Walther Fischer von Weikersthal

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Fischer von Weikersthal (first row on the far left) next to Erwin Rommel (center) and Felix Schwalbe (right).

Walther Fischer von Weikersthal (born September 15, 1890 in Stuttgart ; † February 11, 1953 there ) was a German infantry general in World War II .

Life

He was the son of First Lieutenant Karl Fischer von Weikersthal (1849-1924) and his wife Sophie, née Baroness von Malchus (1858-1941). Fischer joined on 30 June 1909 as an ensign in the Grenadier Regiment "Queen Olga" (1 Württembergisches) no. 119 of the Württemberg army one. There he was on 25 February 1910. Ensign and 16 November 1910. Lieutenant promoted.

First World War

With the outbreak of the First World War , his regiment made mobile and was initially used in conjunction with the 26th Division (1st Royal Württemberg) in the Argonne . Until he was wounded on September 6, 1914, Fischer served as an adjutant of the 2nd Battalion. After his recovery, he initially returned to his regiment's replacement battalion. From December 10, 1914, he was employed as platoon leader on the Eastern Front . From December 22, 1914 to March 1, 1915, Fischer served as company commander, then rose to regimental adjutant and was promoted to first lieutenant on March 22, 1915. In December 1915 he and his regiment were relocated to the Western Front and fought here a. a. on the Somme and Arras . After a brief assignment on the Italian front , Fischer returned to the West with the regiment in December 1917. Before the Great Battle of France , Fischer was appointed General Staff of the XIII on March 11, 1918 . (Royal Württemberg Army Corps) and promoted to captain on March 22nd . From June 11th to October 18th, 1918 he was assigned to the 243rd (Württembergische) Infantry Division , where he was deployed as a battalion leader.

Reichswehr

After the end of the war, Fischer initially remained with the General Staff, was reassigned to his regular regiment on December 26, 1918, but remained with the XIII. (Royal Wuerttemberg) Army Corps assigned. In the transitional army, Fischer served on the staff of the Reichswehr Rifle Regiment 25. In July 1919, Fischer moved to the reconnaissance and propaganda department of the General Command of the XIII. Army Corps over. Then from the end of August to the middle of September 1919 briefly as an officer z. b. V. in the Reichswehr Ministry , Fischer came to the settlement office in the Württemberg War Ministry on September 19, 1919 . From October 1, 1919, Fischer was assigned to military district command V as an auxiliary officer, where he remained until the end of October 1920. He then began general staff training, was with the staff of the 6th and 5th divisions of the Reichswehr for one year from October 1, 1921 and was then transferred to the staff in Stuttgart. On October 1, 1926, he was transferred to the 1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment as a company commander , where he remained for the next three years.

On October 1, 1929, Fischer was reassigned to the staff of the 5th Division , while at the same time being promoted to major , where he served as a teacher in the training of assistant leaders until June 1933 . During this time he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 1, 1932 . From July 1933 to mid-October 1935, the November 1, 1934 served Colonel transported Fischer, as commander of the First Battalion of the 13th (Württembergisches) Infantry Regiment and retained this position even after the renaming of the regiment in Infantry Regiment Ludwigsburg at .

Wehrmacht

On October 15, 1935 he was appointed commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment , which he commanded until the beginning of October 1936. On October 6, 1936, Fischer rose to become Chief of the General Staff of the V Army Corps . In this position he was promoted to major general on March 1, 1938 .

Second World War

Family grave in the old cemetery in Tettnang

On August 26, 1939, Weikersthal was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the 7th Army as part of the mobilization , whose post he then held until November 1940. On April 1, 1940, he had already been promoted to lieutenant general. Subsequently, Weikersthal was commander of the 35th Infantry Division from November 25, 1940 to the end of November 1941 . The division was used in the eastern campaign from June 1941 in the central section of the eastern front and advanced to Moscow by December 1941 . Weikersthal was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on August 6, 1941 . On December 1, 1941 Weikersthal rose to the commanding general of the LIII. Army Corps , which he commanded until January 25, 1942. Here he was also promoted to General of the Infantry on January 1, 1942 . Keilig, however, indicates this promotion as of December 1, 1941. On March 23, 1942, Weikersthal joined the Führerreserve to become the commanding general of the LXVII on September 25, 1942 . Reserve Army Corps based in Brussels . This he then commanded until July 1944, after it was in LXVII in January 1944 . Army Corps had been renamed. The appointment of June 10, 1944 confirms this statement. On July 25, 1944, Weikersthal was reassigned to the Führerreserve and was not given a new command until the end of the war, on March 27, 1945. Here he assumed the function of the commanding general of the Upper Rhine Higher Command. On May 8, 1945 he was taken prisoner of war , from which Weikersthal was released in 1947.

Weikersthal died in Stuttgart in 1953. Keilig, on the other hand, names the place of death Gut Oberhof near Tettnang . Fischer von Weikersthal is buried in the family grave in the old cemetery in Tettnang.

Awards

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 3: Dahlmann – Fitzlaff. Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1994, ISBN 3-7648-2443-3 , pp. 505-506.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Wolfgang Keilig : The generals of the army. Podzun-Pallas, 1983, ISBN 3-7909-0202-0 , p. 91.
  2. ↑ Wolf Keilig: Ranking list of the German army 1944/45. Podzun Pallas Verlag, 1979, ISBN 3-7909-0113-X , p. 322.
  3. ^ A b c d e f Reichswehr Ministry (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres. Mittler & Sohn Verlag , Berlin 1924, p. 154.
  4. ↑ Otto von Moser : Die Württemberger in the world wars. 2nd expanded edition. Chr.Belser, Stuttgart 1928, p. 127.
personal data
SURNAME Fischer von Weikersthal, Walther
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fischer von Weikersthal, Walter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German infantry general in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH September 15, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH Stuttgart
DATE OF DEATH February 11, 1953
Place of death Stuttgart