After the war, Kraiss was a company commander in various infantry regiments in the Reichswehr. From 1925 to 1928 he served as an instructor in an infantry school in Dresden. On May 1, 1931, he was promoted to major and was transferred to the Ministry of the Reichswehr in Berlin, he remained there until the end of 1934. On October 1, 1934, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant colonel) and commanded a battalion in his native Württemberg. In March 1937 he was promoted to Oberst (Colonel) and was given command of an infantry regiment in Hamburg in October of the same year.[3]
World War II
At the outbreak of the Second World War Kraiss commanded a regiment and participated in the Invasion of Poland. Afterward, his unit was relocated back to Germany in preparation for the Invasion of France. From May 1940, the regiment was a part of the 20th Infantry Division during the occupation of the Netherlands and France. He was promoted to major general on 1 February 1941. In March 1941, he handed command of the regiment to Colonel Erich Jaschke and was briefly transferred into the Führerreserve.[4]
From November 1943 onwards he was in command of the newly established 352nd Infantry Division, which with six other divisions, was located in Normandy in front of the Allied invasion. The division was sent to the coastal areas after Allied forces landed on the beaches Omaha and Gold. Against the orders of Adolf Hitler, Kraiss moved his division back to a defensive line about 20 kilometers away from the coast. There he was able to resist Allied forces in this section for several weeks.[8]
Reichswehrministerium (1925). Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheeres [Rankings of the German Army] (in German). Berlin, Germany: Mittler & Sohn Verlag.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN978-3-7648-2299-6.
Mitcham, Jr., Samuel W. (2007). Retreat to the Reich: The German Defeat in France, 1944. Stackpole Books. ISBN978-1-461-75155-7.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 [Knight's Cross Bearer 1939-1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of Army, Air Force, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and allied forces with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition.]. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
Müller-Hillebrand, Burkhard (1969). Das Heer 1933-1945. Entwicklung des organisatorischen Aufbaues (in German). Vol. III: Der Zweifrontenkrieg. Das Heer vom Beginn des Feldzuges gegen die Sowjetunion bis zum Kriegsende. Frankfurt am Main: Mittler.