Gerhard Schmidhuber

Gerhard Schmidhuber

Generalmajor Gerhard Schmidhuber
Born (1894-04-09)9 April 1894
Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Died 11 February 1945(1945-02-11) (aged 50)
Budapest, Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County, Kingdom of Hungary
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1920)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1914–20
1933–45
Rank Generalmajor
Commands held 7th Panzer Division
13th Panzer Division
Battles/wars

World War I


World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Gerhard Schmidhuber (9 April 1894 – 11 February 1945 in the battle of Budapest) was a German generalmajor. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Born in Dresden in the Kingdom of Saxony, Schmidhuber was commanding officer of the Heer's 13th Panzer Division during World War II. When the Germans occupied Hungary in 1944, Schmidhuber was supreme commander of German army forces in that country. In that capacity, he had extensive dealings with the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg and prevented the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in the face of the advancing Red Army. Schmidhuber was killed in action in the Battle of Budapest.

Awards

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
20 December 1944 (addendum)Im Raum von Budapest haben sich in den harten Abwehrkämpfen die Panzergrenadierdivision 'Feldherrnhalle' unter Führung des Generalmajors Pape und die 13. Panzerdivision unter Führung des Generalmajors Schmidhuber, deren Offiziere, Unteroffiziere und Mannschaften zum größten Teil der SA entstammen, durch hervorragende Tapferkeit und Angriffsschwung ausgezeichnet.[5] The Panzergrenadierdivision 'Feldherrnhalle' under the leadership of Generalmajor Pape and the 13. Panzerdivision under the leadership of Generalmajor Schmidhuber, whose officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers are largely comprised from the SA, distinguished themselves by showing exceptional bravery and attacking spirit, in hard fought defensive battles in the vicinity of Budapest.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Thomas 1998, p. 264.
  2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 411.
  3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 380.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 95.
  5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 373.

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. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • 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. 
  • 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

Military offices
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppen Dr. Karl Mauss
Commander of 7th Panzer Division
2 May 1944 – 9 September 1944
Succeeded by
General der Panzertruppen Dr. Karl Mauss
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Hans Tröger
Commander of 13th Panzer Division
9 September 1944 – 11 February 1945
Succeeded by
none
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