Kurt Himer

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Kurt Himer
Generalleutnant Kurt Himer and Dr. jur. Cécil Karl-August Timon Ernst Anton von Renthe genannt Fink in Denmark, April 1941.png
Generalleutnant Kurt Himer and German ambassador to Denmark (after Operation Weserübung Reichsbevollmächtigter or Reich Plenipotentiary) Dr. jur. Cécil Karl-August Timon Ernst Anton von Renthe genannt Fink in Copenhagen on 9 April 1941
Birth date 21 December 1888(1888-12-21)
Place of birth Cottbus, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date ᛣ⚔ 4 April 1942 (aged 53)
Place of death Simferopol, Soviet Union
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1908–1942
Rank Generalleutnant
Commands held 46. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Iron Cross
Hungarian Order of Merit
German Cross in Gold

Kurt Himer (21 December 1888 – 4 April 1942) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) and division commander in World War II. He is sometimes known as the "conqueror of Copenhagen" because of his coordination of the attack on the citadel and his successful negotiations with King Christian X of Denmark on 9 April 1941.

Life

Kurt Himer was born in Cottbus, some 120 km south east of Berlin. He was 19 years old when, after graduating with Abitur, he enlisted as Fahnenjunker in the 157th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army in 1908. In 1909, he was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant. Kurt stayed with the 157th Infantry Regiment until the middle of October 1916 serving as both adjutant and company officer. In the meantime, he had been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. For the next half year, he served as adjutant in the 233rd Infantry Brigade and in March 1917 (possibly later, but his rank seniority is dated 1917), Himer was promoted to Captain. In the following two years, he mainly served as a general staff officer in different major formations.

On 20 February 1919, Himer was appointed to his first official military diplomatic post when he became the district commissioner in Tilsit. This posting ended after eight months. He remained in the Reichsheer after the Treaty of Versailles, being one of the 4,000 allowed officers. He was promoted to Major on the first of February 1930. He was posted to the Reichswehr Ministry (RWM) from 1931 to 1934 for general staff training (Führergehilfenausbildung).

After that Kurt moved to the Infanterie-Regiment München and became its commander after only nine months. He served for three years as commander of Infanterie-Regiment München which became 19. (Bayerisches) Infanterie-Regiment when the Wehrmacht was officially announced on 15 October 1935. He became a full Colonel at New Year’s Day 1936

On 10 November 1938, Himer was appointed to his second official military diplomatic post when he became the military attaché at the German Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. He held this posting until nine days after the begin of the Poland Campaign.

The same day, 9 September 1939, Himer became the Chef des Generalstabs, Chief of the General Staff, under the ten year older General der Flieger Leonard Kaupisch. The two of them would serve together for the next nine months. The unit evolved and changed name from Grenzschutz Kommandos 1 to Korps Kaupisch and eventually became XXXI. Korps (Border-Protection-Command 1, Corps Kaupisch and XXXI. Corps). Korps Kaupisch (207. Infanterie-Division, Brigade Eberhardt, 32nd and 42nd Grenzschutz regiments) was directed to capture Gdingen (1939–1945 Gotenhafen) at the polish coast.

After the major battles were over in Poland, Himer was made Generalmajor together with numerous other promotions bestowed upon the victorious German officers on 1 October 1939. In the plans for Operation Weserübung, the Höheres Kommando z. b. V. XXXI was tasked with conquering Denmark.

Generalmajor Kurt Himer, General Kaupisch's Chief of Staff, was assigned to advise and assist Cécil von Renthe-Fink, the German ambassador to Denmark in Copenhagen, as Plenipotentiary of the Wehrmacht. On 7 April 1940, Himer traveled to Copenhagen in civilian clothes, his uniforms going as courier luggage, accompanied by a legation secretary from the Foreign Ministry. The mission of Group 8 was predominantly political and psychological. Hitler had ordered the landing of a "representative" force at Copenhagen to give emphasis to the diplomatic negotiations.

