Edgar Feuchtinger

[MarmiteMan]

[cannot find a thread dedicated to Edgar Feuchtinger, so am trying here]

Do any Members know what Kommandeur 21. Panzer-Division Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger was doing January–April 1944? Was he ill, on leave, or other?

Think I may have read somewhere (AHF?) that Feuchtinger was transferred to the Eastern Front for a while, or something ...? If he was on leave, five months seems rather a long time for a commander during formation of his division. Given his appointment as commander of a division, Feuchtinger ought to have been ordered to, and could have attended either Kurs 9 (3rd February – 1st March, 1944) or Kurs 10 (15th March – 20th April, 1944) of the Divisionsführerlehrgänge in Hirschberg im Riesengebirge/Jelenia Góra during this time. But no listings indicate this.

Also, various OrBat and command listings both here at AHF and elsewhere mention respectively Generalmajor Oswin Grolig (15th January – 8th March 1944) and Generalleutnant Franz Westhoven (8th March – 8th May 1944) standing as stellvertretender Kommandeure (acting commanders) of the Division. Curiously, though, Werner Kortenhaus’ The Combat History of 21. Panzer Division (2014) during its second incarnation mentions neither Grolig nor Westhoven at all ...

[Mark V.]

Hi MarmiteMan,

Found an interesting tid bit. KTB of XIII. Armeekorps for March 1944 (T-314, R-524) mentions Gen.Major Feuchtinger as Führer of 8. Panzer-Division.

[histan]

Here are some details (taken from his "Generalskartei") that cover the period of interest:

467 01.08.1943 Kdr 21 Pz Div
744 06.09.1943 kdt z 7 DFL
847 Nr 744 nicht wirksam geworden
1367 16.11.1943 - 14.12.1943 kdt z 8 DFL , 15.12.1943 - 21.12.1943 kdt Kurzlehrgang
1430 12.11.1943 1367 nicht wirksam geworden
48 15.01.1944 kdt z H Gr Mitte z stv Fhrg e. Pz Div
270 26.01.1944 kdt z Pz Gren Div Feld.halle z Einarb. a Div Kdr
270 30.01.1944 kdt z 5 Pz Div z Einweis. a Div Kdr
435 19.02.1944 kdrt z H Gruppe Süd zur stellv F einer Pz Div

There is also an assessment of him dated 24.03.1944 by Kom Gen XIII AK that mentions him leading (vertretungsw.) "Teile der 8 Pz Div"

Regards

John

[PF]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Feuchtinger

[Sam Wren]

(From the) Kdr. (Feuchtinger) "According to OKH PA Ag P 1/Chef Abt. Gr. b from 9.1.44 I have been ordered to Heeresgruppe Mitte and Generalmajor Grolig has been appointed as my representation in the leadership of the Division. Major Meermann has likewise been ordered to H.Gr. Mitte and during the time of his absence Oblt. Vorster will take over the duties of Divisional Adjutant."

(From the) Kdr. "Today I have taken over acting command of the Division until the return of Generalmajor Feuchtinger." signed by Westhoven, dated 12.3.44

Feuchtinger was apparently back by 27.3.44 as the Divisionstagesbefehl 183 of that date was signed by him (or to be more precise, it was "gez."-ed Feuchtinger).

[histan]

Thank you very much for this information Sam it resolves an issue for those of us whose focus is on commanders and command changes. So may people focus on their own areas of interest and and either don't realize they have, or can't be bothered to post, information that would assist other researchers.

I like to record a reference source for any information that I have and so I wonder if it would be possible to provide them for the extracts you have posted - an example would be Divisional order dated xx March 1944.

Regards

John

[Sam Wren]

The first one is from Divisionstagesbefehl Nr. 166, 18.1.44 & the second one is from Divisionstagesbefehl Nr. 181, 12.3.44.

Both are from T-315, Roll 769, NARA

[Sheldrake]

Here are some details (taken from his "Generalskartei") that cover the period of interest:

467 01.08.1943 Kdr 21 Pz Div
744 06.09.1943 kdt z 7 DFL
847 Nr 744 nicht wirksam geworden
1367 16.11.1943 - 14.12.1943 kdt z 8 DFL , 15.12.1943 - 21.12.1943 kdt Kurzlehrgang
1430 12.11.1943 1367 nicht wirksam geworden
48 15.01.1944 kdt z H Gr Mitte z stv Fhrg e. Pz Div
270 26.01.1944 kdt z Pz Gren Div Feld.halle z Einarb. a Div Kdr
270 30.01.1944 kdt z 5 Pz Div z Einweis. a Div Kdr
435 19.02.1944 kdrt z H Gruppe Süd zur stellv F einer Pz Div

There is also an assessment of him dated 24.03.1944 by Kom Gen XIII AK that mentions him leading (vertretungsw.) "Teile der 8 Pz Div"

Regards

John

Perhaps I have missed something, but these look like temporary attachments. You would have to be pretty desperate to call on Edgar Fechtinger in a moment of crisis. I wonder if these were intended to give this artillery General command experience with panzer-troops before he would be tested against the second front.

[histan]

Sam - Thanks very much indeed, the information is much appreciated.

Sheldrake - I think you are spot on. Feuchtinger seems to have twice avoided going on the DFL, the course for new division commanders, where I suspect his limitations would have been exposed. They were indeed temporary attachments (kdt translates as attached). It does look like the HPA said in effect "if you won't go back to school to learn we will post you temporarily to the Eastern Front and you can learn there".

Regards

John

[Sheldrake]

Sam - Thanks very much indeed, the information is much appreciated.

Sheldrake - I think you are spot on. Feuchtinger seems to have twice avoided going on the DFL, the course for new division commanders, where I suspect his limitations would have been exposed.

Regards

John

This gets better and better. A bounder, cad and a cheat!

Tell me more. What was the course? How did he get out of the course? And how do you know this?

[Sam Wren]

Does anyone happen to have any primary sources related to Feuchtinger's court-martial? I have seen many assertions that it had to do with being with his "black" mistress on D-Day but have seen no documentation of such. His own assertion, at least while POW, was that is was due to his "subversive" comments about the Nazi regime (although his English interrogators as well as his fellow POWs seemed to have accorded him very little belief.

thanks
sam

[Sheldrake]

Article here. I couldn't find anything titillating from either his court martial or the name or picture of his exotic dancer http://www.theobservationpost.com/blog/?p=1192

[Rossano]

Hello to all
very interesting matter, my compliments
I have a few questions though
1) According to Your doc. Feuchtinger was 09.01.44 abkdrt., but Grolig took over on 15.01. (so Feuchtinger till 15.01. ?)
2) Then Westhoven is reported to have been ordered on 08.03.; but as from Your document he took over on 12.03 (date in document seems to have been amended to 15.03., what do You think ?)
3) I´m perplexed about Feuchtinger´s return date, You write 27.03. (as from Div.Tages-Befehl 183) but Feuchtinger is reported to have returned on 08.05......
4) Maj. Meermann was not Div.Adj.(Maj. König was), he was Gerichtsoffizier (HPA list)
Many thanks for Your replies, Rossano

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a complement....................................

Generalleutnant Edgar Feuchtinger.

Nevertheless on August 6, 1944, he was even awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On August 20, 1944, he was promoted to Generalleutnant.

Source: https://www.booklooker.de/B%C3%BCcher/S ... jEcHS01ZZ3

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Sam Wren]

Cómo andas Raúl? Espero que todo vaya bien con vos y con tu familia y con tus amistades.