Ludwig Crüwell

Ludwig Crüwell
Born 20 March 1892(1892-03-20)
Dortmund
Died 25 September 1958(1958-09-25) (aged 66)
Essen
Allegiance German Empire (to 1918)
Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Rank General der Panzertruppe
Commands held 11. Panzer Division
Afrika Korps
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
The title of this article contains the character ü . Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Ludwig Cruewell.

Ludwig Crüwell (20 March 1892 - 25 September 1958), was a German general known for his involvement with the Afrika Korps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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. Legally it was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Ludwig Crüwell.[Note 1] Crüwell was captured by the British on 29 May 1942, after his plane was forced to land.

Contents

Career

Crüwell had became commander of the Afrika Korps on 31 July 1941, answering to General Erwin Rommel, who on the same day took command of Panzer Army Africa, consisting of one infantry and two panzer divisions.

On 29 May 1942, Crüwell was inspecting operations by air in Libya. His Fieseler Fi 156 pilot mistook British troops for Italian soldiers and landed. Although the pilot was fatally wounded, Crüwell survived and was taken prisoner.[1] General Crüwell remained a prisoner and on March 22, 1943, was intentionally placed with another POW, General von Thoma, who during the meeting disclosed intelligence regarding the V-2 rocket and used for RAF Operation Hydra bombing raids on Peenemünde, i.e.; surprise that London was not yet in ruins from German rockets being tested at a 'special ground near Kummersdorf' he had visited.[2]

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Until late September 1941, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves was second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign, in the military order of the Third Reich. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves as highest military order was officially surpassed on 28 September 1941 by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), however the first presentation of the Swords to Adolf Galland was made prior to this date on 21 June 1941.

References

Citations
  1. ^ "A Pilot's Error Leads to Capture," Chillicothe Daily Tribune, June 2, 1942, p.6
  2. ^ von Braun and Ordway III 1975, p. 51.
  3. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 263.
Bibliography
  • Alman, Karl (1998). Ritterkreuzträger des Afrikakorps (in German). Rastatt, Germany: VPM Verlagsunion Pabel Moewig. ISBN 3-8118-1457-5.
  • von Braun, Wernher (Estate of); Ordway III, Frederick I., and Dooling, David Jr. (1985—first edition) [1975]. Space Travel: A History. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-181898-4. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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.

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ludwig_Cr%C3%BCwell Ludwig Crüwell] at Wikimedia Commons
Military offices
Preceded by
none		 Commander of 11. Panzer Division
1 August 1940 - 15 August 1941		 Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Günther Angern
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppe Philipp Müller-Gebhard		 Commander of Afrika Korps
15 September 1941 - 8 March 1942		 Succeeded by
General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring		 Commander of Afrika Korps
19 March 1942 - 28 May 1942		 Succeeded by
General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring