Philipp Kleffel

From Metapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Philipp Kleffel
Philipp Kleffel I.jpg
Birth date 9 December 1887
Place of birth Birkenfelde, Kreis Znin, Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 10 October 1964 (aged 76)
Place of death Coburg, Bavaria, West Germany
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
Freikorps Flag.jpg Freikorps
War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1905–1945
Rank General der Kavallerie
Commands held 1. Infanterie-Division
L. Armeekorps
XVI. Armeekorps
XXX. Armeekorps
25. Armee
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations ∞ 1911 Ruth Jahnz

Philipp Kleffel (9 December 1887 – 10 October 1964) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally General of the Cavalry and leader of an army in World War II.

Life

Philipp Kleffel III - Kopie.jpg
Knight's Cross award ceremony for Major General Karl von Graffen (with Stahlhelm), in front of him General der Kavallerie Philipp Kleffel, commanding general of the L. Armeekorps to which the 58. Infanterie-Division belonged at the time, behind him one of his regimental commanders, Colonel Alexander Ernst-Ludwig Clemens Anton von Pfuhlstein, later commander of the Brandenburgers.
General Philipp Kleffel greeting new volunteers of the Blue Division from Spain
General Philipp Kleffel (right), Generaloberst Georg Heinrich Lindemann (background) and Colonel in General Staff (i. G.) Wilhelm Knüppel on 18 July 1943 during a visit of the Blue Division.
Colonel Werner Max Kleffel, Philipp's brother
  • Easter 1894 to Autumn 1905 Königliches Viktoria-Gymnasium zu Potsdam
    • Primareife and Fähnrichsexamen (Officer Cadet exams)
  • 25 November 1905 Joined the Ulanen-Regiment "von Schmidt" (1. Pommersches) Nr. 4 in Thorn
  • 3 December 1905 Sworn-in
  • July 1906 to March 1907 Commanded to the War School in Hersfeld
  • 1908 to 1912 Regimental duties, but also commanded to several courses
  • 28 September 1914 Appointed regimental adjutant
  • 3 April 1916 Appointed adjutant of the 41st Cavalry Brigade
  • 30 April 1917 Detached to the General Staff of Staging-Inspection V
  • 24 July 1917 Officially transferred to the General Staff of Staging-Inspection V
  • 3 August 1917 Transferred to the General Staff of the 19th Infantry-Division
    • September to October 1917 Leadership course in Sedan
    • February to March 1918 General Staff course in Sedan
  • 28 March 1918 Transferred to the General Staff of the Army, remained with the 19th Infantry-Division
  • 28 June 1918 Transferred to the General Staff of the XXXXI. Reserve-Korps in the Ukraine
  • 14 February 1919 Returned to the Ulanen-Regiment "von Schmidt" (1. Pommersches) Nr. 4
    • 2 March 1919 appointed leader of the Volunteer Squadron "Thorn" (Freikorps) with the Border Protection East (Grenzschutz Ost)
  • 12 July 1919 Transferred to the Army High Command North (Border Protection North)
  • December 1919 Newly sworn-in
  • 9 February 1920 Adjutant of the 1st Cavalry Brigade
  • 29 July 1920 Detached to the Reiter-Regiment 1
  • 29 August 1920 Commanded to the Mounted Command of the Reichswehr Ministry (RWM); Inspection of the Cavalry (In 3)
  • 1 October 1921 Transferred to the Reiter-Regiment 10 in Züllichau
  • 18 April with effect from 1 May 1922 Transferred to the 4. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Potsdam
    • appointed commander of the 2nd Squadron in Perleberg
  • 12 May with effect from 1 June 1924 Transferred to the Staff of Group Command 1 in Berlin
  • 16 September with effect from 24 September 1926 Commanded to the RWM
  • 1 October 1926 Officially transferred to the RWM
    • Chief of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of the Inspection of Cavalry (In 3)
  • 12 September with effect from 10 October 1930 Chief of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of Infantry-Leader III in Potsdam
  • 1 October 1932 Chief of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division
    • 13 August 1934 Newly sworn-in
  • 18 January with effect from 1 April 1936 Appointed commander of the Reiter-Regiment 14 in Ludwigslust
    • renamed Kavallerie-Regiment 14 on 6 October 1936
  • 23 January with effect from 15 February 1938 Appointed Higher Cavalry Officer 4

Charge of negligent homicide

On 21 June 1938, Higher Cavalry Officer 4 Colonel Kleffel took part in a military exercise of the Infanterie-Regiment 82 as an observer at the military training area in Bergen. At 10:15 a.m., he drove back from Manhorn via Hohne to Bergen in his service car (Adler Diplomat). To his right sat his adjutant, Captain von Hellermann, and behind him the actual driver, NCO Keunecke. In a blind left-hand bend, a motorcycle with a sidecar came towards him. The colonel is said to have possibly driven too far to the left. He tried to turn the car to the right, but the motorcycle had already hit the left side of the car. The driver of the motorcycle, NCO Bernhard Juckel (14th Panzerabwehr-Company/Infanterie-Regiment 82) was thrown against the vehicle, suffered severe head injuries and died shortly afterwards. When the passenger, NCO Hahn, realized the danger, he threw himself out of the sidecar in time and suffered only minor injuries. Kleffel and Keunecke suffered minor cuts to the face from broken window glass.

The 19th Division Court launched official investigations on 29 June 1938. It was never fully clear how the collision occurred. The experts could only speculate: Kleffel may not have driven to the right enough, another finding was that the motorcyclist was going too fast for the bend, another possibility was that when NCO Hahn threw himself out (later it was discovered that he tried, but was then thrown out), the motorcycle, now braking hard, was pushed out of the bend towards the car. On 14 July 1938, Colonel Kleffel was acquitted.

