Walter Hörnlein

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Hoernlein (center, 1943) in front of assault gun crews

Walter Hoernlein (born January 2, 1893 in Blüthen near Karstädt , † September 14, 1961 in Cologne-Merheim ) was a German officer , most recently general of the infantry in World War II . He was nicknamed Papa by his soldiers during World War II .

Life

Hoernlein served as a lieutenant in the First World War . In October 1914, he was seriously wounded and taken prisoner by the French. After the war he was accepted into the Reichswehr . With the rank of major he became battalion commander in the 69th Infantry Regiment in October 1935. In 1937 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel . From November 1, 1939, he was in command of the 80th Infantry Regiment. On April 1, 1940, he was promoted to colonel . On July 30, 1941, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his services as commander of the 80th Infantry Regiment in combat . From August 1, 1941, he was in command of the "Greater Germany" infantry regiment . On April 1, 1942, he was appointed major general and on the same day charged with leading the new infantry division (motorized) Greater Germany . On May 1, 1942 he was appointed commander of this division. On January 1, 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant general. Even when the division was renamed the Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland in June 1943 , he remained in command. On January 27, 1944, he was initially transferred to the OKH's Führerreserve . From August 1, 1944, he then ran the LXXXII. Army Corps . On November 1, he became the commanding general of the LXXXII. Army Corps appointed and promoted to General of Infantry on November 9th . On December 1, he was reassigned to the OKH's leader reserve. From December 5th to 24th, he was trained as a deputy commanding general and commander in military district  X in Hamburg . On February 1, 1945 he was appointed Deputy Commanding General and Commander in Military District II (Stettin) . From April 28, 1945 Hörnlein headed the XXVII as commanding general . Army Corps . After the end of the war he was a prisoner of war until 1947.

Awards

literature

  • Peter Stockert: Die Eichenlaubträger 1940–1945 , 9 volumes, 4th revised edition, Bad Friedrichshall 2010–2011.
  • Marco Sigg: The Unterführer as a general in pocket size: Theory and practice of contract tactics in the German army 1869 to 1945. Ferdinand Schoningh, Paderborn 2014, ISBN 978-3-506-78086-7 .
  • Ludger Tewes : The Panzer Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland" in the campaign against the Soviet Union from 1942 to 1945 , Verlag Klartext Essen 2020, ISBN 978-3-8375-2089-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Spelling of the house name "oe" according to the personnel records in the Federal Archives: Ludger Tewes, Die Panzergrenadierdivision Grossdeutschland , p. 1178.
  2. ↑ Marco Sigg: The Unterführer as General in Pocket Size: Theory and Practice of Mission Tactics in the German Army 1869 to 1945. Ferdinand Schoningh, Paderborn 2014, pp. 405–408.
  3. ↑ 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 .
personal data
SURNAME Hörnlein, Walter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hoernlein, Walter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German officer, most recently General of the Infantry in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH January 2, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Blüthen near Karstädt , Prignitz
DATE OF DEATH September 14, 1961
Place of death Cologne-Merheim