Bio of Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (1875-1953)

Full name: Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt
Nickname: The Last Prussian

Date of birth: 12.12.1875 - Aschersleben, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of death: 24.02.1953 - Hanover, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Buried: Stöckener Cemetery

Religion: Evangelical
Parents: Gerd Konrad von Rundstedt (Father) and Adelheid Elise Doraline von Zesterfleth (Mother)
Siblings: He had two brothers and three sisters
Spouse: Louise "Bila" von Götz (married in 1902)
Children: Hans-Gerd von Rundstedt (Son)

Promotions:
17.06.1893 Sekonde-Leutnant
01.01.1899 Leutnant
12.09.1902 Oberleutnant
24.03.1907 Hauptmann
28.11.1914 Major
01.10.1920 Oberstleutnant
01.02.1923 Oberst
01.11.1927 Generalmajor
01.03.1929 Generalleutnant
01.10.1932 General der Infanterie
15.03.1938 Generaloberst (with effect 01.03.1938)
19.07.1940 Generalfeldmarschall

Career:
22 March 1892: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker (Officer Cadet) in the 83rd Infantry Regiment (Kassel).
17 June 1893: Promoted to Leutnant (Lieutenant).
16 June 1902: Promoted to Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant).
October 1906 – July 1909: Attended the War Academy (Kriegsakademie) in Berlin.
24 March 1909: Promoted to Hauptmann (Captain).
1909 – 1912: Assigned to the Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab) in Berlin.
1 October 1912: Transferred to the staff of the 171st Infantry Brigade (Magdeburg).
2 August 1914: At the outbreak of WWI, served as a General Staff Officer with the XXII Reserve Army Corps.
28 November 1914: Promoted to Major (Major).
10 May 1915: Transferred to the General Staff of the 8th Army.
30 September 1915: Appointed Chief of Staff of the XXXVIII Reserve Army Corps.
19 September 1916: Appointed Chief of Staff of the 7th Army.
1919: Member of the Peace Commission for the return of the Army.
1 October 1919: Joined the Reichswehr Ministry and served on the staff of Gruppenkommando 1.
23 October 1921: Promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).
1 November 1923: Appointed Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment.
1 February 1925: Promoted to Oberst (Colonel).
1 November 1926: Appointed Chief of Staff of Wehrkreiskommando II (Stettin).
1 October 1927: Appointed Chief of Staff of Gruppenkommando 1 (Berlin).
1 February 1929: Promoted to Generalmajor (Brigadier General).
1 October 1929: Appointed Commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division (Breslau).
1 February 1932: Promoted to Generalleutnant (Major General).
1 October 1932: Appointed Commander of Wehrkreiskommando III and the 3rd Infantry Division (Berlin).
1 February 1934: Promoted to General der Infanterie (General of Infantry).
1 June 1935: Appointed Commander-in-Chief of Heeresgruppenkommando 1 (Berlin).
1 March 1938: Promoted to Generaloberst (Colonel General).
31 October 1938: Retired from active service (in den Ruhestand versetzt).
01.11.1938 Appointed to Chef des IR 18 (collar-patches as Oberst, the figure “18“ on his shoulder boards)
18.08.1939 Leiter “Arbeitsstab Rundstedt“
24.08.1939 Oberbefehlshaber 12. Armee
02.09.1939 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd (08.10. - 20.10.1939 also Oberbefehlshaber Ost)
26.10.1939 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A (since 10.10.1940 also Oberbefehlshaber West)
10.06.1941 - 01.12.1941 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd
15.03.1942 - 02.07.1944 Oberbefehlshaber West
05.09.1944 - 09.03.1945 Oberbefehlshaber West

