Rudolf Veiel

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Rudolf Veiel
Rudolf Veiel.jpg
Birth date 10 December 1883(1883-12-10)
Place of birth Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Death date 19 March 1956 (aged 72)
Place of death Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg West Germany
Place of burial Pragfriedhof
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Flagge und Wappen, Deutsches Reich, Königreich Württemberg, valid from 1817 to 1918.png Army of Württemberg
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 1904–1945
Rank General der Panzertruppe
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations ∞ 1916 Elisabeth Diefenbach

Rudolf Veiel (10 December 1883 – 19 March 1956) was a German officer of the Army of Württemberg, the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally General der Panzertruppe (General of the Panzer Troops or Armoured Corps) and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Life

Signature
On 20 September with effect from 25 September 1942, General Rudolf Veiel was appointed Commanding General of the LXVI. Reservekorps. The staff was established to command reserve divisions under the OB West. After its formation, the staff was deployed to Nancy. At the end of October 1942, the staff was relocated to Montargie. Veiel arrived at staff headquarters on 27 September 1942. On the same day, a telex was sent: the transfer was ordered void, Lieutenant General Erich Marcks was appointed Commanding General. Veiel was given another command with effect from 28 September 1942. On 12 November 1942, Baptist Knieß took over the Reserve Corps; Erich Marcks took over the LXXXVII Army Corps on the same day, and on 1 August 1943, took command of the LXXXIV Army Corps.
General der Panzertruppe Veiel greeting German POWs of the Afrika Korps, who have returned home after a prisoner exchange with the British.

Veiel attended elementary school, the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in Stuttgart and achieved his Abitur at the Realgymnasium in Leipzig around Easter 1904. He joined the the Ulanen-Regiment “König Karl” (1. Württembergisches) Nr. 19 in Ulm as an officer candidate (Fahnenjunker) on 4 April 1904, was sworn-in on 14 April 1904, attended the war school in Glogau from 6 November 1904 to 8 July 1905 and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in August 1905. At the beginning of World War I, Veiel was a commander of a Squadron in the Württemberg Reserve-Dragoon-Regiment. He served in this regiment until the end of the war.

After World War I, Veiel was adjutant of the Gruppenkommando West, then a member of the Freikorps (Württembergische Freiwilligen-Abteilung Haas) under Otto Haas in Württemberg (1919). He was adjutant of the 27th Division (2. Königlich Württembergische), adjutant of the higher Auflösungsstabs 51, leader of the Feldkolonne 49 and then served in the Reichswehr-Fahr-Abteilung 13 of the Reichswehr-Brigade 13.

From 1 October 1920, he was in the 18th (Saxon) Cavalry Regiment (Reiterregiment 18) of the Reichswehr. From 1 June 1923, Veiel commanded the 2nd Squadron of the 10th (Prussian) Cavalry Regiment where he was promoted to Major on 1 February 1927. In the same year, Veiel became an adjutant in 3rd Cavalry Division. He stayed in this division as an adjutant until 1 April 1931 when he became an Oberstleutnant.

From 1 November 1932 to 1 October 1935, Veiel commanded the 18th Cavalry Regiment in Stuttgart-Cannstatt succeeding Colonel Richard Bernard. He then commanded the 2nd Rifle Brigade (2. Schützenbrigade) until 1 February 1938 when he was given command of the 2nd Panzer Division, serving in the Sudetenland and in Austria, when it joined the German Reich.

WW II

In the early stages of World War II, as commander of the 2nd Panzer Division, Veiel played a distinguished role in the Poland campaign in 1939, during the Western campaign in 1940, during Yugoslavia and Greece (Balkans Campaign) in 1941, and of the Soviet Union in 1941. On 3 June 1940, for his achievements as a divisional commander, Veiel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The following wartime excerpt (dated 30 August 1940) describes why Veiel received the Knight’s Cross:

“Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel broke through the Belgian border fortifications with his Panzer-Division and then forced a crossing over the Maas river north of Sedan. Thereafter his troops succeeding in breaking through to the Channel coastline in the direction of Boulogne under his outstanding personal leadership.”

Since 19 February 1942, he led the XXXXVIII. Armeekorps (48th), later known as the XXXXVIII. Panzerkorps. On 1 April 1942, after the German defeat at Moscow, Veiel became General der Panzertruppe. On 30 September with effect from 28 September 1942, Veiel was made Commanding General in the Central Revitalization/Refresher Area (Kommandierender General im Auffrischungsbereich Mitte) with the Army Group Center. He continued in this position until 6 June 1943.

