Gustav-Adolf von Zangen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gustav-Adolf von Zangen
7 November 18921 May 1964

Place of birth Darmstadt
Place of death Hanau
Allegiance Flag of German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
Flag of Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Rank General der Infanterie
Commands held 15th Army
17th Infantry Division
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Gustav-Adolf von Zangen (7 November 18921 May 1964) was a German general and the commander of the German 15th Army in the Netherlands in 1944 during World War II.

Zangen was born in Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. He was a veteran of World War I, receiving the honour of the Iron Cross and reached the rank of first lieutenant by the end of the “Great War”. He had earlier in the war commanded 17th Infantry Division in Russia, a Corps in France in 1943 and an Army detachment in Italy before being appointed to command the 15th Army on the Western Front. Having occupied the Pas de Calais during the 1944 campaign in France, Zangen was forced to evacuate his army, together with remnants of other divisions, across the Scheldt to the island of Walcheren and South Beveland before deploying his force against the Allied advance into Holland. During the Ardennes offensive, his 15th Army was tasked with fixing the British and US forces north of the Bulge.

  • 1938 - 1941 : Commanding Officer 88th Regiment
  • 1941 - 1943 : General Officer Commanding 17th Division
  • 1943 : General Officer Commanding LXXXIV Corps
  • 1943 : General Officer Commanding LXXXVII Corps
  • 1943 : General Officer Commanding Army Detachment von Zangen, Italy
  • 1943 - 1944 :General Officer Commanding Lower Alps Zone, Italy
  • 1944 : General Officer Commanding 15th Army, the Netherlands

He died in 1964 in Hanau.

[edit] See also

[edit] Awards

[edit] References

  1. Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
This biographical article related to the military of Germany is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Military offices
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Ernst Güntzel
Commander of 17. Infanterie-Division
25 December 19411 April 1943
Succeeded by
Generalmajor Richard Zimmer
Preceded by
General der Artillerie Hans Behlendorff
Commander of LXXXIV. Armeekorps
1 April 19431 August 1943
Succeeded by
General der Artillerie Erich Marcks
Preceded by
General Hans von Salmuth
Commander of 15. Armee
25 August 194418 April 1945
Succeeded by
none