Awards and Decorations:
Königlich Preussisches Kronen-Orden IV.Klasse
Ritterkreuz II.Klasse des Sachsen-Weimarischer Hausorden der Wachsamkeit oder vom weissen Falken
Königlich Preussisches Roter Adler-Orden IV.Klasse
Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden
Waldecksches Verdienstkreuz IV.Klasse
Schwarzburgisches Ehrenkreuz III.Klasse
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Erinnerungs-Medaille 1797-1897 (Centenarmedaille)
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstorden IV.Klasse mit Schwertern
Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden mit Schwertern
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstkreuz I.Klasse
Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstkreuz IV.Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern
Kaiserlich und königlich  österreichische Militär-Verdienstkreuz III.Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
Ritterkreuz des königlich Preussisches Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (16.09.1939)
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (21.09.1939)
Turkish Harp Madalyası (Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond)
Preussische Dienstauszeichnungskreuz
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (1934)
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse
Eichenlaub zur Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse
Magyar Érdemrend Nagykeresztje (Grosskreuz des königlich Ungarische Verdienstorden) (11.08.1937)
Ordine della Corona d'Italia - Cavaliere della Croce Grande (Italienische Orden der Krone) (07.06.1938)
Königlich Jugoslawische Heisen-Orden II Klasse (06.07.1938)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #1 (30.09.1939) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd. The campaign was a baptism of fire for the German Wehrmacht, and von Rundstedt was the conductor of a complex symphony of armored and infantry movements. Under his command, Army Group South, comprising the 8th, 10th, and 14th Armies, launched a devastating offensive from Silesia and Slovakia aimed at destroying the Polish forces west of the Vistula River. The most vivid action occurred during the Battle of the Bzura, the largest single engagement of the campaign. Polish forces launched a fierce counter-attack against the German 8th Army, threatening to unhinge the German advance. Von Rundstedt remained calm amidst the crisis, directing the strategic response with cold precision. He ordered the 4th Panzer Division and the 1st Mountain Division to wheel around and entrap the Polish attackers. The battle turned into a slaughter as the German Luftwaffe dominated the skies, strafing the trapped Polish troops in the open fields. The encirclement was sealed, resulting in the destruction of three Polish infantry divisions and the capture of over 170,000 prisoners, a decisive victory that validated the Blitzkrieg concept and secured his status as one of Germany's foremost commanders.
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (06.08.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (08.08.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (19.09.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 3 (19.09.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 2 (19.09.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (11.10.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (12.10.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 1 (01.09.1942)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (10.09.1941)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #519 (01.07.1944) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber West, recognizing his role in attempting to stabilize the Western Front following the Allied invasion of Normandy. As Commander-in-Chief West, von Rundstedt was the supreme authority on the ground during the critical weeks of June and July 1944. Despite the overwhelming material superiority of the Allies, he orchestrated a defensive battle that inflicted heavy casualties and delayed the Allied breakout for weeks. The citation for the award highlighted his leadership during the defense of the Cotentin Peninsula and the grueling attrition warfare in the bocage country. Specifically, during the British Operation Goodwood and the American Operation Cobra, von Rundstedt coordinated the fragmented German armored reserves, including the II SS Panzer Corps, to launch violent counter-attacks against the Allied beachheads. In the fields around Caen, his forces turned the landscape into a fortress of hedgerows and rubble, engaging in vicious close-quarters combat that bled the British armored divisions dry. Even as the front lines crumbled under the weight of carpet bombing and naval gunfire, von Rundstedt's steadfast management of the chaotic retreat and his ability to reorganize broken units into cohesive defensive lines exemplified the "Old Prussian" virtues of duty and resilience in the face of inevitable defeat.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #133 (18.02.1945) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber West, for his role in planning and initiating the Ardennes Offensive, the last great German offensive of the war. At the age of 69, von Rundstedt was tasked with commanding an ambitious operation aimed at splitting the British and American lines and recapturing the port of Antwerp. While the plan was ultimately Hitler's fantasy, the operational setup was handled by von Rundstedt and his staff. On the morning of December 16, 1944, under his orders, thousands of German guns opened fire in a barrage that shattered the early morning silence of the Ardennes forest. He directed the 6th Panzer Army and the 5th Panzer Army to punch through the thinly held American lines. The initial assault was a stunning success, as German armored columns, including the elite Kampfgruppe Peiper, roared through the snow-covered pine forests, overrunning American positions and creating a massive bulge in the Allied lines. The terrain was treacherous, and the weather was foul, grounding the Allied air forces. Von Rundstedt managed to sustain the offensive for three weeks, engaging in a desperate struggle in the freezing cold, which momentarily caused panic in the Allied High Command. Although the offensive eventually stalled due to fuel shortages and improving weather, the sheer scale of the initial breakthrough and the temporary reversal of fortunes in the West earned him the high honor of the Schwerter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Karl Rudolph Gerd von Rundstedt was born December 12th 1875 in Aschesleben in the Harz mountains near Magdeburg. He came from a military family dating back to the 12th century. When Gerd was born, his father served in a Prussian regiment of Hussars in the rank of Lieutenant. His mother was the daughter of a real estate owner.

At the age of 12, he went to cadet school in Oranienstein. He already spoke English as his mother had employed an English nanny to take care of her children. Later, Von Rundstedt would even take the exam for French interpreter. At the age of 16, he was admitted to the Haupt Kadettenanstalt (central Prussian school for Cadets) in Gross Lichterfelde near Berlin, successfully graduating in 1892 to be admitted to the rank of candidate officer.

In 1892, Von Rundstedt joined the 83. Infanterieregiment Von Wittlicht (Kurrhessische No. 3) in Kassel for a period of six months before taking his exam for the rank of Fähnrich at the Kriegsschule in Hannover. In 1902, he married Louise von Götz, the daughter of a retired officer. In that same year, he passed the entrance examination to the Kriegsakademie whereupon the young couple moved to Berlin.

In 1906 Von Rundstedt was posted to the Generalstab on probation and after having passed the final, very difficult exam, he was promoted to Hauptmann on the Generalstab in March 1909. He was posted to the staff of headquarters of the IX. Armeekorps and in 1912 he went to work as company commander in the 171. Infanterieregiment in Colmar in Alsace-Lorraine.

At the outbreak of the First World War, 39-year-old Von Rundstedt was immediately given a posting on the operational staff of the 22. Reserve division. He owed his promotion to Major in November 1914 to the outbreak of the war by the way. During the battle on the River Marne, the 22. Reserve division was deployed on the right flank of the front. The division commander was killed in action whereupon Von Rundstedt was given command of the unit. At the beginning of the trench warfare, Von Rundstedt left the division and was posted to the staff of the German military government in Belgium. Afterwards he served in a division in Poland, in the military government in Warsaw, in an army corps in the Carpathians, an army corps on the Baltic coast and finally in 1918 as Chief of Staff of XV. Armeekorps on the western front. After the war, Von Rundstedt was posted to the new, starkly reduced German army, the Reichswehr.

After he had been promoted to Oberst in 1923, he was transferred from the 3. Kavalleriedivision to headquarters of Wehrkreis II as Chief of Staff. Two years on, he received a new command, this time of 18. Infanterieregiment (in 1938 he was named honorary member and he has always worn the uniform of the unit afterwards). In 1926, he returned to a staff position, this time as Chief of Staff of Obergruppenkommando II in Kassel. After his promotion to Generalmajor he was given command of the 2. Kavalleriedivision in Breslau. In 1929, he was promoted to Generalleutnant and in January of that year he became overall commander of Wehrkreis III in Berlin. In October that year he was appointed General der Infanterie and commander of Obergruppenkommando I, likewise in Berlin.

When Adolf Hitler came to power, Von Rundstedt was involved in the secret German rearmament. In March 1938, Hitler grabbed his chance to tighten his grip on the Wehrmacht. The two most prominent military men of Germany, Werner von Blomberg and Günther von Fritsch were ousted and also all those who sympathized with them. Von Rundstedt was not among them. He angrily submitted his resignation but his request was rejected. Hitler (Bio Hitler) probably did not want to lose his highest ranking general after seven of them on the list right beneath Von Rundstedt had been fired, including Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (B) and Ewald von Kleist. Von Rundstedt was duly promoted to Generaloberst.

In October 1938, Generaloberst Von Rundstedt, commander of an Army Group, was involved in the invasion of the Sudetenland. When he became convinced that Hitler was preparing for war, he strongly argued that Germany was from being adequately equipped for war in the near future. As a result Hitler ordered Von Rundstedt to step down. Owing to a shortage of experienced commanders, Von Rundstedt was recalled. When the war started in September 1939, Von Rundstedt, in command of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army group south) participated in the attack on the main body of the Polish armed forces (Case White). He managed to prevent the Poles from retreating beyond the River Weichsel. For his achievements, Von Rundstedt was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross).

Von Rundstedt was commander of Heeresgruppe A during the German attack on France and the Low Countries in May 1940 (Case Yellow). Along with the bulk of the armored forces, he advanced through the Ardennes, crossing the River Meuse and striking towards the Channel coast. A large part of the Allied armies was encircled near Dunkirk in the process. Total victory failed to materialize however as the armies were evacuated from Dunkirk. Von Rundstedt proposed, and Hitler ordered the Germans should not attempt to capture Dunkirk and so they missed the opportunity to deal with the British Expeditionary Force once and for all.

After the fall of France, Von Rundstedt was appointed feldmarschall by Hitler on July 19th , 1940. Preparations for Operation Seelöwe (Sea Lion), the invasion of Great Britain, got under way. This invasion never took place though because the Luftwaffe failed to win air superiority over the British Isles in the Battle of Britain. Hereafter, Hitler decided to leave Great Britain alone and commenced planning for a campaign against the Soviet Union. Heeresgruppe A was transferred to the General Government (that part of Poland occupied by the Germans) in order to prepare for the imminent attack on the Soviet Union.

In April 1941, Generalfeldmarschall Von Rundstedt was named commander of Heeresgruppe Süd; in fact, Heeresgruppe A was renamed Heeresgruppe Süd. When Operation Barbarossa was launched on June 22nd, 1941, Von Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe initially struck deep into enemy territory. The advance stagnated though and he needed help from 2. Panzergruppe commanded by Generaloberst Heinz Guderian (Bio Guderian) in order to encircle his most important strategic target Kiev. (Battle of Kiev) After the encircled Soviets had surrendered, Heeresgruppe Süd struck towards Rostov on the River Don. Against Soviet counter-attacks, under command of Marshal S.K. Timoshenko (Bio Timoshenko), Von Rundstedt was forced to pull back dozens of miles. Hitler was furious so Von Rundstedt offered his resignation. Hitler accepted his request and replaced Von Rundstedt by Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Reichenau (Bio Von Reichenau) who only did what Von Rundstedt had ordered previously and was fired for: retreat to a defensive line on the River Mius.

