Maximilian von weichs. Personal characteristics according to the memoirs of contemporaries

Weichs Maximilian Von

(12.11.1881-27.09.1954) - Baron, Field Marshal of the German Army (1943)

Baron Maximilian von Weichs was born on November 12, 1881 in Bavaria, in the city of Dessau. He began his military service in 1900 in the 2nd Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiment as a Fanen Junker. His military career for over 30 years was associated with cavalry units. In March 1902, Weichs was promoted to junior lieutenant, and in early 1908 he became adjutant to the regiment commander. For two years he served at the headquarters of the cavalry school, after which in 1910 he was sent to train in the line General Staff to the military academy. In 1911 he was promoted to lieutenant, and at the beginning of 1914 he was promoted to captain.

At the start of World War I, Weichs served as a brigadier adjutant in the Bavarian Cavalry Division. From 1915 to 1917 he was in the 5th Infantry Division as an officer of the General Staff, and from 1917 to 1920 - in the same position with the 2nd Corps.

After the end of the First World War, Weichs remained in the army as part of the army officer corps, and in 1920 he returned to the cavalry, to the 3rd cavalry division in Weimar as a staff officer. From 1922 to 1925 he commanded a squadron of the 18th Cavalry Regiment. In 1925 he worked as part of an infantry school, but in 1927 he returned to his cavalry regiment as a deputy commander. From February 1928 to March 1930, he served as a regimental commander, after which, as an officer of the General Staff, he was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division in Frankfurt an der Oder. In 1923 he was awarded the rank of Major, in 1928 - Lieutenant Colonel, and in 1930 - Colonel.

When Hitler came to power in January 1933, Colonel von Weichs was a staff officer under Wilhelm von Leeb, commander of the 2nd Army Group in Kassel.

In February 1933 he was appointed deputy commander of the 3rd Infantry Division in Berlin, and in April 1933 he was promoted to major general. In December of the same year, von Weichs was appointed to the post of commander of the 3rd Cavalry Division in Weimar. Weichs held this position until October 1935, rising to the rank of general of the cavalry.

Then he was transferred to command the 1st Panzer Division in the same place, in Weimar. In 1936, he acted as commander of the seventh military district, and in October 1937 he received the thirteenth military district with headquarters in Nuremberg under his command. He escaped Brauchitsch's army purge in 1938.

In August 1939, before the start of the Polish campaign, Maximilian von Weichs received under his command the main formations of the 13th Military District, now the 13th Corps. In Poland, commanding the 10th and 17th Infantry Divisions of the 8th Army (Army Group South), he took part in the encirclement of Poznan, Lodz, in the defeat of the Primorye Army and in the subsequent offensive of the 8th Army on Warsaw ... The active operations of his formations in the south-west of the Polish capital hastened the capture of Warsaw.

Returning to Germany in October 1939, Weichs was appointed commander of the 2nd (formerly 8th) Army, replacing Colonel General Johann Blaskowitz, who remained in Poland as commander-in-chief of the forces in the East.

At the beginning of the French campaign, Weichs's army was in the reserve of Army Group A and therefore did not take part in hostilities until July 1940. Then, in command of nine infantry divisions, Weichs carried out auxiliary operations while completely clearing the country of the last pockets of resistance. After the surrender of France, many military men were awarded orders and promoted. Weichs was also awarded the Knight's Cross and was promoted to the rank of Colonel General. Then his headquarters was transferred to Munich, and here von Weichs was responsible for training divisions stationed in southern Germany and the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, that is, in the territory previously belonging to Czechoslovakia.

In the spring of 1941, Weichs received his first independent command: he and his headquarters were transferred to Austria to carry out the invasion of Northern Yugoslavia. In this operation, under the command of Weichs, there were four corps, which, in turn, consisted of four infantry, two tank divisions, border forces, one mountain division, one light division and one motorized division.

The operation to invade Yugoslavia had to start a little earlier than planned, since as a result of the military coup that occurred in the country at the end of March, Prince Regent Paul, who clearly sympathized with the Nazis and pursued a pro-German policy, was overthrown. By the beginning of hostilities on the territory of Yugoslavia, the infantry units of the 52nd corps did not manage to approach Weikhs. The Yugoslav troops did not offer serious resistance, and even with an incomplete composition of his units, Weichs was able to brilliantly carry out this operation. Already on the first day of the outbreak of hostilities on April 6, 1941, the troops of the 41st Mountain Corps and the 51st Corps broke through the defenses of the Yugoslav army and moved on the Croatian capital Zagreb. A few days later the city was taken. Having moved their headquarters to Zagreb, Weichs's units moved on to Sarajevo. By this time, another part of the German troops - three corps of the tank group - had reached Belgrade, which was taken on April 13, and by April 15 the Yugoslav army had laid down its arms.

