Eugene König

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Eugen König (born September 19, 1896 in Trier , † April 8, 1985 in Bitburg ) was a German officer , last lieutenant general in World War II .

Life

King was the son of a tailor. It was one of the very few generals in the Wehrmacht whose father belonged to the working class. From June 19, 1915, he served as a volunteer and ordinary soldier in the First World War . In Infantry Regiment No. 189 he was promoted to lieutenant in the reserve on July 12, 1917 . In 1920 he left the Reichswehr . After leaving the military, he worked as a civil servant. On December 1, 1936, he became a lieutenant in the Wehrmacht's reserve . From May 1, 1937, he was a lieutenant ( E-officer ) adjutant to the head of training in Darmstadt. Until he was promoted to lieutenant colonel , he remained an e-officer. On August 1, 1937, he was promoted to captain . From the beginning of the war on September 1, 1939, he was regimental adjutant in the 352nd Infantry Regiment. Promotion to major took place on September 1, 1940 and he was accepted into the active officer corps. As a major, he was in command of the 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 352 of the 246th Infantry Division . He then was an adjutant in the 246th Infantry Division and then returned as a commander to the 352nd Infantry Regiment. On August 1, 1942, as regimental commander, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. His promotion to colonel took place on March 1, 1943. He led the 352 Infantry Regiment until April 1, 1943. On April 1, 1943, he was commander of the 451 Grenadier Regiment. From November 3, 1943, he was in command of the Division group 251. On November 4, 1943, he was awarded the oak leaf. From May 1, 1944 to June 1, 1944 he was assigned to the division leader course. He became commander of the 91st Airborne Infantry Division on June 10, 1944 when the previous commanders, Lieutenant General Wilhelm Falley and Colonel Bernhard Klosterkemper, failed in Operation Neptune . His promotion to major general took place on September 1, 1944. From December 13, 1944 to April 18, 1945, he commanded the 272nd Volksgrenadier Division . On March 16, 1945 he was promoted to lieutenant general.

Awards

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Reinhard Stumpf : The Wehrmacht Elite Structure of rank and origin of the German generals and admirals 1933-1945. (Military history studies), Harald Boldt Verlag, Boppard am Rhein 1982, ISBN 3-7646-1815-9 , p. 272.
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Keilig : The Generals of the Army 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Friedberg 1983, ISBN 3-7909-0202-0 , p. 178
  3. ↑ Veit Scherzer : The knight's cross bearers 1939-1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives . 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , pp. 583 .
  4. ↑ Walther-Peer Fellgiebel : The bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945 - The holder of the highest award of the Second World War of all parts of the Wehrmacht . Dörfler Verlag, Eggolsheim 2004, ISBN 3-7909-0284-5 , p. 64, 218 .
personal data
SURNAME King, Eugene
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German officer, most recently lieutenant general in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH September 19, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH trier
DATE OF DEATH April 8, 1985
Place of death Bitburg