan: /* Early life */

2026-08-15T15:18:09Z

Early life

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:18, 15 August 2026
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	During 1915, Martinus remained on the Western Front. His regiment fought during the [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle]] in March and the [[Battle of Festubert]] later in the year. The repeated British attacks and artillery fire caused heavy losses in the division, and Martinus spent much of the year alternating between front-line service and the reorganization of depleted company positions.		During 1915, Martinus remained on the Western Front. His regiment fought during the [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle]] in March and the [[Battle of Festubert]] later in the year. The repeated British attacks and artillery fire caused heavy losses in the division, and Martinus spent much of the year alternating between front-line service and the reorganization of depleted company positions.
			[[File:Martinus Antonius Johannes Paap, c 1900s.png\|thumb]]
	In 1916, his regiment was transferred to the [[Battle of Verdun]]. During operations around [[Mort-Homme]] in June and July, Martinus's company came under heavy French artillery fire that included gas shells. The company commander was killed during the bombardment.		In 1916, his regiment was transferred to the [[Battle of Verdun]]. During operations around [[Mort-Homme]] in June and July, Martinus's company came under heavy French artillery fire that included gas shells. The company commander was killed during the bombardment.

Per.kuskan: Added image

2026-08-15T13:33:01Z

Added image

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:33, 15 August 2026
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	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = Martinus Antonius Johannes Paap		\| name = Martinus Antonius Johannes Paap
			\| image = Martinus Paap, c 1945.png
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1877\|11\|8}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1877\|11\|8}}
	\| birth_place = [[Kleve]], [[German Empire]]		\| birth_place = [[Kleve]], [[German Empire]]

Per.kuskan: /* References */Added categories

2026-08-15T10:40:36Z

References: Added categories

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:40, 15 August 2026
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	[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]
	~~[[Category:Paap family]]~~
	~~[[Category:Great Paaps]]~~
	[[Category:1877 births]]		[[Category:1877 births]]
	[[Category:2000 deaths]]		[[Category:2000 deaths]]
			[[Category:People from Kleve]]
			[[Category:Military personnel from the Rhine Province]]
			[[Category:Prussian Army personnel]]
			[[Category:German Army personnel of World War I]]
			[[Category:German Army field marshals of World War II]]
			[[Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom]]
			[[Category:People convicted by the United States Nuremberg Military Tribunals]]
			[[Category:German people convicted of war crimes]]
			[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)]]
			[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords]]
			[[Category:Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class]]
			[[Category:Paap family members]]
			[[Category:Great Paaps]]
	[[Category:Pre-Vader Era]]		[[Category:Pre-Vader Era]]
	[[Category:Vader Era]]		[[Category:Vader Era]]
	[[Category:Middenvader Era]]		[[Category:Middenvader Era]]
	[[Category:Vriend Era]]		[[Category:Vriend Era]]

Per.kuskan: Improved infobox

2026-08-15T10:31:37Z

Improved infobox

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:31, 15 August 2026
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	\| embed = yes		\| embed = yes
	\| allegiance = {{plainlist\|		\| allegiance = {{plainlist\|
	* [[German Empire]] ~~(1893–1918)~~		* [[German Empire]]
	* [[Weimar Republic]] ~~(1919)~~		* [[Weimar Republic]]
	* [[Nazi Germany]] ~~(1933–1945)~~		* [[Nazi Germany]]
	}}		}}
	\| branch = Army		\| branch = Army
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	** [[Battle of Liège]]		** [[Battle of Liège]]
	** [[Battle of St. Quentin (1914)\|Battle of St. Quentin]]		** [[Battle of St. Quentin (1914)\|Battle of St. Quentin]]
			** [[First Battle of the Marne]]
	** [[First Battle of Ypres]]		** [[First Battle of Ypres]]
	** [[Second Battle of Ypres]]
	** [[Battle of Verdun]]		** [[Battle of Verdun]]
	** [[Second Battle of the Aisne]]		** [[Second Battle of the Aisne]]
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	* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 2nd Class (1939)		* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 2nd Class (1939)
	* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 1st Class (1940)		* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 1st Class (1940)
	* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross\|Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords]]		* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] (1940)
			* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves\|Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross]] (1941)
			* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords\|Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves]] (1945)
	}}		}}
	}}		}}

Per.kuskan: /* First World War */Improved his WW1 experience

2026-08-15T10:29:49Z

First World War: Improved his WW1 experience

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:29, 15 August 2026
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	=== First World War ===		=== First World War ===

	At the beginning of the [[First World War]], Martinus served with Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56 on the Western Front. He ~~fought during~~ the [[Battle of Liège]] and later ~~took part in~~ the [[Battle of St. Quentin (1914)\|Battle of St. Quentin]]. His service during the opening campaign resulted in the award of the Iron Cross, 2nd Class.		At the beginning of the [[First World War]], Martinus served with [[Infanterie-Regiment "Vogel von Falckenstein" (7. Westfälisches) Nr. 56\|Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56]] on the Western Front. He took part in the [[Battle of Liège]] before advancing through Belgium and northern France. He later fought at the [[Battle of St. Quentin (1914)\|Battle of St. Quentin]] and during the fighting associated with the [[First Battle of the Marne]]. His service during the opening campaign resulted in the award of the Iron Cross, 2nd Class.

