Alfred Schlemm
Encyclopedia
Alfred Schlemm was a German
General der Fallschirmtruppe
in the Wehrmacht
. His last command in World War II
opposed the advance of the First Canadian Army
through the Reichswald
in February 1945.
in the Principality
of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
, a part of the German Empire
. He joined the Imperial German Army
on 8 March 1913 as a Fahnenjunker in the 2. Posensches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr.56 and he transferred temporarily to the Danzig War School in October 1913. He returned to his regiment before the start of World War I
, where he remained until September 1919, progressing in various roles (Platoon Leader, Ordonnanzoffizier, Battery Commander and Regimental Adjutant).
During the inter-war years, Schlemm served in a variety of staff, training and regimental posts until, in October 1937, he was attached to the Reich Air Ministry. In February 1938, he transferred from the Army to the Luftwaffe
and was appointed an Oberst
in the Luftwaffe General Staff and in June 1938, he became Chief of Staff of Air Defense Zone West.
and in December 1940, Schlemm was appointed Chief of Staff of the XI Fliegerkorps [Air Corps] under General der Flieger
Kurt Student
. XI Fliegerkorps was the headquarters staff of Germany’s parachute and air landing forces which, on 20 May 1941, the Germans used for Operation Merkur, the airborne invasion of Crete
. At least 6,000 airborne troops were lost and the conquest of Crete effectively ended all plans for large-scale German airborne operations.
(Generaloberst Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen) on the Eastern Front
, where he became Commander of Luftwaffen-Gefechtsverbande ("Battle Formation") Schlemm assigned to the XXXX Panzer Corps and the LVI Panzer Corps in General der Infanterie
Gotthard Heinrici
’s 4th Army
. Schlemm became commander of the 1st Flieger-Division (Air Division) from June 1942, based at Dugino and controlling various Luftwaffe air and ground support units.
In October 1942, he became Commanding General of the II Luftwaffe Field Corps on the Eastern Front and, later, in Italy. Schlemm’s corps comprised four Luftwaffe Field Divisions and held the line from south of Nevel
to the Dvina River east of Vitebsk
, under the 3rd Panzer Army of Army Group Centre. In February and March 1943, the II Luftwaffe Field Corps participated in Operation Kugelblitz against the partisan
infested region of Surazh Rayon northeast of Vitebsk
. On 6 October 1943, part of Schlemm's corps collapsed under a major Russia
n attack, resulting in a 10-mile rip in the German lines and the capture of Nevel. The entire II Luftwaffe Field Corps fell back to new positions west of Gorodok
.
, or Winter Line, along the Garigliano River
, but soon Schlemm’s corps were urgently transferred to oppose the Allied beachhead at Anzio
(Operation Shingle
). Schlemm led the German defenders successfully for three days until command formally passed to Generaloberst
Eberhard von Mackensen
, Commander-in-Chief of the 14th Army
. The Ist Fallschirm-Korps fought at Anzio for the next three months. Schlemm was cited in the official Armed Forces Communiqué and received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross
for his efforts.
After the Gustav Line was breached at Cassino and the Anzio bridgehead breakout, Schlemm's Ist Fallschirm-Korps joined the German withdrawal through central Italy. By August 1944, they were lodged in the Arno and Gothic Line
defensive positions in the northern Apennines
. Schlemm relinquished command of the Ist Fallschirm-Korps to Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich
.
as Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Fallschirm-Armee (Parachute Army) on the Western Front in the Netherlands. The 1st Fallschirm-Armee was engaged defending the Reichswald
against the Canadian First Army. Schlemm's troops were a motley but effective collection of under-strength infantry divisions and battle groups entrenched in the West Wall (Siegfried Line
). Schlemm disagreed with the current view that the next Allied attack would be further south and ensured that his troops built formidable defences.
The Canadian First Army and Lieutenant-General William H Simpson
’s U.S. Ninth Army
compressed Schlemm’s forces into a small bridgehead on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Wesel
. On 10 March 1945, the rearguard of the 1st Fallschirm-Armee evacuated their bridgehead, destroying the bridge behind them, and Schlemm prepared to meet the inevitable Allied crossing of the river. He was wounded in an air attack on his command post at Haltern
eleven days later and command of the 1st Fallschirm-Armee passed to General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt
.
near Hannover.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
General der Fallschirmtruppe
General der Fallschirmtruppe
General der Fallschirmtruppe was a General’s rank of the German Luftwaffe.The rank was equivalent to the long established General der Kavallerie, General der Artillerie and General der Infanterie...
in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. His last command in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
opposed the advance of the First Canadian Army
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
through the Reichswald
Reichswald
A Reichswald designates a historic woodland under imperial protection and usage in the lands of the former Holy Roman Empire. It may refer to:* Nürnberger Reichswald — an old cultivated forest with near Nuremberg, which is today a nature reserve....
in February 1945.
