Heinrich Wintzer

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Heinrich Wintzer (right) with his father Carl Wintzer (center)

Heinrich Wintzer (born January 9, 1892 in Magdeburg , † January 10, 1947 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen ) was a German officer , most recently lieutenant general in World War II .

Heinrich Wintzer, 1942

Life

Wintzer was born the son of Major General Carl Wintzer (1860–1943) and his wife Marie von Stillfried-Rattonitz (1870–1901). In 1927 he married Gisela von Velsen, a daughter of the Prussian district president Friedrich von Velsen (1871–1953).

In 1910 he joined the 1st Kurhessische Feldartillerie-Regiment No. 11 as a flag junior and served in various regiments until the beginning of the First World War .

First World War

Initially deployed as a lieutenant on the Western Front in France , Wintzer took part in numerous battles from the beginning of the war, such as August 22-23, 1914 in the Battle of Neufchâteau , August 24-29, 1914 in the Battle of the Meuse , August 30th to September 5, 1914 in the pursuit from the Maas to the Marne , and finally September 6-11, 1914 at the Battle of the Marne . A large number of trench warfare ensued by July 1916, including the winter battle in Champagne from February 21 to March 20, 1915 . On March 15, 1915, he was promoted to first lieutenant .

In July 1916, Wintzer was transferred to the Caucasus Army as adjutant to the Chief of Staff and took part in the trench warfare on the Caucasus Front from August 28, 1916 to January 9, 1918 , including the battles at Tisebchu on October 31, 1916 and the bombardment on January 28, 1917 from Kerasund . On February 9, 1918, he became an adjutant of the leadership school for generals and general staff officers in Constantinople .

Promoted to captain on August 18, 1918 , Wintzer returned to the Western Front and took part with the 3rd Rhenish Field Artillery Regiment No. 83 in the trench warfare in the Argonne and the battle between Argonne and Maas . After the armistice was concluded on November 11, 1918, he and his troops began the march back through Lorraine , Palatinate , Baden and Württemberg .

Interwar period

Wintzer was one of the small circle of officers who were accepted into the 100,000-man army of the Reichswehr after the end of the First World War .

In 1919 he was initially a liaison officer to the Weimar National Assembly and then served from October 1, 1921 in the Reichswehr Ministry as a member of the troop office of the Army Department. Truppenamt was the code name for the General Staff, which was forbidden in the Versailles Treaty .

On July 1, 1924, he became chief of the 8th battery in the 6th (Prussian) artillery regiment in Hanover . From 1927 to 1930 he served in the Staff Group Command I ( Berlin ). From 1930 to 1933 he held various positions in the Reichswehr Ministry. He was promoted to major on November 1, 1930 and lieutenant colonel on May 1, 1933 . From July 1, 1933, he was Department Commander III in Artillery Regiment 6 and was promoted to Colonel on April 1, 1935 . On October 1, 1935, Wintzer was appointed city ​​commander of Greater Hamburg , and on October 1, 1936, commander of the 30. Artillery Regiment. On January 1, 1938, he was promoted to Major General on October 1, 1938 .

Second World War

In April 1940, Wintzer became Chief of the Military Economic Staff Norway , from October 1, 1940 with the character of Lieutenant General , followed by formal promotion on October 1, 1941. On December 1, 1942, he became inspector of the Defense Economy and Armaments Inspectorate I. After a few months with the Führerreserve in the Army High Command , he served in September and October 1944 as Rhine Commander II ( Düsseldorf ) and from November 1944 until the end of the war as an inspector of the military replacement inspection in Münster .

Captivity

In April 1945, Wintzer was captured by US troops near Gifhorn and remained in captivity until his death , first in Allendorf near Marburg , later in Neu-Ulm and from September 1, 1946 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen , where he was born on September 10th Died January 1947 from a heart condition.

Awards

  • Iron Cross (1914) 2nd class on September 9, 1914
  • Iron Cross (1914) 1st Class on July 9, 1916
  • Turkish Iron Crescent on December 6, 1916
  • War Merit Cross (1939) 2nd class with swords on July 4, 1940
  • War Merit Cross (1939) 1st class with swords on November 9, 1941

Works

  • The German officer corps from 1918-1945. Path and Fate , written in the American prisoner of war from 1945 to 1947 (manuscript)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehrministerium , Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Berlin 1925, p. 152