Egon Graf von Schmettow

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Egon Graf von Schmettow
Egon Graf von Schmettow.jpg
Birth name Bernhard Gottfried Egon Graf von Schmettow
Birth date 31 August 1856(1856-08-31)
Place of birth Pommerzig, Kreis Crossen, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Death date 4 August 1942 (aged 85)
Place of death Oberwolmsdorf near Bolkenhain, Province of Lower Silesia, Free State of Prussia, German Reich
Allegiance  German Empire
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Years of service 1878–1918
Rank General of the Cavalry
(Tannenberg-General)
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Red Eagle Order
Prussian Order of the Crown
Iron Cross
Friedrichs-Orden
Pour le Mérite
Relations ∞ 1895 Gertrud von Lösch

Bernhard Gottfried Egon Graf von Schmettow (sometimes Schmettau; 31 August 1856 – 4 August 1942) was a German officer of the Prussian Army and the Imperial German Army in World War I, finally Lieutenant General. On 27 August 1939, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Second Battle of Tannenberg, he received the Charakter (brevet) as honorary General of the Cavalry of the Wehrmacht.

Life

Coat of arms

Count von Schmettow joined the 2nd Silesian Dragoon Regiment No. 8 of the Prussian Army as an officer candidate on 3 January 1877. He was promoted to officer cadet on 7 August 1877 and was commissioned on 12 October 1878 in the 1st Squadron stationed in Oels, Lower Silesia. As of rank list 1880, he was serving in the 5th Squadron in Namslau, as of rank list 1881, he had returned to Oels to the 1st Squadron. As of rank list 1882, he was serving as adjutant of the regiment and would do so until his transfer.

  • 28 October 1884 Transferred to the 2nd Squadron (Posen) of the 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 2
  • Rank List 1889 1st Lieutenant in the 5th Squadron (Posen) of the 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment "Kaiserin" Nr. 2
  • Rank List 1890 Transferred to the 10th Cavalry Brigade in Posen à la suite of the 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment "Kaiserin" Nr. 2
  • 16 May 1891 Commander of the 2nd Squadron/2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment "Kaiserin" Nr. 2
  • Rank List 1895 Commanded to the military training forge (Militär-Lehrschmiede) in Königsberg à la suite of the 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment "Kaiserin" Nr. 2
  • Rank List 1896 Adjutant in the Remontierung or Refurbishment Department (RA) in the Department of Military Economics (BD) of the War Ministry à la suite of the 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment "Kaiserin" Nr. 2
    • responsible for the acquisition of young horses for military purposes
  • Rank List 1899 Commanded to the staff of the 3rd Cavalry Department (A 3) in the General War Department (AD) of the Prussian War Ministry
  • Rank List 1903 Return to the Dragoner-Regiment "König Friedrich III." (2. Schlesisches) Nr. 8 in Oels as head of staff under Lieutenant Colonel von Trotha
  • Rank List 1904 Delegated with the leadership of the 3rd Cavalry Department (A 3) in the General War Department (AD) of the Prussian War Ministry and appointed member of the Cavalry Commission
  • Rank List 1905 Head of the 3rd Cavalry Department (A 3) in the General War Department (AD) of the Prussian War Ministry and member of the Cavalry Commission
  • 16 March 1907 Appointed commander of the 1. Brandenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 2 in Schwedt
  • 21 February 1911 Appointed commander of the 6. Kavallerie-Brigade in Brandenburg an der Havel
  • 20 May 1914 Commissioned as acting Inspector of the 4th Cavalry Inspection in Saarbrücken
  • 27 June 1914 Appointed Inspector of the 4th Cavalry Inspection in Saarbrücken as successor to Lieutenant General Karl Gottlieb Albert von Knoerzer (1858–1932)
  • 2 August 1914 Appointed commander of the 6. Kavallerie-Division, subordinated to the 5. Armee
    • At the beginning of the First World War, von Schmettow was given command of the 6th Cavalry Division, which saw action on the Western Front, primarily in northern France and Belgium. In the autumn of 1914, the division was transferred to the Eastern Front, where it initially fought in Congress Poland as part of the 9th Army under Paul von Hindenburg, as of November 1914 under August von Mackensen. On the evening of November 15, 1914, his large unit pursued the enemy as far as Kutno, which they surrounded and subsequently occupied without infantry support. During the remainder of the campaign, the division fought on the Rawka, Bzura, and Pilica Rivers. In the spring of 1915, it took part in the battles for Przasnysz and later Memel and Tauroggen. In the early summer, it fought at Mitau, then at Schaulen and on the Windau River. At this time, von Schmettow was the commander of the 5th Higher Cavalry Command, which, in addition to his own division, also included the 2nd Cavalry Division.
  • 20 August 1915 Appointed Higher Cavalry Commander 5
  • 20 November 1916 Leader of the Generalkommando (z. b. V.) Nr. 58
    • On this day, he took over the General Command No. 58 on the Eastern Front, newly created from the 5th Higher Cavalry Command. For his achievements, von Schmettow was awarded the military order "Pour le Mérite" on 4 November 1917.
  • 6 February 1918 Appointed Commanding General of the Deputy General Command of the VIII Army Corps in Koblenz
    • After the end of the war, he submitted his resignation, which was granted on 23 November 1918.[1]

Family

Like his famous cousin Eberhard Graf von Schmettow, Egon came from the Silesian noble family of Schmettow. Egon von Schmettow's parents were Bernhard Gottfried Emil Karl Oskar Ferdinand Wilhelm Graf von Schmettow (1818–1889), son of Bernhard Philipp Gottfried Graf von Schmettow (1787–1872), Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) and member of the Prussian House of Lords, and Marie Charlotte Friederike, née von Raumer (1821–1886).[2] He had six siblings, four sisters and two brothers:

  • Bernhard Gottfried Karl (1846–1912)
  • Bernhard Gottfried Willibald Franz Wilhelm (b. 5 June 1848; d. 1 December 1927[3])
    • Major General of the Cavalry (promoted 17.2.1903), Iron Cross in the German-Franco War, commander of the 12. Kavallerie-Brigade (from 18.4.1901, retired 14.6.1904), Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter on 22 February 1886 as Rittmeister and Squadron Commander in the Pommersches Kürassier-Regiment "Königin" Nr. 2), later Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter in 1896) of the Johanniter-Orden and lord of the manor (Rittergut Schlesisch Drehnow);[4] ∞ 1878 Marie Anna Valeska Ida Agnes Aglaja von Schmettow von Klinckowström (1854–1938), 3 children

Marriage

On 16 November 1895 in Langhelwigsdorf, Rittmeister Graf von Schmettow married his fiancée Julie Mathilde Gertrud von Lösch (b. 24 March 1871; d. 29 December 1946), daughter of Privy Councillor and District Administrator Johann Leopold von Lösch (also Loesch; 1831–1916). They had two daughters:

  • Marie-Helene "Marlene" (b. 15 August 1896 in Berlin)
  • Gertrud "Gerda" Eveline Felicitas (b. 18 May 1899 in Berlin-Wilmersdorf; d. 11 June 1976)

Promotions

  • 3 January 1877 Avantageur / Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 7 August 1877 Portepee-Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 12 October 1878 Sekonde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)
    • 28 October 1884 received new Patent (rank seniority) from 12 October 1877 when transferred to the 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 2
  • 15 July 1885 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 16 May 1891 Rittmeister
  • 10 September 1898 Major
  • 22 April 1905 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 27 January 1908 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 13 September 1911 Generalmajor (Major General)
  • 20 May 1914 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General)
  • 27 August 1939 Charakter als General der Kavallerie (honorary General of the Cavalry)

Awards and decorations

Militär-Wochenblatt, No. 26, 1927

WWI (excerpt)

References

  1. ↑ Egon Graf von Schmettow
  2. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Gräflichen Häuser, 1898, p. 927
  3. ↑ Militär-Wochenblatt, No. 23, 1927
  4. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Gräflichen Häuser, 1921, pp. 847 f.
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