Having received an armistice proposal from the Yugoslav government, the German High Command instructed Weichs to negotiate surrender. At noon on April 18, Yugoslavia signed an unconditional surrender. The entire campaign to invade Yugoslavia took only 12 days. During the offensive, the Germans lost 150 people killed and about 400 wounded. They took 254,000 prisoners who were soon released.

According to the plans of the German High Command, Weichs's 2nd Army was part of the Army Group Center participating in the attack on the Soviet Union. But by the end of June 1941, most of the 2nd Army's formations were still on their way to the territory of the USSR. Only by the end of July did the 2nd Army officially enter the reserve of the Center group. Infantry divisions formerly belonging to the 4th Army were transferred to the Weichs headquarters. Its units, acting in conjunction with Guderian's tank groups, took part in the elimination of the Bialystok boiler, in operations near Gomel, Kiev and Bryansk.

In June 1942, the German High Command approved a plan for a summer offensive. According to this plan, a new military unit was formed under the code name "Weichs", the command of which was entrusted respectively to General Weichs. The new formation included the 2nd (Weichs army), 4th tank (Gotha's army) and the 2nd Hungarian army. The new unit received its first baptism of fire during an unsuccessful operation for the Germans to capture Voronezh. And although the city was ultimately taken by July 8, Field Marshal von Bock, the commander of this operation, was removed from further command.

Army Group South was then split into two. Weichs was appointed commander of Army Group B, which included the 2nd and 6th German, 2nd Hungarian, 8th Italian and 3rd Romanian armies. Hitler gave more preference to Army Group A, and when providing food, ammunition and fuel, Army Group B received everything last. Weichs's troops did not have a single motorized division. In such a situation, it was very difficult to cross the Don by the end of July, as required by Hitler. By August 8, the troops of Army Group "B" had occupied a bridgehead on the left bank of the Don, but exhausted by continuous battles and experiencing an acute shortage of fuel, they could not make a 40-kilometer rush to Stalingrad.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that Hitler constantly adjusted the campaign plan and changed the composition and deployment of troops. Deciding to act in two directions at once, he divided the 4th Panzer Army, transferring the 24th Panzer Corps to the 6th Army, and the 40th to Army Group A. The motorized division "Great Germany" was generally sent to France. After these reshuffles, the order was given to attack Stalingrad. Army Group B under the command of Weichs was to attack the city from the south. By 23 August, the advance units of his army had reached the outskirts of Stalingrad. Weichs concentrated the main German units in the center of the offensive line, and the satellite armies covered them from the flanks. In heavy street battles, German divisions wasted their strength and suffered heavy losses. Weichs doubted that the foreign armies subordinate to him would be able to withstand decisive attacks by the Soviet troops, and until the end of October he constantly called on the High Command to pay attention to the threat to the southern flank.

As an experienced soldier, he was worried about the bridgehead prepared by the enemy on the right bank of the Don, opposite his formations. By the second week of November, with the appearance of Soviet tank units at the bridgehead, Weichs no longer doubted that a major offensive was being prepared in the zone of the Romanian 3rd Army, which, possibly, would be directed against the German 4th Panzer Army. Since all of his reserves were at Stalingrad, Weichs decided to form a new grouping in the 48th Panzer Corps under the command of Lieutenant General Ferdinand Heim. Weichs transferred the 22nd Panzer Division from the rear of the 8th Italian Army to the 48th Panzer Corps, which he, in turn, placed behind the 3rd Romanian Army. He also handed over to Geim the 3rd Romanian Armored Division. However, all the efforts undertaken by Weichs were clearly insufficient, and the High Command was more interested in building up the power of the 6th Army for the decisive battle for Stalingrad than in strengthening the weak flanks of General Weichs' formations.

The last offensive of German troops at Stalingrad began on November 11, but on November 18 it was suspended due to heavy losses.

On the morning of November 19, the location of the 3rd Romanian army was subjected to massive bombardment, after which infantry and tanks entered into action. Ground formations used new tactics - the infantry, concentrating on small areas, created a corridor for the passage of tanks. The Soviet 5th Tank, 1st Guards and 21st Armies acted against the 3rd Romanian Army. Only one 5th Panzer Army in its composition consisted of six rifle divisions, two tank corps, one cavalry corps and several artillery, aviation and anti-aircraft missile regiments. The resistance of the Romanian army was quickly broken, and Weichs's hope that the Romanians would be able to hold out until the 48th Panzer Corps approached the battlefield did not come true. Hoth's tank army also found itself in a difficult situation, but Weichs refused his request for a retreat. In addition, he ordered Paulus to suspend operations inside the city and ordered to withdraw three tank and one infantry divisions from the city, transferring them to the 14th Panzer Corps, and then launch a counterattack. This order was carried out the very next day, but a counterattack by the reinforced 14th Panzer Corps did not lead to a breakthrough of the outer flank of the Soviet troops. This day became the decisive day of the battle. The Soviet command concentrated more than a million people in a sector 60 kilometers long, supported by 900 T-34 tanks that had just rolled off the assembly line. There has never been such a concentration of military equipment on the Eastern Front. The 57th, 51st and 64th armies were also brought up here, opposing the 4th Panzer and 4th Romanian armies on the southern flank of Weichs.

