2. Panzer Division commanders 1942-1945

[Loic]

Hello all !

I'm looking for some information about this unit, and I need to enlighten some dark points about its divisional commanders 1942-1945.

I have these ones :
- General Major Hans-Karl Freiherr Von Esebeck from February 17th 1942 to June 1st 1942. But several sources tell that he was still commander in October 1942. Do you have something about it ?
- General Major Arno Von Lenski (June 1st 1942 - September 5th 1942). Problem : maybe Esebeck was still commander at this time... ANd I'm not sure about his rank between June and September 1942, could you specify if he was Oberst, General Major or General Leutnant at this time ?
- Oberst Vollrath Lübbe (September 5th 1942 - Fébruary 1st 1944). I doubt that he was commander of a very good division and Oberst during two years ! Could you tell me what was his rank during the time of his command of the 2. Panzer Division ?
- General Leutnant Smilo Freiherr Von Lüttwitz (February 1st 1944 - May 5th 1944, then May 27th-August 31st 1944). My main problem was that some sources indicate "Heinrich" and not "Smilo" as commander... Could someone tell me if that was Smilo or Heinrich who commanded the 2. Pz. Div., what was his rank at this time and why he had to abandon his command during 22 days ?
- General Leutnant Franz Westhoven (May 5th-27th 1944). I suppose he was a temporary commander. Was his rank General Leutnant at this time ?
- Oberst Gustav-Adolf Von Nostitz-Wallwitz (September 1st-20th 1944). Also a temporary commander ? He is totally unknown to me... Was his rank Oberst ?
- Oberst Henning Von Schönfeld (September 21st-December 14th 1944). I don't know if his rank was Oberst.
- Oberst, then General Major Meinrad Von Lauchert (December 15th 1944-March 19th 1945). I have no problem with him, but maybe my data is wrong about him
- General Major Oskar Munzel (March 20th-April 1st 1945).
- Oberst Carl Stollbrock (April 1st - May 8th 1945). I believed the 2. Pz. Div. was absorbated by Panzer Brigade Thuringen in the Ruhr Pocket. Was this information wrong ?

Anyway, thank you for those who have read this long post, and especially for those who could answer it ! :-)

Best regards,

Loic

[Jerry]

Hello Loic old friend! This is what I have for 2nd Panzerdivision:

Generalmajor v.Esebeck: Kdr.; 27 Feb. 1942 – 31 May 1942
Generalmajor v.Lenski : stellv. Führer; 1 June – 30 June 1942 (Esebeck is on leave)
Generalmajor v.Esebeck: Kdr.; 1 July – 9 Aug. 1942
Oberst Vollrath Lubbe: stellv. Führer; 10 Aug. – 28 Aug. 1942 (he is Kdr. 2 Pg.Brig.)
Oberst Karl Fabiunke: stellv. Führer; 29 Aug. – 4 Sept. 1942 (he is Kdr. Pz.Art.Rgt 74)
Oberst Vollrath Lubbe: m.d.F.b.; 5 Sept. - 19 Oct. 1942
Generalmajor Vollrath Lubbe: Kdr.; 20 Oct. 1942 – 31 Mar. 1943
Generalleutnant Vollrath Lubbe: Kdr.; 1 April 1943 – 31 Jan 1944
Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr v.Luttwitz: Kdr.; 1 Feb. – 4 May 1944
Generalleutnant Franz Westhoven: stellv.Führer ; 5 May – 26 May 1944 (Luttwitz is on leave)
Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr v.Luttwitz: Kdr.; 27 May 1944 – 31 Aug. 1944
Oberst Eberhard v. Nostitz: stellv. Führer; 1 Sept. – 4 Sept. 1944
Oberst Henning Schönfeld: m.d.F.b.; 5 Sept. – 31 Nov. 1944
Generalmajor Henning Schönfeld: Kdr.; 1 Dec. – 14 Dec. 1944
Oberst Meinrad v.Lauchert: m.d.F.b.; 15 Dec. 1944 – 28 Feb. 1945
Generalmajor Meinrad v.Lauchert: Kdr.; 1 Mar. – 19 Mar. 1945
Generalmajor Oskar Munzel: Kdr.; 20 Mar. – 3 April 1945
Oberst Karl Stollbrock: m.d.F.b.; 4 April – 8 May 1945

Remnants of Panzer Brigade Thuringen and remnants of 2 PzD were combined into 2 PzD.

Hope this is some help to you. (I’m sure you have follow-ups!!)

BR Jerry

[Roger Griffiths]

Hi Loic,

Do you know. this is very worrying. Your information must have originally come from original sources, but on checking Keilig 'Das heer' I have a lot different.

HKF v Esebeck 1Feb42 to 19Oct42.

GM A v Lenski (m.d.F.h.) not GL.

Vollrath Luebbe GM 1Oct42, GL 1Apr43.

H not S v Luettwitz GL 1Jun43, XXXXVIIPzK 5Sept44.

Oberst F Westhoven Res. officer Pz. Gr. West. 24PD 1Aug44 to Mar45. Yes, he temp. commanded 2PD between dates given.

H v Schoenfeld 5Sept to 15Dec44 Oberst, GM 1Dec44.

M v Lauchert dates Ok, and ranks Oberst, GM 1mar45

Roger

[Loic]

Wonderful !

Hey, Jerry and Roger, good to see you ! :-)
I see you're still operational, and in a very good way !

Ok, my sources are so different from one to another that this is not weard to have mistakes. You two provide excellent information, so I can't decide who is right or wrong.

I just think that Jerry is right for the commanders during summer 1942, because it doesn't seem possible to have Esebeck commander from February to October 1942 according to all my sources but one. I have a lot of different commanders during this period, but it's the first time I heard of Fabiunke ! :-)

For the other commanders and ranks, you seem agree, so... I have no reason don't believe both of you !

Jerry, could you just specify what does "m.d.F.b." and "Stellv. Führer" mean ?

Roger, you tell "H v Schoenfeld". Do you mean that Henning Schönfeld was a noble ? Is this a "Von" ?

Anyway, thank you very much Jerry and Roger. Your answers are really very precious !

Very best regards from Paris !

Loic

[Roger Griffiths]

Hi Loic,

von is gentry, but not noble as such. Remember Adolf banned aristocrats from serving at some date. Titles in German Army were more common than in British Army because in Europe landowners were von's or de's wheras in England were still common Mr's. This was commented on in British Army documents.

Roger

[Loic]

Another thing :

Jerry, you told "Oberst Eberhard von Nostitz", whereas I have Oberst Gustav-Adolf Von Nostitz-Wallwitz. Could you tell me if there is a confusion between two persons of the same family or if I'm wrong concerning his first name ?

Roger, I agree with your statement about gentry (here in France, gentry and nobility are in the same word : "noblesse"). I just believe you don't understand my bad-asked question : was Schöning a gentleman ?

Thanks !

Loic

[Roger Griffiths]

Well, Loic, there are society's gentlemen and there are nature's gentlemen. They are not necessarily the same thing. Class was supposed to be done away with in the Third Reich, and perhaps in France since 1789. Even in England, there are no longer any gentlemen.

Roger.

[Jerry]

I think Loic's question here is whether it was von Schönfeld and the answer is no, just Henning Schönfeld.

This is kind of confusing but I'll try to explain it... Hans Karl Freiherr von Esebeck was the Kommandeur of record until 1 October 1942. When v.Lenski, Lubbe, and Fabiunke replaced him during the summer they were deputizing for him (stellvertretend Führer), when Lubbe replaced him permenantly on 5 September he was Führer (m.d.F.b.) until he was promoted to the proper rank for a division Kommandeur (Genmaj) on 1 October 1942 , at which time he (Lubbe) became Kommandeur of record.

I assume that Esebeck probably left for medical treatment in August when the front quieted down, thus Lubbe and Fabiunke temporarily subsituted for him. When it became clear that he would not be able to return in a timely manner, Lubbe was named to replace him.

Gustav-Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz was Kdr. of Pz.Art.Rgt. 89/24 Pz.Div. and became Kdr. of 24 Pz.Div. on 1 August 1944. According to Samuel Mitcham's Panzer Legions, Oberst Eberhard von Nostitz was Chef der Gen.Stabs LVII Pz.K. and filled in at 2 Pz.Div. until Schönfeld arrived a few days later.

Other sources for this info is: v.Esebeck's personnel file, Lubbe's personnel file, Die Deutschen Divisionen 1939-1945 # 1, Die Generale des Heeres, and Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden und Truppenteile des Heeres 15.10.35 - 8.5.45, band 1.

Jerry

[Roger Griffiths]

Sorry Loic and Jerry. I en-nobled Herr Schoenfeld, not Herr Keilig.

Roger

[Loic]

Jerry, you're amazing, really... This is a great luck to have you on this forum. I'm asking myself what I could do without you...

Roger, no problem for the mistake, my question was not very understandable. Sorry, my bad English is guilty.

I think I have all I need concerning divisional commanders of the 2. Pz. Div. in 42-45.

Nevertheless, could you tell me if this is normal to have a hole between General Leutnant Heinz Guderian (October 15th 1935-February 4th 1938) and General Major Rudolf Veiel (March 1st 1938-February 16th 1942) ?

Nearly a month without commander, I find this suspect...

Thanks for all and very best regards from Paris

Loic

[Jerry]

You are right Loic, that does sound rather strange. Unfortunately I don't have much in the way of pre-war documents so I can't add anything to the published sources, all of which indicate a gap there as you say.

Jerry

[genstab]

May I make a comment here that may help? I've been trying to compile a manuscript of German unit commanders from division up since 1984. Then Andris Kursietis published his fine "Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945" which made mine redundant. So I've been through all the confusion too. I have heard many times from people who ought to know that you can't rely overmuch on Keilig as he did make mistakes- and many omissions.

There is a book called "German Army Order of Battle: Field Army and Officer Corps 1939-1945" edited by W. Victor Madej which is a reprint of US Army Military Intelligence compilations during the war (now out of print); this gives commanders of many divisions; though it is incomplete and contains a few errors itself it has given me some missing commanders and dates I didn't find anywhere else which fit the gaps so perfectly they are probably correct.

But the ultimate source is "Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945" being published by Biblio Verlag. Currently Volume 7 is out of a projected 12 so it only goes through generals with last names LU, I believe. But they are being compiled from the original Army officer personnel records in the Bundesarchiv and are as accurate as possible.

One problem in researching command dates is that apparently the Army personnel branch would record a general's date of assignment to a command- not the date he reported; someone else might have remained in command for a few days or weeks until his arrival. I have a lot of exact command dates gleaned in my reading of biographies or memoirs that don't agree with the official ones but are one heck of a lot more right as they show who really was in command at a particular time. So if you're compiling for accuracy you should annotate where you got the info if it varies from the accepted date. But normally "Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945" is the most accurate you're going to get- except that it will not show commanders' temporary absences for leave- only extended illnesses or hospitalizations for injuries (usually). You'll have to find out from the acting officer's entry that he may have been mFb or m.st.F.b. for the commander in question- and that really means going through all of "Die Generale des Heeres" - once all volumes are out.

I'm aware that Kurt Mehner has a book out called "Die Deutsche Wehrmacht" and intend to get hold of it to see how well he covers commanders. Can anyone give us some feedback on it?

[Jerry]

Hello Bill,

I've been researching German commanders for twenty some years too, only I focus on commanders of the Panzerwaffe (makes it seem much more doable that way). Keilig is becoming out-dated and has been shown to have many errors, however, in many cases it is the only source for any information at all! I also Have Kurt Mehner's Die Deutsche Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Führung und Truppe, which was published ten years later in 1993. I read somewhere that Mehner is based for the most part on Keilig and that appears true as he repeats most, if not all, Keilig's mistakes. But Mehner is much more extensive than others because he covers Heer, KM, Luftwaffe, and Waffen SS and all units from OKH to Armeen, Korps, Divisionen, and even brigaden. I have Kurseitis and it is good but also has many mistakes. I don't own but have seen some of the dimutive Madej books and was not impressed. As you say, Bradley is probably the best published source but is a long way from being complete (BTW I've only seen band 6, are you sure band 7 has been released??). Also, Bradley omits most detail from some officer's profiles while other officers seem to get more complete coverage. I think this might have to to with the dirth of documents in the personnel files of most offiers who were KIA or MIA or captured prior to about mid '44. I have run into this same problem at NARA. I believe many of the files of said officers were transported to another filing site upon their change in status and that secondary site was destroyed by aerial bombing. Die Deutschen Divisionen 1939-1945 is very good as it not only includes ccommanders & CdS listing but also each division's origination, subordination (monthly), Gliederung and holders of higher awards, plus maps showing each divisions movements during the war. I have the first four in this series and that is only thru divisions numbered up to 25, and they are quite pricy at $125/ea. There is a newer series from Biblio called: Formationsgeschichte u. Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Streitkräfte, 1815 - 1990, Teile IV, Abt. 1: Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden u. Truppenteile des Heeres, 15.Oct.35 - 8.May.45 which is quite good. It only cover Heer but lists commanders and much of the staff positions from Armee to regiment and independent battalions. Unfortunately it is only up to units numbered 30, so it is a long way from complete also. Primary documents are of course the best source, I have hundreds of pages copied from microfilm at NARA but that only scratches the surface. I hope to get back to College Park sometime soon but just haven't been able to spare the time. I've often thought that it ought to be possible to get together a group of us "enthusiasts" to purchase several rolls of microfilm and share them, but I've never persued the idea.

