Friedrich Siegmund Georg Freiherr Kreß von Kressenstein
(24.04.1870 - 06.04.1948)
place of birth:  Nürnberg, Mittelfranken
Königreich Bayern:  AOK-Stabschef,  Oberst a.D. (Art)


After leaving the Bavarian Army in January 1914 as a Major, Friedrich Kreß von Kressenstein deployed to Constantinople as part of German general Liman von Sander's Military Mission to the Ottoman Empire (Deutsche Militärmission im Osmanischen Reich.) There he initially headed up the Turkish forces' field artillery training and was involved with the mobilization planning for the impending hostilities.

As war broke out, Kreß von Kressenstein served as Chief of Staff at 8. Osmanisches Armeekorps headquarters. Enver Pasha then tasked him in January 1915 to advance across the Sinai and capture the Suez Canal (First Suez Offensive). The British were aware of their approach and so the Ottoman forces were easily repulsed after two days of fighting. More than a year later, the Turks once again unsuccessfully assaulted a well-defended British fortification during the Battle of Romani. For his bravery and meritorious leadership in battle, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) of Bavaria's highest military order - the Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden. He was officially presented with the decoration on 01.09.1917 and later received the Kommandeur class of the MMJO order.

Oberst Kress von Kressenstein was in charge of the Ottoman defenses along with an Ottoman General Tala Bey. In the First Battle of Gaza (March 1917), the British were defeated due in large part to their own errors. In the Second Battle of Gaza of April 1917, the British were defeated again, with credit mainly going to Oberst Kreß von Kressenstein. After former Chief of the German General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn arrived on the scene, Kreß von Kressenstein remained in command of Eighth Army's coastal defenses until being transferred in May 1918 to Tbilisi in the Trans-Caucasus. While there, he led the German-Turkish column occupying Tbilisi and took part in defending Abkhazia from an invasion by the Red Army. He was also awarded Prussia's highest order, the Pour le Merite in September 1917. After the war, he had various commands in the German Reichswehr and retired in 1929 as General of Artillery. Kreß von Kressenstein died in Munich in 1948.

	Oberst	14.12.1917
	Pour le Mérite	04.09.1917
	Militär-Max-Joseph	23.04.1916  Ritter  (19.04.1917: Kommandeur)