Weichs' units suffered heavy losses. Of the entire Romanian 3rd Army, only one division continued to resist, and with great difficulty the remnants of the 48th Panzer Corps managed to find salvation on the other side of the Chir River. Meanwhile, 4th Panzer Army was split in two, and in the north, the 29th Motorized Division and 4th Corps were trapped in Stalingrad. In the south, only the 6th and 7th Romanian corps and the 16th motorized division remained, with great difficulty breaking free from the encirclement and joining the retreating units of General Hoth. Soviet troops broke through the front line north and south of the 6th Army's battle formations and were now moving along the Don, leaving the German army deep in the rear. Weichs had already deployed and lost all his reserves and no longer had the strength to prevent the complete encirclement of the 6th Army. He could not even form a more or less continuous front line to stop the advance of enemy units.

On January 12, 1943, Weichs sent a report to Hitler that he had only seven divisions left for the entire 300-kilometer front. He is simply unable to hold back the enemy's advance, and his army is threatened with encirclement. By the end of January, two of the three corps of the 2nd Army were surrounded near Voronezh, the third suffered heavy losses, but managed to retreat north beyond the positions of Army Group Center.

Despite the fact that, as commander of the army group, Weichs suffered a complete defeat on the Eastern Front, on February 1, 1943, he was promoted to field marshal. In mid-February, his headquarters was practically liquidated, and the remnants of the forces entrusted to him were transferred to Army Groups Center and Don. After the decision to officially abolish his headquarters, Weichs was transferred to the Fuhrer's reserve.

The resignation of Baron Maximilian von Weichs was short-lived. After the landing of the allied armies in Sicily on July 26, 1943, he was appointed commander of Army Group "F" and commander-in-chief german troops in the southeast. Weichs's task was to control the actions of the Allied forces in the Balkans. Army Group E, stationed in Greece and on the coastal islands, was also transferred under his command. It consisted of two light, one airborne, one air division, as well as an SS motorized division and three Bulgarian divisions. In Serbia and Croatia stood the 2nd Panzer Army (9 infantry, 3 light, 2 mountain and 1st Cossack cavalry divisions), as well as four Bulgarian infantry divisions in Serbia.

Having studied the sector entrusted to him, Weichs realized what difficult problems he would have to face. The most important were: the possibility of betraying Italy, a partisan movement, the landing of Anglo-American troops in the Balkans and the continuation of the supply of raw materials to Germany in full (almost all the chromium necessary for Germany, 60% of bauxite, 24% of antimony, more than half of the oil and 21% of copper were mined precisely in the Balkans).

When Italy defected to the Allies on September 8, 1943, it had 31 divisions left in the Balkans. Some of the Italian divisions immediately went over to the side of the partisans, while others announced their readiness to continue to fight on the side of the Third Reich.

Large inland mountainous regions of the Balkans were in the hands of the partisans. Since Weichs simply did not have enough manpower, in order to cope with the partisan movement, he deployed mobile armored vehicles and punitive detachments from veterans of the Eastern Front. Weichs also received support from Field Marshal Kesselring in the form of tanks and armored vehicles captured in Italy. This technique worked well against poorly armed guerrillas.

At the end of 1943, Weichs conducted three major operations against the Yugoslav partisans, taking about 12,000 prisoners. In May 1944, during Operation Knight's Run, the mobile units entrusted to Weichs dealt a serious blow to the partisans.

And although Weichs was never able to completely eliminate the partisan formations, it must be admitted that he largely managed to neutralize the actions of the partisans, and, undoubtedly, he was much more successful in the Balkans than when he commanded an army group in Russia.

In August 1944, Soviet troops entered Romania and Bulgaria, which went over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. The rear of Army Group F was open. Based on this, Weichs gave the order to evacuate from the Balkans. Now he tried to withdraw his troops with the least possible losses. In the Peloponnese, the British 2nd Air Division, joining forces with the Greek partisans, unsuccessfully tried to cut off the retreat of Army Group E. In early October, General Felmi, commander of the 68th Corps, handed Athens over to the mayor of the city, and German military units left Greece quickly and practically without loss.

Weichs managed to maintain a solid front, despite the fact that his troops had to retreat, skillfully maneuvering between the partisans and the Allied armies. By mid-October, Soviet troops crossed the Danube, and the Bulgarian army occupied the city of Nis, cutting off the most convenient route to retreat for Army Group E. As a result, General Lehr, the commander of the withdrawal of units, was forced to undertake a rather cunning flanking maneuver over the difficult terrain off the Adriatic coast. The plan to encircle and eliminate the German troops failed.

On October 20, units of the Red Army and Tito's partisan corps took Belgrade, pushing back the rear units of Army Group F. But Field Marshal Weichs by this time had successfully withdrawn most of his troops from the Balkan Peninsula, and in January 1945, Army Group F was already fighting in Hungary.

In early February, Field Marshal Weichs received another highest award for his Knight's Cross - "Oak Leaves", and on March 22, 1945 he was dismissed.

After the end of World War II, Weichs, practically the only surviving field marshals, escaped the trial of an international tribunal as a war criminal. True, from 1945 to 1947 he was in an American prison, but due to a serious illness in 1947 he was released. After his release, he led a secluded life in West Germany. Maximilian von Weichs died on September 27, 1954 in Cologne.

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German empire
Weimar republic
Third Reich Type of army Years of service Rank Commanded Battles / wars Awards and prizes
Autograph

Maximilian von Weichs (correct pronunciation - Vykes), full name - Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreicherr von und zu Weiks an der Glon (it. Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon ; November 12, Dessau - September 27, Bornheim (Rhineland), near Bonn) - German military leader, Field Marshal.

early years

Born in Dessau, in a noble family (the title of Reichsfreicherr - Imperial Baron, the title was assigned only during the Holy Roman Empire, an aristocratic "predicate" with a large number of official words "von und zu Weichs an der Glon" means "hereditary and sovereign nobleman of the Weichs estate on the Glon River ", in a modern transmission - the settlement of Vikes, Bavaria), his father is a colonel.

In July 1900, he became a Fanen Junker (candidate for officer) in the Bavarian 2nd Cavalry (Cuirassier) Regiment. In March 1902 he was promoted to lieutenant. Since 1905, he held staff positions in the cavalry.

World War I

With the rank of captain (captain), he served in divisional-level staff positions. He was awarded the Iron Crosses of both degrees and two Bavarian orders.

Between world wars

He continued to serve in Reichver, in staff positions. In 1928-30 he was the commander of a cavalry regiment. In 1930-33, he again held staff positions (division level, district), then commander of a cavalry division (major general), from 1935 - a tank division (lieutenant general, from October 1936 - with the rank of cavalry general). From October 1937 - Commander of the 13th Army Corps (Nuremberg).

The Second World War

  • Commanding the 13th Army Corps, he took part in the Polish campaign, was rewarded with planks for the Iron Crosses (re-awarding).
  • From October 1939 - commander of the 2nd Army. For the French campaign he was awarded the Knight's Cross, promoted to colonel-general
  • In April 1941 he took part in the Balkan campaign, accepted the surrender of the Yugoslav army on April 16, 1941.
  • During the invasion of the USSR, the 2nd Army under the command of Weichs operated as part of the Army Group Center.
  • From July 1942 he commanded Army Group B, advancing in the direction of the Volga. February 1, 1943 promoted to field marshal general.
  • In July 1943, Weichs was appointed to the reserve of the High Command, then - the commander of Army Group "F" in the Balkans. In February 1945, he was awarded the Oak Leaves for the Knight's Cross, on March 25, he was again sent to the reserve.

May 2, 1945 captured by the Americans in Bavaria. Was interrogated during the Nuremberg trials, but was not convicted.

Awards

  • Iron Cross 2nd Class (20 September 1914)
  • Iron Cross 1st Class (12 November 1915)
    • Buckle to the Iron Cross 2nd Class (18 September 1939)
    • Buckle to the Iron Cross 1st Class (September 29, 1939)
  • Order of Military Merit, 4th class with swords (Bavaria)
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
    • Knight's Cross (June 29, 1940)
    • Oak Leaves (# 731) (February 5, 1945)
  • Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (April 11, 1941, August 7, 1941, September 23, 1941, October 18, 1941, October 19, 1941, September 10, 1943, January 19, 1944)

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Literature

  • Battle of Stalingrad. July 1942-February 1943: encyclopedia / ed. M. M. Zagorulko. - 5th ed., Rev. and add. - Volgograd: Publisher, 2012 .-- S. 96-97. - 800 p.
  • Friedrich-Christian Stahl. Generalfeldmarschall Maximilian Freiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon // Hitlers militärische Elite. Vom Kriegsbeginn bis zum Weltkriegsende / Gerd R. Ueberschär. - Darmstadt: Primus, 1998. - Vol. 2. - P. 276-282. - 326 p. - ISBN 3-896-78089-1.
  • Walther-Peer Fellgiebel. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. - Friedburg: Podzun-Pallas, 1986 .-- 472 p. - ISBN 3-790-90284-5.
  • Veit Scherzer. Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. - 2. - Jena: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag, 2007 .-- 864 p. - ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

Links

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Excerpt from Weichs, Maximilian von

Kutuzov retreated to Vienna, destroying the bridges on the rivers Inna (in Braunau) and Traun (in Linz). On October 23rd, Russian troops crossed the Ens River. Russian carts, artillery and columns of troops in the middle of the day stretched through the city of Enns, on this and on the other side of the bridge.
The day was warm, autumnal and rainy. The spacious perspective, opening from the dais, where the Russian batteries were standing, protecting the bridge, was suddenly covered with a muslin curtain of slanting rain, then suddenly expanded, and in the light of the sun, objects, as if covered with varnish, became visible far and clearly. The town was visible underfoot with its white houses and red roofs, a cathedral and a bridge, on both sides of which, crowding, poured masses of Russian troops. At the turn of the Danube, ships could be seen, and an island, and a castle with a park, surrounded by the waters of the confluence of the Ens into the Danube, the left rocky and pine-covered bank of the Danube with a mysterious distance of green peaks and bluing gorges could be seen. The towers of the monastery were visible, protruding from the pine tree, which seemed to be intact, wild forest; far ahead, on the mountain, on the other side of Ens, the enemy patrols were visible.
Between the guns, at a height, stood in front of the commander of the aierguard, the general with his retinue officer, looking through the chimney through the terrain. Somewhat behind, Nesvitsky sat on the trunk of a gun, sent from the commander-in-chief to the arierguard.
The Cossack accompanying Nesvitsky handed him a purse and a flask, and Nesvitsky treated the officers to pies and real doppelkümel. The officers happily surrounded him, some on their knees, some sitting in Turkish on the wet grass.
- Yes, this Austrian prince was not a fool who built a castle here. Nice place. What are you not eating, gentlemen? - said Nesvitsky.
- I humbly thank you, prince, - answered one of the officers, talking with pleasure with such an important staff official. - Beautiful place. We passed the park itself, saw two deer, and what a wonderful house!
“Look, prince,” said another, who really wanted to take another pie, but was ashamed, and who therefore pretended to look around the area, “look, our infantrymen have already got there. Over there, on a meadow, behind the village, three are dragging something. "They're going to take this palace," he said with visible approval.
"Both that, and that," said Nesvitsky. “No, but what I would like,” he added, chewing a pie in his beautiful wet mouth, “is to get over there.
He pointed to a monastery with towers visible on the mountain. He smiled, his eyes narrowed and lit up.
- But it would be good, gentlemen!
The officers laughed.
- If only to scare these nuns. Italians, they say, are young. Indeed, I would give five years of my life!
“They’re bored, after all,” said the bolder officer, laughing.
Meanwhile the officer of the suite, standing in front, was pointing something out to the general; the general looked through the telescope.
- Well, it is, it is, - the general said angrily, lowering the receiver from his eyes and shrugging his shoulders, - it is so, they will start hitting the crossing. And why are they lingering there?
On the other side, the enemy and his battery were visible with the naked eye, from which a milky white smoke appeared. Following the smoke came long-range shot, and it was visible how our troops hurried on the crossing.
Nesvitsky, panting, got up and, smiling, went up to the general.
- Would you like to have a snack for your Excellency? - he said.
- It's not a good thing, - said the general, without answering him, - ours hesitated.
- Shouldn't I go, Your Excellency? - said Nesvitsky.
“Yes, go, please,” the general said, repeating what had already been ordered in detail, “and tell the hussars to cross the last and light the bridge, as I ordered, so that the combustible materials on the bridge still be examined.
“Very well,” answered Nesvitsky.
He called a Cossack with a horse, ordered to remove his purse and flask, and easily threw his heavy body onto the saddle.
“Really, I'll go to the nuns,” he said to the officers, who looked at him with a smile, and drove along the winding path downhill.
- Noot ka, where he will report, captain, stop ka! - said the general, referring to the gunner. - Get rid of boredom.
- Servant to the guns! - commanded the officer.
And a minute later the gunners merrily ran out of the fires and loaded them.
- First! - the command was heard.
The 1st number bounced briskly. Metallically, deafening, the cannon rang, and a grenade whistled over the heads of all of us under the mountain and, not reaching the enemy far, showed the place of its fall with a smoke and burst.
The faces of the soldiers and officers cheered up at the sound; everyone got up and started observing the movements that were visible, as if in the palm of your hand, at the bottom of our troops and in front - the movements of the approaching enemy. The sun at that very moment completely came out of the clouds, and this beautiful sound of a lonely shot and the glitter of the bright sun merged into one cheerful and cheerful impression.

Two enemy cannonballs had already flown over the bridge, and there was a crush on the bridge. In the middle of the bridge, getting off his horse, pressed by his fat body to the railing, stood Prince Nesvitsky.
He, laughing, looked back at his Cossack, who, with two horses in the bit, stood a few steps behind him.
As soon as Prince Nesvitsky wanted to move forward, again the soldiers and carts pressed on him and again pressed him to the railing, and he had no choice but to smile.
- What you are, brother, my! - said the Cossack to the Furshtat soldier with a cart, who was pressing on the infantry crowded with wheels and horses. No, to wait: you see, the general has to pass.
But the furshtat, not paying attention to the name of the general, shouted at the soldiers who blocked his way: - Hey! fellow countrywomen! keep left, wait! - But fellow countrywomen, huddling shoulder to shoulder, clinging with bayonets and without interruption, moved across the bridge in one continuous mass. Looking down over the railing, Prince Nesvitsky saw the fast, noisy, low waves of Ens, which, merging, rippling and bending around the piles of the bridge, overtook one another. Looking at the bridge, he saw the same monotonous living waves of soldiers, kutases, shako with covers, knapsacks, bayonets, long guns and from under shako faces with wide cheekbones, sunken cheeks and carefree tired expressions and moving legs along the sticky mud drawn on the bridge boards ... Sometimes between the monotonous waves of soldiers, like a splash of white foam in the waves of Ens, an officer in a cloak squeezed between the soldiers, with his physiognomy different from the soldiers; sometimes, like a splinter winding along a river, a foot hussar, a batman or a resident was carried away across the bridge by waves of infantry; sometimes, like a log floating on a river, surrounded on all sides, a company or officer's carriage, laid to the top and covered with leather, sailed across the bridge.

Maximilian von Weichs (correct pronunciation - Vykes), full name - Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreicherr von und zu Weiks an der Glon (German Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon; November 12, 1881, Dessau - September 27, 1954, Bornheim (Rhineland), near Bonn) - German military leader, Field Marshal.

early years

Born in Dessau, in a noble family (the title of Reichsfreicherr - Imperial Baron, the title was assigned only during the Holy Roman Empire, an aristocratic "predicate" with a large number of official words "von und zu Weichs an der Glon" means "hereditary and sovereign nobleman of the Weichs estate on the Glon River ", in a modern transmission - the settlement of Vikes, Bavaria), his father is a colonel.

In July 1900, he became a Fanen Junker (candidate for officer) in the Bavarian 2nd Cavalry (Cuirassier) Regiment. In March 1902 he was promoted to lieutenant. Since 1905, he held staff positions in the cavalry.

World War I

With the rank of captain (captain), he served in divisional-level staff positions. He was awarded the Iron Crosses of both degrees and two Bavarian orders.

Between world wars

He continued to serve in Reichver, in staff positions. In 1928-30 he was the commander of a cavalry regiment. In 1930-33, he again held staff positions (division level, district), then commander of a cavalry division (major general), from 1935 - a tank division (lieutenant general, from October 1936 - with the rank of cavalry general). From October 1937 - Commander of the 13th Army Corps (Nuremberg).

The Second World War

  • Commanding the 13th Army Corps, he took part in the Polish campaign, was rewarded with planks for the Iron Crosses (re-awarding).
  • From October 1939 - commander of the 2nd Army. For the French campaign he was awarded the Knight's Cross, promoted to colonel-general
  • In April 1941 he took part in the Balkan campaign, accepted the surrender of the Yugoslav army on April 16, 1941.
  • During the invasion of the USSR, the 2nd Army under the command of Weichs operated as part of the Army Group Center.
  • From July 1942 he commanded Army Group B, advancing in the direction of the Volga. February 1, 1943 promoted to field marshal general.
  • In July 1943, Weichs was appointed to the reserve of the High Command, then - the commander of Army Group "F" in the Balkans. In February 1945, he was awarded the Oak Leaves for the Knight's Cross, on March 25, 1945, he was again sent to the reserve.

May 2, 1945 in Bavaria captured by the Americans. Was interrogated during the Nuremberg trials, but was not convicted.

Awards

  • Iron Cross 2nd Class (20 September 1914)
  • Iron Cross 1st Class (12 November 1915)
    • Buckle to the Iron Cross 2nd Class (18 September 1939)
    • Buckle to the Iron Cross 1st Class (September 29, 1939)
  • Order of Military Merit, 4th class with swords (Bavaria)
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
    • Knight's Cross (June 29, 1940)
    • Oak Leaves (# 731) (February 5, 1945)
  • Medal "For the Winter Campaign in the East 1941/42"
  • Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (April 11, 1941, August 7, 1941, September 23, 1941, October 18, 1941, October 19, 1941, September 10, 1943, January 19, 1944)

