Friedrich von Broich

Broich (seated 1st from left) in Trent Park

Friedrich Freiherr von Broich (born January 1, 1896 in Strasbourg , † September 24, 1974 in Leoni , Starnberger See ) was a German officer , most recently lieutenant general and commander of the 10th Panzer Division in World War II .

Life

Von Broich comes from the noble Broich family who were raised to the baron status . He joined the 2nd Pomeranian Uhlan Regiment No. 9 on July 2, 1914 as an officer candidate , was appointed ensign on September 25, 1914 after the outbreak of World War I and a short time later was promoted to lieutenant on December 24 . With his regiment he was used on the Western Front until he fell ill in February 1915 . After his recovery he was assigned to the replacement regiment and in April 1915 he was assigned to a MG course in Döberitz and then to the cuirassier regiment "von Seydlitz" (Magdeburgisches) No. 7 until September 13, 1915 . In November 1915 he fell ill again, so that he did not return to the troops until January 3, 1916 and from January 10 he was in the field on the Eastern Front . On July 3, 1918, he was appointed squadron chief in his regiment. During a mission on October 13, 1918, he was wounded and promoted to lieutenant on October 18 while he was in hospital .

After the end of the war he was accepted into the Reichswehr and assigned to the 2nd Squadron of the 6th (Prussian) Cavalry Regiment in Schwedt an der Order . On October 1, 1924, Broich was transferred to the regimental headquarters in Pasewalk , where he was appointed as a regimental adjutant on January 10, 1925. After his promotion to captain on February 1, 1928, the 2nd Squadron of took over from Broich on 1 October 8. (Prussian) Reiter Regiment in Oels and was at the same time from 1 June 1931 to December 1, 1933 Location elder . Subsequently, he was appointed adjutant of the 1st Cavalry Division in Frankfurt an der Oder . As a major (since January 1, 1935), he was transferred to the Reich Ministry of War on October 15, 1935 as inspector of the cavalry (In3) and was promoted to lieutenant colonel there on October 1, 1937. On November 12, 1938, he took over the II 2nd Battalion of the 6th Cavalry Regiment.

Shortly before the start of the Second World War, von Broich was given command of Reconnaissance Division 34 on August 26, 1939. In December 1939, he gave up command again to take the 21st Cavalry Regiment, which he also owned during the western campaign in France in 1940 led. After being promoted to colonel on September 1, 1940, von Broich took over the 22nd Cavalry Regiment and, during the Russian campaign, the 1 Cavalry Regiment, which on December 1, 1941 became the 24th Rifle Brigade , and later the 24th Panzer Grenadier Brigade , was converted. Broich was briefly transferred from October 31 to November 10, 1942 in the Führerreserve , in order to subsequently entrust him with the management of the "von Broich" division, which was initially set up as a brigade in the North African theater of war. On February 5, 1943 Broich was appointed commander of the 10th Panzer Division and promoted to major general on February 15 .

Von Broich and the remnants of his division at Gombalia ( Tunisia ) fell into British captivity on May 12, 1943 and was transferred to the Trent Park general camp near London on June 1 , after he had been promoted to lieutenant general retrospectively to May 1, 1943 would have. He was repatriated on October 7, 1947 .

Awards

Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
Austrian Military Merit Cross III. Class with the war decoration
Clasp for the Iron Cross, 2nd and 1st class
German cross in gold on November 2, 1941
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on August 29, 1942
Italian medal of bravery in silver
Arm band Africa

literature

Sönke Neitzel: Abgehört - German generals in British captivity 1942–1945 , Propylaea 2005, ISBN 3-549-07261-9 .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehrministerium , Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Berlin 1930, p. 147.
↑ ^a ^b Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 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 , p. 246.

personal data
SURNAME	Broich, Friedrich von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Broich, Friedrich Freiherr von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German officer and lieutenant general in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH	January 1, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH	Strasbourg
DATE OF DEATH	September 24, 1974
Place of death	Leoni , Starnberger See

[Rangliste-1] Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehrministerium , Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Berlin 1930, p. 147.

[Scherzer-2] Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 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 , p. 246.