The next day, 8 April 1940, Kurt Himer performed a last-minute reconnaissance and reported in coded messages to the Höheres Kommando z. b. V. XXXI the harbor ice-free and confirmed the fact that the weak point of the Citadel was at its southeast corner. At 2300 hours on 8 April 1940, ambassador von Renthe-Fink received his instructions from General Himer.

At approximately 0500 hours on 9 April 1941, Cécil von Renthe-Fink as Plenipotentiary of the German Reich informed the Danish government of the German action and demanded immediate submission to avoid bloodshed. A short while afterwards, a German infantry battalion (II. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 308/198. Infanterie-Division) landed in the harbor from the M/S Hansestadt Danzig and assaulted the Citadel, the old fortress overlooking the harbor, and took the guards regiment quartered there prisoner (the following day, the Hansestadt Danzig brought the 2nd Battalion of the 308 Infantry Regiment to Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm in order to occupy it too). At 0735 hours, the German commander reported the Citadel occupied without resistance.

For an hour after the landing, Himer was able to keep open a direct telephone connection to the headquarters of the Höheres Kommando z. b. V. XXXI in Hamburg and give a running account of the capture of the Citadel and the progress of negotiations. The Danish Government capitulated at 0720 hours, after Himer, to speed up the deliberations of the Ministerial Council, had told von Renthe-Fink to inform it that, unless an immediate decision were forthcoming, Copenhagen would be bombed. Later in the day, Himer requested an audience with the king in order to ascertain his attitude and to be able if necessary to prevent his leaving the country. At 1000 hours, negotiations regarding demobilization of the Danish armed forces began. Kurt Himer recorded in his diary that King Christian X of Denmark had said to him:

"General, may I, as an old soldier, tell you something? As soldier to soldier? You Germans have done the incredible again! One must admit that it is magnificent work."

Kurt Himer stayed in Denmark until end of April / early May 1940. It is assumed, he attended a course for divisional commanders and received some home leave. He was named commander of the 216. Infanterie-Division on 8 September 1940 and stayed with the division in northern France until April the next year. The 216th was a 3. Welle (third wave) division and served as the main occupation force on the British Channel Islands. His next assignment, and at least the fourth diplomatic one, was as German General with the High Command of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces.

It was a very turbulent time for the Hungarian leadership. Operation 25, the German invasion of Yugoslavia (Balkan Campaign) started on 6 April 1941. But the actual first discussion to start preparations had been done on 27 March 1941. When Himer first approached Pal Teleki, the prime minister of Hungary, he strongly objected to Hungarian participation. The Hungarians made no immediate military preparations, but gave their permission for the assembly of one German army corps near the western Hungarian border southwest of Lake Balaton. On 3 April 1941, Pal Teleki committed suicide and three days later, German, Italian and Hungarian forces began the campaign with the Hungarian 3rd Army driving southward into Yugoslavia.

The German Second Army assembled in Austria and Hungary within days. Its rapid concentration was almost unprecedented in its speed, flexibility, and efficiency. Three of its divisions were moved from Germany, four from France, one from Sudetenland, and one from the Soviet frontier. They moved by rail and road, but, despite a brilliant logistical effort, icy roads delayed several units and some divisions went into action in piecemeal fashion. Others could not arrive at their assembly areas until after the campaign had begun, which is why the Vienna staff conference decided to stagger the offensive of the 2nd Army.

After the conclusion of the Balkan Campaign on the 17 April 1941, Kurt Himer could use his diplomatic skills to influence the Hungarian leadership into a more pro-German stance. On 23 June 1941, Generalmajor Himer, Wehrmacht's representative in Hungary, informed the Hungarian Chief of General Staff Henrik Werth that the German military would welcome a Hungarian offer of cooperation in the war, and that the offer would have to be "voluntary," as the German government did not wish to make a formal request. When the new premier minister László Bárdossy learned of the message, he called upon the German Ambassador to Hungary, Otto Erdmannsdorff, asking about the statement of Generalmajor Himer. Premier Bárdossy stressed that such questions should be asked through proper civilian diplomatic channels. This was a diplomatic protest against Himers performance as Liaison Officer of the German High Command at Budapest. The Hungarian cabinet, once again, decided against making such an offer, though they suspended diplomatic relations with Moscow on the 24 June 1941.

