Gustav Schmidt (general)

Gustav Richard Ernst Schmidt
Born	24 April 1894 Carsdorf
Died	7 August 1943 (aged 49) Belgorod, Russia
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1913–43
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	19. Panzer-Division
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of Belgium Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Battles of Rzhev Battle of Kursk Belgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Relations	Johannes Mayer (brother in law)

Gustav Richard Ernst Schmidt (24 April 1894  – 7 August 1943) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. 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 recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Gustav Schmidt committed suicide on 7 August 1943 to avoid capture by Soviet troops.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (15 September 1914)^[1]
  • 1st Class (18 October 1915)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (21 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (2 October 1939)^[1]
• Panzer Badge
  • in Bronze
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 22 April 1942 as Oberst in the 19. Schützen-Brigade^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 September 1940 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 742^[3]
  • 203rd Oak Leaves on 6 March 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 19. Panzer-Division^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 267.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 412.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 310.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 59.

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.
• 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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht