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Heinrich Eberbach
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-096-08, Heinrich Eberbach
Eberbach as an Oberst in the Panzerwaffe.
Born (1895-11-24)24 November 1895
Died 13 July 1992(1992-07-13) (aged 96)
Place of birth Stuttgart
Place of death Notzingen
Allegiance German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1914 – 1945
Rank General der Panzertruppe
Commands held Panzer-Regiment 35
5. Panzer-Brigade
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Heinrich Kurt Alfons Willy Eberbach (24 November 1895 – 13 July 1992) was a German General der Panzertruppen in the German Army of 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.

World War I[]

During late 1914 Eberbach fought in France as a corporal, and by February 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant. During 1915 he was wounded twice in France, lost his nose due to a French bullet (a rubber replacement was made) and was captured by the French. In December 1916 he was exchanged for a French prisoner and by 1918 he was posted to Palestine. As he spoke the Turkish language, he served on the staff of the Turkish Eighth Army.

Interwar period[]

During the 1920s Eberbach was an officer in the civilian police in Württemberg and in 1935 joined the German army (Heer). In 1937 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant and in 1938 be became commander of Panzer-Regiment 35, part of the newly formed 4.Panzer-Division under Generalmajor Georg-Hans Reinhardt in Bamberg.

World War II[]

Eberbach participated in the German Invasion of Poland in September 1939 by leading his Panzer-Regiment 35 into battles near Łódź and into Warsaw.

In 1940, still in command of Panzer-Regiment, Battle of France, Oberst Eberbach supported General Manteuffel's offensive across the Meuse River in Flanders then on into Lyon.

Eberbach was still in command of Panzer-Regiment 35 at the start of the June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, being promoteded six weeks later to commander of the 5.Panzer-Brigade in Generaloberst Guderian's XXIV.Panzer-Korps. By March 1942 he had been promoted to Major General and made commander of the 4.Panzer-Division in Tula, Russia. Later he became commander of the XLVIII.Panzer-Korps operating near Kiev.

Heinrich Eberbach uniform

Heinrich Eberbach's uniform (Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster)

In late November 1942 Eberbach was wounded near Stalingrad and hospitalized until February. Shortly thereafter he became Inspector of the Armored Troops in the Home Army, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and promoted to Lieutenant General.

In November 1943 Eberbach became commander of the Army Group Nikopol and fought in battles around Zhitomir in the Soviet Union. In December he incurred a kidney illness and was later made Inspector of Panzer Troops.

In early 1944 Eberbach was promoted to the rank of General der Panzertruppen. During the Normandy invasion, he fought against the British landings along the 'Juno' and 'Sword' beaches. In July he took command of "Panzer Group West" in the Caen area and after a reorganization his unit was redesignated Fifth Panzer Army. In August he formed Panzergruppe Eberbach in 7.Armee during his failed attempt to recapture Avranches and later became commander of 7.Armee itself.

"On or about 1 Aug 44, Gen Warlimont, of OKW, arrived at my headquarters to get a closer view of the situation ... I told him I considered it [the Mortain attack] hopeless because enemy air forces would soon stop the attack .... I further said that in my opinion the only possible solution was an immediate retreat to the Seine-Yonne line." [Heinrich Eberbach, Panzer Group Eberbach and the Falaise Encirclement,US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle Barracks, PA, p. 9,10.] Falaise Gap However, German Gen. Walter Warlimont rejected his withdrawal. On 31 August while out on a reconnaissance patrol, Eberbach was captured by the British at Amiens.

Post World War II[]

Eberbach was held in a prisoner-of-war camp until 1948 and shortly thereafter he became the director of a Protestant charity. During the early 1950s he was active in advising on the redevelopment of the German army: Bundeswehr (see Searle's Wehrmacht Generals).

Awards[]

References[]

Citations
  1. Alman 2008, p. 108.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Alman 2008, p. 109.
  3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 168.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 56.
Bibliography
  • Alman, Karl (2008). Panzer vor - Die dramtische Geschichte der deutschen Panzerwaffe und ihre tapferen Soldaten (in German). Würzburg, Germany: Flechsig Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88189-638-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Battle of the Falaise Gap, G. Florenton, Hawthron Books, 1967.
  • Battle Group! German Kampfgruppen Action of WWII, James Lucas, Arms & Armour Press, 1993.
  • Bravery in Battle, D. Eshel, ppg. 47-48.
  • Hitler's Commanders, James Lucas, 2000.
  • Panzer: A Revolution In Warfare, Roger Edwards.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Searle, Alaric (2003). Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959, Praeger Pub.
  • Thomas, Franz (1997) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 

External links[]

Military offices
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppen Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp
Commander of 4. Panzer-Division
6 January 1942 - 2 March 1942
Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Otto Heidkämper
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Otto Heidkämper
Commander of 4. Panzer-Division
4 April 1942 - 14 November 1942
Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Erich Schneider
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppen Hans Cramer
Commander of XLVIII Panzer Corps
26 November 1942 - 30 November 1942
Succeeded by
General der Panzertruppen Otto von Knobelsdorff
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz
Commander of XLVIII Panzer Corps
22 October 1943 - 14 November 1943
Succeeded by
General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck
Preceded by
Waffen SS General Paul Hausser
Commander of 7. Armee
21 August 1944 - 2 September 1944
Succeeded by
General Erich Brandenberger


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