URL : https://www.valka.cz/Heinrici-Gotthard-t24410#421994
Version : 0
Reklama
Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici
*: 25.12.1886 Gumbinnen, East Prussia (now Gusev, Kaliningrad Oblast) +: 13.12.1971 Waiblingen, Baden-Württemberg
Gotthard Heinrici was born in the family of Paul Heinrici, an evangelical pastor. His mother Gisela, née von Rauchhaupt, came from an old Prussian noble family whose members had served in the army as early as the 12th century. In her youth, she often met her cousin and future field marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who spent his summer holidays at Gothard's father's rectory. Ironically, decades later they were placed by the British army in the same prison camp, where they again spent time together.
Heinrici joined the army on 08.03.1905 with the rank of Fahnenjunker to Infantry Regiment (6th Thuringian) No.95, where he is still promoted to the rank of Fähnrich (ensign) in December. After completing the officer's course at the Military School in Hanover, he is promoted on 18.08.1906 to the rank of Leutnant (Lieutenant). In May 1910 he becomes adjutant of the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 95, which is stationed in Hildburghausen. Four years later he is promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant(Lieutenant from 17.02.1914).
World War I OberleutnantHeinrici with Infantry Regiment No.95 of the 83rd Infantry Brigade takes part in the initial fighting as adjutant of the regiment. Later he takes over the command of the company with the rank of Hauptmann (Captain from 18.06.1915).
From May to August 1916 he serves as adjutant in the 83rd Infantry Brigade and then is transferred to the headquarters of the XXIV Reserve Corps. The following years he serves in various staff positions with divisions and army corps. In September 1917, he is transferred to the staff officer's course at Sedan. On 28.02.1918 he is commissioned as operations officer (Ia) of the staff of the 203rd Infantry Division.
Weimar Republic, Reichswehr and German Reich In early 1919, Heinrici is transferred back to his tribal Infantry Regiment No. 95. But already in February he is reassigned to the I Army Corps to protect the border in East Prussia and takes over as operations officer of the volunteer division under the command of General von Tschischwitz. Within the Reichwehr he is transferred to the headquarters of Military Area Command I in October 1919, where he serves for a year, and then as a training officer he is transferred to the headquarters of the 1st Infantry Division. In September 1924 he is given command of the 14th Company, 13th Infantry Regiment in Schwäbisch-Gmünd, Baden-Württemberg. After three years of service as a commander, he is transferred to the Reich Ministry of Defence with the rank of major (from 01.02.1926), where he serves as group leader of the organisational department.
In November 1930, Oberstleutnant Heinrici (Lieutenant-Colonel from 01.08.1930) takes command of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, stationed in Osterode, East Prussia. On 01.10.1932 he is transferred to the position of operations officer of the staff of Group Headquarters I in Berlin. Subsequently, on 01.03.1933 he is promoted to the rank of Oberst(Colonel) and takes over as head of the department at the Reich Ministry of Defence. At the beginning of 1936 he is promoted to the rank of Major General (01.01.1936). From 12 October 1937 he takes command of the 16th Infantry Division, Münster Westfalz and is promoted to the rank of Generalleutnant(Lieutenant General from 01.03.1938);
World War II Major General Heinrici with the 16th Infantry Division was stationed in the West Vale area of the Eifel Mountains during the 1939 Polish Campaign. At the end of January 1940, he is transferred to the Leader's Reserve of the Main Command of the Ground Forces and from April takes command of the XII Army Corps and is promoted to the rank of General der Infanterie (General of Infantry from 01.06.1940).
On 18.06.1940 he takes command of XXXXIII.( Army Corps (XLIII. Armeekorps). Heinrici's Army Corps participated in Operation Barbarossa as part of the 4th Army in the Army Group Centre. In the first weeks of the campaign it participated in the encirclement manoeuvres in the Bialystok-Minsk area. Where on 09.07.1941 about 320,000 Red Army troops surrendered to German forces. Subsequently, it embarks on a march to Smolensk and then Moscow. After the unsuccessful offensive on Moscow and the subsequent Soviet counter-attack, he takes command of the 4th Army on 20.01.1942, where he stays with short breaks until May 1944. His primary task was to stabilize the front in the 4th Army's section west of Moscow, here he showed great talent for defensive fighting and managed to hold his own against great odds for 2 months. In early 1943 he is promoted to the rank of Generaloberst(Colonel-General from 30.01.1943) and in the summer he managed to build up the Orsha-Rogachev defensive line. Soviet troops attacked the 4th Army several times from October to autumn, but Heinrici managed to eliminate the Soviet superiority by appropriate redeployment of reserves and moving defenses at all times. However, what was often with Hitler orders not to retreat, whose he fell into Hitler's disfavor. In May 1944, he is hospitalized in Karlovy Vary with suspected jaundice and is released on June 4. After two months, on the basis of the untenable situation on the eastern front, he is appointed on 16 August 1944 commander of the 1st Panzer Army, which, following the successful Soviet summer offensive, was in the territory of eastern Hungary and Slovakia. At the same time he is also the commander of Army Group Heinrici (18.08.-21.10.1944 and 17.12.1944 - 18.02.1945), to which the 1st Panzer Army and the 1st Army (Hungarian) were subordinated. This Army Group participated in late August 1944 in Operation Kartoffelernte, which was aimed at disarming the eastern Slovak units and subsequently becoming the main German actor in the Carpatho-Dukla Operation. In early 1945, General Heinz Guderian urged Hitler to appoint Gotthard Heinrici as commander of Army Group Vistula instead of Heinrich Himmler. Heinrici, despite the warnings of his staff officers, accepted the task on 20.03.1945 and achieved the almost impossible. He succeeded in holding back the Soviet advance on the Oder and Seelöw Hills, but after ordering an unauthorized retreat he is relieved of command personally by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel on 29.04.1945. Keitel put Colonel-General Kurt Student in command, but he could not arrive from Holland before 01.05.1945 to physically take over command of Army Group Vistula. Until his arrival, Infantry General Kurt von Tippelskirch was put in command. A month later on 28.05.1945 General Heinrici is captured by British troops in Flensburg, he was repatriated from captivity on 19.05.1948. Gotthard Heinrici dies on 13.12.1971 and is buried with military honours.
Decorations : Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes / Knight's Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross (510): 18.09.1941 - Eichenlaub/Oak Branch to the Knight's Cross (333): 24.11.1943 - Schwerter/swords to the Knight's Cross (136): 03.03.1945 Ritterkreuz des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern: 09.08.1918 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse /1914 Iron Cross I. Klasse:: 24.07.1915 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse/1914 Iron Cross II. Klasse:: 27.09.1914 Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Grossherzoglich Sachsen-Weimarischen Hausordens der Wachsamkeit oder von weissen Falken mit Schwertern Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischen Hausordens mit Schwertern Grossherzoglich Sachsen-Coburg-Gothaisches Karl Eduard-Kriegskreuz Grossherzoglich Sachsen-Coburg-Gothaische Karl Eduard-Medaille II. Klasse mit Schwertern Reussisches Ehrenkreuz III. Klasse mit Schwertern Fürstl. Schwarzburgisches Ehrenkreuz III. Klasse mit Schwertern k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung / Decoration for long service in the army Spange zum Eiseren Kreuz I.Klasse / Clasp to the Iron Cross I. Class: 16.06.1940 Spange zum Eiseren Kreuz II. Klasse / Clasp for Iron Cross II. class: 13.05.1940 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942"
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Heinrici-Gotthard-t24410#216960
Version : 0
Join us
We believe that there are people with different interests and experiences who could contribute their knowledge and ideas. If you love military history and have experience in historical research, writing articles, editing text, moderating, creating images, graphics or videos, or simply have a desire to contribute to our unique system, you can join us and help us create content that will be interesting and beneficial to other readers.