Harald von Hirschfeld

Harald von Hirschfeld
Von Hirschfeld as a Captain
Born	11 July 1912 Weimar
Died	18 January 1945 (aged 32) Duklapaß
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1935–45
Rank	Generalleutnant (posthumously)
Commands held	78. Volksgrenadier-Division
Battles/wars	World War II Annexation of Austria Annexation of the Sudetenland Invasion of Poland Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Rostov (1941) Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of the Caucasus Cephalonia Massacre Battle of Dukla Pass
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Harald Siegwart Hans Lutze von Hirschfeld (10 July 1912 – 18 January 1945) was a German Generalleutnant who commanded the 78.Volksgrenadier-Division during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. 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.

Von Hirschfeld, the son of a Mecklenburg merchant, was largely educated and trained abroad, in South America, Spain, London, and Paris. On 23 October 1935, he voluntarily joined the mountain infantry regiment 98 in Kempten. In September 1943, as a colonel in the 1st Mountain Division, he played a major role in the defeat and subsequent massacre of the Italian Acqui Division in Cephalonia.^[1]

On 15 January 1945, he was promoted to Generalmajor (major general). On this day he was officially put in command of the 78th Sturm Division, which he had unofficially led since 26 September 1944. He was the Wehrmacht's youngest general officer. He dealt intensively with the training and guidance of his men and was often found in the front positions. He was severely injured in an aerial attack at the Dukla Pass and died en route to the field hospital on 18 January 1945 from shrapnel injuries. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general on 10 February 1945.^[2]

Family

Von Hirschfeld was married to Sylvinia von Dönhoff, who later married the former fighter pilot Adolf Galland.^[3]

Awards and decorations

• Anschluss Medal (8 November 1938)^[2]
• Sudetenland Medal
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (1 November 1939)^[4]
  • 1st Class (28 June 1941)^[4]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • Black (23 July 1941)^[2]
  • Silver (23 September 1941)^[2]
  • Gold (2 October 1941)^[2]
• Infantry Assault Badge (25 July 1941)^[2]
• Order of the Crown (Romania) with Swords on Ribbon 5th Class (1 November 1941)^[2]
• Eastern Front Medal (1 August 1942)^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 15 November 1941 as Oberleutnant and chief of the 7./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98^[5]
  • 164th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as Hauptmann and leader of the 11./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98^[6]

References

Citations

1. "Härter als üblich". Der Spiegel (in German). 1969. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
2. Thomas & Wegmann 1993, p. 318.
3. "Adolf Galland". Der Spiegel (in German). 1954. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
4. Thomas 1997, p. 283.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 228.
6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 64.

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 [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1993). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VI: Die Gebirgstruppe Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VI: The Mountain Troops Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2430-3.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.