	On 15 September 1914, Martinus was involved in fighting at [[Berry-au-Bac]]. French artillery struck buildings near his detachment and a collapse separated him from the rest of his men. While moving through the damaged area, he encountered six French soldiers.		On 15 September 1914, Martinus was involved in fighting at [[Berry-au-Bac]]. French artillery struck buildings near his detachment and a collapse separated him from the rest of his men. While moving through the damaged area, he encountered six French soldiers.
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	Martinus shot several of them at close range before the encounter developed into hand-to-hand fighting. During the final struggle, he lost his grip on his rifle and suffered a bayonet wound across his upper arm. He killed the final soldier and returned to the German line alone.		Martinus shot several of them at close range before the encounter developed into hand-to-hand fighting. During the final struggle, he lost his grip on his rifle and suffered a bayonet wound across his upper arm. He killed the final soldier and returned to the German line alone.

	His officers initially doubted his account. German troops later searched the buildings and found the six French soldiers in the area Martinus had described. He subsequently received the Iron Cross, 1st Class. His wound was later recognized with the Wound Badge in Black.		His officers initially doubted his account. German troops later searched the damaged buildings and found the six French soldiers in the area Martinus had described. He subsequently received the Iron Cross, 1st Class. His wound was later recognized with the Wound Badge in Black.

	Martinus fought during the [[First Battle of Ypres]] ~~later in 1914~~. ~~He remained on~~ the ~~Western Front during 1915~~, ~~serving in Champagne and taking part~~ in the ~~[[Second Battle of Ypres]]~~.		Martinus later fought during the [[First Battle of Ypres]]. By the end of 1914, his division had settled into positions in the Lille–La Bassée–Lens sector.

	~~In 1916~~, ~~his~~ regiment fought at the [[Battle of ~~Verdun~~]]~~. During operations around~~ [[~~Mort-Homme~~]], Martinus's company ~~came under heavy French artillery fire that included gas shells. The company commander was killed during the bombardment~~.		During 1915, Martinus remained on the Western Front. His regiment fought during the [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle]] in March and the [[Battle of Festubert]] later in the year. The repeated British attacks and artillery fire caused heavy losses in the division, and Martinus spent much of the year alternating between front-line service and the reorganization of depleted company positions.

	~~Martinus assumed command as an ''Oberleutnant'' and reorganized the surviving troops. When French infantry attacked the damaged position~~, ~~he directed~~ the ~~defence and organized a local counterattack~~. ~~He was promoted to ''Hauptmann''~~ and ~~received the Knight~~'s ~~Cross of~~ the ~~Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords~~.		In 1916, his regiment was transferred to the [[Battle of Verdun]]. During operations around [[Mort-Homme]] in June and July, Martinus's company came under heavy French artillery fire that included gas shells. The company commander was killed during the bombardment.

	He ~~continued serving on the Western Front in 1917~~ and ~~fought during~~ the ~~[[Second Battle~~ of the ~~Aisne]]. In 1918, Martinus took part in the [[German spring offensive]]~~.		Martinus assumed command as an ''Oberleutnant'' and reorganized the surviving troops. When French infantry attacked the damaged position, he directed the defence and organized a local counterattack. He was subsequently promoted to ''Hauptmann'' and received the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords.

	~~During~~ the ~~[[Third Battle~~ of the ~~Aisne]], his battalion commander became a casualty~~. Martinus ~~assumed temporary command, reorganized~~ the ~~battalion and led it across~~ the ~~Aisne under fire. The battalion captured a fortified~~ French ~~position on~~ the ~~opposite bank and continued~~ the ~~advance~~.		The division later moved to the right bank of the Meuse and fought around Thiaumont before returning to the Verdun sector later in the year. Martinus remained with the regiment during the heavy French attacks around Douaumont and the December offensive before the division was withdrawn.

