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Karl Freiherr von Thüngen
Born (1893-06-26)26 June 1893
Died 24 October 1944(1944-10-24) (aged 51)
Place of birth Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate
Place of death Brandenburg
Allegiance Flag of the German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio) Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Flag of German Reich (1935–1945) Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Rank Generalleutnant
Commands held 18th Panzer Division
Inspector of the army in Berlin
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Lieutenant General Karl Freiherr von Thüngen (26 June 1893 – 24 October 1944) was a German army officer who was the inspector of the army in Berlin and was executed after the failed July 20 Plot in 1944.

He was born in Mainz. After service in World War I he served in the Reichswehr.

In World War II he served on the Eastern Front, in 1942 and 1943 with the 18th Panzer Division. On 6 April 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

On 20 July 1944, he was appointed by the conspirators as the commander of the defense group III (Berlin) as the successor to the arrested General Joachim von Kortzfleisch.[1] He did not follow the conspirators orders and later took part in the interrogation of Major Hans-Ulrich von Oertzen, a supporter of the plot under his command.

Die fünf Bamberger Reiter

a plaque commemorates the five "Bamberg Troopers"

He was nevertheless subsequently arrested by the Gestapo. He was dismissed from the army by the court of honor and was then tried by the People's Court, sentenced to death by Roland Freisler on 5 October 1944 and shot by firing squad in Brandenburg prison on 24 October 1944.

References[]

Military offices
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring
Commander of 18. Panzer-Division
26 January 1942 – July 1942
Succeeded by
General der Nachrichtentruppen Albert Praun
Preceded by
General der Nachrichtentruppen Albert Praun
Commander of 18. Panzer-Division
24 August 1942 – 15 September 1942
Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Erwin Menny
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Erwin Menny
Commander of 18. Panzer-Division
February 1943 – 1 April 1943
Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben


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The original article can be found at Karl Freiherr von Thüngen and the edit history here.
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