In March 1942, Von Rundstedt was called back into service once more and appointed Oberbefehlshaber West (supreme commander), succeeding Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben. He was to prepare the western front for the expected Allied invasion. In that capacity he supervised the construction of the Atlantikwall, an immense network of bunkers and fortifications stretching all the way from Spain to Norway. Later on he was assisted by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (Bio Rommel). In 1942, the first invasion took place at Dieppe. The Germans however managed to defeat the predominantly Canadian invasion force in this downright suicide operation. In violation of the rules of land warfare, Von Rundstedt handed the Allied prisoners-of-war over to the Gestapo.

On D-Day, June 6th, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy. Von Rundstedt had no free hand to act concerning the redeployment of troops. Hitler was of the opinion that the D-Day landings were no more than a diversionary maneuver for an even more massive landing in the Pas de Calais. Partly due to these irregularities - within the O.K.W. for instance he had no say over the armored reserves, making it extremely difficult to launch a coordinated counter attack in time - the Germans failed to push the Allies back into the sea. The result was that Hitler ordered Von Rundstedt on July 1st , 1944 to retire once more. Nonetheless, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) to his Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz).

The day after the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in the Wolfsschanze on July 20th, Von Rundstedt was appointed chairman of a Court of Honor (Ehrengericht). During this trial, officers of the Wehrmacht who were suspected of complicity in the murder attempt were discharged.

On September 1st , Gerd von Rundstedt was recalled by Hitler to become Oberbefehlshaber West (supreme commander). Formally, Von Rundstedt was responsible for the failure of the Allied Operation Market Garden. In October he let Hitler know, through Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, it would be better to end the war. Hitler fired him on the spot but quickly revoked his decision. After having been appointed ObW again, Von Rundstedt assisted in the planning for the offensive in the Ardennes as he was formally in command. The real tactical work during the operation itself was done by Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Bio Model), just like during the defensive battles of Market Garden. On February 18th, 1945, Hitler awarded him the Schwerter (Swords) to his Ritterkreuz for his distinguished services.

On March 11th , 1945, Von Rundstedt was stripped of his function for the last time, due to the successful crossing of the undamaged railway bridge across the Rhine at Remagen by American troops. Moreover, there were arguments with the O.K.W. about the tactic to be applied. After his discharge, Von Rundstedt sat watching idly until the end of the war.

In May 1945, near Bad Tölz, the field marshal was taken prisoner by the Americans and handed over to Great Britain. He spent more than three years in prison and appeared before the military tribunal in Nuremberg as a witness, making an impression by his dignified attitude. Although he had been involved in most military campaigns on the highest level, the British never seemed to have considered bringing any charge against him.

Gerd von Rundstedt returned to west Germany in 1951. He passed away on February 24th, 1953 in Hannover.

Source :
Messenger, Charles. *The Last Prussian: A Biography of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, 1875–1953*. London: Brassey's, 1991.
Liddell Hart, B.H. *The German Generals Talk*. New York: William Morrow, 1948.
Mitcham, Samuel W. *Hitler's Field Marshals and Their Battles*. New York: Stein and Day, 1989.
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerd_von_Rundstedt
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/12464/Rundstedt-Gerd-von.htm
https://grokipedia.com/
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.geni.com/

Bio of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (1887-1973)

Full name: Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski genannt von Manstein
Nickname: none

Date of Birth: November 24, 1887 in Berlin (German Empire)
Date of Death: June 9, 1973 in Irschenhausen, Bavaria (West Germany)

Religion: Protestant
Parents: Eduard von Lewinski (1829-1906, General der Artillerie) and Helene von Sperling (1847-1910)
Siblings: Nine older siblings, including Agnes Auguste Louise Marie von Lewinski (born 1860), Staats August Friedrich Eduard von Lewinski (1863-1906), August Alfred Friedrich von Lewinski (1866-1957), Philippine von Lewinski (1869-1958), Oscar Eugen Alfred Edwin von Lewinski (1873-1913); exact full list of names not fully documented, as he was the tenth child
Spouse: Jutta Sibylle von Loesch (1896-1966, married June 10, 1920)
Children: Gisela von Manstein (born 1921), Gero Erich Sylvester von Manstein (born December 31, 1922; died October 29, 1942, on the Eastern Front as a Leutnant), Rudiger von Manstein (born 1929)

Promotions:
Fahnrich (March 6, 1906)
Leutnant (January 27, 1907; Patent June 14, 1905)
Oberleutnant (June 19, 1912)
Hauptmann (July 24, 1915)
Major (1927; Rangdienstalter February 1, 1927)
Oberstleutnant (April 1, 1931)
Oberst (December 1, 1933)
Generalmajor (October 1, 1936)
Generalleutnant (April 1, 1939)
General der Infanterie (June 1, 1940)
Generaloberst (March 7, 1942)
Generalfeldmarschall (July 1, 1942)

Career:
1906-1914: Service in 3. Garde-Regiment zu Fuss, including as Bataillonsadjutant and Kriegsakademie training
1914-1918: World War I service, including adjutant roles, staff positions, wounded in November 1914
1919-1932: Reichswehr staff roles, including Gruppenkommando 2, 5. Infanterie-Regiment, 2. and 4. Division, Infanteriefuhrer IV, Reichswehrministerium T1
1932-1934: Kommandeur II. (Jager) Bataillon, 4. Infanterie-Regiment
1934-1935: Chef des Stabes, 3. Division
1935-1936: Leiter Operations-Abteilung, Generalstab des Heeres
1936-1938: Oberquartiermeister I, Generalstab des Heeres
1938-1939: Kommandeur 18. Infanterie-Division
1939: Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Sud (Poland), then Heeresgruppe A (planning Fall Gelb)
1940: Kommandierender General XXXVIII. Armeekorps (France)
1941: Kommandierender General LVI. Armeekorps (mot.) (Barbarossa)
1941-1942: Oberbefehlshaber 11. Armee (Crimea, Sevastopol)
1942-1944: Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Don/Sud
1944-1945: Retired
1949-1953: Imprisoned after war crimes trial
1950s: Advisor to Bundeswehr

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz (1914) 2. Klasse
Eisernes Kreuz (1914) 1. Klasse
Ritterkreuz des Koniglichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
Ritterkreuz, Erste Klasse des Friedrich-Ordens mit Schwertern
Hanseatenkreuz (Hamburg)
Verwundetenabzeichen (1918) in Schwarz
Ehrenkreuz des Weltkrieges 1914/1918
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 1. Klasse
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz (1939) 2. Klasse (September 16, 1939)
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz (1939) 1. Klasse (September 21, 1939)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (July 19, 1940) als General der Infanterie und Kommandierender General XXXVIII. Armeekorps. This award recognized his significant contributions to the german successes in the west, particularly in the battles along the somme, seine, and loire rivers. as chief of staff for heeresgruppe a, manstein had played a pivotal role in planning the sickle cut strategy that facilitated the rapid defeat of allied forces, though hitler claimed credit for the plan. during the actual operations, his corps achieved the first breakthrough east of amiens and was the first unit to reach and cross the seine river, demonstrating exceptional leadership in the foremost lines and contributing to the overall outstanding military success of the invasion.
Ordinul Mihai Viteazul Clasa a 3-a (November 25, 1941 als General der Infanterie und Kommandeur 11. Armee)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #209 (March 14, 1943) als Generalfeldmarschall und Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Sud). This award was for his masterful execution of the backhand blow counteroffensive during the third battle of kharkov in february-march 1943. following the disaster at stalingrad, soviet forces had advanced rapidly, creating a dangerous gap in the german lines. manstein reorganized his depleted forces, allowed the soviets to overextend their supply lines, and then launched a decisive counterattack on february 20. his troops recaptured kharkov on march 14 after intense street fighting, destroyed three soviet armies, forced three others to retreat, and stabilized the southern front. the operation inflicted heavy losses on the soviets, including over 23,000 killed and 615 tanks captured by early march, preventing the collapse of the eastern front and regaining substantial territory. this feat is often referred to as mansteins miracle.
Krimschild in Gold (November 24, 1943 als Generalfeldmarschall)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #59 (March 30, 1944) als Generalfeldmarschall und Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Sud. This award acknowledged his skilled command during the prolonged defensive operations and retreats in ukraine from july to december 1943, amid overwhelming soviet pressure. facing multiple soviet offensives, manstein orchestrated withdrawals to the dnieper line, authorized by hitler on september 15, 1943, and conducted counterattacks near bohodukhiv and okhtyrka in august. despite eventual encirclements like the kamenets-podolsky pocket and heavy losses, his leadership sustained army group south, implementing scorched-earth tactics in a 20-30 kilometer zone to deny resources to the enemy. the award came ironically on the same day hitler relieved him of command due to strategic disagreements, highlighting mansteins ability to maintain cohesion against superior forces.
Verwundetenabzeichen (1939) in Gold
Funfmalige Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht (October 11, 1941; October 12, 1941; October 31, 1941; May 19, 1942; May 20, 1942; July 2, 1942; March 20, 1943; August 4, 1943)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Erich von Manstein was born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski on 24 November 1887 in Berlin, the tenth child of Prussian artillery general Eduard von Lewinski and his wife Helene von Sperling. His family had deep roots in the Prussian nobility, with his father descending from a line that included Polish and Kashubian ancestry, bearing the Brochwicz coat of arms. Due to his biological aunt and uncle, Hedwig and Georg von Manstein, being childless, he was adopted at birth and took their surname, growing up in a household steeped in military tradition. His adoptive grandfather, Albrecht Gustav von Manstein, had commanded a corps during the Franco-Prussian War, while his maternal grandfather, Oskar von Sperling, served as chief of staff in the First Army. Notably, his uncle was Paul von Hindenburg, who later became a field marshal and President of Germany. With sixteen relatives on each parental side serving as officers, many achieving general rank, Manstein's early environment was profoundly shaped by the Prussian military ethos. He attended the Imperial Lyzeum in Strasbourg from 1894 to 1899, followed by the cadet corps in Plön and Groß-Lichterfelde, where he excelled in academics and leadership. Commissioned as an ensign in the Third Foot Guards Regiment in March 1906, he was promoted to lieutenant in January 1907 and began training at the Prussian War Academy in October 1913, completing only the first year before the outbreak of World War I.

World War I saw Manstein serving on both the Western and Eastern Fronts, beginning as a lieutenant in the 2nd Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment during the invasion of Belgium, where he participated in the capture of Namur in August 1914. Transferred to East Prussia in September, he fought in the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes under Hindenburg's Eighth Army and later with the Ninth Army advancing toward Warsaw. On 16 November 1914, during a retreat, he sustained severe wounds from a bullet that struck his left shoulder, knee, and sciatic nerve, requiring six months of recovery in hospitals in Beuthen and Wiesbaden. Returning to duty in June 1915 as an assistant general staff officer with the 10th Army under Max von Gallwitz, he was promoted to captain and gained extensive experience in offensives across Poland, Lithuania, Montenegro, and Albania. By early 1916, he was stationed near Verdun, later serving as a staff supply officer under Fritz von Below at the Somme, witnessing the harsh winter withdrawals to the Hindenburg Line in 1916-1917. In October 1917, he became chief of staff for the 4th Cavalry Division in Riga, and following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, he transferred to the 213th Infantry Division near Reims, ending the war as a captain without full general staff training, having earned decorations for bravery including the Iron Cross First and Second Class.

The interwar period marked a time of personal and professional development for Manstein. In 1920, he married Jutta Sibylle von Loesch, the daughter of a Silesian landowner, after a brief courtship of three days; the couple had three children—a daughter Gisela born in 1921, and sons Gero born in 1922, who would later die as a lieutenant on the Eastern Front in 1942, and Rüdiger born in 1929. Remaining in the military after the war, he volunteered for a staff position in Breslau until 1919 and contributed to restructuring the Imperial Army into the Reichswehr, which was capped at 100,000 men under the Treaty of Versailles; he was among the 4,000 officers retained. Serving as company commander in the 5th Prussian Infantry Regiment from 1921, he held staff roles in Wehrkreiskommando II and IV, teaching military history and tactics until 1927. Promoted to major on 1 February 1927, he joined the General Staff at the Ministry of the Reichswehr in Berlin, working on mobilization plans and visiting foreign militaries. Advanced to lieutenant colonel, he commanded a light infantry battalion in the 4th Infantry Regiment until 1934. Following the Nazi rise to power in 1933 and the initiation of rearmament in defiance of Versailles, he became chief of staff for the 3rd Division under Erwin von Witzleben in February 1934. By 1 July 1935, he led the Operations Branch of the Army General Staff at the OKH, influencing plans like Fall Rot for defense against France and advocating for Sturmgeschütze assault guns, which became vital in World War II. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 4 February 1938, he commanded the 18th Infantry Division in Liegnitz but was passed over for Chief of the Army General Staff in favor of Franz Halder, breeding resentment. On 20 April 1939, he delivered a speech at Hitler's 50th birthday, praising the leader while warning of potential encirclement by hostile powers.

At the onset of World War II, Manstein was appointed Chief of Staff to Gerd von Rundstedt's Army Group South on 18 August 1939 for the invasion of Poland, known as Fall Weiß. He devised a plan concentrating armored forces in the 10th Army for a breakthrough and encirclement west of the Vistula, supported by flanking armies, leading to major victories such as the encirclements at Radom from 8 to 14 September and the Battle of the Bzura from 8 to 19 September, resulting in the defeat of nine Polish divisions and Poland's surrender by 6 October. Although he attended a conference on 22 August where Hitler outlined the destruction of Poland as a nation, Manstein later claimed ignorance of extermination policies, despite receiving reports on Einsatzgruppen activities. For the Western campaign, Fall Gelb in May 1940, as Rundstedt's chief of staff for Army Group A, he proposed the innovative Sichelschnitt plan, channeling forces through the Ardennes to sever Allied troops in Belgium; refined with input from Heinz Guderian, it was initially rejected by Halder but adopted by Hitler on 17 February after a document leak. Manstein's XXXVIII Army Corps under Günther von Kluge's 4th Army achieved a breakthrough at Amiens and was the first to cross the Seine, earning him promotion to general and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 July 1940. He also pushed for Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain, which was abandoned after the Luftwaffe's defeat in the Battle of Britain by October 1940.

