Karl Arndt

Karl Arndt
Born	(1892-03-10)10 March 1892 Groß-Kauen, district of Glogau
Died	30 December 1981(1981-12-30) (aged 89) Balve-Langenholthausen
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1911–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	293. Infanterie-Division 359. Infanterie-Division XXXIX. Panzerkorps
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev Battle of Moscow Battle of Kursk Belgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation Lower Dnieper Offensive Lower Silesian Offensive Upper Silesian Offensive Prague Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Karl Hermann Arndt (10 March 1892 – 30 December 1981) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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. Karl Arndt was captured by American troops in May 1945 and was held until 1947.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (3 October 1914)
  • 1st Class (26 January 1918)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
  • in Silver (31 July 1918)
• Cross of Honor (31 December 1934)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 October 1939)
  • 1st Class (17 June 1940)
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Eastern Front Medal (19 August 1942)
• German Cross in Gold on 2 July 1944 as Generalleutnant in the 359. Infanterie-Division
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 January 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 511
  • 719th Oak Leaves on 1 February 1945 as Generalleutnant and commander of 359. Infanterie-Division
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (22 January 1945)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
22 January 1945	Im Raum von Krakau hat die brandenburgische 359. Infanterie-Division unter Führung von Generalleutnant Arndt durch hervorragende Standhaftigkeit und beispielhaften Angriffsschwung den Durchbruch weit überlegener feindlicher Kräfte nach Süden über die Weichsel vereitelt und dadurch den Aufbau einer geschlossenen Abwehrfront ermöglicht.	In the area of Krakow has the Brandenburg 359th Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant General Arndt shown outstanding steadfastness and exemplary attack momentum and thereby thwarted the breakthrough of far superior enemy forces south across the Vistula and thus enabled the construction of a closed defensive front.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Ritterkrueztraeger 1939-1945
• Karl Arndt @ Axis Biographical Research

Military offices
Preceded by Generalleutnant Werner Forst	Commander of 293. Infanterie-Division 10 January 1943 – 2 November 1943	Succeeded by Unit Disbanded
Preceded by Formed from 293. Infanterie-Division	Commander of 359. Infanterie-Division 20 November 1943 – 25 April 1945	Succeeded by None
Preceded by General der Panzertruppen Karl Decker	Commander of XXXIX. Panzerkorps 25 April 1945 – 8 May 1945	Succeeded by None