Günther von Hammerstein-Equord

Günther Edmund Werner Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord (born September 16, 1877 in Forsthaus Hinrichshagen , Mecklenburg-Strelitz , † October 17, 1965 in Kiel ) was a German lieutenant general in World War II .

Life

Günther came from the old noble family of the von Hammerstein family and on March 7, 1896, came from the cadet corps as a second lieutenant in the grenadier regiment "King Friedrich Wilhelm IV." (1st Pomeranian) No. 2 of the Prussian Army . From October 1, 1900 to September 30, 1904, he was used as an adjutant of the 2nd Battalion and then came to the Szczecin District Command in the same function . On April 1, 1909, Hammerstein-Equord , who had meanwhile been promoted to lieutenant (since April 1, 1907), returned to his regular regiment. After he had become captain on September 13, 1911 , he was transferred to the Cologne governorate on October 1, 1911 as an adjutant . Two years later he was transferred back and used as a company commander .

Hammerstein-Equord was initially deployed on the western front after the outbreak of World War I and took over as commander of the 2nd Battalion of Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 213 on October 16, 1914. With this, the relocation to the eastern front took place at the end of December 1914 . He then took over on December 1, 1916, Storm Battalion No. 4, with which he last fought on the Western Front and was promoted to Major on January 27, 1918 .

After the end of the war, Hammerstein-Equord was from December 1, 1918 to January 14, 1919 with the replacement battalion of Grenadier Regiment No. 2 and then with the border guard with the II Army Corps . He was then taken over into the Reichswehr and on May 1, 1919 commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 3. On October 1, 1920 he was transferred to the staff of the 5th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment . A year later, Hammerstein-Equord was deployed as commander of the 2nd battalion in Neuruppin and promoted as such to lieutenant colonel on October 1, 1923 . On April 1, 1924, he was transferred to the infantry school as a tactics teacher and two years later he served there as the head of the second course. From October 1, 1927, he was department head in the Army Personnel Office of the Reichswehr Ministry in Berlin . Two years later, meanwhile promoted to colonel (since April 1, 1928), he was appointed head of the Army Personnel Office, which he headed until October 31, 1930. Hammerstein-Equord was then made available and appointed inspector of the infantry on February 1, 1931 . As such, he became major general on December 1, 1931 and lieutenant general on October 1, 1933. On November 30, 1933, he retired from active service.

Hammerstein-Equord was made available to the army again on November 1, 1938 , but was not given a command until well after the start of the Second World War. After the occupation of Denmark on May 15, 1940, he was appointed commander of the z. b. V. 460. In this capacity he was in command of Copenhagen and the Danish Islands. On October 25, 1940 he was relieved, transferred to the Führerreserve and on November 15, 1940 commander of the 526th Infantry Division . Hammerstein-Equord gave up this command with his appointment as Oberfeldkommandant 672 on March 7, 1941. In this function he was in command of Brabant , Antwerp , Limbourg and in command of Brussels and was awarded the German Cross in Silver on October 31, 1943 . On November 1, 1943, he was once again included in the Führerreserve, and was finally adopted on May 31, 1944, and retired.

Awards

Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with swords
Prussian service award cross
Wound badge (1918) in black
Hanseatic Cross Hamburg
Mecklenburg Military Merit Cross II. And I. Class
Knight's Cross II. Class of the House Order of the White Falcon with Swords
Hanseatic Cross Lübeck
Silver Imtiaz medal with sabers
Iron crescent

literature

Dermot Bradley : 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 5: v. Haack-Hitzfeld. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1999, ISBN 3-7648-2538-3 .

Individual evidence

↑ August Ludwig Degener: Degeners Who is it? Volume 10, Verlag Herrmann Degener 1935, p. 590.
↑ Klaus D. Patzwall , Veit Scherzer : The German Cross 1941-1945. History and owner. Volume II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X , p. 543.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Reichswehr Ministry (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1925, p. 122.

personal data
SURNAME	Hammerstein-Equord, Günther von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Hammerstein-Equord, Günther Edmund Werner Freiherr von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German Lieutenant General in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH	September 16, 1877
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hinrichshagen Forest House
DATE OF DEATH	October 17, 1965
Place of death	Kiel

[1] August Ludwig Degener: Degeners Who is it? Volume 10, Verlag Herrmann Degener 1935, p. 590.

[2] Klaus D. Patzwall , Veit Scherzer : The German Cross 1941-1945. History and owner. Volume II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X , p. 543.

[Rangliste1925-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Reichswehr Ministry (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1925, p. 122.