Walter Model
Full name: Otto Moritz Walter Model
Date of Birth: 24.01.1891 - Genthin, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Date of Death: 21.04.1945 - woods near Ratingen (near Duisburg), Rhine Province, Germany (suicide by gunshot to the head)
Place of Burial: initially at the site of death, reinterred 1955 at German War Cemetery Vossenack, Hürtgen Forest
Nationality: German
Father: Otto Paul Moritz Model (music teacher)
Mother: Marie Pauline Wilhelmine Demmer
Spouse: Herta Huyssen (married 11.05.1921 in Frankfurt)
Children: Hella (born 1923), Hansgeorg (born 1927, later Brigadier General in the Bundeswehr), Christa (born 1929)
Promotions:
27.02.1909 Fahnenjunker
19.11.1909 Fähnrich
22.08.1910 Leutnant
25.02.1915 Oberleutnant
18.12.1917 Hauptmann
01.10.1929 Major
01.11.1932 Oberstleutnant
01.10.1934 Oberst
01.03.1938 Generalmajor
01.04.1940 Generalleutnant
01.10.1941 General der Panzertruppe
28.02.1942 Generaloberst (RDA 01.02.1942)
01.03.1944 Generalfeldmarschall
Career:
00.00.1897-00.04.1909 Bürgerschule Genthin then Domgymnasium Naumburg (Abitur Easter 1909)
27.02.1909 Fahnenjunker, Infanterie-Regiment „von Alvensleben“ (6. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 52
00.00.1909 Kriegsschule Neiße
22.08.1910 Leutnant and platoon leader, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 52
10.1913 Adjutant, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 52
08.1914-1918 Western Front service with Infanterie-Regiment 52 (5. Division), wounded multiple times, staff and command roles including company commander
04.1916 Kurzlehrgang für angehende Generalstabsoffiziere, Sedan
1916 Adjutant, 10. Infanterie-Brigade
1916-1917 Kompaniechef, Leib-Grenadier-Regiment „König Friedrich Wilhelm III.“ (1. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 8
07.06.1917 Ordonnanzoffizier, Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL), business trip to Turkey
10.03.1918 2. Generalstabsoffizier (Ib), Garde-Ersatz-Division
30.08.1918 Ib, 36. Reserve-Division
19.01.1919 Generalstabsoffizier, XVII. Armee-Korps, Grenzschutz Ost
28.06.1919 Reichswehrbrigade 7, Westphalia
00.00.1920 Kompaniechef, II. Bataillon, Infanterieregiment 14, Konstanz, and Kommandeur Sicherungstruppen Abschnitt II, suppression of communist uprising in Ruhr area
00.00.1920-1921 Führer, MG-Kompanie, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 14
1921 Generalstabsoffizier, Münster
10.1925 8. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment, Görlitz (including command of 9. Kompanie, III. Bataillon)
30.09.1928 Generalstabsoffizier, 3. Division, and tactics lecturer for Generalstabsoffiziere courses, Berlin
00.00.1930 Ausbildungsabteilung, Truppenamt, Berlin (under von Brauchitsch and others)
11.1933 Bataillonskommandeur, Infanterieregiment Nr. 2, Allenstein, East Prussia
01.11.1934 Kommandeur, 2. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment
15.10.1935 Chef, technische Abteilung, Generalstab des Heeres (development of armoured and assault gun concepts)
10.11.1938 Chef des Generalstabes, IV. Armeekorps, Dresden
13.10.1939 Chef des Generalstabes, 16. Armee (Invasion of Poland and Battle of France)
13.11.1940 Kommandeur, 3. Panzer-Division (reorganisation with combined-arms Kampfgruppen training)
26.10.1941 Kommandierender General, XXXXI. Panzerkorps (Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Moscow)
16.01.1942 Oberbefehlshaber, 9. Armee (Rzhev salient defence, Operation Büffel evacuation 1943, northern pincer at Kursk)
05.11.1943 Führerreserve OKH
31.01.1944 Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe Nord (fighting withdrawal to Panther Line)
30.03.1944 Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe Nordukraine
28.06.1944 Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe Mitte (defence after Operation Bagration)
17.08.1944 Oberbefehlshaber West (OB West) and Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe B (stabilisation after Normandy, Market Garden/Arnhem, Hürtgen Forest, Aachen, Ardennes Offensive, Ruhr Pocket)
05.09.1944 Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe B (until dissolution April 1945)
Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (20.09.1914) as Leutnant, Kompaniechef, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 52
Militärverdienstorden IV. Klasse (29.03.1915) as Oberleutnant, Kompaniechef, Infanterie-Regiment 52
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914 (19.10.1915) as Oberleutnant, Kompaniechef, Infanterie-Regiment 52
Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (26.02.1917) as Oberleutnant, Kompaniechef, Leib-Grenadier-Regiment 8
Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse and 2. Klasse (22.11.1917) as Oberleutnant, Ordonnanzoffizier, Oberste Heeresleitung
Harp Madalyasi (Ottoman War Medal) (22.11.1917) as Oberleutnant, Ordonnanzoffizier, Oberste Heeresleitung
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (27.08.1918) as Hauptmann, 2. Generalstabsoffizier, Garde-Ersatz-Division
Spanienkreuz in Bronze mit Schwertern (31.05.1939) as Generalmajor, Chef technische Abteilung, Generalstab des Heeres
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (22.09.1939) as Generalmajor, Chef des Generalstabes, IV. Armeekorps
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (02.10.1939) as Generalmajor, Chef des Generalstabes, IV. Armeekorps
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (09.07.1941) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur, 3. Panzer-Division, for leadership during Operation Barbarossa (344th award)
Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber (29.08.1941) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur, 3. Panzer-Division
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub (17.02.1942) as General der Panzertruppe and Kommandierender General, XXXXI. Panzerkorps / later Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee, for winter battles around Rzhev (74th award)
Wehrmachtbericht (21.02.1942) as Oberbefehlshaber, 9. Armee
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Gold (25.05.1942) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber, 9. Armee (wounded by sniper)
Medaille „Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42“ (15.07.1942) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber, 9. Armee
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern (02.04.1943) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber, 9. Armee, for Rzhev battles and Operation Büffel (28th award)
Wehrmachtbericht (03.09.1943) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber, 9. Armee
Wehrmachtbericht (05.08.1944) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe Nordukraine
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten (17.08.1944) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe Nordukraine / Heeresgruppe B, for stabilisation of the Eastern Front after collapse of Heeresgruppe Mitte (17th award)
Wehrmachtbericht (19.04.1945) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber, Heeresgruppe B
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Otto Moritz Walter Model, a middle-class officer from a non-military Lutheran family who rose through merit and drive to become one of the most decorated and trusted field commanders of the Wehrmacht, earned the nickname „Hitler’s Fireman“ for his repeated success in stabilising collapsing fronts on both the Eastern and Western theatres during the Second World War. Starting as a Fahnenjunker in 1909, he served with distinction in the First World War on the Western Front and in staff roles, remained in the Reichswehr, and by 1941 had commanded a Panzer division with exceptional speed and improvisation during Operation Barbarossa. His defensive mastery at Rzhev, the orderly evacuation of the salient in 1943, the fighting withdrawal of Heeresgruppe Nord, the containment efforts after Bagration, the defence at Arnhem, and the preparation of the Ardennes Offensive demonstrated tactical brilliance and ruthless energy, though his methods included scorched-earth policies and civilian deportations that later drew Soviet war-crimes accusations. Popular with frontline troops for his concern for their welfare and frequent visits to forward positions, he was often abrasive and autocratic toward staff officers, demanding multiple solutions and bypassing chains of command, yet he shielded some subordinates from political persecution after the 20 July 1944 plot. One of the youngest Generalfeldmarschälle at age 53, he ended his life by suicide in April 1945 to avoid capture as his Heeresgruppe B was encircled in the Ruhr Pocket, reportedly stating that history would one day justify him.
Unique and interesting facts include that Model pioneered the widespread use of combined-arms Kampfgruppen long before they became standard, defied Hitler’s „no withdrawal“ orders on several occasions to conduct elastic defence with „shield and sword“ tactics, wrote a 1920s biographical study on the Prussian reformer August Neidhardt von Gneisenau that reflected his own interest in mobile and defensive warfare, was wounded five times across both world wars including a near-fatal sniper shot to the lung in 1942, maintained a strictly professional relationship with the Nazi leadership while harbouring no deep ideological fanaticism beyond standard officer-class authoritarianism, protected implicated staff officers after the July 1944 assassination attempt, and saw his son Hansgeorg continue the military tradition by reaching Brigadier General rank in the postwar Bundeswehr. He burned all personal papers before his death, leaving historians with limited insight into his private thoughts.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Model
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/200/Model-Otto-Moritz-Walter.htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/articles/5447/Walter-Model.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/M/ModelW-R.htm
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
http://de.metapedia.org/
Steven H. Newton, Hitler's Commander: Field Marshal Walter Model, Hitler's Favorite General (2006)
Robert Forczyk, Model (2011)
Carlo D'Este, Patton: A Genius for War (1989)
https://grokipedia.com/
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