Franz Westhoven

Franz Westhoven
Born	(1894-12-07)7 December 1894
Died	9 October 1983(1983-10-09) (aged 88)
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic) Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands	3. Panzer-Division 21. Panzer-Division 2. Panzer-Division
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Franz Westhoven (7 December 1894 – 9 October 1983) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several panzer divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

Westhoven served in the Army personnel office at the start of World War II, where he had been from 1934 to 1940, and then took command of the 1st Rifle Regiment in October 1941 as a Colonel (promoted on 1 November 1939), and led this unit into Operation Barbarossa as part of 1st Panzer Division in Army Group North. In February 1942, he took command of the 3rd Rifle Brigade, which later became the 3rd Panzergrendier Brigade. He was given command of the 3rd Panzer Division on 1 October 1942, and was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 April 1943, but was wounded in action on 20 October 1943.

Returning to active service on 1 February 1944, he served as an advisor under his mentor Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg in Panzer Group West, had two brief deputy commands in France (21st Panzer Division from 8 March to 8 May 1944, and 2nd Panzer Division from 5 May until 26 May 1944), and ended the war in the roles of deputy inspector general of panzer troops (August 1944 – 1945) and commander of tank schools (1945).

Awards

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 25 October 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 3. Panzer-Division

References

Bibliography

• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan (2009). To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1630-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)