Joachim Lemelsen
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Joachim Lemelsen (September 28, 1888 - March 30, 1954) was a German general during the Second World War.
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[edit] Early Years
Born in Berlin as the son of a German career military officer, Lemelsen entered the German army in 1907. During the First World War Lemelsen served as an artillery officer until 1916, when he was transferred to the staff of the 52nd infantry division. In 1917 he was tranferred to the staff of the commanding officer of the German sea coast, Josias von Heeringen, commanded a battalion and was sent to the staff of the VI Reserve Corps. Lemelsen ended the war as a captain with the Iron Cross First and Second class and the House Order of Hohenzollern.
[edit] Interbellum
After the Armistice, Lemelsen returned to the artillery. He served as commandant of the Artillery School in 1934 and as commandant of the Infantry School in 1935. In March 1938, Lemelsen was given command of the 29th Infantry Division, later motorized, with which he participated in the invasion of Czechoslovakia.
[edit] Second World War
Lemelsen and the 29th served in the Polish campaign and the early stages of the Battle of France. On May 28, 1940 Lemelsen was given command of the 5th Panzer Division with which he participated in the Dunkirk campaign.
On November 25, 1940, Lemelsen was given command of the new XXXXVII Motorized Corps, which he lead in the capture of Smolensk and the battles of Kiev and Bryansk. The Corps was designated a Panzer Corps in June 1942 and participated as such in anti-partisan operations and in the battle of Kursk.
After having commanded the XXXXVII Panzer Corps in Russia, Lemelsen was placed in the Army Leadership Reserve and temporarily commanded the Tenth Army in Italy in 1943. Lemelsen was given command of the First Army, stationed near the Atlantic coast in France in May 1944. Only one month later, upon the fall of Rome to the allies, Lemelsen was transferred to command the Fourteenth Army, with which he fought in Italy from June 1944 until its surrender near the Alps in May 1945.
For his service, Lemelsen was awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.
Released from captivity in 1947, General der Panzertruppen Joachim Lemelsen died in Göttingen in 1954.
