Full name: Richard Schmidt
Nickname: unknown
Date of Birth: 9 April 1898 at Kolmar, Posen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 7 November 1977 at Bad Ems, Rheinland-Pfalz (West Germany)
NSDAP Number: unknown
SS Number: unknown
Academic Title: unknown
Family Member: unknown
Physical Feature: unknown
Beförderungen (Promotion):
04.04.1928 Leutnant der Polizei
11.04.1930 Oberleutnant der Polizei
00.00.1934 Hauptmann der Polizei
01.06.1940 Major
01.03.1942 Oberstleutnant
01.12.1942 Oberst
01.03.1945 Generalmajor
Karriere (Career):
Richard Schmidt joined the Royal Prussian Army on October 12, 1917 as a war volunteer. He came to the motor vehicle replacement department 9. In 1918 he was then transferred to an infantry regiment at the front as an infantryman. In 1918 he was taken prisoner, from which he was released in 1919. In 1919 he received his retirement from the army. He then joined the police force. On April 4, 1928, he was appointed lieutenant in the police force in Hagen. On September 19, 1928 he married Lydia Neye. On April 11, 1930, he was also promoted to lieutenant in the police force in Hagen. In 1934 he was promoted to captain of the police force. During the expansion of the Reichswehr to the Wehrmacht, he was accepted into the army as a captain on October 15, 1935. His rank seniority was set to November 1, 1934. He has now been appointed commander of the 2nd company of the new 60th Infantry Regiment in Hamm. He then retained this command until the mobilization for World War II in the summer of 1939. He was then deployed as a battalion commander of an infantry regiment. In the spring of 1940 he led his battalion in the western campaign. He was promoted to Major on June 1, 1940. In autumn 1940 he was appointed commander of the III. Battalions of the 473 Infantry Regiment. With his battalion he then moved into positions in the West as an occupation force in the 253rd Infantry Division. In the spring of 1941 he moved to East Prussia with his battalion and the entire division. At the beginning of summer 1941 he then led his battalion in the division formation of the 253rd Infantry Division in the eastern campaign in the attack on northern Russia. He already wore both Iron Crosses. On August 19, 1941, he was entered in the Army Gazette. In the summer of 1941, the entire 253rd Infantry Division was transferred to the northern part of the central section of the Eastern Front. On December 1, 1941 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. Also in early 1942 he was deployed with his battalion in central Russia. On March 1, 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In the summer of 1942 he was appointed as such to command the 473rd Infantry Regiment. As such, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on November 6, 1942. On December 1, 1942 he was promoted to colonel. In 1943 he gave up his command. For this he has now been appointed commander of a teaching staff at the infantry school. In December 1943 he was appointed commander of the 290th Infantry Regiment. He then led this in the formation of the 98th Infantry Division in the retreat battles in the Crimea. In April 1944 he was wounded and had to relinquish his command of the 290th Infantry Regiment. After his recovery, he was then transferred to the Führerreserve. From August 7, 1944 to September 2, 1944 he was then ordered to the 13th Division Leaders' Course in Hirschberg. On December 18, 1944, he was appointed as the successor of Lieutenant General Alfred Thielmann to lead the 254th Infantry Division. On March 1, 1945, he was appointed commander of the 254th Infantry Division, while being promoted to major general. When the Wehrmacht capitulated, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets. From there he was extradited to Czechoslovakia in 1950. He was then sentenced to death for war crimes. Major General Richard Schmidt was convicted of destroying the Slovak village of Beniky. However, the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment in 1960. His wife Lydia died while he was in prison. On December 20, 1961 he was released.
Orden und Ehrenzeichen (Medals and Decorations):
00.00.1941 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.1941 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
19.08.1941 Ehrenblattspange. Received for action in Lithuania on 22-25 June 1941
01.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
06.11.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 473 / 253.Infanterie-Division. The following newspaper excerpt (dated 16 November 1942) describes why Schmidt received the Ritterkreuz: "Oberstleutnant Schmidt defeated a Bolshevik breakthrough attempt that took place near Rzhev during the middle of September."
Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220885562357940&set=gm.1260440767784693
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2386594#p2386594
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/SchmidtRichard.htm
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