Heinrich Trettner

Heinrich Trettner
Born 19 September 1907(1907-09-19)
Minden
Died 18 September 2006(2006-09-18) (aged 98)
Mönchengladbach
Allegiance Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany (to 1945)
West Germany
Service/branch Heer
Condor Legion
Luftwaffe
Years of service 1925–1945
1956–1966
Rank General
Unit 7. Flieger-Division
Commands held 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division
Battles/wars

Spanish Civil War
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Great Cross of Merit with Star and shoulder ribbon
Other work Bundeswehr

Heinrich "Heinz" Trettner (19 September 1907 – 18 September 2006) was a German general serving during World War II and from 1964 to 1966 Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. He was also 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. He was the last living general of the Wehrmacht.

Contents

Spanish Civil War

After completing the third course at the 2nd Luftkriegsschule (Air Warfare School) in Berlin, Trettner joined the Condor Legion and served as adjutant and IIa to Generalmajor Hugo Sperrle and Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen during the Spanish Civil War. On 2 October 1937 he was made Staffelkapitän of 1./K 88.[1]

Second World War

At the start of the war Trettner was serving as Staff Officer, Operations (Ia) in the Staff of the 7th Fliegerdivision until 14 June 1939. At the same time Trettner was assigned as an advisor with the Fallschirmjäger Inspectorate from 1 January 1939 to 14 December 1940. During the Polish and French campaigns he served as the Chief Of Operations in the Staff of the 7th Fliegerdivision until 14 December 1940. He was later appointed Chief Of Operations in the Staff of the XI. Fliegercorps (15 December 1940 to 6 April 1942), taking part in the airborne operation on Crete. For this he was promoted to Chief of Staff of the XI. Fliegercorps, but on 4 October 1943 was reassigned to head formation and become Commanding Officer of the 4th Fallschirmjäger-Division, a command he held until 3 May 1945 when he was taken prisoner by US troops. He was later transferred to the British Army POW camp in UK, and remained incarcerated until 12 April 1948.[2]

Post World War II

Heinrich Trettner was released as a prisoner of war in April 1948 and worked initially for the Diözesan-Caritasverband. He completed his merchant apprenticeship with "Vaupel Sohn", a glass retailer Düsseldorf, in May 1949. He then enrolled at the University of Bonn and studied Economics and Jurisprudence, and received his diploma in Economics in 1956.

Immediately after he received his diploma Heinrich Trettner then joined the Bundeswehr. He was then transferred to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe SHAPE in Paris serving as commander of the logistics department until 15 September 1959.

As Inspector General, Trettner apparently had a poor relationship with Karl Gumbel, the civilian Deputy Minister of Defence, and objected to taking orders from a civil servant, Gumbel, in the absence of the Minister. He was also opposed to a ruling by the Minister, in the face of a court order, that members of the military could join a union. These factors led to his resignation, which nearly coincided with that of Werner Panitzki, the chief of staff of the Luftwaffe.[3]

Heinrich Trettner died one day before his 99th birthday. He was the last living general of the Wehrmacht.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ^ Kurowski 1995, p. 251.
  2. ^ Heinrich Trettner
  3. ^ Hermann Hagena (May/June 1967). "Civilian Control in the German Armed Forces". Air University Review (United States Air Force). http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1967/may-jun/hagena.html. Retrieved 2008-04-11. 
  4. ^ a b c d e Thomas and Wegmann 1986, p. 328.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Thomas and Wegmann 1986, p. 329.
  6. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 426.
  7. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 88.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger. Schiffer Military. ISBN 0-88740-749-8.
  • 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Thomas, Franz and Wegmann, Günter (1986). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil II: Fallschirmjäger (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-1461-6.
  • Helden der Wehrmacht III – Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2007. ISBN 978-3-924309-82-4.

External links