Walther Nehring (15 August 1892 – 20 April 1983) was a German general in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

who commanded the

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

Early life

Nehring was born on 15 August 1892 in Stretzin,

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...

. Nehring was the descendant of a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

family who had fled the Netherlands to escape religious persecution in the seventeenth century. His father, Emil Nehring, was an estate owner and officer of the Military Reserve. While Nehring was still a child the family moved to Danzig.

Career

Nehring joined the military service on 16 September 1911 in the Infanterie-Regiment 152. He became a commissioned ''

Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High Ge ...

'' on 18 December 1913. On 26 October 1940 he received command of the 18th Panzer Division at Chemnitz, which he commanded during the operations Barbarossa and

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

. The division led by Nehring stands accused of war crimes by numerous accounts.

Omer Bartov Omer Bartov (Hebrew: עֹמֶר בַּרְטוֹב; pronounced .html" ;"title="�oˈmer ˈbartov/nowiki>">�oˈmer ˈbartov/nowiki>; born 1954) is the John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History and Professor of History and Profe ...

, ''Hitler's Army: Soldiers, Nazis, and War in the Third Reich'', Oxford Paperbacks, 1992 Nehring took command of the

in May 1942 and took part in the last major Axis offensive (Operation Brandung) of the Western Desert campaign and the subsequent

Battle of Alam Halfa The Battle of Alam el Halfa took place between 30 August and 5 September 1942 south of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. '' Panzerarmee Afrika'' (''Generalfeldmarschall'' Erwin Rommel), attempted an envelopme ...

(31 August - 7 September 1942), during which he was wounded in an air raid. Between November and December 1942, he commanded the LXXXX Army Corps, the German contingent in

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Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-784-0203-14A, Nordafrika, Bayerlein, Rommel, Nehring

After North Africa, Nehring was posted to the Eastern Front where he commanded first the XXIV Panzer Corps, and then from July to August 1944 the

Fourth Panzer Army The 4th Panzer Army (german: 4. Panzerarmee) (operating as Panzer Group 4 (german: 4. Panzergruppe) from its formation on 15 February 1941 to 1 January 1942, when it was redesignated as a full army) was a German panzer formation during World War ...

. Nehring then returned to the XXIV in August 1944 and led the Corps until March 1945 when he was made commander of the 1st Panzer Army. During 1944 he was also the commanding officer of the

XXXXVIII Panzer Corps XXXXVIII Panzer Corps (also: XXXXVIII Army Corp or XXXXVIII. Armeekorps), was a corps-level formation of the German Army which saw extensive action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. History The corps was originally f ...

. Following the end of the war, Nehring wrote a comprehensive history of the German panzer forces from 1916 to 1945, ''Die Geschichte der deutschen Panzerwaffe 1916 bis 1945''. He also wrote the foreword to

Len Deighton Leonard Cyril Deighton (; born 18 February 1929) is a British author. His publications have included cookery books, history and military history, but he is best known for his spy novels. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Fo ...

's '' Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk.''

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

(1914) 2nd Class (27 January 1915) & 1st Class (25 November 1917) *

Clasp to the Iron Cross The Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz) was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World W ...

(1939) 2nd Class (11 September 1939) & 1st Class (29 September 1939) *

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight ...

** Knight's Cross on 24 July 1941 as '' Generalmajor'' and commander of the 18. Panzer-Division ** 383rd Oak Leaves on 8 February 1944 as ''

General der Panzertruppe General der Panzertruppe () was a General of the branch OF8 rank of the German Army, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a Lieutenant General, above Major General (Generalleutnant), commanding a Panzer corps. Rank and ran ...

'' and commanding general of the XXIV. Panzerkorps ** 124th Swords on 22 January 1945 as ''General der Panzertruppe'' and commanding general of the XXIV. Panzerkorps * Bundesverdienstkreuz 1st Class (27 July 1973)

References

Citations Bibliography * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nehring, Walther 1892 births 1983 deaths People from Człuchów County People from West Prussia Generals of Panzer Troops German Army personnel of World War I Prussian Army personnel Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Crosses of Military Merit Reichswehr personnel 20th-century Freikorps personnel