Gustav Fehn

Gustav Fehn
Born	21 February 1892 Nuremberg
Died	5 June 1945 (aged 53) Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Rank	General der Panzertruppe
Commands held	5. Panzer-Division Afrika Korps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

General Gustav Fehn (21 February 1892 – 5 June 1945) was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II and was the last commander of the Afrika Corps.

He served in infanterie-regiment 33 from April 1939 - July 1940 and then the 5. Panzer-Division. He was promoted to Generalmajor in August 1940 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In August 1942 he was promoted to Generalleutnant and he served in the XXXX. Panzerkorps until November 1942 when he was promoted to General der Panzertruppe.

He was appointed acting commander of the Afrikakorps in November 1942 and served as its last commander until 15 January 1943 when he was injured in battle against the British. In this capacity he sent a final message to the High Command: “Ammunition exhausted. Equipment destroyed. In accordance with orders received, the Afrika Korps has fought to the last man”.

After he left hospital he served in the LXXXVI. Panzerkorps from July–August 1943, the XXI Army Corps from October 1943 - July 1944 and then the XV Mountain Corps in the Balkans until his surrender to Yugoslav partisans, who shot him without trial on 5 June 1945.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (30 September 1914)
  • 1st Class (27 July 1915)
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg (12 November 1918)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Iron Cross
  • 2nd Class (20 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (12 October 1939)
• Panzer Badge in Silver
• Eastern Front Medal (8 September 1942)
• German Cross in Gold (7 July 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 August 1940 as Oberst and commander of Schützen-Regiment 33^[1][2]
• Ärmelband Afrika

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 178.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 303.

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.