Helmut Thumm

Helmut Thumm
Born	25 August 1895 Ravensburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Died	13 July 1977 (aged 81) Welzheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	Infanterie-Regiment 56 Jäger-Regiment 56
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Helmut Thumm (25 August 1895 – 13 July 1977) was a German general of infantry, serving during World War II. Born in Ravensburg, Thumm entered service in World War I on August 8, 1914, and earned his commission as a Leutnant on August 2, 1915 in the 125th Infantry Regiment.

Thumm was promoted to Oberst in October 1941, Generalmajor in March 1943, Generalleutnant in September 1943, and General der Infanterie in January 1945.

Thumm commanding the following formations:

I. Bataillon, 75. Infanterie-Regiment on October 1, 1938
56. Jäger-Regiment on June 13, 1940
5th Jäger Division on January 4, 1943
LXIV. Armeekorps on November 1, 1944

After pulling Hitler Youth teenagers out of the front lines against orders from above, he was relieved of his command of the LXIV. Armeekorps on January 20, 1945. Captured at the end of the war, Thumm spent some two and half years in an Allied POW camp. Thumm died in 1977 in Welzheim.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (26 August 1915)^[1]
  • 1st Class (3 July 1918)^[1]
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 1st Class
• Sudetenland Medal
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (3 June 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (13 June 1940)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 30 June 1941 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Infantry Regiment 56^[2]
  • 166th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as Oberst and commander of Jäger Regiment 56^[3]
• Mention in the Wehrmachtbericht (5 July 1941)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Sunday, 5 July 1941	In den Kämpfen im Osten zeichneten sich Oberst Buck und Oberstleutnant Thumm, Kommandeure von Infanterieregimentern sowie die Oberleutnante Pelikan in einer Sturmgeschützabteilung, Heine in einer Radfahrkompanie und Xanke in einem Infanterieregiment durch besondere Tapferkeit aus.[4]	In the battles in the east Oberst Buck and Oberstleutnant Thumm, commanders of infantry regiments as well as Oberleutnante Pelikan in a Sturmgeschützabteilung, Heine of a Radfahrkompanie and Xanke in an infantry regiment distinguished themselves through exceptional bravery.

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 379.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 422.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 64.
4. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 607

Bibliography

• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
• 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.
• 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

• Helmut Thumm @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Helmut Thumm @ ISLAND FARM SPECIAL CAMP: XI POWS HELD AT BRIDGEND