Early life & early military career
Schlemm was born in RudolstadtRudolstadt
Rudolstadt is a town in the German Bundesland of Thuringia, close to the Thuringian Forest to the southwest, and to Jena and Weimar to the north....
in the Principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...
, a part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. He joined the Imperial German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
on 8 March 1913 as a Fahnenjunker in the 2. Posensches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr.56 and he transferred temporarily to the Danzig War School in October 1913. He returned to his regiment before the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, where he remained until September 1919, progressing in various roles (Platoon Leader, Ordonnanzoffizier, Battery Commander and Regimental Adjutant).
During the inter-war years, Schlemm served in a variety of staff, training and regimental posts until, in October 1937, he was attached to the Reich Air Ministry. In February 1938, he transferred from the Army to the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
and was appointed an Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
in the Luftwaffe General Staff and in June 1938, he became Chief of Staff of Air Defense Zone West.
Military career
In October 1939, he became Chief of Staff of Luftgau [Air Zone] XI, under Generalleutnant Ludwig WolffLudwig Wolff
Ludwig Wolff was a German chemist.He studied chemistry at the University of Strasbourg, where he received his Ph.D. from Rudolph Fittig in 1882. He became Professor at the University of Jena in 1891 and held this position till his death in 1919. In 1912 he published a new reaction now known as the...
and in December 1940, Schlemm was appointed Chief of Staff of the XI Fliegerkorps [Air Corps] under General der Flieger
General der Flieger
General der Flieger was a General’s rank of the German Luftwaffe.The rank was equivalent to the long established General der Kavallerie, General der Artillerie and General der Infanterie...
Kurt Student
Kurt Student
Kurt Student was a German Luftwaffe general who fought as a fighter pilot during the First World War and as the commander of German Fallschirmjäger during the Second World War.-Biography:...
. XI Fliegerkorps was the headquarters staff of Germany’s parachute and air landing forces which, on 20 May 1941, the Germans used for Operation Merkur, the airborne invasion of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. At least 6,000 airborne troops were lost and the conquest of Crete effectively ended all plans for large-scale German airborne operations.
Eastern Front
From February 1942, Schlemm was attached to the General Command of the VIII. Fliegerkorps8th Air Corps (Germany)
VIII. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 19 July 1939 in Oppeln as Fliegerführer z.b.V. The abbreviation z.b.V. is German and stands for zur besonderen Verwendung . Fliegerführer z.b.V was renamed to VIII. Fliegerkorps on 10 November 1939...
(Generaloberst Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen) on the Eastern Front
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, where he became Commander of Luftwaffen-Gefechtsverbande ("Battle Formation") Schlemm assigned to the XXXX Panzer Corps and the LVI Panzer Corps in General der Infanterie
General of the Infantry (Germany)
General of the Infantry is a rank of general in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht - the second-highest regular rank. The same rank spread to the Imperial Russian Army and the Defence forces of Finland between the world wars...
Gotthard Heinrici
Gotthard Heinrici
Gotthard Heinrici was a general in the German Army during World War II.-Personal life:Heinrici's was born in Gumbinnen , East Prussia, on Christmas Day, 1886, to Paul Heinrici, a local Lutheran minister of the Prussian Church, and his wife Gisela, née von Rauchhaupt, who was of recent Jewish descent...
’s 4th Army
German Fourth Army
The 4th Army was a field army of Imperial Germany during World War I and of the Wehrmacht during World War II-World War I:At the outset of war, the Fourth Army, with the Fifth Army, formed the center of the German armies on the Western Front, moving through Luxembourg and Belgium in support of the...
. Schlemm became commander of the 1st Flieger-Division (Air Division) from June 1942, based at Dugino and controlling various Luftwaffe air and ground support units.
In October 1942, he became Commanding General of the II Luftwaffe Field Corps on the Eastern Front and, later, in Italy. Schlemm’s corps comprised four Luftwaffe Field Divisions and held the line from south of Nevel
Nevel
Nevel is a town and the administrative center of Nevelsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on Lake Nevel southeast of Pskov. Population:...
to the Dvina River east of Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, under the 3rd Panzer Army of Army Group Centre. In February and March 1943, the II Luftwaffe Field Corps participated in Operation Kugelblitz against the partisan
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
infested region of Surazh Rayon northeast of Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
. On 6 October 1943, part of Schlemm's corps collapsed under a major Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n attack, resulting in a 10-mile rip in the German lines and the capture of Nevel. The entire II Luftwaffe Field Corps fell back to new positions west of Gorodok
Gorodok
Gorodok may refer to:*Gorodok, alternative name of Haradok, Belarus*Gorodok, Russia, name of several inhabited localities in Russia-See also:*Horodok *Bely Gorodok, an urban-type settlement in Tver Oblast...
