Udo von Fischer

Ottomar Udo Adalbert von Fischer (born August 7, 1868 in Schleswig , † December 14, 1938 in Blankenburg ) was a German major general .

Life

origin

He was the son of the later Prussian general of the infantry Emil von Fischer (1831-1912) and his wife Marion Sarah, née Barfield (1831-1913).

Military career

After his education in the Cadet Corps , Fischer was transferred to the 5th Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 94 (Grand Duke of Saxony) of the Prussian Army as a second lieutenant on March 22, 1887 . He served there initially in the 4th Company in Weimar and was from March 1, 1891 to March 31, 1894 adjutant of the 2nd Battalion in Eisenach . Subsequently promoted to Prime Lieutenant, Fischer graduated from the War Academy for three years from October 1, 1896 . On March 22, 1901, when he was promoted to captain, he was transferred to the General Staff . From there he was on 1 October 1902 in the General Staff of the XIV. Corps of Karlsruhe and was on 27 January 1904 to 19 March 1906 as a company commander in the Fusilier Regiment "von Gersdorff" (Kurhessisches) No. 80 active . This was followed by assignments as first general staff officer in the staff of the 18th division in Flensburg as well as in the staff of the Graudenz command and the meanwhile promotion to major . On January 27, 1911 Fischer was appointed adjutant of the Second Army Inspection in Meiningen . Subsequently transferred to the General Staff on April 1, 1912, Fischer was appointed commander of the 2nd Battalion in the Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) No. 33 in Gumbinnen on January 27, 1913 . In this position, promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 18, 1913 , he was with the staff of the Anhalt Infantry Regiment No. 93 in Dessau from April 22, 1914 .

With the outbreak of the First World War , the Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 66 was formed from this association in accordance with the mobilization regulations.Fischer was appointed regiment commander on August 4, 1914 and took part in the fighting near Metz in association with the 14th Landwehr Brigade - Conflans part. On September 27, 1914, he gave up his regiment and was appointed commander of the 3rd Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 50 , also on the Western Front . As a result, Fischer fought on the Meuse heights on the Combres height and was seriously wounded during the autumn battle in Champagne on October 5, 1915. He was then taken to the hospital and transferred to the army officers. After his recovery, Fischer was given command of Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 16 on February 27, 1916 . Seriously wounded again during the Battle of Verdun on May 17, 1916, Fischer was returned to the army officers and promoted to colonel on August 18, 1916 . As such, he became commander of Infantry Regiment No. 398 on September 6, 1916 . During the fighting off Verdun he was able to prove himself particularly well with his troops and was awarded the Order of the Crown, Second Class with Swords. Due to a heart muscle disease , however, he had to give up this association in early December 1916. Half a year later, Fischer was again fit for duty and was appointed commander of the 231st Infantry Brigade. This large formation was with its three subordinate infantry regiments No. 442 , 443 and 444 in position battles before Reims .

In the German spring offensive that began on March 21, 1918 , Fischer led his brigade victoriously in the breakthrough battle at Saint-Quentin - La Fère and the subsequent fighting. After the offensive ceased and further trench warfare north of the Ailette, he took part in the battle of Soissons and Reims at the end of May 1918 . It was possible to advance as far as the Marne , capture the staff and the commander of a French cavalry brigade and finally capture the city of Château-Thierry . For the achievements of his subordinate troops, Fischer was awarded the highest Prussian valor award on June 30, 1918, the order Pour le Mérite . After further trench warfare between Oise and Marne, the brigade was used again at Verdun. In August / September the large association fought in the defensive battle between Somme and Oise, then went back to the Siegfriedstellung and spent four weeks in defensive battles between Cambrai and Saint-Quentin. During the subsequent retreat, initially to the Hermann position and later to the Antwerp-Maas position, the infantry regiment No. 444 had to be disbanded at the end of October 1918 due to the losses.

After the armistice of Compiègne , Fischer led the remnants of his brigade back home, where he acted as commander of the Anhalt Infantry Regiment No. 93 from February 5 to 28, 1919 after the demobilization . This was followed by his appointment as commander of the infantry shooting school in Wünsdorf . Due to the conditions of the Peace Treaty of Versailles and the associated closure of the school, Fischer was assigned to the commander of the infantry school for special use on October 1, 1919, while transferring to the officers of the army. In the coming months he worked as a course leader, was accepted into the Reichswehr and on April 1, 1920 was appointed commander of the Zossen military training area . In this position, Fischer was promoted to major general on June 16, 1920, before receiving his requested departure on November 4, 1920.

= Family

Fischer married Wanda Theodora Agnes von Hochwächter on October 10, 1894 (* February 18, 1874). The couple had one daughter: Hildegard (born January 19, 1896; June 18, 1973) ∞ 1916 Julius Friedrich Carl von Duering (1886–1957)

literature

• Hanns Möller: History of the knights of the order pour le mérite in the world war. Volume I: A-L. Bernard & Graefe publishing house, Berlin 1935, pp. 310-311.
• Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Christian Zweng: The knights of the order Pour le Mérite of the First World War. Volume 1: A-G. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1999, ISBN 3-7648-2505-7 , pp. 406-407.
• Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen houses, 1909, p.192

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldatisches Führertum . Volume 10, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1942], DNB 986919810 , pp. 275f., No. 3214.
2. ^ Jürgen Kraus : Handbook of the units and troops of the German army 1914-1918. Part VI: Infantry. Volume 2: Reserve and Landwehr Regiments. Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2012, ISBN 978-3-902526-52-6 , p. 340.
3. ^ Jürgen Kraus: Handbook of the associations and troops of the German army 1914-1918. Part VI: Infantry. Volume 1: Infantry Regiments. Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-902526-14-4 , p. 387.
4. ↑ Handbook of the Prussian Nobility, Volume 1, p.217