On the 26 June 1941, the city of Kassa (today's Kosice) in northeastern Hungary was bombed. Since the Red Army was suspected to be the perpetrator, Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union the following day. In 1942, a Hungarian officer living in a house in the occupied Soviet Union reported that the house's former resident, Andrej Andele, a Czech pilot in the Soviet Air Force, openly acknowledged his involvement in the bombing of Kassa.

The “Carpathian Army Group” was ordered into the Soviet-occupied zone of southern Poland. In July 1941, the reorganized Hungarian forces were committed and participated in the great encirclement at Uman. After the fall of Nikolayev on the 16 August 1941, the civilian Hungarian leadership under the new premier minister László Bárdossy wanted to withdraw its forces, but the Hungarian Chief of General Staff Henrik Werth pressed for full commitment to the German war effort.

Himer was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 October 1941, exactly two years after his latest promotion, and was available for new tasks in the Führer Reserve. He was ordered to take over the 72. Infanterie-Division as deputy leader (the order of the 11th Army from 12 December 1941), and reached the division under Franz Mattenklott[1] on 14. December 1941. On 16. December 1941, Philipp Müller-Gebhard (with effect from 6 December 1941) was delegated with the leadership of the 72. Infanterie-Division, but only took over the division from Himer on 18 December 1941 at 18:00 p.m.

General der Infanterie Karl Kriebel, commander of the 46. Infanterie-Division, fell ill. Kurt Himer replaced Kriebel and was delegated with the leadership of the division on 17 December 1941, although he only arrived on 18 or 19 December 1941. Himer led it through the forcing of the great Tartar Ditch at the approaches to the Perekop peninsula on the Crimea.

Kerch had been captured on 15 November 1941 and was soon occupied by the 46. Infanterie-Division. Generalleutnant Himer was made acting commander on the 25 December 1941. Early next day, the Soviet 51st Army landed almost 5,000 soldiers near Kerch, which was speedily contained by the 46. Infanterie-Division. Three days later, the Soviet 44th Army captured Feodosiya treating the supply line of XXXXII. (XLII.) Armee-Korps and later to cut off 11th German Army from its supplies.

The deputy leader of XXXXII. Armeekorps, General Hans Graf von Sponeck acted swiftly. At 0800 hours on 29 December 1941, Graf von Sponeck ordered the 46. Infanterie-Division to disengage itself from the enemy at Kerch, to proceed to the Parpach Isthmus by forced marches, and to attack the enemy at Feodosiya and throw him into the sea. He sent a signal to Wehrmacht headquarters informing it of his move, and then ordered his wireless station to be dismantled. Von Manstein countermanded and directed the 46. Infanterie-Division to attack and clear the Russian troops from the Kerch Peninsula. However, Himer, as Graf von Sponeck had ordered, had already instructed his troops to destroy all of their motor vehicles that were in maintenance status and everything else of value that couldn’t be moved. It had sacrificed four-fifths of its trucks, half its communications equipment, and nearly all of its engineer equipment, not to mention two dozen artillery pieces and sundry machine guns and mortars.

In the morning of 31 December 1941 (other sources state 2 January 1942), the leading battalions of the 46. Infanterie-Division reached the Isthmus of Parpach. However, the forward detachments of the Soviet 63rd Rifle Division had got there before them, holding Vladislavovka (Wladislawowka), north of Feodossija. "Attack, break through, and take Wladislawowka!" was General Himer's order to the 46. Infanterie-Division. The troops quickly lined up for attack on the flat, snow-covered plateau. The icy wind blowing down from the Caucasus cut through their thin coats and chilled them to the marrow. The tears of impotent fury froze on their cheeks before they had run as far as their moustaches. The exhausted regiments punched their way forward over another four miles. Then they ground to a halt. The men simply collapsed. Under cover of darkness, the battalions eventually skirted around the Russian lines on their right flank, pushed through the still open part of the Isthmus, and presently took up position on the frozen ground, facing to the south and the east. The last rearguards arriving in that hurriedly improvised line belonged to 1st Company, Engineers Battalion 88. The following noon, the Russians attacked. But the German troops held them.

