Kahn's 30 August 1941 promotion recommendation

This quite glowing report and request for promotion for Kahn makes the usual references to his political reliability. Note the comments on his family and economic circumstances, he was a model husband and father without any debts. Comments below are in italics.

SS-Division Reich: 30-8-1941 (the division was called just "Reich" at this time)

Military Police Troops

Promotion Nomination

Name, Forename: Kahn, Otto, Erich

Rank: SS-Untersturmführer of the Reserve

Birth place and Birthday: Berlin-Borsigwalde, 4-3-1908

SS-Number: 400004

Last promotion: 20th April 1941(Hitler's birthday)

Nominate to: SS-Obersturmführer of the Reserve

With effect from: 9th November 1941 (anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch)

Grounds (for recommending the promotion) of the leader of the Military Police of the SS-Division "Reich"

SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve, Otto Erich Kahn has been since 23rd October 1939 a member of the Military Police of the SS-Division "Reich" and therefore of the Waffen-SS.

SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve Kahn, on the 12-7-1926 entered into the Reichswehr (the 100,000 Federal-defence force allowed by the Treaty of Versailles) and was discharged as a sergeant from the armed forces on the 12th October 1938 after three years Platoon-Leader activity. After his discharge from the armed forces, he went over directly to the Gendarmerie (Military Police).

I have in the shortest time recognised in the then SS-Sturmscharführer of the reserve Otto Kahn, in the military, as well as the police sense, an extremely capable NCO and also employed him with success as a leader for responsible tasks.

SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve Kahn has fully justified my sober reliance on him in the western campaign and he conscientiously executed his assigned commands. He has always, through his prudent actions and positive interventions contributed to the advance the SS-Division "Reich", so that even with the simultaneous advance of other motorised divisions it has proceeded smoothly.

After the western campaign (mostly in France), I then decided that SS-Untersturmführer Kahn was to be the acting leader of the Military Police. He has led them in my absence and in periods in which I was busy with work as a staff officer for march supervision.

On the grounds of his performance in the western campaign, I nominated Kahn for the Iron Cross 2nd Class, and it was awarded on the 27-11-1939. Simultaneously, he was nominated by me to SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve and promoted on the 20-4-1941 to SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve.

The leadership of the SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve (Kahn) was in each respect both in and out of service completely satisfactory. His manner as an SS-Leader is exemplary. He is a just superior and at the same time to the NCO's and men of the troop a good comrade.

In character, as well as the ideological sense, he is completely steadfast.

Kahn was married on the 17-5-1935 and is father of 3 children. His family circumstances are strong and his economic circumstances are in order.

Deployment in the East

After SS-Untersturmführer of the reserve Kahn marched with the SS-Division "Reich", (from Holland to France, from France to the south-east and then back into Germany), and as the tasks put to him have been solved in an exemplary manner, I put him to beginning the eastern campaign as traffic officer at the most important focuses of transportation. It has gone without saying as such, that often even if only some men were available to him to use that the advance of the division on the highways, despite often-simultaneous movements other motorised divisions, has proceeded almost smoothly.

Furthermore, Kahn has reconnoitred the way before the Beresina and after the Dnjepr, as well as marking the roads when crossing the Russian border until through Jelnja; in spite of almost continuous planned enemy action. Kahn executed this task both behind tank-divisions and with the vanguard of the division respectively.

SS-Untersturmführer Otto Kahn is an old soldier and has produced the evidence during his membership of the Waffen-SS that he is fully worthy to be promoted to SS-Obersturmführer of the reserve.

Captain of the Military Police.

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