Literature

  • Battle of Stalingrad. July 1942 - February 1943: encyclopedia / ed. M. M. Zagorulko. - 5th ed., Rev. and add. - Volg .: Publisher, 2012 .-- P. 96-97. - 800 p.
  • Friedrich-Christian Stahl. Generalfeldmarschall Maximilian Freiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon // Hitlers militrische Elite. Vom Kriegsbeginn bis zum Weltkriegsende / Gerd R. Ueberschr. - Darmstadt: Primus, 1998. - Vol. 2. - P. 276-282. - 326 p. - ISBN 3-896-78089-1.
  • Walther-Peer Fellgiebel. Die Trger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. - Friedburg: Podzun-Pallas, 1986 .-- 472 p. - ISBN 3-790-90284-5.
  • Veit Scherzer. Ritterkreuztrger 1939-1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbndeter Streitkrfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. - 2. - Jena: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag, 2007 .-- 864 p. - ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

Maximillian von und zu Weichs an dem Glon

Weichs, Maximilian von, Weichs, (1881-1954), Field Marshal General (1943) of the German Army. Born November 12, 1881 in Dessau, Bavaria. In the army since 1900, he served in the cavalry, a participant in the 1st World War, then in the Reichswehr. From 1933 he commanded a cavalry (from 1935 - tank) division, from 1937 - the 13th Army Corps. From January 1938 Weichs commander of the XIII Military District (headquarters in Nuremberg). From October 1939, commander of the 2nd Army, he took part in the French and Balkan campaigns and in the war against the USSR. Since July 1942, commander of Army Group B, since August 1943 - Army Group F and the German troops of the South-East (Balkans). Weichs widely used anti-aircraft artillery in ground battles, for which he received the nickname "anti-aircraft general". Since March 1945 in the reserve of the Headquarters. In 1945-48 he was in an American prison for war crimes. Weichs died in Rösberg-Cologne on September 27, 1954.

Weichs Maximillian von, German Field Marshal General (1943). In the army since 1900. He graduated from the military. school (1902) and military. academy (1913). Member of the 1st World War. After the war, in command and staff positions in the Reichswehr. From 1933 he commanded a division (cavalry, then a tank.), From 1937 - the 13th arm. body. Participated in the capture of the Sudetenland. (1938), Czechoslovakia and Poland (1939). From Oct. 1939 teams. 2nd Army, which took part in the French (1940) and Balkan (April 1941) campaigns, and after the attack on the USSR, operating in the Moscow direction. From July 1942 he commanded Army Group B in the Stalingrad direction, from August. 1943 - Army Group "F" and German - Fat. troops in the Balkans. In ground battles, V. made extensive use of antiaircraft and artillery to defeat ground targets, for which he was nicknamed the "anti-aircraft general." V. was guilty of mass executions of the occupier. lands, destruction of cities, carrying out the "scorched earth" tactics. Since March 1945 in the reserve of Hitler's headquarters. In 1945-1948 he was held in the Amer. concentration camp as a military man. criminal.

Used materials of the Soviet military encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 2.

Weichs an dem Glon, Maximilian von und zu Weichs an dem Glon; 1881-1954 - German military leader; imperial baron; General Field Marshal (1943). Born in Dessau (Anhalt). Graduated from the Military Academy (Berlin; 1911). Member of the First World War. After demobilization of the army, he was left in the Reichswehr. During the Polish campaign he commanded a corps in the army of J. Blaskowitz. After the defeat of Poland in October 1939, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Army on the Western Front. He led the invasion of Yugoslavia, then, from July 1941, on the Soviet-German front. Since July 1942, commander of Army Group B. Since August 1943, commander of the newly formed Army Group "F"; participated in hostilities in the Balkans. In January 1945 he fought heavy battles in Hungary. After the war, he was arrested by the Americans; in prison he became seriously ill. One of the few senior officers who escaped trial for war crimes.

Wehrmacht on the Soviet-German front. Investigative and judicial materials from the archival criminal cases of German prisoners of war 1944-1952. (Compiled by V.S. Khristoforov, V.G. Makarov). M., 2011. (Personal comment). S. 709.

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Weichs (Weichs) Maximilian von (12/11/1881‒1954), Nazi Field Marshal General (1943). Born in Dessau. In the army since 1900, he served in the cavalry, a participant in the 1st World War, then in the Reichswehr. From 1933 he commanded a cavalry (from 1935 - tank) division, from 1937 - the 13th Army Corps. From October 1939 he commanded the 2nd Army, participated in the French and Balkan campaigns and in the war against the USSR. From July 1942 he commanded Army Group "B", from August 1943 - Army Group "F" and the German troops of the South-East (Balkans). He widely used anti-aircraft artillery in ground battles, for which he received the nickname "anti-aircraft general". Since March 1945 in the reserve of the Headquarters. In 1945-48 he was in an American prison for war crimes.