Erich von Manstein relieved Hans Graf von Sponeck from his command and Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Reichenau sent him to Germany where he was imprisoned for disobeying orders. Early in January 1942, the four regimental commanders were summoned to divisional headquarters. Pale and hoarse with emotion, Generalleutnant Himer, the divisional commander, acquainted them with a teleprinter signal from Army Group. It read:

“I hereby declare 46th Division forfeit of soldierly honour for its limp handling of the Russians' landing on the Kerch Peninsula and its hasty withdrawal from the peninsula. Awards and promotions are suspended until further notice. This telex is only to be communicated down to the regimental commanders. – gez. (signed) von Reichenau, Generalfeldmarschall

Stony silence met this death sentence upon a gallant division. It had carried out an order by its commanding general. It had passed through extreme hardships and, at the end of them, had still fought bravely and prevented the enemy from breaking through to the Crimea. This now was its reward. A cruel humiliation which assumed criminal responsibility where none existed, which used exaggerated concepts of honour to conceal the excessive demands made on the troops, and which disregarded all true yardsticks. No one below regimental commanders were to be informed in order not to destroy the fighting spirit of the men.

At the end of January 1942, the 46th Infantry Division had regained its honour. Von Reichenau's successor, Field-Marshal Fedor von Bock, who had read all reports and recognized the facts and truth, had the following order of the day (Tagesbefehl) read out to the complete division:

“I would like to express my very special recognition to the 46th Division for its outstanding achievements in the defensive battles in the Isthmus since the beginning of January and look forward to appropriate proposals for promotions and awards.” – gez. (signed) von Bock, Generalfeldmarschall

During the winter and early spring of 1942, the Soviet Red Army forces of 44th and 51th Armies made numerous attempts to break through the Isthmus of Parpach but the 46th Infantry Division as well as the other Axis units held.

Signature as commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 19
A group of Heer and Luftwaffe officers in an open field. The one holding the Interimsfeldmarschallstab in the center is Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Brauchitsch (Commander-in-Chief of the Army); his sword-wielding interlocutor is General of the Infantry Hans Freiherr von Salmuth (Chief of the General Staff of Army Group B from 28 July 1940 to 11 September 1940); and standing far left (background) is Generalmajor Kurt Himer (Commander of the 216. Infanterie-Division). It appears that this photo was taken when Army Commander von Brauchitsch visited the war games of the 216. Infanterie-Division. The division itself became part of Heeresgruppe B.