	Martinus ~~retained~~ temporary battalion command ~~through~~ the ~~remainder of that~~ phase of the offensive. ~~He received~~ the [[Pour le Mérite]] for his ~~conduct~~.		In 1917, Martinus served as a company commander with the rank of ''Hauptmann''. His division returned to the Chemin des Dames and took up positions in the Ailles–Hurtebise sector.

			On 25 June, French forces broke into German positions around the [[Cave of the Dragon]]. Communications between several company positions were disrupted and groups of German troops began falling back from the lost defenses. Martinus gathered survivors from his own company and nearby units and established a temporary defensive line behind the French penetration. The position prevented the breakthrough from immediately spreading farther into the regiment's rear.

			On 26 July, Martinus led his company during a German counterattack between Hurtebise and La Bovelle. The attack failed to recover the lost ground. Martinus withdrew his surviving troops after the advance stalled and returned to the German defensive line.

			The division was again heavily engaged during the French offensive around [[Laffaux]] on 23 October. Parts of the German front collapsed and large numbers of soldiers were captured. Martinus organized a company-level rearguard while surviving troops withdrew from the threatened sector. His company escaped with substantial losses before the division was removed from the front for rebuilding.

			Martinus remained a ''Hauptmann'' during 1918. In the spring, his division returned to combat and fought near Moreuil before being reorganized for the renewed German offensive.

			During the [[Third Battle of the Aisne]], Martinus's battalion commander became a casualty. Martinus temporarily assumed battalion command and reorganized the remaining companies before leading them across the Aisne under fire. The battalion captured a fortified French position on the opposite bank and continued advancing during the opening phase of the offensive.

			Martinus retained temporary battalion command during the subsequent fighting as the division advanced toward the Hautebraye and Vic-sur-Aisne area. The offensive eventually lost momentum and the division suffered further casualties. Martinus later returned to his formal company command. His conduct during the Aisne fighting contributed to the award of the [[Pour le Mérite]].

			During September and early October 1918, Martinus's division fought in Champagne before being withdrawn from the front. Around 12 October, it moved to an area north of [[Rethel]] for rest and reorganization.

			Martinus spent the period around Rethel rebuilding his depleted company. Understrength sections were combined, replacements were assigned to the surviving formations and equipment was redistributed before the division returned to the front.

			Late in October, the division moved west and entered positions around [[Englefontaine]], east of Solesmes. Martinus returned to front-line command as German forces continued their withdrawal under Allied pressure.

			He remained with his company during the final defensive fighting of the war and was still serving at the front when the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918]] took effect.

	=== Interwar period ===		=== Interwar period ===

Per.kuskan at 10:04, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T10:04:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:04, 15 August 2026
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	\| unit = [[Infanterie-Regiment "Vogel von Falckenstein" (7. Westfälisches) Nr. 56\|Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56]]		\| unit = [[Infanterie-Regiment "Vogel von Falckenstein" (7. Westfälisches) Nr. 56\|Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56]]
	\| commands = {{plainlist\|		\| commands = {{plainlist\|
	* I./[[Infanterie-Regiment 61]] ~~(1938)~~		* I./[[Infanterie-Regiment 61]]
	* [[7. Infanterie-Division]] (acting~~, 30 September – 30 November 1939~~)		* [[7. Infanterie-Division]] (acting)
	* [[31. Infanterie-Division]] ~~(1 March 1940 – 20 January 1942)~~		* [[31. Infanterie-Division]]
	* ''Gruppe Paap'' ~~(December 1941 – January 1942)~~		* ''Gruppe Paap''
	* [[XXXXIII. Armeekorps]] ~~(20 January – 15 July 1942)~~		* [[XXXXIII. Armeekorps]]
	* [[2. Armee]] ~~(15 July 1942 – 3 February 1943)~~		* [[2. Armee]]
	* [[15. Armee]] ~~(20 March 1943 – 28 June 1944)~~		* [[15. Armee]]
	* [[7. Armee]] ~~(28 June – 5 September 1944)~~		* [[7. Armee]]
	* [[Wehrmachtbefehlshaber in den Niederlanden]] ~~(5 September – 10 November 1944)~~		* [[Wehrmachtbefehlshaber in den Niederlanden]]
	* [[Army Group H]] ~~(10 November 1944 – 7 April 1945)~~		* [[Army Group H]]
	* [[Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest]] ~~(7 April – 5 May 1945)~~		* [[Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest]]
	}}		}}
	\| battles = {{plainlist\|		\| battles = {{plainlist\|
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	* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 2nd Class (1939)		* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 2nd Class (1939)
	* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 1st Class (1940)		* [[Clasp to the Iron Cross]], 1st Class (1940)
	* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross\|Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords]] ~~(1940–1945)~~		* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross\|Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords]]
	}}		}}
	}}		}}

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