Sigfrid Henrici

General  Sigfrid Henrici  (10 May 1889 – 8 November 1964) was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II.

He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in the 11th Artillery Regiment in 1907 and was commissioned as a Leutnant in an artillery regiment in 1909. He became a flying observer in World War I and was then the leader of a flying battalion.

He was not retained in the Reichswehr and in 1920 he joined the police, reaching the rank of Colonel of Police (Oberst Polizei) on 1 October 1935. He then moved back to the Army in December of that year and commanded the 29th Artillery Regiment from 1936. He was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 June 1939.

With the start of World War II, he was the commander of the 16th Infantry Division (motorised). He was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 June 1941 and General der Panzertruppe on 1 January 1943. He commanded the XXXX Panzer Corps until October 1943 when he became seriously ill and was moved to the leadership reserve. In November 1943 he returned to active service and the command of the XXXX Panzer Corps. He was taken prisoner by the Red Army on 9 May 1945 and was released from Soviet captivity in 1955. He died on 8 November 1964.

Sigfrid Henrici should not be confused with Gotthard Heinrici, also a very accomplished General of the same era. Gotthard Heinrici was born on 25. Dezember 1886 Gumbinnen; death on 13. Dezember 1971 in Waiblingen. In 1905 he joined the Imperial army. After the First World War, resigned, and held various positions in the Prussian Ministry of Security. In 1935 he returned to the Army. June 1, 1939 he was awarded the rank of Major General. In 1940 Heinrici commanded the 12th Army Corps on the Western Front. In 1941-43 with the rank of Lieutenant General - Commander of 43 Army Corps and 4th Army on the Eastern Front. In 1944-45 Heinrici commanded the 1st Panzer Army, from March to 28 April 1945 he commanded the Army Group Vistula, covering Berlin. After the Second World War, Heinrici was convicted by the International Military Tribunal for war crimes and imprisoned in Russia.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (14 September 1914)
 * 1st Class (24 December 1915)
 * Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (12 February 1918)
 * Cross of Honor
 * Sudetenland Medal
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (20 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (20 May 1940)
 * Eastern Front Medal
 * German Cross in Gold (13 August 1943)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
 * Knight's Cross on 13 October 1941 as Generalleutnant and commander of 16 Infanterie-Division (mot)
 * 350th Oak Leaves on 9 December 1943 as General der Panzertruppe and commander of XL. Panzerkorps
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (1 September 1943)