Chronology

  • Entered Army Service (21 Apr 1908)
    • Officer Candidate of the 4. Schlesisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 157 in Brieg
  • Adjutant of I. Battalion of the 157th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jul 1912-27 Mar 1915)
  • MG-Company-Officer in the 157th Infantry-Regiment (27 Mar 1915-20 May 1916)
  • Regiments-Adjutant of the 157th Infantry-Regiment (20 May 1916-16 Oct 1916)
  • Adjutant of the 233rd Infantry-Brigade (16 Oct 1916-16 May 1917)
  • In the General-Staff of XXXI. Reserve-Corps (16 May 1917-22 Aug 1917)
  • In the General-Staff of the 81st Reserve-Division (22 Aug 1917-16 Mar 1918)
  • In the General-Staff of the 34th Infantry-Division (16 Mar 1918-28 Mar 1918)
  • Transferred into the General Staff (28 Mar 1918-22 Jun 1918)
  • Officer of the Army & Assigned with V. Reserve-Corps (22 Jun 1918-03 Jul 1918)
  • Assigned with the High Command of the 3rd Army (03 Jul 1918-29 Jul 1918)
  • In the General-Staff of the 7th Landwehr-Division (29 Jul 1918-06 Jan 1919)
  • In the General-Staff of XXII. Reserve-Corps (06 Jan 1919-06 Feb 1919)
  • In the General-Staff of Army-Group Kiev (06 Feb 1919-10 Feb 1919)
  • In the General-Staff of I. Army-Corps (10 Feb 1919-20 Feb 1919)
  • Mobile District-Commissioner in Tilsit (20 Feb 1919-08 Oct 1919)
  • With the Staff of Infantry-Leader 20 (08 Oct 1919-16 Oct 1919)
  • Detached to the 41st Reichswehr-Brigade (16 Oct 1919-06 Feb 1920)
  • In the General-Staff of Infantry-Leader 20 (06 Feb 1920-01 Oct 1920)
  • Transferred into the 40th Reichswehr-Rifle-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-07 Nov 1920)
  • Regiments-Adjutant of the 2nd Infantry-Regiment (07 Nov 1920-01 Oct 1921)
  • Company-Commander in the 2nd Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1921-01 Jan 1923)
  • With the Staff of the 6th Division (01 Jan 1923-01 Apr 1927)
  • With the Staff of Infantry-Leader VI (01 Apr 1927-01 Oct 1928)
  • Transferred into the 6th Mounted-Regiment & Detached to the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea, Kiel (01 Oct 1928-01 Jun 1929)
  • Detached to the Command-Office Cuxhaven while retaining detachment to the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (01 Jun 1929-01 Aug 1930)
  • Transferred to the Command-Office Hannover while retaining detachment with the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (01 Aug 1930-01 Apr 1931)
  • Transferred into the RWM (01 Apr 1931-01 Dec 1934)
  • Commander of I. Battalion of Infantry-Regiment München (01 Dec 1934-01 Aug 1935)
  • Commander of Infantry-Regiment München (01 Aug 1935-15 Oct 1935)
  • Commander of the 19th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-01 Aug 1938)
  • Officer with Special Duties of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (01 Jun 1938-10 Nov 1938)
  • Military- Attaché in Warsaw (10 Nov 1938-01 Sep 1939)
  • Chief of the General Staff of Border-Protection-Section-Command 1 (09 Sep 1939-15 Sep 1939)
  • Chief of the General Staff of Corps Kaupisch (15 Sep 1939-19 Sep 1939)
  • Military-Commander Danzig-West Prussia (19 Sep 1939-22 Oct 1939)
  • Chief of the General Staff of Higher-Command XXXI (07 Nov 1939-00 May 1940)
  • Commander of the 216th Infantry-Division (08 Sep 1940-01 Apr 1941)
  • Führer-Reserve OKH (01 Apr 1941-00 Apr 1941)
  • German General with the High Command of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces (00 Apr 1941-18 Aug 1941)
  • Führer-Reserve (19 Aug 1941-12 Dec 1941)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 72th Infantry-Division (12/14 Dec 1941-18 Dec 1941)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 46th Infantry-Division (17/18 Dec 1941-25 Dec 1941)
  • Commander of the 46th Infantry-Division (25 Dec 1941-26 Mar 1942)

Death

On 26 March 1942, the headquarters of the 46th Infantry Division in Wladislawowka was attacked by Russian warships with cannon fire. Among others, Generalleutnant Himer was severly wounded and transported to the military field hospital 2/610 (Kriegslazarett 2/Kriegs-Lazarettabteilung 610) in Simferopol, the second-largest city in the Crimean Peninsula. He underwent surgery and had one leg amputated. Nevertheless, he died of a septic infection on 4 April 1942. Generalmajor Ernst Haccius took over the division.

Promotions

  • 21 April 1908 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 19 August 1909 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Patent from 17 August 1907
  • 27 January 1915 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 22 March 1917 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 1 February 1930 Major
  • 1 April 1934 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 1 January 1936 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 1 October 1939 Generalmajor
  • 1 October 1941 Generalleutnant

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ↑ General Mattenklott, forum.axishistory.com
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