Heinrich Borgmann

Heinrich Borgmann
Hitler visiting Heinrich Borgmann in hospital after the failed 20 July bomb, 1944
Born	15 August 1912 Angermünde
Died	5 April 1945(1945-04-05) (aged 32) hospital in Magdeburg
Buried	Waldfriedhof Dahlem
Allegiance	Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Heer
Years of service	1932–45
Rank	Oberst im Generalstab
Unit	Infanterie-Regiment 46
Commands	Volksgrenadier-Division "Scharnhorst"
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Colonel Heinrich Borgmann (15 August 1912 – 5 April 1945) was a German Army officer who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II.

Biography

He is notable for being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and for being seriously injured by the 20 July plot bomb planted by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg at the Wolf's Lair headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia.

Approximate positions of participants at the conference meeting, Borgmann (8) was standing very close to the bomb.

He joined the infantry in 1932 and by the outbreak of World War II was a Hauptmann. He took part in the invasions of Poland in 1939 and France and he was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross ([Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) for his role in the latter campaign on 19 July 1940. Borgmann was then posted to Eastern Front and was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 February 1942 when serving with Infanterie-Regiment 46. He was promoted to major and appointed to the Army Staff at Adolf Hitler's headquarters as an adjutant in October 1943 and was then promoted to Oberstleutnant.

On 20 July 1944 he was standing at the end of the conference table close to von Stauffenberg's briefcase bomb. Generalmajor Rudolf Schmundt and Oberstleutnant Heinz Brandt who were standing to his left and stenographer Heinich Berger to his right were all killed by the explosion, but Borgmann survived with serious injuries. After recovering he was posted to an infantry division as an Oberst. He was appointed commander of the Volksgrenadier-Division "Scharnhorst". Borgmann was killed during a low level air attack on his staff car in April 1945.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (14 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (28 October 1939)
• Infantry Assault Badge (3 October 1940)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 19 July 1940 as Oberleutnant and chief of the 9./Infanterie-Regiment 46
  • 71st Oak Leaves on 11 February 1942 as Hauptmann and commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 46
• Wound Badge 20 July 1944

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)
• Hamilton, Charles (1984). Leaders & Personalities of the Third Reich. Vol. Volume 1. R. James Bender Publishing. ISBN 0-912138-27-0. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (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)
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

External links

• "Heinrich Borgmann". Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45 (in German). Retrieved 9 July 2011.
• "Heinrich Borgmann". World War II Awards. Retrieved 9 July 2011.