Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild
Encyclopedia
Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild (9 June 1896 – 10 March 1953), born Bruno Hauenschild, was a general in the German Army
.
Hauenschild was born in Würzburg
, Kingdom of Bavaria
. He died in the Bavarian capital, Munich
.
. This award made Hauenschild a Knight (Ritter
) and allowed him to add both this honorific title and the style "von
" to his name.
On 25 August 1941, as a Colonel
(Oberst
) in the 4th Panzer Brigade, he received the Knight's Cross
of the Iron Cross.
From 15 April to 12 September 1942, general Ritter von Hauenschild commanded the 24th Armored Division
. On 17 September 1942, he received Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
In 1943, Ritter von Hauenschild was given command of the schools for armored troops.
(Wehrkreis III or III Corps Area) headquartered in Berlin. He was responsible for the territories of Altmark
, Neumark
, and Brandenburg
. Ritter von Hauenschild commanded the III Military District until 15 March. He was preceded as commander of the III Military District by Infantry General (General der Infanterie) Joachim von Kortzfleisch
. Ritter von Hauenschild was followed by Pioneer General (General der Pionere) Walter Kuntze
.
As the Soviets approached Berlin, Ritter von Hauenschild was also given command of the Berlin Defense Area. He was given this command in mid-April, prior to the actual start of the Battle for Berlin. Ritter von Hauenschild was relieved of command of the Berlin Defense Area on 6 March. He was replaced by Lieutenant-General (Generalleutnant) Helmuth Reymann
.
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
.
Hauenschild was born in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
. He died in the Bavarian capital, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
World War I
Shortly after Germany entered World War I, Hauenschild served as a cadet with the Bavarian 11th Field Artillery Regiment. For his achievements in the First World War, Hauenschild was awarded Bavaria's Military Order of Max JosephMilitary Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
. This award made Hauenschild a Knight (Ritter
Ritter
Ritter is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr"...
) and allowed him to add both this honorific title and the style "von
Von
In German, von is a preposition which approximately means of or from.When it is used as a part of a German family name, it is usually a nobiliary particle, like the French, Spanish and Portuguese "de". At certain times and places, it has been illegal for anyone who was not a member of the nobility...
" to his name.
World War II
At the beginning of World War II, Ritter von Hauenschild rejoined the army as an officer.On 25 August 1941, as a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
(Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
) in the 4th Panzer Brigade, he received the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
of the Iron Cross.
From 15 April to 12 September 1942, general Ritter von Hauenschild commanded the 24th Armored Division
24th Panzer Division (Germany)
The 24th Panzer Division was formed in 1942 from the 1st Cavalry Division based at Königsberg.-Service:It served under the Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group South of the Eastern Front. In late December 1942 it was encircled in the Battle of Stalingrad and destroyed...
. On 17 September 1942, he received Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
In 1943, Ritter von Hauenschild was given command of the schools for armored troops.
Defense of Berlin
On 26 January 1945, Ritter von Hauenschild was given command of the III Military DistrictMilitary district
Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...
(Wehrkreis III or III Corps Area) headquartered in Berlin. He was responsible for the territories of Altmark
Altmark
The Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
, Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
, and Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. Ritter von Hauenschild commanded the III Military District until 15 March. He was preceded as commander of the III Military District by Infantry General (General der Infanterie) Joachim von Kortzfleisch
Joachim von Kortzfleisch
General Joachim Otto August Achatius Kortzfleisch was a German army officer who was the commander of the defense group III and had a role in ensuring the failure of the attempted coup after the July 20 Plot attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Biography:Joachim von Kortzfleisch was born into an...
. Ritter von Hauenschild was followed by Pioneer General (General der Pionere) Walter Kuntze
Walter Kuntze
Walter Kuntze was a highly decorated General der Pioniere in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 12. Armee. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
.
As the Soviets approached Berlin, Ritter von Hauenschild was also given command of the Berlin Defense Area. He was given this command in mid-April, prior to the actual start of the Battle for Berlin. Ritter von Hauenschild was relieved of command of the Berlin Defense Area on 6 March. He was replaced by Lieutenant-General (Generalleutnant) Helmuth Reymann
Helmuth Reymann
Hellmuth Reymann was an officer in the German Army during World War II. Reymann was one of the last commanders of the Berlin Defense Area during the final assault by Soviet forces on the city of Berlin.-Northern Russia:From 1 October 1942 to 1 October 1943, Lieutenant-General Reymann commanded...
.
Awards and decorations
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1914)- 2nd Class (21 May 1915)
- 1st Class (6 December 1917)
- Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with SwordsHouse Order of HohenzollernThe House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
- Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max JosephMilitary Order of Max JosephThe Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
(2 September 1918) - Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
(1914)- in Black
- in Silver
- in Gold
- Cross of HonorCross of HonorThe Cross of Honor, also known as the Honor Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I...
- Anschluss MedalAnschluss MedalThe Anschluss Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:Instituted on May 1, 1938, the medal commemorated the return of Austria to the German Reich...
- Sudetenland MedalSudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (24 September 1939)
- 1st Class (19 October 1939)
- Panzer BadgePanzer BadgeThe Panzer Badge was a German medal awarded to armour troops during World War II. It was introduced during World War II in December 1939 .- History :The Tank Combat Badge, or Panzer Badge, first existed in the German Army during World War I, and was later...
in Silver - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 25 August 1941 as OberstOberstOberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
and commander of 4. Panzer-Brigade - 129th Oak Leaves on 27 September 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of 24. Panzer-Division
- Knight's Cross on 25 August 1941 as Oberst