Mortimer von Kessel
Encyclopedia
Mortimer von Kessel was a Panzer
General
in the German
army during World War II
.
He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in 1914 and was commissioned as a leutnant in the 12th Hussar
Regiment on 22 March 1915 and was awarded the Iron Cross first and second class in World War I
. He was then retained in the Reichswehr
in which he reached the rank of Oberstleutnant
by 1937.
He led a reconnaissance regiment during the Invasion of Poland
in 1939 and was promoted to Oberst
in October that year and appointed as the head of the Army Personnel Department the following month and remained in this post until January 1943, having been promoted to Generalmajor in 1942. When he was moved to the leadership reserve until 8 May 1943 when he was appointed as the commander of the 20th Panzer Division.
On 1 December 1943 he was promoted to Generalleutnant, and for his defence of the Vitebsk
region on the Eastern Front
he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. Then for his actions during the Soviet Summer Offensive of 1944 he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In December 1944 he was appointed commander of the VII Panzer Corps in East Prussia
. On 1 March 1945 he was promoted to General der Panzertruppe
and continued to command the panzer corps until he was captured.
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
General
General (Germany)
General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in 1914 and was commissioned as a leutnant in the 12th Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
Regiment on 22 March 1915 and was awarded the Iron Cross first and second class in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was then retained in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
in which he reached the rank of Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
by 1937.
He led a reconnaissance regiment during the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
in 1939 and was promoted to 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 October that year and appointed as the head of the Army Personnel Department the following month and remained in this post until January 1943, having been promoted to Generalmajor in 1942. When he was moved to the leadership reserve until 8 May 1943 when he was appointed as the commander of the 20th Panzer Division.
On 1 December 1943 he was promoted to Generalleutnant, and for his defence of the Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
region on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The 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...
. Then for his actions during the Soviet Summer Offensive of 1944 he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In December 1944 he was appointed commander of the VII Panzer Corps in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
. On 1 March 1945 he was promoted to General der Panzertruppe
General der Panzertruppe
General der Panzertruppe was a rank of German Army General introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1935. As the commander of a Panzer Corp this rank corresponds to a US Army Lieutenant-General...
and continued to command the panzer corps until he was captured.
Awards
- 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 (27 March 1915)
- 1st Class (25 September 1917)
- 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...
- 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 (5 July 1943)
- 1st Class (23 July 1943)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight'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 28 December 1943 as Generalmajor and commander of 20. Panzer-Division
- 611th Oak Leaves on 16 October 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 20. Panzer-Division