Günther Blumentritt
Günther Blumentritt (February 10, 1897 - October 12, 1967) was a German general during the Second World War, he was instrumental in planning the 1939 German invasion of Poland, he served throughout the war, mostly on the western front, and after the war was called as a witness at the Nuremburg Trials, though he never testified.
Born in Munich, Blumentritt served in the German Army in World War I on the Eastern Front in Prussia. Later, during the interwar period he served under Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, along with his friend Erich von Manstein.
In 1939, Blumentritt was a colonel and Chief of Operations under General Gerd von Rundstedt in Army Group South, while von Manstein was Rundstedt's Chief of Staff. Together, Blumentritt and von Manstein developed an operational plan for the German invasion of Poland, designated Operation Fall Weiss (Case White).
In 1940, Blumentritt also took part in the invasion of France. And the next year, under General Günther von Kluge, he was made Chief of Staff of the German 4th Army.
In 1941, Blumentritt, now a general, was involved in spite of his opposition to the action, with the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He returned to Germany in 1942 as chief of the Operations Department of the German High Command.
In 1942, General Blumentritt was asked to visit the Eastern Front. Afterwards, he suggested to the High Command that the Germans should withdraw from Stalingrad. Hitler rejected this suggestion.
Late in the war, Blumentritt was implicated in the July, 1944 conspiracy within the German Army to kill Adolf Hitler. He was at the time serving as Chief-of-Staff to Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt, Commander-in-Chief, West. This so-called July Plot failed, and resulted in the arrest of several German Army officers. Blumentritt himself was removed from his position, but Hitler did not believe him guilty and therefore Blumentritt was returned to action as a commander in the XII SS corp.
During the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, Blumentritt and his men were pushed back by British troops of XXX Corps under Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks.
In September 1944 he was given command of the XII SS Corps. By the end of Operation Blackcock he was appointed commander of the 25. Armee. In March 1945 Blumentritt briefly assumed command of the 1st Parachute Army and then commanded Army Group Blumentritt. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his dedicated service.
Blumentritt's capture by the British took place on 1 June 1945 in Schleswig-Holstein. He was placed in a British POW camp by December 1, 1945 and was then moved to a U.S. POW camp where he remained from November 6, 1945 until January 1, 1948. He died on October 12, 1967 in Munich.
Awards
- Eisernes Kreuz 2. and 1. Klasse
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub
- Ritterkreuz (13 Sep 1944)
- Eichenlaub (18 Feb 1945)
References
- Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5