August von Lentze

August von Lentze (after 1901)

Friedrich Wilhelm August Lentze , von Lentze since 1896 (born June 22, 1832 in Soest , † November 25, 1920 in Wernigerode ) was a Prussian infantry general .

Life

origin

He was the son of Colonel a. D. Carl Leopold August Lentze (1791–1864) and his wife Maria, née Jungwirth (1805–1878).

Military career

Lentze graduated from high school in Neuruppin and then joined the 26th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army as a fusilier on October 1, 1851 . There he was promoted to Second Lieutenant on September 7, 1853 . From October 1, 1857, Lentze was commanded for three years for further training at the War Academy and subsequently promoted to Prime Lieutenant . As such, he was appointed regimental adjutant at the end of February 1861, and from May to October 1862 he was assigned to the topographical department of the General Staff . On October 23, 1862, under position à la suite of his regiment as a teacher at the Engers War School , Lentze worked here until June 17, 1864, became a captain and joined the General Staff for two years. This was followed by a position in the General Staff of the VII Army Corps from May 25, 1866 . Shortly thereafter, he was assigned to the General Staff of the Main Army , with which Lentze participated in the battles near Hammelburg , Aschaffenburg , Helmstadt and Uettingen as well as the bombardment of Würzburg during the German War . After the end of the war, Lentze was initially commissioner in the peace negotiations, briefly returned to the General Staff and then taught for two years as a teacher at the War Academy. He was then transferred to the General Staff of the 15th Division in Cologne on November 25, 1868 and promoted to major on June 18, 1869 .

Lentze went to war against France with the division in 1870 . Here he was used in the battle of Gravelotte , for which he was awarded the Iron Cross II. Class, took part in the battles in the Northern Army under General August Karl von Goeben at the Hallue , at Bapaume and Saint-Quentin . Lentze was also at the siege of Metz and the battles at Berteaucourt, Sapignies and Tertry - Pœuilly . For Bapaume he received the Iron Cross First Class. After the peace agreement, Lentze returned to the General Staff in Cologne, was appointed commander of the fusilier battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 16 on February 14, 1874 , and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on September 19, 1874 . After almost two years of service in the troops, Lentze was appointed Chief of the General Staff of VI on January 11, 1876 . Army Corps in Wroclaw . He was to hold this position for the next eight years and, as major general, on April 15, 1884, he would take command of the 19th Infantry Brigade in Posen . With his promotion to lieutenant general on November 15, 1887, Lentze was transferred to Trier and appointed commander of the 16th division .

At the beginning of 1890 the Army was expanded and because of this from parts of I. and II. Corps , the new XVII. Army Corps was formed based in Gdansk . Lentze was appointed the first commanding general on March 24, 1890, and he commanded the corps for the next twelve years. On October 18, 1891, he was promoted to General of the Infantry. In his final years of service, Lentze was honored several times for his achievements. Wilhelm II raised him to hereditary nobility on January 3, 1896 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Bapaume . He also awarded him the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle Order with Oak Leaves and Swords and made him Knight of the Black Eagle Order . On April 1, 1902 Lentze was finally on his request, with board for planning and deliver both the chief of Chelmno Infantry Regiment. 141 appointed.

family

Lentze married Elise Horch (born September 23, 1840 in Magdeburg , † January 20, 1910 in Wernigerode) on April 20, 1865 in Wernigerode . The marriage produced a son:

• August Karl (born January 22, 1866 in Berlin), Prussian government director and director of the Oberversicherungsamt in Kassel

literature

• Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldier leadership . Volume 8, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1941], DNB 367632837 , pp. 401-406, no. 2667.