Harry von Kirchbach

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Harry von Kirchbach
Generalleutnant Harry von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach (1896-1945).jpeg
Birth name Hans Albert Ferdinand Harry von Kirchbach
Birth date 31 July 1896(1896-07-31)
Place of birth Dresden-Neustadt, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Death date 18 January 1945 (aged 48)
Place of death ⚔ Eastern Front
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Military Order of St. Henry (Saxony 1916), Grand Cross.jpg Royal Saxon Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Freikorps Flag.jpg Freikorps
War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1914–1945
Rank Generalleutnant
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Iron Cross
Albert Order
Military Order of St. Henry
German Cross in Gold
Relations ∞ 1921 Caterina Gräfin Wilding von Königsbrück

Hans Albert Ferdinand Harry von Kirchbach (31 July 1896 – 18 January 1945) was a German officer, finally Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) and divisional commander of the Wehrmacht in World War II.

Military career (chronology)

Harry von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach (1896-1945), Reichswehr.jpg
Hans Albert Ferdinand Harry von Kirchbach, 1957 für tot erklärt.jpg
  • Coming from the cadet corps, entered Army Service with the Königlich Sächsisches 1. (Leib-) Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 100 (06 Aug 1914)
  • In the Field with the mobile 100th Leib-Grenadier-Regiment (16 Sep 1914-26 Jul 1915)
  • Adjutant of 4th Section-Commander (16 Apr 1915-09 Jun 1915)
  • Company-Officer in the 192nd Infantry-Regiment (26 Jul 1915-10 Apr 1916)
    • During the storming of Haucourt on 6 April 1916, in the course of the Battle of Verdun, Lieutenant von Kirchbach with outstanding bravery preceded his platoon through heavy machine gun and infantry fire. When his company commander fell, the young officer took control of the company with a firm hand and, after a successful firefight, stormed the village of Haucourt with them. In the village battle he and his brave men broke the resistance of well-covered French riflemen. The company brought in numerous prisoners. For this, he received the Knight's Cross of the Saxon Military Order of St. Henry.[1]
  • Adjutant of II. Battalion of the 192nd Infantry-Regiment (10 Apr 1916-17 Apr 1918)
  • Transferred to the Staff of the 100th Leib-Grenadier-Regiment (17 Apr 1918-30 May 1918)
  • Regiments-Adjutant of the 100th Leib-Grenadier-Regiment (30 May 1918-01 Aug 1918)
  • Battalion-Adjutant in the 100th Leib-Grenadier-Regiment (01 Aug 1918-06 Mar 1919)
  • Ordinance-Officer with the Staff of Army High Command Border-Protection North (Oberkommando Grenzschutz Nord), East Prussia (06 Mar 1919-29 Aug 1919)
  • Adjutant of III. Battalion of the 23rd Border-Jäger-Regiment (29 Aug 1919-10 Mar 1920)
  • Temporary Battalion-Adjutant & Ordinance-Officer with the Staff of III. Battalion of the 23rd Infantry-Regiment (10 Mar 1920-01 Oct 1920)
  • Transferred into the 10th Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-01 Jan 1921)
  • Detached as Educator to the Saxon Cadet-Corps, Dresden (01 Oct 1920-10 Mar 1921)
  • Adjutant of III. Battalion of the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-01 Oct 1930)
  • Detached to Weapon-School-Course in Dresden (01 Apr 1925-15 Aug 1925)
  • Detached to Combat-School-Course in Döberitz (20 Oct 1925-28 Nov 1925)
  • Detached to Transport-Course with the 4th Transport-Battalion (03 Oct 1927-28 Oct 1927)
  • Detached to the 7th Artillery-Regiment (01 Jun 1928-27 Sep 1928)
  • Detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training to the Staff of 4th Division (01 Oct 1928-01 Oct 1930)
  • At the same time, Detached to the 7th Signals-Battalion (01 Jun 1929-30 Sep 1929)
  • Commander of the 1st Company/6th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1930-15 Oct 1935)
    • The 6. Infanterie-Regiment was renamed Infanterie-Regiment Lübeck on 1 October 1934
  • Instructor at the War-School Hannover (15 Oct 1935-26 Aug 1939)
  • Commander of III. Battalion of the 73rd Infantry-Regiment (26 Aug 1939-15 Mar 1940)
  • Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Mar 1940-08 Jun 1940)
  • Location-Officer Hannover (08 Jun 1940-30 Jul 1940)
  • Commander of the 71st Infantry-Replacement-Regiment (30 Jul 1940-1940)
  • Führer-Reserve OKH (1940-05 Oct 1940)
  • Commander of the 408th Infantry-Regiment (05 Oct 1940-31 Mar 1943)
  • Führer-Reserve OKH (31 Mar 1943-01 Feb 1944)
    • At the same time, Detached to Army-Group North (30 Apr 1943-03 Jun 1943)
    • Commanded to the 7th Division Leader Course (15 Jun 1943-10 Jul 1943)
  • Detached to Army-Group North to Represent Wounded & Leave Commanders of Infantry-Divisions (01 Feb 1944-05 Apr 1944)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 214th Infantry-Division (05 Apr 1944-01 May 1944)
  • Commander of the 214th Infantry-Division (01 May 1944-18 Jan 1945)[2]

Death

Generalleutnant von Kirchbach went, like so many (e. g. Colonel Albrecht von Warburg), missing during the Vistula–Oder offensive of the Red Army in January 1945 at the Pulawy Bridgehead, Kielce Area, Vistula Bend and was declared dead by a district court (Amtsgericht) on 19 June 1957 (Amtsgericht Hannover, department 88) with effect from 18 January 1945.[3]

Family

Harry was born the son of Major Hans Karl Albert Alexander von Kirchbach (1869–1918) and his wife Marie Sophie, née Schramm (b. 14 September 1874 in Dresden; d. 9 April 1947 ibid). Harry's grandfather was Generalmajor Hans Adolf von Kirchbach (1834–1903), his great-grandfather was Lieutenant Colonel Hans Carl von Kirchbach (1806–1876), son of Colonel Hans Gottlob von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach (1776–1838).[4] Harry had three younger brothers:

  • Hans Karl Justus Alexander Achim (b. 14 June 1900 in Dresden), merchant, business director in Oslo; ∞ Kristiania/Oslo (Norway) 15 March 1924 Signe Basberg[5] (b. 12 September 1901 in Kristiania), 2 children
  • Hans-Adolf Ralf Karl (7 Janaury 1903 in Dresden), merchant, business director; ∞ Berlin 6 October 1934 Magdalene Saacke (b. 23 December 1908 in Enghien-les-Bains near Paris)
  • Hans Kurt Theodor Christoph (27 May 1907 in Zittau), merchant; ∞ Dreden 8 July 1933 Ruth Edith Reschke from Frankenberg; 2 children

Marriage

On 8 April 1921 in Dresden, 2nd Lieutenant von Kirchbach married his fiancée Caterina "Kitty" Elisabeth Sophie Gräfin Wilding von Königsbrück (b. 6 February 1901 in Dresden; d. 4 February 1994 in Feldkirchen-Westerham), daughter of Ernst Georg August Graf Wilding von Königsbrück, Prince of Radali (1861–1952) and his wife, Sophie Marie Jenny, née von Klenck (1867–1954). They had three children:[6]

  • Maria Willemine Beatrix Marie (b. 25 December 1921 in Freiberg)
  • Hans-Adolf Otto Alexander (b. 16 November 1925 in Dresden)
  • Ehrengard Esther Ingeborg Renate (b. 25 October 1937 in Hannover)

Promotions

  • 6.8.1914 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 9.11.1914 Leutnant without Patent (2nd Lieutenant)
    • 13.2.1915 Patent received
    • 1.7.1922 New rank seniority (RDA) received with effect from 1.9.1915
  • 31.07.1925 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with RDA from 1.4.1925
  • 1.2.1931 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 1.1.1936 Major
  • 1.2.1939 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 17.12.1941 Oberst (Colonel) with RDA from 1.11.1940
  • 1.5.1944 Generalmajor
  • 9.11.1944 Generalleutnant

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ↑ Der Königlich Sächsische Militär-St.-Heinrichs-Orden 1736–1918 – Ein Ehrenblatt der Sächsischen Armee, Dresden 1937
  2. ↑ Generalleutnant Harry von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach
  3. ↑ Hans Albert Ferdinand Harry von Kirchbach
  4. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen Häuser, 1918, p. 475
  5. ↑ Signe was the daughter of Johan Herman Nilsen Basberg (b. 1873) and his wife Ragna, née Olsen (1876–1935)
  6. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen Häuser, 1941, p. 285
  7. ↑ Kirchbach, von, Harry
  8. ↑ Generalleutnant Harry von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach
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