Dietrich Gerhard Emil Tappen  
(03.07.1866 - 28.05.1953)
place of birth:  Esens, Ostfriesland  (East Frisia)
Königreich Preußen:  OHL,  AOK-Stabschef,  Generalmajor (Art)


Oberstleutnant Gerhard Tappen headed the German Supreme Command's Operations Bureau during the initial months of the Great War. The son of Theodor Tappan and wife Johanne Schmeding, Gerhard was born in Ostfriesland but grew up in Hannover. He was a quick decision-maker and had good nerves, but most of his subordinates hated him because of his strong will. Ludendorff, who had preceded Tappen in his post at OHL, considered him "an unimaginative man of mediocre intelligence." 

Gerhard Tappen also served for a couple weeks as Generaloberst Josias von Heeringen's Seventh Army Chief of Staff in March of 1915, and then spent the last two years of the Great War as the commander of a Prussian infantry division. He and some of his troops were gassed in the Spring of 1918 while serving in Flanders, although this did not cause General Tappen to leave the Western Front. Tappen retired at the end of the Great War at the rank of Generalmajor, although he was later awarded the brevet rank of General der Artillerie (charakter) on 27 August 1939 during the Tannenberg Remembrance Day.

	Generalmajor	26.06.1915
	Pour le Mérite	11.09.1915  (Eichenlaub:  27.01.1916)