Paul Schürmann

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Paul Schürmann
Oberst Dipl.-Ing. Paul Schürmann.jpg
Colonel Dipl.-Ing. Paul Schürmann
Birth name Paul Rudolf Schürmann
Birth date 6 December 1895(1895-12-06)
Place of birth Plettenberg-Bahnhof (Eiringhausen), Kreis Altena, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 1 February 1978 (aged 82)
Place of death Wiesbaden, Hesse, West Germany
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch 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
German Cross in Gold
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations ∞ 1923 Maria Bier
Other work Engineer

Paul Rudolf Schürmann (6 December 1895 – 1 February 1978) was a German officer of the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II. He must not be confused with the fallen Oberstarzt Prof. Dr. med. Paul Schürmann (1895–1941), medical officer of three German armies, military pathologist, tuberculosis researcher and commander of the Military Medical Academy in Berlin.[1][2]

Life

Paul Rudolf Schürmann as Reichswehr-Officer.jpg

From 1902 to 1905, Paul attended the Bürgerschule in Plettenberg. He then transferred to the Real-Gymnasium in Altena where he achieved his Abitur. On 12 September 1914, he joined the I. Replacement Battalion of the Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98 as a war volunteer and officer candidate. On 25 September 1914, he was sworn-in.

  • 9 October 1914 Into the field to the Infanterie-Regiment "Graf Werder" (4. Rheinisches) Nr. 30
  • 9 December 1914 Transfer to the Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 14 March 1915 Wounded, military field hospital Chatel
  • 8 May 1915 Transferred to the Replacement Battalion/Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 2 September 1915 Return to the war front
  • 2 April 1916 Adjutant of the I. Battalion/Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 6 August 1916 Fallen ill, military field hospital 9 of the XVI. Armee-Korps
  • 22 November to 6 December 1916 Commanded to the Flying Battalion Rethel
  • Return to the Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 28 October 1917 Fallen ill, military field hospital 283
  • 6 January 1918 Return to the Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98 at the Western front
  • 29 May 1918 Severely wounded during the Battle of Soissons and Reims (Third Battle of the Aisne)
    • transferred to the military hospital within the St. Vincenz Hospital in Mainz
  • 25 September 1918 Transferred to the Replacement Battalion/Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 1919 After demobilization, he served with the III. Landesjäger-Regiment of the Freikorps "Freiwilliges Landesjäger-Korps" under Major General Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker; among other things, the Freikorps protected the National Assembly in Weimar against communist and Spartacist attacks.
  • 1 May 1919 Appointed regimental adjutant and court officer of the III. Landesjäger-Regiment
    • 2 May 1919 The Landesjägerkorps was officially incorporated into the newly formed Provisional Reichswehr, as Landesjägerkorps Reichswehrbrigade 16. After its dissolution on 2 October 1919, the Freikorps became Brigade 16 of the Transitional Army and later the Reichswehr Brigade 16 in Weimar.
  • 6 December 1919 Appointed regimental adjutant Brigade 16
  • 6 February 1920 Newly sworn-in
  • 17 May 1920 Commanded to the staff of the Reichswehr-Brigade 16
  • 18 August 1920 Transferred to the Reichswehr Jäger-Regiment 31
  • 5 November 1920 Transferred to the Reichswehr Schützen-Regiment 13 (subordinated to the Reichswehr-Brigade 7 in Münster)
  • 1 January 1921 Reichswehr Schützen-Regiment 13 now became a part of the new 18. Infanterie-Regiment in Paderborn
    • 8 October to 19 November 1921 Pionier course
    • 11th Company/18. Infanterie-Regiment in Bückeburg
  • 20 June 1923 Permission to marry
  • 16 March with effect from 1 April 1926 Transferred to the 2nd Company/6. (Preußisches) Pionier-Bataillon in Minden
  • 14 November with effect from 1 December 1927 Transferred to the 16. Infanterie-Regiment in Oldenburg
    • 21 November 1927 the order was recalled, he was then transferred back to the 18. Infanterie-Regiment with effect from 1 December 1927
  • 1 April 1928 12th (Machine Gun) Company/18. Infanterie-Regiment
  • 13 February with effect from 1 April 1930 Commanded to the Technical University Charlottenburg for studies
    • 29 April 1935 after passing the main diploma examination in March 1935 (with distinction), now entitled to use the title Dipl.-Ing. (Diplom-Ingenieur); Werner Freiherr von Fritsch sent him a personal letter with congratulations and approved various study trips (trade exhibitions, technical competitions, etc.) each amounting to 300 Reichsmarks.
  • 2 August 1934 Newly sworn-in
  • 1 April to 30 September 1935 Detached to the Reichswehr Ministry (RWM)
    • c. mid-September 1935 fallen severely ill
  • 15 October 1935 Appointed commander of the 2nd Company/Maschinengewehr-Bataillon 2
    • because of his illness he was only able to start his service in May 1936 (according to the report of the General Command of the IX Army Corps)
  • 23 July with effect from 1 August 1937 Transferred to the Army Ordnance Office (Wa A) with the Reich War Ministry (RKM) in Berlin
  • 12 October 1937 / 4 February 1938 Group leader (Gruppenleiter) in the OKH department Wa Prüf 1 (Ballistic and Munitions Department) of the Army Ordnance Office (Wa A)

