Adelbert Schulz

Adelbert Schulz
Adelbert Schulz
Born	20 December 1903 Berlin
Died	28 January 1944 (aged 40) Shepetivka
Buried at	German War Cemetery at Starokostiantyniv
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1935–44
Rank	Generalmajor
Commands held	1./Panzer-Regiment 25 I./Panzer-Regiment 25 Panzer-Regiment 25 7th Panzer Division
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Third Battle of Kharkov Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

Adelbert Schulz (20 December 1903 – 28 January 1944) was a Generalmajor (Brigadier General) and division commander in the German Army during World War II. He was one of 27 people to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten) and one of the youngest German Generals. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. At the time of its presentation to Schulz it was Germany's highest military decoration.^{[Note 1]}

Early life

Adelbert Schulz was born on 20 December 1903 in Berlin, the son of a civil servant (Beamter). He graduated from a Berliner Realgymnasium (secondary school) with his Abitur and took on an apprenticeship at a bank. To fulfill his ambition in becoming a bank director he attended a merchant college (Handelshochschule) from 1923 to 1924. In December 1925 he changed his mind and joined the Prussian police force at the Police school (Polizeischule) in Brandenburg. After completing his training in 1927 he was promoted to Polizeiwachtmeister and after eight years on 20 April 1934 of service was promoted to Polizeileutnant (second lieutenant) in Berlin. On 1 October 1935 Schulz transferred from the Police (preußischen kasernierten Landespolizei) to the German Army as an Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).^[1]

World War II

Schulz's unit took part in the occupations of Austria and the Sudetenland. During the western campaign and in 1940 was promoted to captain. He participated in the invasion of Belgium, attacks on French and British positions and assisted in the breakthrough to Cherbourg, serving under General Erwin Rommel. On the 29 September 1940 he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). He was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross on 31 December 1941. On 6 August 1943 he received the Swords to his Knight's Cross and was promoted to Colonel. On 9 January 1944, he received Diamonds to his Gold Cross, was promoted to Brigadier General (Generalmajor) and made commander of Rommel's former division. Schulz was wounded in action in the area of Shepetivka on 28 January 1944, he succumbed to his injuries in the field hospital the same day, having only been in command for less than a month. His death was announced on 30 January 1944 in the Wehrmachtbericht. His rise on the Russian Front was fairly dramatic, as he went from the rank of Major to Generalmajor in less than a year.

Adelbert Schulz just prior to the battle of Kursk on 21 June 1943

A German Army barracks in Munster (Örtze) is named after Schulz.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (24 May 1940)^[2]
  • 1st Class (24 May 1940)^[2]
• Wound Badge in Black^[3]
• Panzer Badge in Gold^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
  • Knight's Cross on 29 September 1940 as Hauptmann and chief of the 1./Panzer-Regiment 25^[4][5][6]
  • 47th Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Hauptmann and commander of the I./Panzer-Regiment 25^[4][7][8]
  • 33rd Swords on 6 August 1943 as Oberstleutnant and commander of the Panzer-Regiment 25^[4][9][10]
  • 9th Diamonds on 14 December 1943 as Oberst and commander of the Panzer-Regiment 25^[4][11][12]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
30 January 1944	... In diesen Kämpfen fand an der Spitze seiner Division der vor wenigen Tagen vom Führer mit der höchsten Tapferkeitsauszeichnung beliehene Kommandeur einer Panzerdivision Generalmajor Schulz den Heldentod. Mit ihm verliert das Heer einen seiner besten Offiziere, die Panzerwaffe einen vorbildlichen Kommandeur[13]	... The commander of an armoured division Brigadier General Schulz, who received the highest award for bravery from the Führer a few days ago, found at the head of his division a heroic death in this combat. With him the army loses one of his best officers, the armoured force an exemplary commander.

Notes

1. In 1943, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign, in the military order of the Third Reich. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds as the highest military order was surpassed on 29 December 1944 by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).

References

Citations

1. Kurowski 2008, p. 22.
2. Kurowski 2008, p. 156.
3. Berger 1999, p. 327.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 690.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 392.
6. Von Seemen 1976, p. 312.
7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 56.
8. Von Seemen 1976, p. 26.
9. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 41.
10. Von Seemen 1976, p. 15.
11. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 37.
12. Von Seemen 1976, p. 12.
13. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 21.

Bibliography

• Alman, Karl (2008). Panzer vor - Die dramtische Geschichte der deutschen Panzerwaffe und ihre tapferen Soldaten (in German). Würzburg, Germany: Flechsig Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88189-638-2.
• Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Fraschka, Günther (1994). Knights of the Reich. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military/Aviation History. ISBN 978-0-88740-580-8.
• Kurowski, Franz (2008). Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz Mit der 7. Panzerdivision in West und Ost (in German). Flechsig Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88189-767-9.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color III Radusch – Zwernemann] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-22-5.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
• Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4.
• Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-644-7.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Adelbert Schulz @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht