Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen

Adolf-Fiedrich Kuntzen
General Kuntzen (kneeling) poses with a Panzerschreck in France in 1944
Born	26 July 1889 Magdeburg
Died	10 July 1964 (aged 74) Hannover, Lower Saxony
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1909–44
Rank	General der Panzertruppe
Commands held	Commanding General of the LXXXI Army-Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

General Adolf-Fiedrich Kuntzen (26 July 1889 – 10 July 1964) was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II who served as the Commanding General of the LXXXI Army-Corps under Erwin Rommel in Normandy in 1944.

Career

He joined a cavalry regiment of the Imperial Army in 1909 as an officer cadet. In World War I he served in the 1st Hussar Regiment as an adjutant, rising to the rank of Rittmeister in December 1917. He was then retained in the Reichswehr where he served as a staff officer and was promoted to Major in 1929 as squadron chief of the 8th Mounted Regiment. He was then detached to study History and Philosophy at Bonn University. He served on the General Staff in the early 1930s and further promotions followed to Oberstleutnant (1932), Oberst (1934) and Generalmajor (1938).

At the outbreak of World War II he was the commander of the 3rd Light Division which became the 8th Panzer Division. In 1941 he was appointed conmmanding general of the LVII Army-Corps. He was the Commanding General of the LXXXI Army-Corps from 28 May 1942 - 4 September 1944 and held this position on D-Day when the corps was based in France. He was transferred to the Leadership reserve on 14 September 1944 and was retired in December 1944.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st class
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 June 1940 as Generalleutnant and commander of 8. Panzer-Division^[1][2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 280.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 485.

Bibliography

• 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.
• 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.

External links

• Adolf Friedrich Kuntzen career chronology (Archived 2009-10-24)