Walter Model

Walter Model was born on January 24th, 1891 in Saxony-Anhalt, in a middle-class family. It integrates the imperial army German in February 1909 as Fähnrich within the Infantry Regiment 52. Leutnant (second lieutenant) on August 22nd, 1910, it takes share with the Great War as an officer of Infanterie. Promoted Oberleutnant (Lieutenant) on February 25th, 1915 then Hauptman (captain) in March 1918, it is seriously wounded in France with the head of its company in 1918.

After being implied in the combat carried out in the Freikorps in Courlande in 1919, it is maintained in the Reichswehr as a commander of company. It occupies various commands or functions of staff in the following years. Major in 1929, Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel) in November 1932, it takes the head of a battalion with Allenstein the following year, then directs the technical department staff of the Heer.

Oberst (Colonel) on October 1st, 1934, Generalmajor (Brigadier general) on October 1st, 1938, he is chief of staff of the IV. Armeekorps (Army corps) of Dresden starting from November 10th, 1938. It is in these functions that it takes part in the invasion of the Poland in 1939, before being appointed chief of staff of the 16. Army on October 25th, 1939. Promoted Generalleutnant (Major general) on April 1st, 1940, it still occupies this station at the time of the Campagne of '' France '' to which this army takes an active share, so much in the the Ardennes than at the time of the operation " Rot" in June 1940.

But it is only starting from autumn 1940 that its military career, from specimen, will become fulgurating. Placed at the head of the 3. Panzer Division on November 13rd, 1940, if it does not take part in the operations in the Balkans in April 1941, it plays a decisive part at the time of Barbarossa where its division caracol at the head of Panzergruppe 2 (2. Armor-plated army) of the general Guderian. Its action is particularly determining at the time of the battle of Kiev in August - September 1941, when its division ensures the surrounding of a Soviet group of armies , allowing the fast destruction of this one.

Divisional of more in sight, it is named General der Panzertruppen (General of the troops armor-plated) and placed on October 1st, 1941 with the head of the . Armeekorps (motorisiert) , body which operates with the head of the Panzergruppe 2 at the time of the battle of surrounding of Viazma - Briansk (operation " Taifun"). There hardly remains commander of body since, as of on January 15th, 1942, he takes the command of the 9. Army committed in hard combat around the town of Rhjev. Its defense baited, during all the winter 1941-1942, makes it possible Heeresgruppe Mitte (Group of Armies of the Center) to hitherto restore a face at the edge of collapse. After having shown its qualities of go-ahead type to the head of the 3. Panzer Division, during the summer 1941, it is illustrated already in operations of flexible defense which will make its fame.

Named Generaloberst (General) on February 28th, 1942, in reward of its control at the time of the engagements from January in March 1942, it will defend obstinately covering it of Rhjev at the summer 1942 and especially in November and December 1942, at the time of the Soviet offensive " mars". It brilliantly puts in failure the marshal Joukov, succeeding in preserving the essence of its positions, to save the 9. Army of the surrounding and the not very enviable fate of the army Paulus, while destroying the offensive potential of two groups of Soviet armies.

After having supervised the evacuation successful of covering of Rhjev in February - March 1943, it is with the head of the Northern branch of the clipper which attacks covering Koursk in July 1943 (operation " Zitadelle"). It undergoes a obvious failure there: in its sector, offensive is stopped as of first days, while it undergoes powerful attacks of side which force it with the defensive, then to the fold towards the west. At the time of this retirement under the Soviet pressure, then defensive actions which are connected during the autumn and of the winter 1943-1944, it is emphasized once again by its ability and the violent counter-attacks which it launches to push back the enemy.

January 9th, 1944, it is placed at the head of the Northern Heeresgruppe (Group of armies Northern), engaged in hard combat around] and soon constrained with the fold towards the Estonia, then to replace Erich von Manstein with the head of the Southern Heeresgruppe (Group of armies of the South).

It hardly remains in the southern sector of the Face of the East since it is called with the head of the Heersgruppe Mitte (Group of armies of the Center) in full disintegration, on June 27th, 1944, whereas this group of armies undergoes full whip the Soviet offensive " Bagration". It once again reveals on this occasion its talents of defender, since it restores a catastrophic situation and succeeds in stabilizing the face in August 1944. But, already, it is called on the Western theater of operations where the allied advance requires its qualities urgently and its will have of man of the last recourse.

It takes indeed with the raised foot, on August 17th, 1944, the supreme command in the West (Oberbefehlshaber West - Gerd von Rundstedt will replace it on September 4th, 1944) and that of the Heeresgruppe B which tries to stop the rush of Anglo-American towards the Reich. After a perilous retirement through France, the face is stabilized in Belgium and Lorraine. It will not leave any more this sector, since after having taken share with the Offensive of the the Ardennes (Operation " Herbstnebel") in December 1944 and January 1945, it orders the defense of the the Ruhr, where its group of armies is encircled in April 1945.

Refusing the capture of a German marshal, Model prefers to commit suicide on April 21st, 1945. Its skin rests with the military cemetery of Vossenack. He will have been an effective commander, endowed at a glance and with a particularly decisive coolness in the critical situations. If it never reached with the genius of a Erich von Manstein and with the height of sight of a Gerd von Rundstedt, its contribution to defensive successes of the second part of the war do of it one of the marshals more deserving Hitler, although it could not prevent the final defeat of a mode in which it believed firmly.

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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