Julius Ringel

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Julius Ringel
16 November 1889 - 11 February 1967

Julius Ringel
Nickname Papa
Place of birth Völkermarkt, Carinthia
Place of death Bayerisch Gmain, Bavaria
Allegiance Austria-Hungary, Austria, Nazi Germany
Service/branch Army
Years of service 1905-1945
Rank General der Gebirgstruppen
Commands held 3. Gebirgs-Division, 5. Gebirgs-Division, LXIX Armeekorps, Wehrkreis XI, Korps Ringel
Awards Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

Julius "Papa" Ringel (16 November 1889 - 11 February 1967) was an Austrian-born German General of Mountain Troops (General der Gebirgstruppen). He commanded the 3. Gebirgs-Division, 5. Gebirgs-Division, LXIX Armeekorps, Wehrkreis XI and the Korps Ringel. He was also a recipient of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub.

Contents

[edit] Early career

Julius Ringel was born in Völkermarkt in the Austrian state of Carinthia. In 1905 he was admitted to a military school in Vienna, graduating on August 18, 1909. Following his education Fähnrich Rigel was assigned to the k.u.k. Landwehr Infanterie-Regiment 4 (a mountain infantry unit) and a year later, he was promoted to Leutnant. At the outbreak of World War I, Ringel served with Gebirgs-Schützen-Regiment 2 participating in the operations in Galicia and the Italian Alps where he was taken a prisoner of war in 1918. Upon his return to the newly formed Republic of German Austria, Ringel fought against the troops of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes occupying his native Carinthia. Following the Carinthian Plebiscite and the creation of the First Austrian Republic, Ringel was transferred to the Austrian Federal Army where he rose to the rank of Major in 1930 and became Lieutenant Colonel in 1932. Two years later he was assigned to the 5th Gebirgsjäger-Brigade.

[edit] Service in the Wehrmacht

As a supporter of the Nazi Party, Ringel strongly encouraged the union of Austria with the German Reich and after the Anschluss enthusiastically joined the Wehrmacht with the 3. Gebirgs-Division. [1] On February 1, 1939, Ringel was promoted to a full colonel and became the commander of the Infanterie-Regiments 74. When the war began, he was then assigned to the 268. Infanterie-Division and on October 27, 1939 he took over as a commander of Infanterie-Regiments 266, which he led during the campaign in the West.

On June 7, 1940, Ringel returned back the 3. Gebirgs-Division, becoming its commander on July 14, 1940. He led the division until the end of October, when he was promoted to Major General and received a new assignment; as a commander of the newly established 5. Gebirgs-Division. The division saw its first action in the spring of 1941 in the Balkans Campaign, operations code name Marita and Merkur. Following the operations in Greece, the division distinguished itself on Crete, where it took part in the battles to secure the island from the British. For his outstanding leadership during these operations Ringel was awarded the prestigious Ritterkreuz on June 13, 1941.

In November 1941, Ringel’s division was posted back to Germany for rest and refitting. However, only four months later it was sent back to action on the Eastern front. Ringel commanded the 3. Gebirgs-Division through the operations southwest of Leningrad, where it played a major role in the defeat of the Volkhov Front; an achievement for which Julius Ringel was promoted to Lieutenant General and in October 1943 also received the Eichenlaub to his Knight’s Cross. After nearly two years in Russia, Ringel was ordered to move his Division to Italy and in December 1943 it arrived on the Gustav Line near the town of Cassino. He stayed in Italy for another four months, before he received a new assignment and became a commander of the LXIX Armeekorps in Croatia. In June, Ringel was once again promoted to the full General of the mountain troops and put in charge of the Military District Salzburg (Wehrkreis XVII (Salzburg)) from which the Korps Ringel were formed. He held this appointment until the war's end.

[edit] Summary of his military career

[edit] Dates of rank

[edit] Notable decorations

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Thomas, Wegmann: Die Ritterkreuzträger der Gebirgstruppe, Band 2: L-Z

[edit] References

  • Franz Thomas & Günter Wegmann: Die Ritterkreuzträger der Gebirgstruppe, Band 2: L-Z - Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany, 1994.
  • Julius Ringel:Hurra die Gams!, Die 5. Geb. Div. im Einsatz - Stocker Verlag, Graz, Austria, 1994.
Military offices
Preceded by
Generaloberst Eduard Dietl		 Commander of 3. Gebirgs-Division
June 14, 1940 - October 23, 1940		 Succeeded by
General der Gebirgstruppen Hans Kreysing
Preceded by
none		 Commander of 5. Gebirgs-Division
November 01, 1940 - February 10, 1944		 Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Max-Günther Schrank
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Hans Dehner		 Commander of LXIX Armeekorps
March 31, 1944 - June 24, 1944		 Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Helge Auleb
Preceded by
General der Artillerie Max Grimmeiß		 Commander of Wehrkreis XVII (Salzburg)
January 21, 1945 - May 08, 1945		 Succeeded by
dissolved on May 8, 1945
Preceded by
none		 Commander of Korps Ringel
February, 1945 - May 08, 1945		 Succeeded by
dissolved on May 8, 1945