Theobald Lieb

Theo-Helmut Theobald Lieb (born November 25, 1889 in Freudenstadt ; † March 20, 1981 there ) was a German lieutenant general in World War II .

Life

Lieb joined the Württemberg Army on March 20, 1910 as a flagjunker and on August 18, 1911 was promoted to lieutenant in the Grenadier Regiment "King Karl" (5th Württembergisches) No. 123 in Ulm . As such, Lieb took part in the First World War, in the course of which he was last active as a captain in the general staff of the 240th Division . For his achievements, Lieb was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross , the Military Merit Order and the Knight's Cross II. Class of the Frederick Order with Swords and the Wound Badge in Black, the Hamburg Hanseatic Cross and the Austrian Military Merit Cross III. Class excellent.

After the end of the war , he was made available to the War Ministry for a short time and then worked in a volunteer corps from late February to mid-July 1919 . Subsequently, Lieb was accepted into the provisional Reichswehr . With the formation of the Reichswehr he came to the 15th Infantry Regiment . From November 10, 1938, he served, meanwhile promoted to colonel , as commander of the 27th Infantry Regiment in the 12th Infantry Division in Military District II. This regiment led Lieb over the beginning of the Second World War until September 9, 1940. Subsequently, in the Führerreserve Lieb was then from October 24, 1940 to June 17, 1941 in command of the city of Wuppertal .

During the Russian War, Lieb was deployed as deputy leader of the 290th Infantry Division (Military District X) in the 16th Army of Army Group North from September 17 to November 10, 1941 and then as commander of the 306th Infantry Division (Military District VI) from February 21 to March 30, 1943 in the association of the Hollidt Army Division of Army Group South . Subsequently, commander of the combat group of the 112th Infantry Division (Military District XII) from September 3, 1943 in the association of the 4th Panzer Army and the 8th Army of Army Group South and finally after incorporation of the 112th Infantry Division into the remnants of three infantry -Divisions newly formed so-called Korpsabteilung B as their commander until March 23, 1944. Enclosed in the Cherkassy pocket in February 1944 , Lieb led some of the groups crowded there into the breakout to the relief forces of the 1st Panzer Army , so that - albeit with high losses - numerous soldiers could be saved. For this, Lieutenant General Lieb received the oak leaves for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on February 18, 1944 (400th award).

After a period of recovery, on June 1, 1944, Lieb received command of the 34th Infantry Division in the 14th Army and later the Graziani Army Group of Army Group C. He led this large formation in Liguria and the Italian western Alps until the end of the war . With the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht Lieb came on May 8, 1945 in US captivity , from which he was released 1947th

literature

• 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 7: Knabe – Luz. Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf 2004, ISBN 3-7648-2902-8 , pp. 511-512.
• Wolf Keilig: The German Army 1939–1945. Volume I. Podzun-Verlag 1956. pp. 198-211.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Reichswehr Ministry (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1924, p. 156.
2. ↑ Veit Scherzer : 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 , p. 504.