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470:, a friend of his who was a mechanical engineer. Feuchtinger had championed Major Becker's efforts to make use of captured French equipment and convert them to mobilise German guns. Becker had been converting captured and damaged French equipment from 1940 into functioning vehicles that would be effective in the combat of 1943. Becker was given a command in the division, and soon set about equipping the division with modified French light tractors, halftracks and trucks. These he provided with light armour shielding to protect the crews from small arms fire, and many were modified to carry a heavy gun or other weapons. The troops that filled the ranks of the division initially were a mix of soldiers from Germany and volunteers from the occupied territories.
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534:, with very little contact or direction from Feuchtinger. Much of the 21st Panzer Division was caught in the Falaise Gap, but Feuchtinger managed to keep clear of the encirclement, telling von Luck: "From now on you are on your own. I cannot tell you where you will get fuel, ammunition or food. All the best, Luck. Bring me back lots of men from our division."
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as
Kanonier. Feuchtinger deserted from this assignment. A search was begun for him on 12 April 1945 but was unsuccessful. Instead of going to the front, Feuchtinger appeared at his farmhouse near Celle. On 29 May 1945, he obtained a general's uniform and surrendered into British captivity. He went
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Feuchtinger was in Paris at the time of the
Normandy invasion. He returned to Normandy with his female companion on June 6, but commanded the division from the rear. He allowed his subordinate commanders a great deal of latitude in making decisions for their units. On August 1, 1944 Feuchtinger was
457:
In April 1943 Feuchtinger was appointed commander of a "Schnelle
Division" (fast division). The fast divisions were a new concept and were intended to be a highly mobile division to allow the few forces in France to rapidly respond to an invasion threat that could suddenly materialise in any one of a
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To his captors
Feuchtinger was able to pass himself off as a victim of Nazi justice, and subsequently received an early release from the general board in 1946. After his return to Germany he worked as a representative for several companies before signing on at the Bremer Vulkan yard. There he worked
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in
January 1945, and found guilty by a German military court. In consequence all orders and decorations were taken from him, his military rank was reduced to Kanonier (rank equivalent to private in the artillery), and he was condemned to death. On 2 March 1945 Hitler ordered that Feuchtinger should
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he was also under suspicion of organising a large scale insurance fraud on French territory, which culminated in the purchase of a whole private castle during the occupation. On
January 5, 1945 Feuchtinger was arrested and charged with enrichment from Jewish wealth through illegal sale of furs, the
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where he served in a variety of staff roles. He transitioned to field command in 1937, and in August 1939, he was appointed to command an artillery regiment of the 227th
Infantry Division. Feuchtinger commanded this unit in the western campaign, fighting in Belgium and France. In 1941, the unit was
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and was reduced in the battles of North Africa. The bulk of the remainder fell into captivity at
Tunisia. The German command tended to "reform" lost units, and chose this unit designation for one of the new divisions that were being formed in France. Some 2,000 veterans from the Afrika Korps who
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The fast divisions were to be highly motorised, and were intended to have greater transport capacity than was allotted to a panzer division. This concept could not be implemented due to shortfalls in equipment. Germany could not replace its losses in the east, let alone equip new formations in
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agent who showed
Feuchtinger a military police document dated 12 April 1945. It is unclear exactly what the document was, but the threat of revealing it was able to elicit assistance from Feuchtinger. Feuchtinger was required to use his position to obtain and pass on information about German
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Reformed and reinforced in
Germany, the core of his division was involved in heavy fighting in Northern Alsace while Feuchtinger lived in Celle in northern Germany. His presence there brought the attention of the local citizens, who were aware that he was securing extra food supplies for his
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number of coast regions in France. Four of these were to be formed and based in central France. Though a good businessman and organiser, Feuchtinger had no experience as a panzer commander, and his appointment is thought to have been due to his connections in the
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By May 1944 the reformed 21st Panzer was nearly fully equipped and stationed near Caen. Feuchtinger spent much of his time in Paris, ostensibly overseeing production of materials for his division, as Becker was using the
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Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des
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The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal
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In 2008 his conviction by the Reich court in 1944 came up during a German national discussion on the review of war veterans convicted by the Nazi government of treason. His earlier conviction was not overturned.
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re-armament. For the next 7 years Feuchtinger provided Soviet military intelligence with classified information regarding the West German military, until his death from a stroke suffered in Berlin in 1960.
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had been sent home early to recover from wounds or disease were added to the unit to give it experience. Feuchtinger was able to garner a number of able unit commanders. Though Afrika veteran
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Colonel von Luck, a commander of broad experience, ended up operating his armoured regiment through the entire campaign, from the Normandy landings through the breakout attempt of
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withdrawal of officers from military service, misappropriation of Wehrmacht property and the release of military secrets to his South American mistress. He was imprisoned in
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for his conversion facility. A second reason for his presence was that Paris offered many diversions, and was the residence of Feuchtinger's actress girlfriend.
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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
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Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile
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Four months later the forming unit was enlarged and organised into a standard panzer division, and was given the designation of the
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454:. His forces occupied the city of Toulon and attempted to bring the ships of the French fleet stationed there under their control.
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562:. His presence in the U.S. internment camp at Allendorf met with strong protests from the German officers being held there.