Manstein's role expanded during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union starting in June 1941, where he commanded the LVI Panzer Corps as part of Erich Hoepner's Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group North. His forces advanced rapidly to the Daugava River in just 100 hours, repelling counterattacks and encircling Soviet units near Luga, though a July offensive isolated his 8th Panzer Division, stalling momentum. In September 1941, following the death of Eugen Ritter von Schobert, he assumed command of the 11th Army for the conquest of Crimea, securing the Perekop Isthmus by November, capturing Simferopol on 1 November, and overrunning most of the peninsula except Sevastopol by 16 November, with around 300,000 Soviets evacuated. Initial assaults on Sevastopol faltered, leading to a siege; the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula in May 1942, bolstered by air support, culminated in Kerch's capture on 16 May and 170,000 prisoners taken. Promoted to field marshal on 1 July 1942 after a massive June artillery barrage and amphibious assault across Severnaya Bay allowed entry into Sevastopol on 1 July, his operations involved cooperation with Romanian forces under Ion Antonescu. However, in Crimea, he provided logistical support to Einsatzgruppe D, facilitating massacres of Jews and others, ignoring appeals to intervene, which later formed the basis of war crimes charges. Transferred to Leningrad in August 1942, he planned Operation Nordlicht to sever supply lines across Lake Ladoga but instead countered the Soviet Sinyavin Offensive from September to October, holding positions without assaulting the city itself.

In December 1942, amid the Battle of Stalingrad, Manstein took command of the newly formed Army Group Don to lead Operation Winter Storm, a relief effort starting on 12 December with three Panzer divisions advancing 48 kilometers by 20 December before being halted by blizzards and Soviet resistance. The tragic loss of his son Gero on 29 October 1942 added personal grief. He repeatedly urged Hitler to permit a breakout of the encircled Sixth Army on 18 December and later to authorize surrender on 24 January 1943, but these pleas were rejected, leading to the army's capitulation on 31 January with over 200,000 fatalities; historians attribute the disaster partly to his unheeded advice and Hermann Göring's failed air supply promises. Facing Soviet offensives like Operation Saturn threatening Rostov, his forces held key positions. By February 1943, redesignated as Army Group South, he executed the "backhand blow" counteroffensive at Kharkov from 20 February, reclaiming territory, annihilating three Soviet armies, and retaking Kharkov on 14 March after fierce urban combat, for which he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. He was awarded the Swords on 30 March 1944. During the Battle of Kursk in July-August 1943, his southern pincer made initial gains but was stopped; Hitler terminated the operation on 13 July due to the Allied landing in Sicily, despite Manstein's protests that reserves could secure victory. Ordered to retreat to the Dnieper in September 1943, he implemented scorched-earth policies, later cited in trials. Soviet advances recaptured Kharkov and Kiev by November, and in January 1944, he advocated further withdrawals, but Hitler refused. Without approval, he orchestrated a breakout from the Korsun Pocket in February and, encircled in Kamenets-Podolsky in March, persuaded Hitler to allow escape, though this led to his relief from command on 30 March 1944.

Following Germany's surrender, Manstein was captured by British forces on 26 August 1945. He testified at the Nuremberg Trials in August 1946, contributing to a document absolving the Wehrmacht of Holocaust responsibility, denying knowledge of Einsatzgruppen or the Commissar Order despite contradictory evidence. Tried in Hamburg from August to December 1949, he was convicted on nine of seventeen charges, including mistreatment of prisoners of war, civilian executions, enforcing the Commissar Order, and scorched-earth tactics, receiving an 18-year sentence reduced to 12 in February 1950. Due to health concerns, including eye problems, and advocacy from figures like Winston Churchill and Konrad Adenauer amid Cold War rearmament needs, he served less than four years and was released on 7 May 1953. In the mid-1950s, he advised the West German government on reconstructing the armed forces, addressing the Bundestag on 20 June 1953 to advocate for a professional army with 18-24 months of service and a robust reserve system. His memoirs, Verlorene Siege published in 1955 and translated as Lost Victories, critiqued Hitler's strategic meddling while emphasizing military operations, largely omitting political and ethical dimensions; a second volume, Aus einem Soldatenleben in 1958, covered his life from 1887 to 1939. After residing in Essen and Bonn, he settled near Munich, where his wife passed away in 1966. Congratulated by the Bundeswehr on his 80th birthday, Manstein died of a stroke on 9 June 1973 at age 85 near Munich, buried with full military honors in Dorfmark, Bad Fallingbostel. His legacy encompasses prestigious awards like the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, reverence as a strategic mastermind, and ongoing debates over his involvement in war crimes and potential perjury.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
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/
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-l-m/
Additional books: Lost Victories by Erich von Manstein (1958); Erich von Manstein: Hitler's Master Strategist by Benoit Lemay (2010); Manstein: Hitler's Greatest General by Mungo Melvin (2010).

Hitler and Mussolini Visited the Eastern Front (Color Film)

In August 1941, as German forces surged deep into Soviet territory during Operation Barbarossa, Adolf Hitler invited Benito Mussolini to witness the triumph firsthand. Between August 25 and 28, the two dictators embarked on a high-profile visit to the Eastern Front—an event immortalized in vivid Agfacolor footage by Hitler’s personal pilot and filmmaker, Hans Baur. The visit was both a diplomatic gesture to reinforce Axis unity and a calculated propaganda display at a time when the Wehrmacht appeared unstoppable.

