Wolfgang Thomale

Wolfgang Thomale (born February 25, 1900 in Lissa ; † October 20, 1978 in Bad Homburg vd Höhe ) was a German officer , most recently lieutenant general in World War II and chief of staff of Heinz Guderian , the inspector general of the armored forces. From 1960 to 1968 he was Executive President of the Association of the Automotive Industry .

Military background

Prussian Army

After visiting the main cadet institute , the son of a career officer joined the Guard Grenadier Regiment No. 5 as an ensign in March 1918 during the First World War , fought on the Avre and received the Iron Cross, 2nd class.

Reichswehr

After the end of the war, he was promoted to lieutenant in the 3rd (Prussian) motor vehicle department of the Reichswehr on April 1, 1919 . In 1926 he became first lieutenant and adjutant in the 6th (Prussian) motor vehicle department. From 1929 he attended the infantry school in Dresden . In 1933 he was promoted to captain and stationed at the Zossen motor vehicle training command.

Wehrmacht

In 1935 he was transferred to Panzer Regiment 5. From June 1, 1938 to May 14, 1941, he was inspector of tank troops on the OKH staff . In August 1940 Thomale was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Then he was commander of the III. Department in the Panzer Regiment 25. From August 5 to December 3, 1941, he was Colonel in command of the 27th Panzer Regiment. On February 10, 1942, Thomale was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross , after serving on November 27, 1941 had received the German cross in gold. On April 1, 1942, he became a liaison officer in the OKH between the Chief of Army Armaments (Reich Minister for Armament and Ammunition Albert Speer ) and the Commander of the Replacement Army (Colonel General Friedrich Fromm ).

The promotion to lieutenant general took place with his appointment as chief of the staff of the inspector general of the armored troops (Colonel General Heinz Guderian ) on March 1, 1943. In August 1943 he divided Colonel i. G. Hellmuth Stieff informed that Guderian would not actively participate in a conspiracy against Adolf Hitler. On July 19, 1944 he was asked by Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim to ask Guderian whether the armored troops near Berlin could not be relocated later, as they would still have to be available for the so-called " Valkyrie " exercise; his boss followed suit. On the evening of the assassination attempt of July 20, 1944 , he was in Berlin and around 8 p.m. gave the order to the replacement tank brigade that had arrived at Fehrbelliner Platz to put down the putsch.

From 1945 to 1946 he was a prisoner of war .

Association official

From 1960 to 1968 he was Executive President of the Association of the Automotive Industry . On August 27, 1965 Thomale received the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany .

family

His father-in-law was the Royal Prussian Real Privy Councilor and ambassador a. D. Ulrich Count of Schwerin .

Individual evidence

↑ Reichswehr Ministry (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres. As of May 1, 1932 . ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1932. p. 158.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Sönke Neitzel : bugged. German generals in British captivity 1942–1945. (= List-Taschenbuch . 60760). List, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-548-60760-3 , p. 536.
↑ 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. 743.
^ Peter Hoffmann : Resistance, coup d'état, assassination. The fight of the opposition against Hitler. (= Piper . 418). 4th, newly revised and supplemented edition, new edition, Piper, Munich a. a. 1985, ISBN 3-492-00718-X , p. 347.
↑ Peter Hoffmann : Stauffenberg and July 20, 1944 (= Beck'sche series . 2102). Beck, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406-43302-2 , p. 84.
^ Hans Christoph von Seherr-Thoss : The German automobile industry. Documentation from 1886 to 1979 . 2nd corrected and expanded edition, DVA, Stuttgart 1979, ISBN 3-421-02284-4 , p. 648.

personal data
SURNAME	Thomale, Wolfgang
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German officer
DATE OF BIRTH	February 25, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lissa , poses
DATE OF DEATH	October 20, 1978
Place of death	Bad Homburg vd Höhe

[1] Reichswehr Ministry (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres. As of May 1, 1932 . ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1932. p. 158.

[Neitzel-2] Sönke Neitzel : bugged. German generals in British captivity 1942–1945. (= List-Taschenbuch . 60760). List, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-548-60760-3 , p. 536.

[Scherzer-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 , p. 743.

[4] Peter Hoffmann : Resistance, coup d'état, assassination. The fight of the opposition against Hitler. (= Piper . 418). 4th, newly revised and supplemented edition, new edition, Piper, Munich a. a. 1985, ISBN 3-492-00718-X , p. 347.

[5] Peter Hoffmann : Stauffenberg and July 20, 1944 (= Beck'sche series . 2102). Beck, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406-43302-2 , p. 84.

[6] Hans Christoph von Seherr-Thoss : The German automobile industry. Documentation from 1886 to 1979 . 2nd corrected and expanded edition, DVA, Stuttgart 1979, ISBN 3-421-02284-4 , p. 648.