Heinrich von Vietinghoff

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Heinrich Goffried von Vietinghoff (6 December 1887 Mainz - 23 February 1952 Pfrontenried) was a General of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. He commanded the German 10th Army in Italy.

His military career was strongly supported by his parents, Sgt. Hans-Hermann von Vietinghoff and his mother Julia Justyna Kuhn (born Beuth). This early contacts to military life made him joining the army in the age of 15, where he had to lie about his age in the first years.

On 24th November 1938 von Vietinghoff was appointed commander of the 5th Panzer Division and took part in the invasion of Poland under Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. He was promoted to General in June 1940 after which he led the 46th Panzer Corps in Yugoslavia. During Operation Barbarossa he was part of Army Group Centre under General Fedor von Bock. In this time, he had an accident after which he got his nickname "Panzerknacker" (Tank crasher). von Vietinghoff also later served with General Heinz Guderian in the 2nd Panzer Army.

From December 1942 to August 1943 he was Commander-in-Chief of the 15th Army in France. He held various command posts in Italy from 1943 onwards and he succeeded General Albrecht Kesselring as the supreme German commander in Italy on 23 March 1945. He surrendered on 2nd May 1945 and remained a prisoner of war until 1946.

[edit] The General's awards

1. Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross - 24 June 1940
2. Oakleaves (No. 456)- 16 April 1944
3. German Cross in Gold - 22 April 1942
4. Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order - Knight’s Cross with Swords
5. Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) - 23 April 1915
6. Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) - 13 September 1914
7. 1939 Bar to the Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class - 28 September 1939
8. 1939 Bar to the Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class - 21 September 1939
9. Medal for the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941-1942 (East Medal)
10. Saxon Albert Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords
11. Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class
12. Saxe-Meiningen Cross for War Merit
13. Lübeck Hanseatic Cross
14. Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
15. Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-years)
16. Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-years)
17. Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration
18. Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
19. Turkish War Medal (Iron Crescent)
20. Bulgarian Military Merit Order (Officer’s Cross)
21. Panzer Assault Badge (Silver)
22. Wound Badge in Black – World War I

[edit] See also

• Gustav Line
• Operation Shingle