Georg von Bismarck

Georg von Bismarck
Georg von Bismarck (right)
Born	(1891-02-15)15 February 1891 Neumühl
Died	31 August 1942(1942-08-31) (aged 51) near El Alamein
Buried	Memorial Gardens at Tobruk
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Heer
Years of service	1910–42
Rank	Generalleutnant (Posthumously)
Commands	Schützen-Regiment 7 20. Panzer-Division 21. Panzer-Division
Battles / wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa North African Campaign Battle of Gazala Battle of Alam el Halfa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Georg von Bismarck (15 February 1891 – 31 August 1942) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was 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.

Career

Bismarck joined the Hussar Regiment "Graf Goetzen" of the 2nd Silesian as a cadet in 1910. During World War I he initially served as a first lieutenant and later as adjutant on the front line of the western front until July 1916. He then was sent to the Carpathian, and later to Isonzo on the southern front. He finished the war serving again on the Western Front.

During the interwar years Bismarck served as an officer in the Reichswehr. In 1938 he was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Cavalry Rifle Regiment 7 in Gera.

At the outset of the Second World War Bismarck again served in frontline service. He took part in the Polish campaign in September 1939, and during the invasion of France in 1940 he commanded the 7th Schützen-Regiment (motorized infantry regiment) of Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division during its dash to the channel.

In 1941 he was promoted to deputy brigade commander, and later to commander of the newly formed 20th Panzer Division. He led the division during Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front as a part of Army Group Centre.

In January 1942 he was transferred to Africa to serve in the Africa Korps as commander of the 21st Panzer Division. Here he again served under the command of his former divisional commander, Erwin Rommel. On 1 April 1942 he was promoted to Major General.

Georg von Bismarck was killed by a mine while leading the 21st Panzer Division in the Battle of Alam el Halfa, 31 August 1942. He was posthumously promoted to Generalleutnant.

Awards and decorations

Bismarck and Rommel discuss dispositions of the 21st Panzer Division while Fritz Bayerlein looks on

• Military Merit Order, 4th class with Swords (Bavaria)
• Knight's Cross of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order (Baden)
• Military Merit Cross, 3rd class with War Decoration (Austria-Hungary)
• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (20 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (1 October 1939)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Panzer Badge
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 September 1940 as Oberst and commander of Schützen-Regiment 7
• Ärmelband Afrika

References

Georg von Bismarck stands before his command Pz III ready to meet Erwin Rommel

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Lewin, Ronald (1998) [1968]. Rommel As Military Commander. New York: B&N Books. ISBN 978-0-7607-0861-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rommel, Erwin (1982) [1953]. Liddell Hart, B. H. (ed.). The Rommel Papers. New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80157-0.
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)