Heinrich Eberbach

Heinrich Kurt Alfons Willy Eberbach (24 November 1895 – 13 July 1992) was a German General der Panzertruppen in the German Army of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

World War I
During late 1914 Eberbach fought in France as a corporal, and by February 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant. During 1915 he was wounded twice in France, lost his nose due to a French bullet (a rubber replacement was made) and was captured by the French. In December 1916 he was exchanged for a French prisoner and by 1918 he was posted to Palestine. As he spoke the Turkish language, he served on the staff of the Turkish Eighth Army.

Interwar period
During the 1920s Eberbach was an officer in the civilian police in Württemberg and in 1935 joined the German army (Heer). In 1937 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant and in 1938 be became commander of Panzer-Regiment 35, part of the newly formed 4.Panzer-Division under Generalmajor Georg-Hans Reinhardt in Bamberg.

World War II
Eberbach participated in the German Invasion of Poland in September 1939 by leading his Panzer-Regiment 35 into battles near Łódź and into Warsaw.

In 1940, still in command of Panzer-Regiment, Battle of France, Oberst Eberbach supported General Manteuffel's offensive across the Meuse River in Flanders then on into Lyon.

Eberbach was still in command of Panzer-Regiment 35 at the start of the June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, being promoteded six weeks later to commander of the 5.Panzer-Brigade in Generaloberst Guderian's XXIV.Panzer-Korps. By March 1942 he had been promoted to Major General and made commander of the 4.Panzer-Division in Tula, Russia. Later he became commander of the XLVIII.Panzer-Korps operating near Kiev.

In late November 1942 Eberbach was wounded near Stalingrad and hospitalized until February. Shortly thereafter he became Inspector of the Armored Troops in the Home Army, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and promoted to Lieutenant General.

In November 1943 Eberbach became commander of the Army Group Nikopol and fought in battles around Zhitomir in the Soviet Union. In December he incurred a kidney illness and was later made Inspector of Panzer Troops.

In early 1944 Eberbach was promoted to the rank of General der Panzertruppen. During the Normandy invasion, he fought against the British landings along the 'Juno' and 'Sword' beaches. In July he took command of "Panzer Group West" in the Caen area and after a reorganization his unit was redesignated Fifth Panzer Army. In August he formed Panzergruppe Eberbach in 7.Armee during his failed attempt to recapture Avranches and later became commander of 7.Armee itself.

"On or about 1 Aug 44, Gen Warlimont, of OKW, arrived at my headquarters to get a closer view of the situation ... I told him I considered it [the Mortain attack] hopeless because enemy air forces would soon stop the attack .... I further said that in my opinion the only possible solution was an immediate retreat to the Seine-Yonne line." [Heinrich Eberbach, Panzer Group Eberbach and the Falaise Encirclement,US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle Barracks, PA, p. 9,10.] Falaise Gap However, German Gen. Walter Warlimont rejected his withdrawal. On 31 August while out on a reconnaissance patrol, Eberbach was captured by the British at Amiens.

Post World War II
Eberbach was held in a prisoner-of-war camp until 1948 and shortly thereafter he became the director of a Protestant charity. During the early 1950s he was active in advising on the redevelopment of the German army: Bundeswehr (see Searle's Wehrmacht Generals).

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (12 October 1914)
 * 1st Class (4 October 1917)
 * Friedrich Order 2nd Class with Swords (10 May 1917)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (23 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (2 October 1939)
 * Panzer Badge in Silver (20 June 1940)
 * Eastern Front Medal (14 August 1942)
 * Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (8 December 1941)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 4 July 1940 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Panzer-Regiment 35
 * 42nd Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Oberst and commander of the 5. Panzer-Brigade