Georg Stumme

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Georg Stumme
Georg Stumme
Born	(1886-07-29)29 July 1886 Halberstadt
Died	24 October 1942(1942-10-24) (aged 56) near El Alamein, Egypt
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1942)
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1906–1942
Rank	General der Panzertruppe
Commands held	1st (Preuß.) Reiterregiment 2nd leichte Division 7th Panzer Division XXXX.Armeekorps Panzer Army Africa
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Georg Stumme (29 July 1886 – 24 October 1942) was a World War II German general most notable for his brief command of the Axis forces at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Biography

Stumme had achieved the rank of Generalleutnant by the beginning of the war. He commanded the 2nd Light Division (later the 7th Panzer Division) in the attack on Poland in 1939. Replaced by Erwin Rommel in 1940, he was appointed as commander of the 40th Panzer Corps, which was sent to Bulgaria and participated in the attacks on Yugoslavia and Greece. In Operation Barbarossa Stumme served under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock. Stumme and his men succeeded in capturing Mozhaisk. He then participated in the attempt to capture Stalingrad.

In June 1942 some German plans were captured by Soviet forces. Hitler blamed Stumme and ordered that he be court-martialed. He was found guilty and was sentenced to five years imprisonment, but von Bock secured his release. Stumme was then sent to North Africa to join the Afrika Korps, which was confronting the British at El Alamein. During the temporary absence of Erwin Rommel, he commanded Panzer Army Africa (combined German and Italian forces) when the British attacked.

Unlike Rommel, Stumme travelled without the protection of an escort and radio car. On 24 October Stumme and Colonel Büchting drove to the front to review the situation. On the way to the command post, the car came into open view and was attacked. Stumme's companion Büchting was killed by a shot in the head. Stumme jumped out of the car and apparently was holding onto the side while the driver drove out of range. He was found along the track the next day, with no wound that could be seen. He was known to have high blood pressure and it was thought he had died of a heart attack.^[1] He was replaced as commander of Panzer Army Africa with the return of Erwin Rommel, while the Afrika Korps was commanded by General der Panzertruppe Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma.

Awards

Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 July 1940 as General der Kavallerie and commanding general of the XXXX. Armeekorps.^[2]

References

Citations

↑ Young p. 250
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 416.

Bibliography

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
Young, Desmond (1950). Rommel The Desert Fox. New York: Harper & Row. OCLC 48067797.

Military offices
Preceded by none	Commander of 2. leichte Division 10 November 1938 – 18 October 1939	Succeeded by 7. Panzer-Division
Preceded by 2. leichte Division	Commander of 7th Panzer Division 18 October 1939 – 5 February 1940	Succeeded by Generalmajor Erwin Rommel
Preceded by none	Commander of XXXX. Armeekorps 26 January 1940 – 9 July 1942	Succeeded by XXXX. Panzerkorps
Preceded by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel	Commander of Panzerarmee Afrika 22 September 1942 – 24 October 1942	Succeeded by General der Panzertruppen Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma

Authority control	VIAF: 80360051 GND: 13592703X

Persondata
Name	Stumme, Georg
Alternative names
Short description	German general
Date of birth	29 July 1886
Place of birth	Halberstadt
Date of death	24 October 1942
Place of death	North Africa

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