Heinrich von Vietinghoff
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| Heinrich von Vietinghoff | |
|---|---|
| December 6, 1887 - February 3, 1952 | |
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| Place of birth | Mainz |
| Place of death | Pfrontenried |
| Allegiance | Germany |
| Rank | Generaloberst |
| Awards | See "Military awards" section |
Heinrich Gottfried von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel) (December 6, 1887 - February 3, 1952) was a German Colonel-General (Generaloberst) of the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) during the Second World War.
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[edit] Early life and family
Vietinghoff was born in Mainz, Grand Duchy of Hesse.[1] His military career was strongly supported by his parents, Artillery Lt. Gen. Heinrich Otto Konrad von Vietinghoff gennant Scheel (1857–1917) and Leona Gräfin von Vietinghoff gennant Scheel (nee von Schmettow) (1861–1942). He joined the army at the age of 15, where he lied about his age in the first few years.[citation needed]
[edit] Military career
On 24 November 1938, Vietinghoff was appointed commander of the 5th Panzer Division and took part in the invasion of Poland under Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. He was promoted to General in June 1940 after which he led the German XLVI Panzer Corps in Yugoslavia. During Operation Barbarossa his Corps was part of Army Group Centre under General Fedor von Bock. In this time, he had an accident after which he got his nickname "Panzerknacker" ("Tank breaker").[citation needed] Von Vietinghoff also later served with General Heinz Guderian in the German Second Panzer Army.
From December 1941 to August 1943 he was Commander-in-Chief of the German Fifteenth Army in France. In Italy from 1943 onwards he commanded German Tenth Army, which was responsible for the telling delaying actions through the successive defensive lines built across Italy. Notable in this context were the defenses on the Winter Line from November 1944 to May 1945 and the fighting in the autumn of 1944 on the Gothic Line. In October 1944 he was temporarily raised to overall command in Italy (Army Group C) when Field Marshall Albert Kesselring was seriously injured in a car crash.[2] In January 1945, on Kesselring's return, he left Italy to command Army Group Courland in East Prussia. When Kesselring was moved in March 1945 to command German Army Group West in France, von Vietinghoff returned as the supreme German commander in Italy.[3] He surrendered on May 2, 1945 and was captured into Special Camp 11 in Bolzano, Italy on May 23, 1945.[1] He remained a prisoner of war until 1946.[citation needed] Heinrich von Vietinghoff died on February 23, 1952 in Pfrontenried.[1]
[edit] Military promotions
- Fähnrich: 6 March 1906
- Leutnant: 27 January 1907 (Patent 14 June 1905)
- Hauptmann: 24 June 1915
- Major: 1 March 1926
- Oberstleutnant: 1 February 1931
- Oberst: 1 April 1933
- Generalmajor: 1 April 1936
- Generalleutnant: 1 March 1938
- General der Panzertruppe: 1 June 1940
- Generaloberst: 1 September 1943 [1]
[edit] Military awards
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross - 24 June 1940
- Oakleaves (No. 456) to the Knight’s Cross - 16 April 1944
- German Cross in Gold - 22 April 1942
- Prussian Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight’s Cross with Swords - 18 April 1918
- Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) - 23 April 1915
- Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) - 13 September 1914
- 1939 Bar to the Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class - 28 September 1939
- 1939 Bar to the Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class - 21 September 1939
- Medal for the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941-1942
- Saxon Albert Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class
- Saxe-Meiningen Honor Cross for Merit in War
- Lübeck Hanseatic Cross
- Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
- Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-years)
- Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-years)
- Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration
- Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
- Turkish War Medal (Iron Crescent)
- Bulgarian Military Merit Order (Officer’s Cross)
- Tank Battle Badge (Silver) (Panzerkampfabzeichen)
- Wound Badge in Black – World War I [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] Bibliography
- Gregory Blaxland (1979). Alexander's Generals (the Italian Campaign 1944-1945). London: William Kimber & Co. ISBN 0 7183 0386 5.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Exton, Brett; Bohannon, Shawn (February 2005). Prisoners held at Special Camp 11: Generaloberst Heinrich-Goffried von Vietinghoff gen. Scheel. Island Farm Prisoner of War Camp: 198 / Special Camp: XI Bridgend, South Wales (website).. Retrieved on 2007-06-01.
- ^ Blaxland, p226
- ^ Blaxland, p246
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Commander of 5. Panzer-Division September 2, 1939 - October 8, 1939 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Max von Hartlieb-Walsporn |
| Preceded by General Walter von Reichenau |
Commander of 10. Armee August 15, 1943-February 14, 1945 |
Succeeded by General Traugott Herr |
| Preceded by General Lothar Rendulic |
Commander of Army Group Courland January 27, 1945-March 10, 1945 |
Succeeded by General Lothar Rendulic |
