''General der Panzertruppe'' () was a

General of the branch A general of the branch, general of the branch of service or general of the ... (where instead of the ellipsis an appropriate name of the military branch is being put) is a three-star rank, three or four-star rank, four-star general officer rank i ...

rank of the

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a lieutenant general, above major general (''

Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...

''), commanding a

Panzer corps A panzer corps () was an armoured corps type in Nazi Germany's ''Wehrmacht'' during World War II. The name was introduced in 1941, when the motorised corps (''Armeekorps (mot)'' or ''AK(mot)'') were renamed to panzer corps. Panzer corps were cre ...

Rank and rank insignia

The rank was equivalent to the long established '' General der Kavallerie'', ''

General der Artillerie (English language, en: General of the artillery) may mean: A rank of three-star rank, three-star General of the branch, general, comparable to modern armed forces OF-8 grade, in the Imperial German Army and its contingency armies of Prussian A ...

'' and ''

General der Infanterie General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...

''. The Wehrmacht also introduced '' General der Gebirgstruppe'' (mountain troops), ''

General der Pioniere (en: ''General of the engineers'') was a General of the branch rank of the German Army in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was on three-star level ( OF-8), equivalent to a US Lieutenant ...

'' (engineers), ''

General der Fallschirmtruppe (en: ''General of the parachute corps'') was a General of the branch rank of the Deutsche Luftwaffe (en: German Air Force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was on three-star level ( ...

'' (parachute troops), ''

General der Flieger () was a General of the branch rank of the Luftwaffe (air force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was on three-star level ( OF-8), equivalent to a US Lieutenant general. The "Genera ...

'' (aviators), '' General der Nachrichtentruppe'' (communications troops) and ''

General der Luftnachrichtentruppe ''General der Luftnachrichtentruppe'' (en: ''General of air force communications troops'') was a General of the branch rank of the Deutsche Luftwaffe (en: German Air Force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular ...

'' (air communications troops).

Position

In the present-day

, there is a ''General der Panzertruppen'', which is not a ''rank'' but a ''position'', who is usually a brigadier general ('' Brigadegeneral''). The ''General der Panzertruppen'' commands the

Armoured Corps Training Centre The Armoured Corps Training Centre () in Munster is one of the German Army's training centres ('' Zentren des Heeres'') with particular responsibility for the basic and continuation training of armoured troops, including the armoured and the mech ...

. In the Nazi-era Army, the equivalent position was called ''Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppe''.

List

The following officers were ''General der Panzertruppe'': *

Hans-Jürgen von Arnim Hans-Jürgen Bernard Theodor von Arnim (; 4 April 1889 – 1 September 1962) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several armies and was the last commander of Axis forces in North Africa. He was a recipi ...

(1889–1962) (promoted

Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German '' Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank w ...

4/12/1942) *

Hermann Balck Georg Otto Hermann Balck (7 December 1893 – 29 November 1982) was a highly decorated officer of the German Army who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of General der Panzertruppe. Early career Balck was born in ...

(1893–1982) * Erich Brandenberger (1882–1955) * Hermann Breith (1892–1964) * Hans Cramer (1896–1968) * Ludwig Crüwell (1892–1958) *

Karl Decker Karl Decker (30 November 1897 – 21 April 1945) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who committed suicide in the Ruhr Pocket on 21 April 1945. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak ...

(1897–1945) (committed suicide) * Heinrich Eberbach (1895–1992) *

Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim __NOTOC__ Maximilian von Edelsheim (6 July 1897 – 26 April 1994) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He negotiated the ...

(1897–1994) *

Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck (10 July 1892 – 5 January 1955) was a German general who commanded the 15th Panzer Division in the Afrika Korps. Esebeck had knowledge of and was sympathetic to the anti-Hitler conspiracy in the military. He was ...

(1892–1955) *

Gustav Fehn __NOTOC__ Gustav Fehn (21 February 1892 – 5 June 1945) was a German general during World War II. Fehn served in the Afrika Korps from November 1942 to January 1943, LXXVI Panzer Corps from July–August 1943, the XXI Army Corps from October 1 ...

(1892–1945) (executed by partisans) * Ernst Feßmann (1881–1962) *

Wolfgang Fischer __NOTOC__ Wolfgang Fischer (11 December 1888 – 1 February 1943) was an officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was killed on 1 February 1943 west of Kairouan in Tunisia when his staff car drove into a small Italian min ...

(1888–1943) * Walter Fries (1894–1982) * Hans Freiherr von Funck (1891–1979) *

Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg Leo Dietrich Franz Reichsfreiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg (2 March 1886 – 27 January 1974) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II, noted for his pioneering stance and expertise in the field of armoured warfare. He commanded th ...

(1886–1974) * Fritz-Hubert Graeser (1888–1960) * Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (1888–1954) (promoted Generaloberst 1941) * Josef Harpe (1887–1968) (promoted Generaloberst 20/5/1944) * Sigfrid Henrici (1889–1964) *

Traugott Herr Traugott Herr (16 September 1890 – 13 April 1976) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 14th Army and the 10th Army of the Wehrmacht. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. ...

(1890–1976) * Alfred Ritter von Hubicki (1887–1971) *

Hans-Valentin Hube Hans-Valentin Hube (29 October 1890 – 21 April 1944) was a German general during World War II who commanded armoured forces in the invasions of Poland, France and the Soviet Union. In the course of the war, Hube led the 16th Infantry Divi ...

(1890–1944) (promoted Generaloberst 20/4/1944, killed in plane crash 21/4/1944) *

Georg Jauer __NOTOC__ Georg Jauer (25 June 1896 – 5 August 1971) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. At the outbreak of World War II Jauer serve ...

