Georg Ritter von Hengl

Georg Ritter von Hengl
Von Hengel at Petsamo.
Born	21 October 1897 Lailing
Died	19 March 1952 (aged 54) Sonthofen
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1919)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS Heer
Years of service	1914–21 1934–45
Rank	Obersturmbannführer (SS) General der Gebirgstruppe (Heer)
Commands held	2. Gebirgs-Division XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Annexation of Austria Invasion of Poland Operation Weserübung Operation Barbarossa Operation Silberfuchs Operation Platinfuchs
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Police Officer

Georg Ritter von Hengl^[a] (21 October 1897 – 19 March 1952) was a highly decorated General der Gebirgstruppe in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XIX Mountain Corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

During World War I, he had served in the Luftstreitkrafte and shot down a total of 7 aircraft between July and October 1918. From 1921 to 1934, he also served in the German police, reaching the rank of Hauptmann. Georg Ritter von Hengl was captured by Allied troops in May 1945 and was released in 1947.

World War I service

Hengl served initially in Reserve Infantry Battalion Nr. 21 near Ypres in 1914. The following year saw him transferred to the Eastern Front to serve in Russia. In October 1915, he was transferred south to the Serbian sector. He transferred back to France in 1916, to serve near Verdun; on 23 March he was promoted into the officer's ranks as a Leutnant. He then returned to duties in Russia. After requesting a transfer to aviation duty, he started aerial observer's training on 23 February 1918. Upon graduation, he was posted to the Kingdom of Bavaria's FA(A) 295. His usual pilot in the two-seater reconnaissance aircraft was Johann Baur. The duo were credited with six confirmed aerial victories together, beginning with a double victory over SPADs on 17 July 1918 over Courton Wood. The aircrew of Hengl and Baur were shot down behind British lines during the Third Battle of the Aisne; however, they were rescued from captivity by troopers from Württemberg. The pair would score another four victories in October 1918, with Hengl scoring a seventh while crewing for another pilot. ^[1]

Georg Hengl emerged from World War I having been awarded both classes of the Iron Cross and the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. His native Kingdom of Bavaria also bestowed the Military Order of Max Joseph upon him;^[1] one of the entitlements of this decoration was an award of lifetime nobility for him, signified by the addition of the phrase "Ritter von" to one's name. Georg Hengl thus became George Ritter von Hengl.^[2]

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)^[3]
  • 2nd Class (8 May 1915)
  • 1st Class (1 August 1917)
• Wound Badge (1914)^[3]
  • in Black
  • in Silver
  • in Gold
• Royal Bavarian Air Observer badge (4 June 1918)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph^[1] (29 October 1918)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords^[1]
• Military Merit Order, 4th class with Swords (27 August 1917) and 4th class with Swords and crown (September 1918) (Bavaria)^[3]
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Anschluss Medal
• Iron Cross (1939)^[3]
  • 2nd Class (21 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (29 September 1939)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (13 May 1943)^[3]
• German Cross in Gold (20 June 1944)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 25 August 1941 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 137^[4]
• Honour goblet for victory in air combat (17 July 1918)^[3]
• German Reich Sports Badge in Bronze (3 September 1924) and Silver (5 January 1929)^[3]
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st class (2 October 1936)^[3]
• Heeresbergführer Achievement (6 October 1936)^[3]

Footnotes

• ^a Regarding personal names: Ritter is a title, translated approximately as Sir (denoting a Knight), not a first or middle name. There is no equivalent female form.

References

Citations

1. Franks et al 1993, p. 127.
2. The Aerodrome website page on the Max Joseph http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/hengl.php Retrieved 16 February 2013.
3. Miller, Michael. "General der Gebirgstruppe Georg Ritter von Hengl". Axis Biographical Research. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 183.

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.
• Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
• 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

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Georg Ritter von Hengl @ Axis Biographical Research at the Wayback Machine (archived January 25, 2011)