Ernst von Hohnhorst

Ernst Friedrich Ludwig von Hohnhorst (born May 18, 1865 in Fallingbostel , † May 1, 1940 in Hanover ) was a German lieutenant general .

Gravestone in Eldingen

Life

origin

Ernst was a son of the Prussian District Administrator Bruno von Hohnhorst (1822–1886) and his wife Eleonore, née Freiin von Vincke (1831–1906). The later district administrator of the Dramburg district Günther von Hohnhorst (1863–1936) was his older brother.

Military career

After his education in the cadet corps on April 15, 1884, Hohnhorst was transferred to the 1st Westphalian Infantry Regiment No. 13 of the Prussian Army as a characterized portepeef ensign and was promoted to second lieutenant until mid-September 1885 . After assignments as an educator at the cadet houses in Kulm , Köslin and Karlsruhe , he returned with the transfer to the Fusilier Regiment "General-Field Marshal Prince Albrecht of Prussia" (Hannoversches) No. 73 on April 1, 1894 as Prime Lieutenant in the troop service. At the end of January 1900, Hohnhorst was promoted to captain and company commander . He was promoted to major on January 27, 1912, initially aggregated to the staff , at the beginning of October 1912, and appointed commander of the 1st Battalion a year later.

In this capacity, at the beginning of World War I , Hohnhorst took part in the march into neutral Belgium as part of the 19th Infantry Division , fought near Liège and the Sambre . During the battle of St. Quentin , he was seriously wounded on August 29, 1914 near Mont-d'Origny and was not fit for duty again until the end of December 1914. He then returned to his battalion, which at that time was engaged in trench warfare on the Aisne . On February 24, 1915, Hohnhorst was appointed commander of the Oldenburg Infantry Regiment 91 . After position battles around Reims near Brimont - Loivre , his unit moved to the Eastern Front at the end of April 1915 and took part in the 11th Army under Mackensen in the breakthrough battle at Gorlice-Tarnów and the pursuit battles up to the San . This was followed by battles for Lubaczów , Lemberg , Krasnystaw , Biskupice, Wieprz to the Bug and the Jasselda . Standing in the forest near Bialystok , the regiment received the order to relocate to the Western Front in early September 1915 .

There it was initially involved in the autumn battle in the Champagne region and was then involved in trench warfare at the Chemin des Dames , at Ailles , Hurtebise-Ferme and Craonne . The regiment briefly took part in the defense of the Brusilov offensive on the Eastern Front in June 1916 and returned to the West in November. During the rest and training period behind the front at Hirson , Hohnhorst was promoted to lieutenant colonel on January 27, 1917 . In the spring battle on the Aisne in April / May 1917 he was able to hold his positions at Brimont against French attacks. After he had already been awarded both classes of the Iron Cross , he received the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords. After further positional battles near Reims and in the Champagne region, he was deployed in the defensive battle near Verdun and at Height 344 until February 1918. In preparation for the German spring offensive , his regiment was then pulled out of the front and relocated southwest of Maubeuge .

In the 17th Army , Hohnhorst led his regiment during the Great Battle of France, which began on March 21, 1918, in the fighting between Gouzeaucourt - Vermand and only came to a halt at Villers-Carbonnel after the crossing over the Somme in pursuit of English troops . The offensive then turned back into positional warfare and for his work his division commander Walter von Hülsen submitted it to the award of the order Pour le Mérite , which was presented to Hohnhorst on May 6, 1918 on the occasion of a troop inspection by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg . After further trench warfare and a four-week training period at Caudry , the regiment took part in the battle of Noyon , in the course of which he was wounded. Relocated briefly to Lorraine to refresh and relax , the regiment came back to the Reims area, fought on the Vesle and was in constant defensive and retreat battles until the end of the war.

After the armistice in Compiègne , Hohnhorst led his regiment back to the garrison in Oldenburg . He gave up command on January 18, 1919 and led the Fusilier Regiment "General-Field Marshal Prince Albrecht of Prussia" (Hannoversches) No. 73 until mid-September 1919. On October 1, 1919, Hohnhorst was taken over into the Provisional Reichswehr and with Staff of the Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 19 used. On May 1, 1920 he was appointed commander of the Ohrdruf military training area and in this position he advanced to colonel on June 16, 1920 . Hohnhorst retired from active military service on March 31, 1923, being given the character of Major General .

On the occasion of the so-called Tannenberg Day, he was given the character of Lieutenant General on August 27, 1939.

family

Hohnhorst had married Thekla Freiin von Dungern (1869-1957) on May 7, 1896 in Oberau. The two sons Werner (* 1897) and the later German Rear Admiral Ludolf von Hohnhorst (1899–1978) emerged from the marriage.

literature

• Julius von Basse: Stamm-Liste of the Infantry Regiment Herwarth von Bittenfeld (1st Westphalian) No. 13. Belser, Stuttgart 1913, p. 246.
• Dermot Bradley (Ed.): The Generals of the Army 1921-1945. The military careers of the generals, as well as the doctors, veterinarians, intendants, judges and ministerial officials with the rank of general. Volume 6: Hochbaum – Klutmann. Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf 2002, ISBN 3-7648-2582-0 , pp. 102-103.
• Gothaisches genealogical pocket book of the primeval noble houses. 1919. Twentieth year, Justus Perthes, Gotha 1918, p. 380.
• Hanns Möller : History of the knights of the order "pour le mérite" in the world war. Volume I: A-L. Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Berlin 1935, pp. 506–508.