In September 1943, General Veiel was Commanding General of the Deputy V Army Corps and Commander in Military District V in Stuttgart (Kommandierender General des stellvertretenden V. Armeekorps und Befehlshaber im Wehrkreis V). In FMS B-193 he writes:

"On 1 September 1943, I took over from my predecessor, General der Infanterie Oßwald, command of the Deputy Army Area V [Deputy General Command V Army Corps in Stuttgart] and was therewith simultaneously commander in Wehrkreis V and in Alsace. On 15 April 1945, I gave up the command over the Wehrkreis and Alsace to General der Artillerie Felzmann."

And yet most searches on Google say that Veiel was relieved of command of Wehrkreis V because of his behaviour on 20 July and replaced by Hans Schmidt. This is not accurate, although Generalleutnant Wilhelm Burgdorf had planned to place him in the Führerreserve of the OKH around 30 September 1944 and to dismiss him afterwards because of age. The Reichsführer-SS and Chief of Army Equipment and Commander of the Replacement Army (Chef der Heeresrüstung and Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres) informs that:

"The commander of Military District V, General der Panzertruppe Veiel, exactly like many other deputy commanding generals, received the orders of the traitors von Witzleben and von Stauffenberg in the night of 20 to the 21 July 1944. According to him [Veiel], he initially tried to clarify the situation in Berlin, however didn't attempt to do anything else. Especially, he omitted to inform the Gauleiter. Later – I do not know the exact time – he rightly reported his intended political advisor from Karlsruhe, the lawyer [and member of the] Centre Party Frank [Reinhold Frank, 1896–1945, one of the conspirators] to the Geheime Staatspolizei Gestapo so that he could be arrested. I cannot assess if and to what degree the General's conduct was culpable. However, I feel obliged to report the aforementioned. According to my experience, General Veiel is an unpolitical soldier, and although he is no opponent of National Socialism, he is no advocate either. General Veiel never neglected cooperation with the Party authorities and myself. I can even say the opposite, that the General was keen to be on the best possible terms with the Party."

On 16 April 1945, he was put in the Officer Reserve (Führerreserve) of the Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres or OKH). After World War II, Rudolf Veiel spent two years in American captivity. On 12 May 1947, he was released and returned home to his family.

Death

General der Panzertruppe a. D. Rudolf Veiel died on 19 March 1956 in his hometown of Stuttgart and was buried in the family grave at the cemetery "Pragfriedhof"; final resting place: section (Abteilung) 34, row (Reihe) 11, grave (Grab) 1.

Family

Rudolf was the son of the Imperial Judicial Council (Reichsgerichtsrat) at the Reichsgericht in Lepzig (III. Zivilsenats Leipzig) Ludwig Alfred von Veiel (1845–1905), who was raised to the non-hereditary personal nobility for his services and was also a member of the Reichstag. His mother was Hedwig von Veiel, née Kleiner (1857–1920).

Marriage

On 6 October 1916 in Colmar im Elsaß, Rittmeister Veiel married his fiancée Elisabeth Diefenbach (b. 15 October 1892), daughter of lawyer, judge, state attorney, Privy Councillor of Justice (Oberlandesgerichtsrat und Geheimer Justizrat) and mayor of Colmar (1914 to 1918) Friedrich Diefenbach (1861–1949). They would have two children:

  • Liselotte (b. 19 July 1917 in Colmar im Elsaß)
  • Lothar (b. 13 November 1919 in Ulm)

Promotions

  • 4 April 1904 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 10 September 1904 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 15 November 1904 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 18 August 1905 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Patent from 17 February 1904
  • 25 February 1913 Oberleutnant with Patent from 18 February 1913
  • 24 December 1914 Rittmeister
    • 1 February 1922 Rank Seniority (RDA) from 24 December 1914 confirmed by the Reichswehr
  • 31 January 1927 Major with effect from 1 February 1927
  • 1 April 1931 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 1 December 1933 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 18 January 1937 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect from 1 January 1937
  • 30 September 1938 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect from 1 October 1938
  • 12 April 1942 General der Panzertruppe with effect from 1 April 1942

Awards and decorations

Gallery

  • Rudolf Veiel as Reichswehr officer.jpg
  • Rudolf Veiel, KCIC.jpg
  • Rudolf Veiel II.JPG
  • General der Panzertruppe Rudolf Veiel II.jpg
  • General der Panzertruppe Rudolf Veiel I.jpg
  • Rudolf Veiel, Grave in Stuttgart (Pragfriedhof).JPG

Sources

  • German Federal Archives: BArch PERS 6/373 and PERS 6/301174

External links

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