Heinz Günther Guderian
Encyclopedia
Heinz Günther Guderian was a German
officer in the Wehrmacht
and later a Major General
and Inspector of Panzer Troops in the West German
Bundeswehr
and NATO. He was the son of World War II
General Heinz Guderian
.
Born in Goslar
, Lower Saxony, Heinz Günther Guderian entered the German Army as an officer cadet on April 1, 1933. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1935 and served as a platoon leader, battalion and regimental adjutant and company commander in Panzer Regiments 1 and 35. He saw combat during the invasion of Poland
and was wounded twice during the Battle of France
in 1940. He graduated from the General Staff College in 1942 and served as a staff officer in various armored units until being assigned as the Operations Officer for the 116th Panzerdivision
("The Greyhounds") in May 1942, a position he held until the end of the War.
After the creation of the Bundeswehr
, Guderian returned to the army and was given command of Panzerbattalion 3 (later 174) and, later, Panzerbrigade 14. He also served in a variety of staff assignments, culminating in service as Inspector of Panzer Troops--the same job his father held during World War II—for the Bundeswehr. He retired in 1974.
Guderian's WWII decorations include the Iron Cross
Second and First Classes, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, the Wounds Badge in Silver. After the war he received the Federal German Grand Cross of the Order of Merit on 21 December 1972.
Guderian wrote From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in WWII (The Aberjona Press, 2001) ISBN 0-9666389-7-2
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...
officer 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:...
and later a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and Inspector of Panzer Troops in the West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
and NATO. He was the son of 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...
General Heinz Guderian
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
.
Born in Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
, Lower Saxony, Heinz Günther Guderian entered the German Army as an officer cadet on April 1, 1933. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1935 and served as a platoon leader, battalion and regimental adjutant and company commander in Panzer Regiments 1 and 35. He saw combat during the invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
and was wounded twice during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in 1940. He graduated from the General Staff College in 1942 and served as a staff officer in various armored units until being assigned as the Operations Officer for the 116th Panzerdivision
116th Panzer Division (Germany)
The 116th Panzer Division, also known as the "Greyhound 'Windhund' Division", was a German panzer division that saw combat during World War II. It was reconstituted in the Rhineland and Westphalia areas of western Germany in March 1944 from the remnants of the 16th Panzergrenadier Division, and...
("The Greyhounds") in May 1942, a position he held until the end of the War.
After the creation of the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, Guderian returned to the army and was given command of Panzerbattalion 3 (later 174) and, later, Panzerbrigade 14. He also served in a variety of staff assignments, culminating in service as Inspector of Panzer Troops--the same job his father held during World War II—for the Bundeswehr. He retired in 1974.
Guderian's WWII decorations include 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....
Second and First Classes, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
, the Wounds Badge in Silver. After the war he received the Federal German Grand Cross of the Order of Merit on 21 December 1972.
Guderian wrote From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in WWII (The Aberjona Press, 2001) ISBN 0-9666389-7-2