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"Weichs Maximilian von" in books

Maximilian Voloshin

From the book Memories of Marina Tsvetaeva author Antokolsky Pavel Grigorievich

Maximilian Voloshin The soul is so joyfully drawn to you! Oh, what grace emanates from the pages of the "Evening Album"! (Why "album", and not "notebook"?) Why does the black cap hide a clean forehead, and glasses on the eyes? I noticed only the look of submissive And the infant oval of the cheek, Child

Maximilian

From the book of Durer by Brion Marcel

MAXIMILIAN VON WEICHS (1881-1954)

From the book Desert Fox. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel by Koch Lutz

MAXIMILIAN VON WEICHS (1881-1954) At the age of 19 he entered the Bavarian heavy cavalry regiment. He served as an adjutant in a cavalry division during the 1st World War. He served in the Reichswehr. During the Polish campaign he commanded the 10th and 17th divisions of the 8th Army of Army Group South. After defeating

MAXIMILIAN VOLOSHIN

From the book Memories of Maximilian Voloshin author Voloshin Maximilian Alexandrovich

MAXIMILIAN VOLOSHIN Repin's story Text - after the book: Voloshin M. About Repin. M., 1913.

63. Maximilian Schell

From the book by Marlene Dietrich author Nadezhdin Nikolay Yakovlevich

63. Maximilian Schell Working on the "Nuremberg Trial" gave Marlene a new friendship - with a young actor, and in the future screenwriter, director and producer Maximilian Schell. They were separated by a 29-year age difference. And Shell looked up at Dietrich. He idolized

Maximilian

From the book The Secret of the Name the author Zima Dmitry

Maximilian The meaning and origin of the name: presumably the name means “the greatest of the Emilian family.” Energy and Karma of the name: due to its energy, the name Maximilian is able to endow a person with great pride, self-confidence and mobility. However,

Weichs Maximilian Von

From the book of 100 Great Generals of World War II author Lubchenkov Yuri Nikolaevich

Weichs Maximilian von Weichs (12.11.1881-27.09.1954) - Baron, Field Marshal General of the German Army (1943) Baron Maximilian von Weichs was born on November 12, 1881 in Bavaria, in the city of Dessau. He began his military service in 1900 in the 2nd Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiment as a Fanen Junker. His

Weichs, Maximilian von

From the book Encyclopedia of the Third Reich author Voropaev Sergey

Weichs, Maximilian von Weichs, (1881-1954), Field Marshal (1943) of the German army. Born November 12, 1881 in Dessau, Bavaria. In the army since 1900, he served in the cavalry, a participant in the 1st World War, then in the Reichswehr. From 1933 he commanded a cavalry (from 1935 - tank) division, from 1937 - the 13th

Maximilian

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Maximilian Emperor of Mexico from the Habsburg clan, who ruled 1864-1867 Born. July 6, 1832 d. June 19, 1867 In 1863, Maximilian accepted the offer of the French emperor Napoleon III to become the emperor of Mexico. (Since 1854, Mexico has been covered by civil war; in 1861

Maximilian I

From the book All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe author Ryzhov Konstantin Vladislavovich

Maximilian I From the Habsburg family. King of Germany in I486-1519 Emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire" in 1493-1519. Son of Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal. J.: since 1477 Maria, daughter of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1457 d. 1482); 2) since 1494 Blanca Maria, daughter of Galeazzo Sforza,

Maximilian II

From the book All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe author Ryzhov Konstantin Vladislavovich

Maximilian II From the Habsburg family. King of Germany in 1562-1575 King of Hungary 1562-1572 King of Bohemia in 1562-1575 Emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire" in 1564-1576. Son of Ferdinand I and Anna of Hungary. J.: from 13 Sept. 1548 Mary, daughter of Emperor Charles V (born 1528 d. 1603) Born July 31, 1527

Weichs Maximilian von

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BE) of the author TSB

Weichs Maximilian von Weichs Maximilian von (12/11/1881-1954), Nazi Field Marshal General (1943). Born in Dessau. In the army since 1900, he served in the cavalry, a participant in the 1st World War, then in the Reichswehr. From 1933 he commanded a cavalry (from 1935 - tank) division, from 1937 - the 13th

Maximilian

TSB

Maximilian I

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (MA) of the author TSB

Maximilian I Maximilian I (Maximilian) Habsburg (6.7.1832, Vienna, - 19.6.1867, Queretaro, Mexico), Emperor of Mexico in 1864-1867, Austrian Archduke. Brother of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. In 1857-1859, Governor-General of the Austrian possessions in Italy. During the Anglo-French-Spanish

Weichs Maximillian von

From the book Military opponents of Russia author Frolov Boris Pavlovich

Weichs Maximillian von German military leader Weichs Maximillian von (11/12/1881, Dessau, - 09/27/1954, Rosberg-Cologne), baron, Field Marshal (1943). The son of a nobleman, he began his military service in 1990 as a cadet in the 2nd Bavarian Cavalry Regiment. In 1902 he graduated from the military