.
Italy
Withdrawn from the line in November 1943, Schlemm’s four divisions transferred to the LIII and IX Army Corps and were transferred to Italy. On 1 January 1944, Schlemm’s headquarters staff, redesignated as Ist Fallschirm-Korps with Schlemm as Commanding General, took control of a reserve force of over 24,000 troops in the Rome area. They were initially dispatched from Rome to bolster the Gustav LineWinter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
, or Winter Line, along the Garigliano River
Garigliano River
The Garigliano is a river in central Italy.It forms at the confluence of the rivers Gari and Liri. Garigliano is actually a deformation of "Gari-Lirano"...
, but soon Schlemm’s corps were urgently transferred to oppose the Allied beachhead at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
(Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
). Schlemm led the German defenders successfully for three days until command formally passed to Generaloberst
Colonel General
Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
Eberhard von Mackensen
Eberhard von Mackensen
Friedrich August Eberhard von Mackensen was a German general who served in World War II, and one of 882 German recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, Commander-in-Chief of the 14th Army
German Fourteenth Army
The 14th Army was a World War II field army.The 14th Army was activated on August 1, 1939 with General Wilhelm List in command and saw service in Poland until the end of the campaign in Poland October 13, 1939...
. The Ist Fallschirm-Korps fought at Anzio for the next three months. Schlemm was cited in the official Armed Forces Communiqué and received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
for his efforts.
After the Gustav Line was breached at Cassino and the Anzio bridgehead breakout, Schlemm's Ist Fallschirm-Korps joined the German withdrawal through central Italy. By August 1944, they were lodged in the Arno and Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
defensive positions in the northern Apennines
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
. Schlemm relinquished command of the Ist Fallschirm-Korps to Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich
Richard Heidrich
Richard Heidrich , was a highly decorated German Fallschirmjäger and general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
.
Reichswald
Schlemm became Commanding General of the IIIrd Fallschirm-Korps but this formation was never activated. Instead, he succeeded Generaloberst Kurt StudentKurt Student
Kurt Student was a German Luftwaffe general who fought as a fighter pilot during the First World War and as the commander of German Fallschirmjäger during the Second World War.-Biography:...
as Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Fallschirm-Armee (Parachute Army) on the Western Front in the Netherlands. The 1st Fallschirm-Armee was engaged defending the Reichswald
Reichswald
A Reichswald designates a historic woodland under imperial protection and usage in the lands of the former Holy Roman Empire. It may refer to:* Nürnberger Reichswald — an old cultivated forest with near Nuremberg, which is today a nature reserve....
against the Canadian First Army. Schlemm's troops were a motley but effective collection of under-strength infantry divisions and battle groups entrenched in the West Wall (Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
). Schlemm disagreed with the current view that the next Allied attack would be further south and ensured that his troops built formidable defences.
The Canadian First Army and Lieutenant-General William H Simpson
William Hood Simpson
General William Hood Simpson was a distinguished U.S. Army officer who commanded the U.S. Ninth Army in northern Europe, during World War II, among other roles....
’s U.S. Ninth Army
U.S. Ninth Army
The Ninth United States Army was one of the main U.S. Army combat commands used during the campaign in Northwest Europe in 1944 and 1945. It was commanded from its inception by Lieutenant General William Simpson...
compressed Schlemm’s forces into a small bridgehead on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
. On 10 March 1945, the rearguard of the 1st Fallschirm-Armee evacuated their bridgehead, destroying the bridge behind them, and Schlemm prepared to meet the inevitable Allied crossing of the river. He was wounded in an air attack on his command post at Haltern
Haltern
Haltern is a town and a municipality in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the Lippe and the Wesel–Datteln Canal, approx...
eleven days later and command of the 1st Fallschirm-Armee passed to General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt
Günther Blumentritt
Günther Blumentritt was a German officer in World War I, who became a Staff Officer under the Weimar Republic and went on to serve as a general for Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
Post war
At the end of the war in May 1945, Schlemm became a prisoner of war held by the British — he was repatriated to Hamburg in October 1947. Alfred Schlemm died on 24 January 1986 at AhltenAhlten
Ahlten is a village in northern Germany with a population of around 5400. It belongs to the administrative district of the city of Lehrte, five kilometres east...
near Hannover.