Hermann Balck (December 7th 1893, November 29th 1982) is a German general during the Second world war.

Biography

Balck enters the army of the German Empire in 1913 as a candidate officer. It serves in a company of officers during the First World War and is commander of a company of machine gunners at the end of the war. When the Second world war bursts in 1939, Balck is in OKH (high command of the German army) and is transferred to the command from the regiment motorized fusiliers 1 in the 1e division from Panzer at the end of October 1939, which is implied in the Bataille of France. Its unit is implied closely in the Sichelschnitt plan and carries out the crossing of the Sedan.

During the winter and spring 1940, Balck orders the 3rd regiment of Panzer during the Bataille of Greece and later the 2nd brigade of Panzer. In July 1941, it turns over to work with the staff at the office of the inspections of the armed forces of the OKH. In May 1942, Balck is sent on the face of the East and order the 11th division of Panzer in Ukraine, in the south of the Russia. It is then placed on the list of the reserve officers, but one quickly gives him the command of the pomegranate division Panzer Grossdeutschland in the east. After one short period in Italy, it is ordering 48e body of Panzer in the east in 1943, then of the 4th army of Panzer as from August 1944. During this period its bodies of Panzer are engaged on several theaters of operation: the defense of Stalingrad against a Soviet opening, to come to assistance of Stalingrad at the end of 1942, to prevent the Soviets from crossing the river Dniepr, against counter-attacks with Zhitomir in 1943 and to slow down the Soviet offensives of winter and spring in the west of the Ukraine in 1944, during which Balck is one of the two commanders responsible for the disastrous failure to create and maintain a defensive position with Fester Platz with Tarnopol. In July 1944, Balck orders the 48e body of Panzer during the initial phase of the Offensive Lviv-Sandomierz of the Soviets. Balck is implied closely in the defensive failure against this offensive and in the failure of the operation aiming at helping the 13th army corps encircled with Brody and which was destroyed.

In September 1944, Balck passes from the command of the 4th army of Panzer to Poland to the command of the Groupe of armies G in the area of Alsace in France. At the end of December, Balck is raised of its command and one turns over it on make, is retrogressed with the command of the Groupe of armies Balck in Hungary. It is captured by the American troops in Austria the May 8th 1945.

After the war he works in a military deposit. In 1948, it is stopped, considered and condemned for the murder of the artillery commander Johann Schottke, by firing squad, without suitable lawsuit, which was found drunk whereas it was in function the November 28th 1944 close to Saarbrucken. This incident had occurred whereas Balck was ordering group of armies G on the face of the West. It purged half of its sentence.

Evaluation of its career

Balck is the typical example of the German officer who climbed quickly levels during the war, just like Erwin Rommel, Erhard Raus, Josef Harpe and Ernst Busch, to quote only these. It began the war with the rank from lieutenant colonel in 1939 and finished it with the rank of lieutenant-general of army. One often describes Balck like a commander of armor-plated troops endowed, as shows it its command of the 11th division of Panzer and the 48e body of Panzer in 1942-43. The critics claim that its poor performance with Tarnopol in March and April 1944 and during the defensive actions in the West with the autumn 1944, show the risk associated with a policy with fast promotions which can raise an individual beyond his competences.

Several battles to which taken Balck share are reported in the book Panzer Battles of the general major Friedrich von Mellenthin. However, the critics claim that this work is not reliable from a historical point of view, the battles which are not with the advantage of the Germans are not described there adequately and the evaluation presented of the Soviet troops is strongly debatable. Balck wrote its autobiography entitled Ordnung im Chaos .

See too

• List of the holders of the cross of knight of the cross of iron with sheets of oak, swords and brilliant

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