Karl Rothenburg
Karl Rothenburg | |
---|---|
Army (Wehrmacht) | |
Years of service | 1914–1941 |
Rank | Generalmajor (Posthumously) |
Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
Awards | Pour le Mérite Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Karl Eduard August Rothenburg (8 June 1894 – 28 June 1941) was a highly decorated German officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of both the Pour le Mérite (of World War I) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Between wars he served as a commander in the police force, before returning to the Wehrmacht in 1934. During World War II he was the commander of a Panzer Regiment of the 7th Panzer Division. Rothenburg was killed six days into the invasion of the Soviet Union on 28 June 1941 near Minsk, Belarus and was posthumously promoted to Generalmajor.[1][2]
Early career and World War I
Karl Rothenburg was born on 8 June 1894 in
Upon the outbreak of World War I, his regiment was ordered to the Western Front and took part in the Siege of Namur in Belgium. The 5th Guards Foot Regiment was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Front and Rothenburg took part in the combats against Imperial Russian Army at the Masurian Lakes and Łódź. He distinguished himself and was promoted to the rank of Unteroffizier (Corporal) by the end of December 1914.[1]
In early 1915, Rothenburg took part in the
One year later, in April 1917, Rothenburg became the permanent commander of this company and already had both classes of the Iron Cross for bravery. He later led his company during the German spring offensive and was wounded by shrapnel in the right hand during the breakthrough between Gouzeaucourt and Vermand on 29 March 1918. For his merits during the fighting in France, Rothenburg received the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords.[1][2]
During the following German offensive (
Interwar period
Following the Armistice, Rothenburg was demobilized on 20 December 1918 and resumed his job as a teacher. He then joined the Schutzpolizei in Gotha and rose to the rank of Hauptmann (Captain) by September 1924. Rothenburg then assumed command of police detachment in Jena and following the promotion to Major in summer 1930, he was appointed commander of Schutzpolizei in Weimar. In April 1933, Rothenburg was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) and assumed command of Police school in Sondershausen.[1]
When the
World War II
During the Invasion of Poland in September 1939, Rothenburg and his regiment took part in the combats in Polish Corridor and then in Toruń and Brest-Litovsk area as the part of 3rd Panzer Division. Rothenburg received Clasps to the Iron Cross for his service and following the Polish campaign, he was transferred to Gera, Thuringia where he assumed command of Panzer Regiment 25 of the newly formed 7th Panzer Division under Generalmajor Georg Stumme.[1][3]
Rothenburg spent following months with the training on Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t) tanks and developed a kind relationship with new divisional commander, then-Generalmajor Erwin Rommel. During the Battle of France in May and June 1940, Rothenburg's regiment broke through the Allies' Meuse River defenses, smashed through Belgium and France, and overran French 1st Armoured Division, destroying more than 100 tanks and some 30 armored cars in the process.[1][4]
Then Rothenburg and his tanks helped to repel
The 25th Panzer Regiment was then engaged in the occupation duties in the area of
Rothenburg was offered to be evacuated by a
Awards
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 June 1940 as Oberst and commander of Panzer-Regiment 25[5]
- Pour le Mérite (30 June 1918)[2][4]
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)[2][4]
- 2nd Class (15 September 1939)
- 1st Class (9 October 1939)
- Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (23 May 1918)[2][4]
- Prussian Iron Cross (1914)[2][4]
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Wound Badge (1918) in Black[2]
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918[2]
- Panzer Badge in Bronze[2]
- Sudetenland Medal with the Prague Castle bar[2]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 1st Class[2]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Rothenburg, Karl". Lexikon der Wehrmacht. Lexikon der Wehrmacht Websites. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Rothenburg, Karl - TracesofWar.com". Traces of War. Traces of War Websites. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ "Panzer Regiment 25". Lexikon der Wehrmacht. Lexikon der Wehrmacht Websites. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ )
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 297.
Sources
- ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.