Adelbert Schulz

Adelbert Schulz (20 December 1903 – 28 January 1944) was a Generalmajor (Major General) and division commander in the German Wehrmacht during World War II. He was one of 27 people to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten) and one of the youngest German generals. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. At the time of its presentation to Schulz it was Germany's highest military decoration.

Early life
Adelbert Schulz was born on 20 December 1903 in Berlin, the son of a civil servant (Beamter). He graduated from a Berliner Realgymnasium (secondary school) with his Abitur and took on an apprenticeship at a bank. To fulfill his ambition in becoming a bank director he attended a merchant college (Handelshochschule) from 1923 to 1924. In December 1925 he changed his mind and joined the Prussian police force at the Police school (Polizeischule) in Brandenburg. After completing his training in 1927 he was promoted to Polizeiwachtmeister and after eight years on 20 April 1934 of service was promoted to Polizeileutnant (second lieutenant) in Berlin. On 1 October 1935 Schulz transferred from the Police (preußischen kasernierten Landespolizei) to the Wehrmacht (German Army) as an Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).

World War II
He took part in the occupations of Austria and the Sudetenland. During the western campaign and in 1940 was promoted to captain. He participated in the invasion of Belgium, attacks on French and British positions and assisted in the breakthrough to Cherbourg, serving under General Erwin Rommel. On the 29 September 1940 he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

As part of Army Group Centre, in Klin, Schulz attacked a Soviet force eight times larger than his own. Despite being outnumbered he covered the retreat of German troops and the evacuation of a field hospital with more than 4,000 wounded. For these actions he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross on 31 December 1941. On 6 August 1943 he received the Swords to his Knight's Cross and was promoted to colonel.

The 7th Panzer-Division subordinated to the 4th Panzer Army under the command of Hermann Hoth started its counteroffensive against the recently evacuated city of Kharkov (Kharkiv) on 11 March 1943. Adelbert Schulz, who had just recently before been put in command of the Panzer-Regiment 25, led his Kampfgruppe in one of the most successful engagements of the "Gespensterdivision" (Ghost Division) &mdash; His soldiers destroyed more than 100 enemy tanks and many artillery positions during the annihilation of the Red Army's 3rd Tank Army. On 14 December, Schulz received a radio message that he would receive the Diamonds to the Ritterkreuz, and was told to report to the Führer's headquarters. Schulz refused to go on the grounds that he was too busy fighting on the eastern front and had no time to receive it. The honor was eventually awarded to him on 9 January 1944, and he was promoted to major general and made division commander in charge of Rommel's former division.

Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz led the tanks of the 7th Panzer-Division in an attack against the enemy positions at Shepetivka on 28 January 1944. Standing in the opened hatch of his tank, Schulz was hit by artillery shrapnel in the head. Schulz succumbed to his injuries the same day even though he had immediately been evacuated to a field hospital. His death was announced on 30 January 1944 in the Wehrmachtbericht.

Legacy
A German Army barracks in Munster (Örtze) is named after Schulz.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (24 May 1940)
 * 1st Class (24 May 1940)
 * Wound Badge in Black
 * Panzer Badge in Silver
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
 * Knight's Cross (29 September 1940) as chief of the 1./Panzer-Regiment 25
 * 47th Oak Leaves (31 December 1941) as commander of the I./Panzer-Regiment 25
 * 33rd Swords (6 August 1943) as commander of the Panzer-Regiment 25
 * 9th Diamonds (14 December 1943) as commander of the Panzer-Regiment 25
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht