Alfred Schlemm

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Alfred Schlemm
Battle of the Reichswald
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Alfred Schlemm (18 December 1894 – 24 January 1986) was a German General der Fallschirmtruppe in the Wehrmacht. His last command in World War II opposed the advance of the First Canadian Army through the Reichswald in February 1945.

Early life and military career

Schlemm joined the Prussian Army in 1913. During the inter-war years, Schlemm served in a variety of staff, training and regimental posts until, in October 1937, he was attached to the Reich Air Ministry. In February 1938, he transferred from the Army to the Luftwaffe and was appointed to the Luftwaffe General Staff and in June 1938, he became Chief of Staff of Air Defense Zone West.

World War II

In October 1939, he became Chief of Staff of Luftgau [Air Zone] XI, under

Operation Merkur, the airborne invasion of Crete
. At least 6,000 airborne troops were lost and the conquest of Crete effectively ended all plans for large-scale German airborne operations.

Eastern Front

From February 1942, Schlemm was attached to the General Command of the

Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen) on the Eastern Front, where he became Commander of Luftwaffen-Gefechtsverbande ("Battle Formation") Schlemm assigned to the XXXX Panzer Corps and the LVI Panzer Corps in General der Infanterie Gotthard Heinrici’s 4th Army
. Schlemm became commander of the 1st Air Division in June 1942.

In October 1942, he became Commanding General of the

Soviet partisans northeast of Vitebsk. On 6 October 1943, part of Schlemm's corps collapsed under a major Soviet attack, resulting in a 10-mile gap in the German lines and the abandonment of Nevel. The entire II Luftwaffe Field Corps fell back to new positions west of Gorodok
.

Italy

Withdrawn from the line in November 1943, Schlemm's four divisions were attached to the LIII and IX Army Corps and were transferred to Italy. On 1 January 1944, Schlemm's headquarters staff, redesignated as

Generaloberst Eberhard von Mackensen, Commander-in-Chief of the 14th Army. The Corps fought at Anzio for the next three months. Schlemm was cited in the official Armed Forces Communiqué and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for his efforts.

After the Winter Line was breached at

Apennines. Schlemm relinquished command of the Corps to Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich
.

Reichswald

Schlemm succeeded Generaloberst

Canadian First Army during Operation Veritable
.

The Canadian First Army and Lieutenant-General

Haltern eleven days later and command of his forces passed to General Günther Blumentritt
. Schlemm was transferred to a hospital near Westerland and then remained in the Führerreserve until the end of the war. From May 8, 1945 to March 22, 1948 he was a British prisoner of war.

Post-war

After the war Schlemm lived in the Schlemm Family's manor house in Ahlten and wrote articles about the war. In these he took the view that it was wrong to call the sacrifice of soldiers' lives in vain.

Hannover
.

Awards and decorations

References

Citations

  1. ^ Ralph Trost: Eine gänzlich zerstörte Stadt. Nationalsozialismus, Krieg und Kriegsende in Xanten, Verlag Waxmann Münster, New York / München / Berlin 2004, ISBN 978-3-8309-1413-6, S. 351 (Footnote 1267)
  2. ^ Thomas & Wegmann 1986, p. 263.
  3. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 408.
  4. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 378.

Bibliography

  • 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.
    ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6
    .
  • 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.
    ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8
    .
  • Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1986). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil II: Fallschirmjäger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part II: Paratroopers] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.
    ISBN 978-3-7648-1461-8
    .
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of 1. Flieger-Division (1942-1945)
1 July 1942 – 1 October 1942 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Hermann Plocher
Preceded by
None
 Commander of II Luftwaffe Field Corps
1 October 1942 - 31 December 1943 		Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
None
 Commander of 1st Parachute Corps
1 January 1944 - 1 November 1944 		Succeeded by
General der Fallschirmtruppe Richard Heidrich
Preceded by
Generaloberst Kurt Student
 Commander of
1. Fallschirmarmee

18 November 1944 – 20 March 1945 		Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt
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