WWII

  • 18 November with effect from 15 November 1940 Appointed commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 11
  • 21 July with effect from 1 July 1942 Führerreserve (OKH), at the same time commanded to the staff of the Chief of Army Armaments and Commander of the Reserve Army until 21 August 1943
    • 26 July to 24 August 1943 commanded to the 6th Divisional Commander Course
  • 15 January 1944 Commanded to the Army Group Center to replace division commanders on leave or sick
  • 4 March 1944 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 25. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  • 16 April 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the 25. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  • 5 May with effect from 1 April 1944 Appointed commander of the 25. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
    • On 22 June 1944, the Soviet "Operation Bagration" began, the destruction of Army Group Center, a personnel catastrophe for the Wehrmacht even greater than Stalingrad. Among the almost 40 German divisions destroyed was Schürmann's 25th Panzer Grenadier Division, which met its end in the Bobruisk Pocket. Of the 130,000 German soldiers of the Heeresgruppe, those who were neither killed in action nor taken prisoner, dared to break through westward to their own troops, which were suddenly hundreds of kilometers away. These heroic soldiers were called "return fighters" at the time. Very few succeeded; only a few hundred made it back to the German lines after incredible hardships, dozens of close combats, and weeks of marching through Russian-controlled territory. One of these was the almost 50-year-old Paul Schürmann, who was the only general to return in this way. After a march of approximately 700 km in 46 days, his remaining group of approximately 35 men, completely ragged and emaciated, arrived at their own main battle line in Lithuania on 16 August 1944. By decree from the very top, every soldier who achieved this would receive the next higher decoration and rank. Paul Schürmann was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant General and awarded the Knight's Cross on 2 September 1944.
    • 18 August 1944 Military hospital in Lötzen
    • hospitalized for with ulcerated feet, nephritis and a bladder infection; his feet were so swollen, his boots had to be cut off.
  • 20 August 1944 Führerreserve OKH
  • 10 September 1944 Again appointed commander of the newly formed 25. Panzergrenadier-Division
    • did not become effective due to permanent illness; deputy leader: Colonel Siegfried von Waldenburg, later Colonel Arnold Burmeister
  • 30 September 1944 Reserve Military Hospital Neuruppin
  • 11 November 1944 Reserve Spa Hospital Bad Elster
  • 10 December 1944 Reserve Military Hospital 101 Neuruppin
  • 12 February effective 10 February 1945 Again appointed commander of the 25. Panzergrenadier-Division (presumably did not become effective again; Führerreserve OKH)
  • 20 March 1945 (telex date) Appointed commander of the 26. Panzer-Division, which did not become effective.
    • Colonel Rudolf Karl Hermann Gerhardt was then ordered to take over (21 March effective 20 March 1945).
    • Schürmann had been in the Reserve-Lazarett I Erfurt since 20 March for the urgently needed appendectomy.
      • Until the end of the war, Schürmann did not recover from the illnesses and diseases he contracted during his 46-day escape march from the Minsk pocket. The last medical certificate estimated he could be fit for duty after 1 July 1945.
    • 12 April 1945 The Americans invaded the city and took over. It is not known if General Schürmann was still in Erfurt at the time.

Family

Paul was the son of the authorized signatory (Prokurist[3]) and manufacturer Ernst Schürmann (1867–1919) and his wife (∞ 1890) from Eiringhausen Auguste, née Werdes (1869–1935). Paul had four siblings:

  • Otto (b. 11 September 1890 in Plettenberg-Eiringhausen)
  • Ernst (b. 21 January 1894 in Plettenberg-Eiringhausen; d. 22 January 1894 ibidem)
  • Johanna (b. 3 January 1902 in Plettenberg-Eiringhausen); ∞ Merchant Erich Ludwig Otto Vetter (b. 17 July 1897)
  • Erich Ernst (b. 23 December 1904 in Plettenberg-Eiringhausen; d. 19 March 1939 in Altena); ∞ Plettenberg 15 June 1938 Friederike Emma Margarethe Werdes

Marriage

On 14 July 1923 in Erfurt, 2nd Lieutenant Schürmann married his fiancée Maria Elisabeth Bier (b. 15 February 1899), daughter of editor-in-chief Alfred Bier in Erfurt. The marriage remained childless.

Promotions

  • 12 September 1914 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 2 October 1914 Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (Officer Candidate with Lance Corporal rank)
  • 15 January 1915 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 6 February 1915 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 8 May 1915 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) without Patent
    • 5 November 1917 received Patent from 11 September 1915
    • 1 July 1922 received new Patent from 1 October 1915
  • 31 July 1925 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with effect and Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 April 1925
  • 1 October 1931 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 18 January 1936 Major with effect and RDA from 1 January 1936
  • 30 January 1939 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 February 1939
    • 20 April 1939 received new RDA from 1 February 1938 (15a)
  • 17 December 1940 Oberst (Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 January 1941
  • 5 May 1944 (telex date) / 20 June 1944 (decree) Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1 April 1944
  • 26 October 1944 (telex date) / 15 November 1944 (decree) Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1 September 1944

Awards and decorations

General Paul Rudolf Schürmann.jpg

References

  1. ↑ WER WAR OBERSTARZT PROF. DR. PAUL SCHÜRMANN?
  2. ↑ Oberstarzt Professor Dr. Paul Schürmann (1895–1941), Namensgeber des Preises der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Wehrmedizin und Wehrpharmazie e. V.
  3. ↑ In Germany, a Prokurist (often translated as authorized signatory, authorized officer, or proxy; sometimes also procurator) is a person granted commercial power of attorney (Prokura) to represent a company in legal and business matters.
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