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Feuchtinger was arrested on 5 January 1945 for his absence from his command in June and December 1944. He was demoted to
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promoted to lieutenant general. Shortly thereafter, on August 6, 1944, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
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girlfriend and using his position to keep three officer friends of his out of combat. According to his former commander
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into finding and disclosing secret information on the West German military and transferring this information to the
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by British forces in May 1945. The death sentence resulted in the permanent loss of all orders and honorary signs.
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After Germany's capitulation, Feuchtinger was selected to continue on as an officer in the much reduced
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The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VIIIa: Panzer Force Volume 2: F–H
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Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 2: F–H
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and sentenced to death in January 1945. Feuchtinger was sent to the front with the
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through several prison camps, including the British camp for German generals at
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France. To provide his division with equipment Feuchtinger prevailed upon Major
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Abgehört - Deutsche Generäle in britischer Kriegsgefangenschaft 1942–1945
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Later in life, while a private citizen, Feuchtinger was pressured by the
865:"The Last Taboo: Will Germany Finally Rehabilitate Nazi-Era 'Traitors'?"
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transferred to the Eastern Front, where his division participated in
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Erwin Rommel discusses review of Feuchtinger's 21st Panzer Division.
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German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom
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German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States
604:(1914) 2nd Class (28 May 1915) & 1st Class (20 January 1918)
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be pardoned and reinstated to the front. He was assigned to the
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1019:] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag.
648:(1939) 2nd Class (17 May 1940) & 1st Class (14 July 1940)
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Dermot Bradley, Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp:
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In May 1953 Feuchtinger was approached by a stranger at the
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On November 27, 1942 he commanded Kampfgruppe A during the
477:. The original 21st Panzer Division had been part of the
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Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords of the WĂĽrttemberg
1042:] (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.
970:] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas.
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Recipients of the Medal for Bravery (Austria-Hungary)
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trading in steel products for use in heavy industry.
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Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1218:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
1213:Lieutenant generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht)
1263:People convicted of treason against Nazi Germany
660:1st and 2nd Class with Swords (1 September 1942)
530:to the final devastation of the 7th Army in the
772:"Spiegel interview with Dr. Rolf-Dieter MĂĽller"
610:(Austria-Hungary) in Bronze (26 November 1915)
8:
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350:(9 November 1894 – 21 January 1960) was a
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137:Generalleutnant Edgar Feuchtinger in 1944
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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678:and commander of the 21. Panzer-Division
1203:Military personnel from Alsace-Lorraine
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995:Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2009.
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634:Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
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397:Feuchtinger joined a cadet school in
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1208:German Army personnel of World War I
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1253:German prisoners sentenced to death
362:. Feuchtinger was commander of the
1238:West German spies for East Germany
863:Deggerich, Markus (Jan 28, 2009).
709:for probation on 2 March 1945. He
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1233:German spies for the Soviet Union
988:, Verlag Mittler, Hamburg, 2006.
953:Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945
1119:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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670:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
613:Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the
490:requested and was given Colonel
335:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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1268:People condemned by Nazi courts
617:with Swords (30 September 1916)
34:needs additional citations for
1164:Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski
555:20th Panzer-Grenadier-Division
1:
717:, and was captured and taken
630:of Hamburg (11 November 1918)
16:Wehrmacht general (1894-1960)
1258:Recipients of German pardons
1198:Military personnel from Metz
993:Defenders of Fortress Europe
869:SPIEGEL ONLINE International
800:"German Officer Biographies"
707:20. Panzergrenadier-Division
682:Wehrmacht Long Service Award
615:Order of the Zähringer Lion
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1005:. Propyläen, Berlin, 2005.
642:1st Class (16 August 1936)
415:Second Battle of the Aisne
293:Second Battle of the Aisne
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955:, Band 3, OsnabrĂĽck, 1994
640:German Olympic Decoration
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1034:Wegmann, GĂĽnter (2009).
960:Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer
666:in Silver (15 July 1943)
575:Involvement in espionage
1167:(Oak Leaves and Swords)
1009:Scherzer, Veit (2007).
986:Mit Rommel an der Front
646:Clasp to the Iron Cross
844:Luck 2006, pp. 171–227
823:Luck 2006, pp. 165–166
754:"Falltöter von rechts"
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1084:at Knowledge (XXG)'s
587:. The stranger was a
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243:Years of service
1123:21st Panzer Division
760:. December 20, 1961.
684:, 4th with 1st class
672:on 6 August 1944 as
581:Central Rail Station
518:Invasion of Normandy
488:Panzer Lehr Division
475:21st Panzer Division
432:Operation Barbarossa
401:in 1907. During the
364:21st Panzer Division
305:Operation Barbarossa
265:21st Panzer Division
43:improve this article
991:Mitcham, Samuel W
788:Mitcham 2009, p. 53
652:Eastern Front Medal
566:Post war activities
450:of previously free
411:Battle of the Somme
288:Battle of the Somme
58:"Edgar Feuchtinger"
1121:recipients of the
636:(22 February 1935)
624:(16 December 1917)
528:Operation Goodwood
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486:in command of the
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1149:Edgar Feuchtinger
1082:Edgar Feuchtinger
1049:978-3-7648-2389-4
1026:978-3-938845-17-2
977:978-3-7909-0284-6
853:Luck 2006, p. 207
835:Luck 2006, p. 167
608:Medal for Bravery
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32:This article
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1144:Alfred Bruer
1134:Winrich Behr
1107:from Commons
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