Top generals KIA/POW

[Feanor]

For each of the combatants in WWII, who was the top general that they lost, either KIA or POW, both rank-wise and in terms of position occupied?

I know that the Soviets lost three front commanders:
1. Kirponos--commander of SW Front in summer '41. He was encircled with his troops during the Kiev disaster, and was killed leading a breakout attempt.
2. Vatutin--commander of 1st Ukrainian front in spring '44. He was ambushed near Shepetovka (W. Ukraine) in March by Benderovites and mortally wounded, died in hospital a few months later.
3. Chernyakhovsky--commander of 3rd Byelorussian front in early '45. He was killed by artillery fire during the siege of Konigsberg.
The only people above them "positionally" would probably be the Stavka representatives, and I'm unaware of any of them being killed.

For the US, I think the top "positional" KIA, would be Lt. Gen. Bruckner, commander of Tenth Army, killed by arty on Okinawa.

[Jon G.]

O'Connor fell POW in early 1941. A great loss to the Allied effort in North Africa.

Aircrashes were a common cause of death too. The most notary one was probably Orde Wingate. And admiral Yamato was shot down by the Americans in 1943 IIRC.

[wright61]

General Gott commander 7th armoured division was shot down by 2 ME109s while travelling to Cairo in a Bombay transport plane on the 7th august 1942.He had just been given command of the 8th army the day before.

[Andreas]

German highest-ranking POWs before the total surrender:

Field Marshal Paulus at Stalingrad.

Colonel-General von Arnim near Tunis.

[WalterS]

US : 3 star General Leslie McNair, Commander of Army ground Forces HQ (a training command in the US) was killed in July, 1944 in Normandy while on an inspection tour. He was accidentally killed by USAAF bombers who were supporting General Bradley's "COBRA" attack and dropped their bombs too early, killing McNair and about 100 US soldiers from the 9th and 30th Divisions. I believe McNair was the highest ranking US officer killed during the war.

2 star Admirals Daniel Callaghan and Norman Scott, killed on the night of 11/12 November 1942 during a Naval action at Guadalcanal. Callaghan was in overall command of a force of cruisers and destroyers which intercepted a Japanese force which included 2 battleships. Although the US force was severely pounded in the night battle, the Japanese force was turned back before it could reinforce Guadalcanal.

2 star Admiral Theodore Chandler, Commander of a Cruiser Division, was killed in Dec 1944 during the invasion of Luzon by a Kamikaze aircraft which hit his flagship.

2 star Admiral Isaac Kidd, Sr. Battleship Division One Commander killed aboard USS ARIZONA at Pearl Harbor

NOTE: in 1980 (or thereabouts) a class of US Navy DDG's (guided missile destroyers) was named for the above mentioned 4 admirals killed in WWII.

2 star General Wainwright- surrendered at Corregidor, 1942.

[DrG]

For Italy, the highest ranking general KIA in WW2 was Air Marshal Italo Balbo, shot down with his airplane while he was returning to Tobruk on 29 June 1940 (in the same time that town was under a British bombing).

Adm. Carlo Bergamini, commander of the Italian Battle Fleet, died in the sinking of the battleship Roma on 9 Sept. 1943.

I think the highest ranking general of the Regio Esercito KIA was Gen. Giuseppe Tellera, commander of the 10th Army, killed in a last desperate bayonet charge in Beda Fomm, 7 Feb. 1941.
Also Gen. Giulio Martinat, chief of staff of the Alpine Corps, died in a similar way in Nikolajewka, Russia, on 26 January 1943.

The highest ranking POW was Marshal of Italy Giovanni Messe, commander of the Italian 1st Army, captured in Tunisia on 13 May 1943.

During WW2 68 generals, 10 admirals and 11 air force generals were killed.

[Beppo Schmidt]

What about Admiral Bertram Ramsey and Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory? Both died in plane crashes.

[Rommel8]

I never knew Ramsey died...*shrug*

[Harri]

Finnish generals killed in (or because of) action:
- Major-General Aarne Snellman, Commander of 17th Division (wounded on 13.4.1942 in aerial attack, promoted to Major General on 26.4.1942, died on wounds on 28.4.1942)
- Knight of the Mannerheim Cross Major-General Einar Vihma, Commander of 6th Division (KIA on 5.8.1944)

Were there any other Finns?

[Mikko H.]

For Finns, to the two mentioned by Harri one can add Colonel Kaarlo Viljanen, commander of the 4th Division, who was killed on 24 April 1942. He was inspecting his division's front line when his party strayed into Finnish minefield. Viljanen was posthumously promoted to Major-General on the day of his death.

Of the officers already mentioned by Harri Einar Vihma was killed in Russian artillery barrage when observing an operation in the front line.

[Harri]

Viljanen was posthumously promoted to Major-General on the day of his death.

That is why I didn't mention him: he was Colonel when he died.

[dragos03]

For the Romanian Army:

Gen. Gheorghe Avramescu - Commander of the Romanian 4h Army - arrested by the Soviets on 2 March 1945 (was accused of planning to switch sides with its whole army!), died the next day during a German air attack at Jaszbereny in Hungary

Gen. Ioan Sion - Commander of 15th Infantry Division - KIA at Bol. Doncinskaia (24 nov. 1942) during the battle of the Don's bend

Gen. Hugo Schwab - Commander of the 7th Corps - shot himself to avoid being captured by the Soviets (24 Aug. 1944, Humulesti, Romania)

Gen. Alexandru Ioanitiu - Chief of Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces - died on 17 Sept. 1941 on the airfield of Baden in Ucraine after accidentally entering in the range of a propeller

Many other generals were POW.

[Jon G.]

Does suicide count...? If so, there are many more: von Richthofen, Rommel, Model, von Kluge, Beck... the June 22nd 1941 commander of the USSR airforce (forget his name)... and several others.

Did any Japanese generals fall POW during the war?

[Victor]

Gen. Gheorghe Avramescu - Commander of the Romanian 4h Army - arrested by the Soviets on 2 March 1945 (was accused of planning to switch sides with its whole army!), died the next day during a German air attack at Jaszbereny in Hungary

Actually lt. gen. Avramescu was executed by the NKVD.

The most important Romanian general taken as a POW was maj. gen. Mihail Lascar, CO of the 6th Infantry Division and then commander of the Lascar Group, at the Don's Bend. He had received the Mihai Viteazul Order 2nd class and teh Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. However, after the war he returned as CO of the Horia, CLosca si Crisan volunteer Division, raised by the Soviets in POW camps and actively participated in supporting theinstallation of the Communist system.

[DrG]

Did any Japanese generals fall POW during the war?

The Soviets captured 143 Japanese generals in Manchuria (attack started on 9 Aug. 1945), but all (or, at least, the vast majority? ) were captured after that the Emperor had broacasted his speech asking an armistice to the Allies on 15 Aug. 1945 and a member of the Royal House had personally ordered Gen. Yamada to surrender. Thus, on 18 Aug. Gen. Hata (sent by Gen. Yamada to Marshal Vasilievskji's command) signed the surrender of the Kwantung Army.
The question is: how many (if any) of those 143 generals were captured before 15 Aug. (or 18 Aug.)?