WWII

  • 26 August 1939 Chief of the General Staff of the Deputy General Command XI. Army-Corps
  • 20 April with effect from 15 April 1940 Appointed commander of the 1 Infanterie-Division
  • 11 July 1941 Moderate sciatica, three weeks war military hospital (3/571) in East Riga
    • Colonel Martin Grase took over the division as representative for this time.
  • 16 January 1942 Appointed Commanding General of the L. Armeekorps (50th Army Corps)
  • 14 March with effect from 3 March 1942 Delegated with the leadership of the I. Armeekorps for Kuno-Hans von Both who had fallen ill
  • 20 July 1942 Return to the L. Armeekorps (arrived 22 July)
  • 17 September 1943 Führerreserve (OKH)
  • October 1943 His house in Hanover was bombed, he was forced to move to Coburg (Adolf-Hitler-Straße 26)
    • at this time, he was still on treatment for heart muscle damage and bilateral sciatica in Bad Pyrmont (8 October to 30 November 1943)
  • 30 November to 9 December 1943 Granted leave
  • 15 January 1944 Entrusted with the conduct of business of the deputy Commanding General of the Deputy General Command XI. Army-Corps and Commander in Military-District XI
    • This order was revoked on 1 March 1944 because the general was still not healthy enough.
  • 10 March 1944 Führerreserve (OKH)
  • 15 March 1944 Fit for use
  • 25 April 1944 Appointed Commander of Special Staff I in OKH
  • 28 June 1944 Appointed Commanding General of the I. Armeekorps
    • This order was revoked on the same day
  • 4 July 1944 Commanding General of General Command Kleffel
  • 19 October 1944 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the L. Armeekorps
  • 28 October 1944 At the same time, delegated with the leadership of the Army Dgraetachment "Grasser"
  • 4 November 1944 Appointed Commanding General of the XVI. Armeekorps
  • 15 November 1944 Führerreserve (OKH)
  • 1 December 1944 Commanding General of the XXX. Armeekoprs z. b. V. (Oberbefehlshaber West)
    • only suitable for field use from 18 December 1944
  • 28 March to 16 April 1945 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 25th Army
  • 8 May 1945 to 20 October 1947 In British captivity (POW)

Spanish Cruz de Guerra

Generaloberst Georg Lindemann, commander-in-chief of the 18th Army, General der Kavallerie Philipp Kleffel, commanding general of the 50th Army Corps, and Oberst i. G. Wilhelm Knüppel, head of the German Liaison Staff of the Spanish Blue Division, visited the headquarters of Spanish 250. Infanterie-Division a.k.a. Blue Division on 18 July 1943, when the Germans and 14 Spaniards received the Spanish Cruz de Guerra (War Cross) on the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the "glorious national uprising". After a speech by General Emilio Esteban-Infantes y Martín, around two in the afternoon, they all went to the dining room. Just before serving the second course, when Esteban-Infantes had just spoken, thanking the attendance of the high-ranking German officers, led by General Lindemann, and when the latter was going to speak to answer him, a volley from Russian artillery fell on the building, resulting in 20 deaths and 19 wounded (Chaplain Pater Victoriano, an officer, three guard soldiers, three drivers, four orderlies, three clerks, and one cook). Among the wounded was Comandante (Major) Jose Alemany Vich, the Blue Division's intelligence officer.

Family

Philipp was the son of lord of the manor Rittmeister Paul Kleffel (d. 4 May 1908 in Berlin) and his wife Karoline "Line", née Schaeper (d. 5 February 1925 in Berlin). His older brother was Colonel Werner Max Kleffel, killed in action in September 1944.[1]

Marriage

On 5 June 1911 in Pakosch, 2nd Lieutenant Kleffel married his fiancée Ruth Susanna Jahnz (b. 31 January 1892), daughter of lord of the manor (Gut Mölno) Emil Jahnz (d. 1923). They had two children:

  • Ilse Elisabeth (b. 17 September 1912 in Thorn)
  • Kurt Heinz Philipp Richard (b. 26 March 1917 in Thorn), officer of the Wehrmacht, killed in action as Rittmeister on 30 August 1941 near Starosselje

Promotions

  • 25 November 1905 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 27 January 1906 Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (Officer Candidate with Lance Corporal rank)
  • 1 April 1906 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 21 July 1906 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 18 May 1907 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Patent from 14 April 1907
  • 24 December 1914 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 5 October 1916 Rittmeister
    • renamed Hauptmann (Captain) during his service with the infantry in 1918 and from 12 May 1924
  • 1 October 1929 Major
  • 1 December 1933 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 1 October 1935 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 31 May 1939 Generalmajor with effect and RDA from 1 June 1939
  • 13 May 1941 Generalleutnant with effect and RDA from 1 June 1941
  • 28 February 1942 General der Infanterie with effect and RDA from 1 March 1942
    • 16 March 1942 rank name changed / corrected to General der Kavallerie with effect and RDA from 1 March 1942

Awards and decorations

Gallery

  • Philipp Kleffel III.jpg
  • Philipp Kleffel decorating Spanish volunteers.jpg
  • Philipp Kleffel, L. Armeekorps.jpg

References

  1. ↑ Oberst Werner Kleffel (1883–1944)
Retrieved from "http://en.metapedia.org/m/index.php?title=Philipp_Kleffel&oldid=524905"