Jerry

[genstab]

Hi, Jerry-
Thanks for the excellent review on Mehner's "Die Deutsche Wehrmacht. Now I know something about it. If the command dates were mainly based on Keilig it wouldn't be much help in that area. Do you think that his division histories are more extensive than Tessin"s as far as his description of rebuildings, their end, etc? I understand that the map of their movements is a new feature but woiuld suspect that the monthly locations are taken from Tessin's, which come directly from their subord- ination in the OKH O/B of the date he used (under its Army).

Yes' the Madej series only gives a relative few new commanders and dates; I've also garnered some from Bender's "Uniforms, Organization and History of the Panzertruppe" but he has a few wrong ones also.

I just found out Biblio Verlag's website address and looked to check on Volume VII of "Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945". From that it doesn't appear that it has been released but I thought one of its compilers, who goes by the name Oberstab on the AHF, said it was out. Soon probably.
The website address is http://www.militaria-biblio.de if you don't have it.

Only fault I have with Kursietis- aside from the errors and omissions that everyone seems to have in greater or lesser number- is that for some reason he left out the parachute divisions and Corps. It's a great one-volume reference other than that. I hope he tries to get a revised edition published- I'm sure members of both Forums would pelt him with corrections and additions if he asked. I have some stuff he doesn't have myself. I emailed with hm once and he asked if I'd help with material for an update a few months ago but after I replied he could have what I have I haven't heard back. Well, we're all busy; he's probably got another project going right now. He's also on the AHF as AJK.

Wish I could have gotten to the NARA when I was on the east coast but it didn't work out- had to labor for my daily bread. As far as microfilm goes it must be a real treasure house. I don't have a reader and really as far as O/Bs am beyond that point as I copied those out of "Die Geheimen
Tagesberichte" (which are the originals except for some of the post 8/44) and obtained copies of the missing Jan-May 1943 ones straight from the Bundesarchiv-Militaerarchiv Freiburg. You guys are on the cutting edge of research with microfilm and I highly admire you. One more thing I lack is a decent command of German. I could get commander and O/B data from the 10-15 copied German language books I have in binders but that's about it. German-English military dictionaries only take one so far. This is why I'm so happy we have these Forums- before the Internet we'd all have been floundering in our own little words, not even knowing about critical books unless we were in the little circle of military history professors and professional historians- now we can make contacts across the world (heute Europa- morgen die Welt!) to exchange data. I was able to finish my WW2 Field Marshal/Fleet Admiral lists I posted on the AHF with data from people and data from foreign language books through them in Italy, Russia and Japan. Now I'm trying to get all the Turkish marshals to complete the WW1 list and not having a very nice time.)
Man, this 21st century is great for researchers though!

Well, I've bent your ear long enough. Thanks again for the info and have a happy holiday season!

[Jerry]

Bill,

Yes you're right, Kurseitis is good, for some reason I just seldom reach for it when I have a question, and as you say they are all a matter of fewer or more mistakes. For clarification...Mehner is only a collection of lists of commanders and some higher staff officers of OKH/OKM/OKL,Armeegruppen, Armeen, Korps, Divisionen, etc. no other information is provided. Die Deutschen Divisionen 1939-1945 includes the other information that I mentioned: Gleiderung, maps, etc. Incedently, the maps in DDD are much more than just a reflection of the monthly position reports (which are also shown for each division) and the maps in the latest volumes (#3&4) are quite good and highly detailed.

BTW, I edited my last response (probably while you were typing) to include my impression of Bradley's Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945 drawbacks.

Jerry