[TS] General von Kielmansegg, A NATO Leader, Dies at 99

[RSS Bot]

Gen. Johann-Adolf Count von Kielmansegg was a German panzer division officer during World War II who became commander in chief of NATO forces in Central Europe during the height of the cold war. More...

[Helmut Von Moltke]

Does anybody know anything about his service in the Panzerwaffe during WWII? thanks in advance.

Rest in Peace General. Shame we are losing so many veterans on both sides nowadays.

K

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Helmut Von Moltke

Does anybody know anything about his service in the Panzerwaffe during WWII? thanks in advance.

Since that aritcle is a "pay to play" link, I will quote directly from it:

The general, then 59, seemed an appropriate choice. He had been close to the group of German officers who unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Hitler in 1944. He had insisted that Germany's postwar military be subject to civilian control. He had rebuked revisionist claims that the Holocaust was an act of war.

General von Kielmansegg, scion of a long line of landowners, scholars, Lutheran prelates and soldiers, was born on Dec. 30, 1906. He was 20 when he entered officer training. As a lieutenant, he first served in the cavalry, as had his father.

By the start of World War II, he was commander of a panzer, or armored, division. In 1940, he took part in the German invasion of France, sweeping around the Maginot line's obsolete fortifications in eastern France and rushing to the English Channel. After fighting on the Russian front, he joined the General Staff in Berlin.

By then he was a friend of Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, leader of the officers' plot to kill Hitler. The plan was to detonate a bomb in a briefcase placed under a conference table near Hitler's seat. The attempt, on July 20, 1944, failed when a Hitler aide moved the briefcase. The bomb went off, but Hitler was only superficially wounded.

General von Kielmansegg, then a colonel, was jailed by the Gestapo and kept in handcuffs for two months before being released for lack of evidence. In 1965, he told a New York Times reporter that he had been aware of the plot but not involved in its planning. ''The plotters set a good example to the army,'' he said, ''because these men put their lives on the line against the dictator.''

Restored to tank duty, he fought the American Army in western Germany, escaping after his unit was defeated but later surrendering to American forces near Berlin.

It didn't give details about units, etc.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

Thanks Jim. Here is more information provided on MCF.

Graf von KIELMANNSEGG, Johann-Adolf
Oberst
Born: 30.Dec.06
Died:
Dienstränge (Promotions):
Eintritt,
Lt.,
Olt., Hptm., Major,
Obstlt.,
Oberst, 1.May.44 (7)
Dienststellungen (Assignments):
Adj. Kradschtz.Btl. 2, 15.Oct.35
Kriegsakad., 5.Oct.37
z.Gen.Stb.kdt., 1.Aug.39
Ic 1. Pz.Div., 26.Aug.39
Ib 1. Pz.Div., 5.Feb.40
i.d.Gen.Stb. versetzt, 20.Apr.40
Ia 6. Pz.Div., 20.Sep.40
F.Res.OKH, D.r. WK. III (ab 8.3.42 krank), 1.May.42
Gen.Stb.d.H./Op.Abt., 25.May.42
Ia Gen.Stb.d.H./Op.Abt., 1.Nov.43
F.Res.OKH, D.r. WK. III, 5.Aug.44
PA zur Verfügung gestellt Wiederverwendung nicht beabsichtigt, 25.Oct.44

K