Adelbert Schulz


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Adelbert Schulz (20 December 1903 – 28 January 1944) was a Generalmajor (Brigadier General) and division commander in the German Army during World War II. He was one of 27 people to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds and one of the youngest German Generals. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. At the time of its presentation to Schulz it was Germany's highest military decoration.[Note 1]

Adelbert Schulz

Adelbert Schulz

Born20 December 1903
Berlin
Died28 January 1944 (aged 40)
Shepetivka
Buried

German War Cemetery at Starokostiantyniv

Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service1935–44
RankGeneralmajor
Commands1./Panzer-Regiment 25
I./Panzer-Regiment 25
Panzer-Regiment 25
7th Panzer Division
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

World War II

Adelbert Schulz was born on 20 December 1903 in Berlin. In December 1925 he joined the Prussian police force. After completing his training in 1927 he was promoted to Polizeiwachtmeister and after eight years on 20 April 1934 of service was promoted to Polizeileutnant (second lieutenant) in Berlin. On 1 October 1935 Schulz transferred from the Police to the German Army as an Oberleutnant.[1]

Schulz's unit took part in the occupations of Austria and the Sudetenland. He participated in the invasion of Belgium, attacks on French and British positions serving under General Erwin Rommel. On the 29 September 1940 he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross on 31 December 1941. On 6 August 1943 he received the Swords to his Knight's Cross and was promoted to Colonel. On 9 January 1944, he received Diamonds to his Gold Cross, was promoted to Generalmajor and made commander of Rommel's former division. Schulz was wounded in action in the area of Shepetivka on 28 January 1944, and died the same day. His death was announced on 30 January 1944 in the Wehrmachtbericht.

 
Adelbert Schulz just prior to the battle of Kursk on 21 June 1943

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
30 January 1944 [... In diesen Kämpfen fand an der Spitze seiner Division der vor wenigen Tagen vom Führer mit der höchsten Tapferkeitsauszeichnung beliehene Kommandeur einer Panzerdivision Generalmajor Schulz den Heldentod. Mit ihm verliert das Heer einen seiner besten Offiziere, die Panzerwaffe einen vorbildlichen Kommandeur] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)[5] ... The commander of an armoured division Brigadier General Schulz, who received the highest award for bravery from the Führer a few days ago, found at the head of his division a heroic death in this combat. With him the army loses one of his best officers, the armoured force an exemplary commander.

Notes

  1. ^ In 1943, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign, in the military order of the Third Reich. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds as the highest military order was surpassed on 29 December 1944 by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.

References

Citations

  1. ^ Kurowski 2008, p. 22.
  2. ^ a b Kurowski 2008, p. 156.
  3. ^ a b Berger 1999, p. 327.
  4. ^ a b c d Scherzer 2007, p. 690.
  5. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 21.

Bibliography

  • Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Kurowski, Franz (2008). Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz Mit der 7. Panzerdivision in West und Ost (in German). Flechsig Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88189-767-9.
  • Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
  • Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4.
  • Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-644-7.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
Military offices
Preceded by

General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel

 Commander of 7th Panzer Division
January 1944 – 28 January 1944 		Succeeded by

Template:KCwithOLandSW Template:KCwithOL Template:Knight's Cross recipients of the 7th PD