Hitler and Mussolini flew aboard a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 “Condor”, escorted by Luftwaffe fighters, landing first at Uman, Ukraine—then headquarters of Army Group South under Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. Hans Baur’s color film captures their arrival: the Condor descending on a dusty airstrip, Hitler descending first in his trademark field-grey uniform, followed by Mussolini in his black Fascist tunic and high boots. They were greeted by Rundstedt, General Walther von Reichenau (6th Army), and Sepp Dietrich, commander of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). The Italian entourage included General Alfredo Guzzoni and Count Galeazzo Ciano, Mussolini’s son-in-law and foreign minister, who recorded his impressions of the visit in his diary.

The itinerary took them to several forward areas where Wehrmacht and LSSAH units were stationed. At one encampment near Berdychiv, Hitler showed Mussolini captured Soviet tanks and artillery, while LSSAH troops demonstrated new German equipment. Baur’s color footage shows the two leaders walking through lines of soldiers, Hitler speaking animatedly, and Mussolini—clearly impressed—saluting the men with his characteristic Roman gesture. The mood was one of triumph and confidence; maps displayed on field tables showed German pincers closing around the Dnieper bend, signaling what seemed an imminent Soviet collapse.

A particularly striking sequence filmed by Baur shows the leaders observing a Luftwaffe reconnaissance flight, with General Wolfram von Richthofen briefing them on air operations. Later, at an improvised mess tent, Hitler and Mussolini dined with their generals, toasting the victories and the “brotherhood in arms” of the German and Italian peoples. Mussolini expressed admiration for the discipline and efficiency of the German campaign, reportedly telling Hitler that “the Bolshevik colossus is already crumbling.”

Baur’s color film—bright, almost surreal amid the dust and wreckage—captures a fleeting moment of Axis euphoria. The footage later appeared in Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 573 and Italian newsreels, portraying an image of unity and invincibility. Yet history would soon mock the scene. Within months, the Wehrmacht’s advance stalled before Moscow, and Mussolini’s armies in the East would face disaster. What Baur preserved on film was the last great meeting of Hitler and Mussolini at the height of their power—two dictators standing together on conquered soil, unaware that the road ahead led not to victory, but to ruin.



Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50KRsWppOYA

Ion Antonescu Welcomes Erich von Manstein

Marshal Ion Antonescu (left, Prime Minister of Romania) welcomes Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), who arrived in Bucharest for the awarding of the Crimea Shield (that he himself is wearing on his right sleeve). In the background is General der Artillerie Otto Hartmann (Kommandierender General Sicherungstruppen und Befehlshaber Heeresgebiet A ). The picture was taken on 3 July 1943.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14230&p=1556464&hilit=otto+hartmann#p1556464
https://www.ullsteinbild.de/?82231788017539342720

Hitler's Visit to Heeresgruppe Süd (1942)

Conference at Heeresgruppe Süd headquarters in Poltava on 1 June 1942. From left to right: Generalmajor Rudolf Schmundt (Adjutant der Wehrmacht bei Hitler); Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Oberbefehlshaber 2.Armee); Adolf Hitler; X; Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock? (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd); Generaloberst Richard Ruoff (Oberbefehlshaber 17.Armee); Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht); General der Panzertruppe Friedrich Paulus (Oberbefehlshaber 6.Armee); General der Infanterie Georg von Sodenstern (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd); and Generaloberst Alexander Löhr (Oberbefehlshaber 12.Armee). Map in the background showing the Kursk region.

Conference at Heeresgruppe Süd headquarters in Poltava on June 1, 1942. From left to right: Generalmajor Adolf Heusinger (Chef der Operationsabteilung des Generalstabes im Oberkommando des Heeres); General der Infanterie Georg von Sodenstern (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd); Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Oberbefehlshaber 2.Armee); Adolf Hitler; General der Panzertruppe Friedrich Paulus (Oberbefehlshaber 6.Armee); General der Kavallerie Eberhard von Mackensen (Kommandierender General III.Panzer-Korps); and Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd). Photo by Hitler's personal photographer Walter Frentz

Conference at Heeresgruppe Süd headquarters in Poltava on June 1, 1942. Around the table from bottom to top: Generalmajor Adolf Heusinger (Chef der Operationsabteilung des Generalstabes im Oberkommando des Heeres); Generaloberst Ewald von Kleist (Oberbefehlshaber 1. Panzerarmee); Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht); Adolf Hitler (Führer und Reichskanzler des Grossdeutschen Reiches); General der Infanterie Georg von Sodenstern (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd); Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Oberbefehlshaber 2. Armee); General der Panzertruppe Friedrich Paulus (Oberbefehlshaber 6. Armee); dan Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd). Membelakangi kamera di sebelah kanan adalah General der Kavallerie Eberhard von Mackensen (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps). Photo by Hitler's personal photographer Walter Frentz.

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2015/05/foto-fedor-von-bock.html