Helmuth Hufenbach

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Helmuth Hufenbach
Helmuth Hufenbach.jpg
Birth name Helmut(h) Georg Hufenbach
Birth date 27 February 1908(1908-02-27)
Place of birth Rüstersiel, Kreis Wilhelmshaven, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date ⚔ 27 March 1945 (aged 37)[1]
Place of death Near Kahlholz (Vistula Lagoon), Kreis Heiligenbeil, East Prussia
Allegiance  Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1925–1945
Rank Generalmajor (posthumously)
Commands held Grenadier-Regiment 667
562. Volks-Grenadier Division
2nd Parachute-Panzer-Grenadier-Division 'Hermann Göring'
Battles/wars World War II
Awards German Cross in Gold
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Helmuth Georg Hufenbach (also Helmut; 27 February 1908 – 27 March 1945) was a German officer of the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, at last Generalmajor of the Heer and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. He must not be confused with Generalleutnant Helmuth Huffmann.

Military career (chronology)

General der Infanterie Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller, Commander-in-Chief of the German 4th Army, commending the leadership and the character of the fallen Helmuth Hufenbach on 11 April 1945
  • Joined the 1. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment (1st Infantry-Regiment) as a volunteer (01 Apr 1925)[2]
  • Appointed Unteroffiziersanwärter or NCO candidate (04 Apr 1928)
  • Detached to NCO-Training-Command (01 Nov 1928-30 Apr 1929)
  • Detached to the Signals-Platoon of I. Battalion of the 1st Infantry-Regiment (01 Aug 1929-31 Oct 1929)
  • Detached to Course for Physical Exercise (Lehrgang für Leibesübungen) at the Heeressportschule Wünsdorf (01 Oct 1930-13 Dec 1930)
  • Detached to Special-Course for NCOs in Arys (01 May 1934-19 May 1934)
  • With the Infanterie-Regiment Deutsch-Eylau, the former 3. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment (01 Jul 1934-01 Oct 1934)
  • Transferred into Infantry-Regiment Marienburg, as of 15 October 1935 known as Infanterie-Regiment 24 (01 Oct 1934-25 Apr 1935)
  • Detached to Course for Troop-Signals-Officers in Jüterbog (01 Apr 1935-29 Jun 1935)
  • Signals-Officer with the Staff of III. Battalion of Infantry-Regiment Marienburg (25 Apr 1935-15 Oct 1935)
  • Company-Commander in the 24th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-01 Oct 1940)
  • Leader/Commander of III. Battalion of the 24th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1940-19 Nov 1940)
  • Leader/Commander of III. Battalion of the 45th Infantry-Regiment (19 Nov 1940-04 Nov 1941)
  • Führer-Reserve - Military-District-Command I (04 Nov 1941-20 Apr 1942)
  • Führer-Reserve OKH (20 Apr 1942-25 Apr 1942)
  • Commander of I. Battalion of the 668th Infantry-Regiment (25 Apr 1942-30 Sep 1942)
  • Führer-Reserve - in Military Hospital after being wounded (30 Sep 1942-25 Oct 1942)
  • Führer-Reserve with the 370th Infantry-Division (25 Oct 1942-01 Mar 1943)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 667th Grenadier-Regiment (01 Mar 1943-01 May 1943)
  • Commander of the 667th Grenadier-Regiment (01 May 1943-25 Oct 1944)
    • Oberstleutnant Hufenbach participated in the defense of the critical Golubiskaja sector (on the northern wing of the Kuban bridgehead) during a Soviet attack on the night of 30 September to 1 October 1943. His success/failure here would be crucial for deciding whether the bulk of the Korps rearguard would reach the crossing point at Illitsch safely. Hufenbach, who was once again wounded, was able to master this critical situation, taking control of troops not originally subordinated to him on his own initiative (1 reserve Bataillon of the Division as well as Sturmgeschütze and Flak) and dealing a sharp blow to the enemy. For his success during this action he would receive the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.
  • Führer-Reserve OKH (25 Oct 1944-22 Jan 1945)
  • Detached to 16th Division-Leaders-Course in Hirschberg (21/27 Nov 1944-19/20 Dec 1944)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 562nd Volksgrenadier-Division (22 Jan 1945-23 Mar 1945)
    • Hufenbach and his 562. Volksgrenadier-Division especially distinguished themselves during the fighting in early 1945 along both sides of the Königsberg—Elbing highway, south of Kobbelbude and in the area north/northwest of Zinten. Hufenbach achieved a particularly noteworthy deed on the 28 February 1945, in the Wesselshöfen-Worwegen area. On this day, his Division achieved an outstanding defensive success, repelling 32 attacks of the Red Army that came in battalion or regimental strength. 30 opposing tanks were destroyed altogether during this defensive battle. Hufenbach would receive the Oakleaves in recognition of the outstanding leadership of his division.
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 2nd Parachute-Panzer-Grenadier-Division 'Hermann Göring' for the wounded Erich Walther (24 Mar-27 Mar 1945)

Promotions

  • 1 Jun 1927 Obergrenadier (Senior Grenadier)
  • 1 April 1929 Unteroffizier (NCO)
  • 1 April 1931 Unterfeldwebel (Sergeant)
  • 1 July 1933 Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant)
  • 1 July 1934 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 October 1931
  • 1 July 1934 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 October 1933
  • 1 February 1938 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 1 January 1942 Major
  • 1 May 1943 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 1 November 1943 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 1 April 1945 (retrospectively: nachträglich) Generalmajor with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 March 1945

Awards and decorations

Further reading

German sources

  • Franz Thomas / Günter Wegmann: Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945, Band 1: A–K, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück 1997 (in German)
  • Walther-Peer Fellgiebel: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German), Podzun-Pallas, Wölfersheim 2000, ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6
    • English: The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches, expanded edition, 2000
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.

References

  1. ↑ Hufenbach, Helmuth, lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de
  2. ↑ Generalmajor Helmuth Georg Hufenbach (Archive II)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thomas 1997, p. 312.
  4. ↑ Hufenbach, Helmut, tracesofwar.com
  5. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 201.
  6. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 196.
  7. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 83.
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