(1896–1971) *

Werner Kempf Werner Kempf (9 March 1886 – 6 January 1964) was a general in the German Army rising to corps-level command during World War II. Kempf is best known for commanding the Army Detachment Kempf during the Battle of Kursk. Career Kempf joined th ...

(1886–1964) * Mortimer von Kessel (1893–1981) * Friedrich Kirchner (1885–1960) * Ulrich Kleemann (1892–1963) * Otto von Knobelsdorff (1886–1966) * Walter Krüger (1892–1973) *

Friedrich Kühn General Friedrich Kühn (7 August 1889 – 15 February 1944) was a General der Panzertruppe in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. World War II At the start of World War ...

(1889–1944) (killed in bombing raid) *

Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen __NOTOC__ General Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen (26 July 1889 – 10 July 1964) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the LXXXI Army-Corps under Erwin Rommel in Normandy in 1944. He saw service in World War I, an ...

(1889–1964) * Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp (1890–1942) *

Joachim Lemelsen Joachim Lemelsen (28 September 1888 – 30 March 1954) was a German general during World War II who rose to army-level command. During Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, troops of the XLVII Motorized Corps under hi ...

(1888–1954) * Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz (1896–1969) *

Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz Smilo Walther Hinko Oskar Constantin Wilhelm Freiherr von Lüttwitz (23 December 1895 – 19 May 1975) was a German general during World War II and son of Walther von Lüttwitz. After World War II he joined the Bundeswehr in 1957 and served as th ...

(1895–1975) *

Oswald Lutz Oswald Lutz (6 November 1876 – 26 February 1944) was a German General who oversaw the motorization of the German Army in the late 1920s and early 1930s and was appointed as the commander of the Wehrmacht's Panzer Troops Command in 1935. ...

(1876–1944) *

Hasso von Manteuffel Hasso Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel (14 January 1897 – 24 September 1978) was a German baron born to the Prussian noble Manteuffel, von Manteuffel family and was a general during World War II who commanded the 5th Panzer Army. He was a recip ...

(1897–1978) * Karl Mauss (1898–1959) *

Walter Model Otto Moritz Walter Model (; 24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945) was a German during World War II. Although he was a hard-driving, aggressive panzer commander early in the war, Model became best known as a practitioner of defensive warfare. H ...

(1891–1945) (promoted Generaloberst 28/2/1942,

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...

1/3/1944) *

Walther Nehring Walther Nehring (15 August 1892 – 20 April 1983) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the Afrika Korps. Early life Nehring was born on 15 August 1892 in Stretzin, West Prussia. Nehring was the descendant of ...

(1892–1983) *

Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) during World War II who is best known for his surrender of the German 6th Army (Wehrmacht), 6th Army during the Battle ...

(1890–1957) (promoted Generaloberst 30/11/1942, Generalfeldmarschall 30/1/1943) *

Georg-Hans Reinhardt Georg-Hans Reinhardt (1 March 1887 – 23 November 1963) was a German general of the ''Wehrmacht'' during World War II, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes. He commanded the 3rd Panzer Army from 1941 to 1944, and Army Group Centre in 1 ...

(1887–1963) (promoted Generaloberst 1/1/1942) *

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...

(1891–1944) (promoted Generaloberst 24/1/1942, Generalfeldmarschall 2/6/1942, committed suicide 14/10/1944) * Hans Röttiger (1896–1960) *

Dietrich von Saucken Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Kasimir Dietrich von Saucken (16 May 1892 – 27 September 1980) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 2nd Army and the Army East Prussia. Turning down an offer to escape by air, he surrendered t ...

(1892–1980) * Ferdinand Schaal (1889–1962) * Rudolf Schmidt (1886–1957) (promoted Generaloberst 1/1/1942) * Gerhard von Schwerin (1899–1980) * Frido von Senger und Etterlin (1891–1963) *

Georg Stumme Georg Stumme (29 July 1886 – 24 October 1942) was a general in the of Nazi Germany during the Second World War who briefly commanded the Axis forces at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein, and died during the Defence of Outpost S ...

(1886–1942) * Horst Stumpff (1887–1958) * Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma (1891–1948) * Gustav von Vaerst (1894–1975) *

Rudolf Veiel Rudolf Veiel (10 December 1883 – 19 March 1956) was a German general ('' General der Panzertruppe'') during World War II. Career Veiel joined the army 1904, and was commissioned as an officer in 1905, serving in the Württemberg cavalry du ...

(1883–1956) *

Heinrich von Vietinghoff Heinrich Gottfried Otto Richard von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel (6 December 1887 – 23 February 1952) was a German general (''Generaloberst'') of the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with O ...

(1887–1952) (promoted Generaloberst 1/9/1943) * Nikolaus von Vormann (1895–1959) * Walther Wenck (1900–1982)

Gallery

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1979-035-19, Hasso von Manteuffel.jpg, ''General der Panzertruppe''

in 1944 File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-209-0086-12, Russland-Nord, Erich von Manstein, Brandenberger.jpg, ''General der Panzertruppe'' Erich Brandenberger (left) with Generalfeldmarschall

Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a Germans, German Officer (armed forces), military officer of Poles (people), Polish descent who served as a ''Generalfeld ...

in 1941 File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B17409, Nordafrika, Ludwig Crüwell, Fritz Bayerlein.jpg, ''General der Panzertruppe'' Ludwig Crüwell (left) in North Africa in 1942

Literature

* Reinhard Stumpf: ''Die Wehrmacht-Elite. Rang- und Herkunftsstruktur der deutschen Generale und Admirale 1933–1945.'' Harald Boldt Verlag, Boppard am Rhein, 1982. .

Rank and rank insignia

Position

List

Gallery

Literature

See also