Albrecht Schubert

Albrecht Schubert
Born 23 June 1886
Glatz
Died 26 November 1966 (aged 80)
Bielefeld
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1904–45
Rank General der Infanterie
Commands held 44. Infanterie-Division
XXIII. Armeekorps
Battles/wars

World War I
World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Albrecht Schubert (23 June 1886 – 26 November 1966) was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Life and career

Born 23 June 1886 in Glatz (modern Kłodzko, Poland, then in German Silesia), in a family of long Silesian ancestry.[1] In 1904 he joined the Imperial German Army and initially served with the Magdeburg-based 2nd 'Prinz Louis von Preussen' Infantry Regiment.[1] By the time of the outbreak of World War I he rose to the rank of Lieutenant.[1]

Promoted to the rank of Captain in 1914, during the war he served with the 1st Grenadier Regiment, 21st Reserve Brigade, 4th Landwehr Division, 11th Infantry Division and as a staff officer in the 202nd Infantry Division.[1] After the war he remained within the Reichswehr and served in Stettin in the 2nd Division, and then in the 8th 'Prussian' Infantry Regiment.[1] Promoted to Major in 1926, to Lt. Colonel in 1931 and to full Colonel in 1933.[1] Three years later he became the commanding officer of the 12th Infantry Regiment.[1] Following Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Schubert's career was fast-tracked. In April 1936 he was promoted to the rank of Major general and already in March 1938 he became a Lieutenant General.[1] The following month he became the commanding officer of the 44th Infantry Division, with which he took part in the initial stages of World War II.[1]

During the joint Nazi and Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 his unit took part in the fights as part of the 14th Army.[1] After the end of hostilities in October 1939 he was temporarily withdrawn to the personal reserve of the OKH, but was soon reinstated to active service as a provisional commanding officer of the XXIII Army Corps, with which he took part in the battle of France of 1940.[1]

Shortly before the start of Operation Barbarossa, Schubert was promoted to the rank of General of the Infantry and his corps was relocated to East Prussia.[1] Already in September 1941 he was awarded with the Ritterkreuz.[1] In May 1942 he temporarily commanded the entire 9th Army, but was again withdrawn from active service in the summer of that year.[1] It was not until the following year that he was given the command over the Hannover-based XI Army Corps.[1] Until the end of World War II he served on various staff positions in Vienna, away from the front.[1] Schubert survived the war and died 26 November 1966 in Bielefeld, Germany.[1]

Awards and decorations

References

Citations
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Pietrucha, p. 1
  2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 316.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • 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 [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.
  • Dariusz Pietrucha (2012). "Gen. leut. Albrecht Schubert (1886-1966)". www.muzeum-slask1939.pl (in Polish). Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Zabytków Fortyfikacji "Pro Fortalicium". Retrieved 2013-09-10.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
None
Commander of 44. Infanterie-Division
1 April 1938 – 1 October 1939
Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Friedrich Siebert
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Erich Raschick
Commander of XXIII. Armeekorps
26 October 1939 – 25 July 1942
Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Carl Hilpert