Kurt von Tippelskirch

Kurt von Tippelskirch
Born	(1891-10-09)9 October 1891 Charlottenburg, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1910–45
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	Army Group Vistula German 21st Army German 14th Army
Battles/wars	World War I First Battle of the Marne World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Relations	Curt Gallenkamp (brother in-law)

Kurt Oskar Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm von Tippelskirch (9 October 1891 – 10 May 1957) was a general in the German Army during World War II.

Personal life

Kurt von Tippelskirch was born on 9 October 1891 in Berlin (Charlottenburg). His wife's name was Elly (née Gallenkamp) von Tippelskirch.

His son, Adolf-Hilmar von Tippelskirch served on Eastern Front reaching the rank of Major; he was killed in action near Mogilev in Russia on 28 June 1944. His brother-in-law, Artillery General Curt Gallenkamp (17 February 1890 to 13 April 1958) served on the Eastern Front as well.

Army career

• Kurt von Tippelskirch entered the German Army, passing the Cadet Corps on 3 March 1910.
• Lieutenant (Leutnant) von Tippelskirch was captured by the French during the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914.
• After being released from captivity in 1920, Kurt von Tippelskirch became a Chief of the 4th Company of Infantry Regiment 9.
• Between 1924 and 1933: von Tippelskirch served in several staff positions, commander of Infantry Regiment 27 (1934) and, later, he transferred to the Defense Ministry (1936).
• In 1938 to 1941: Kurt von Tippelskirch was appointed Staff for Intelligence in the Army General Staff and worked analyzing intelligence data connected to Germany’s campaigns of the war and Operation Barbarossa.
• 5 January to 5 June 1942: Major-General (Generalleutnant) von Tippelskirch commander of the 30th Infantry Division belonging to the German 16th Army of General (Generaloberst) Ernst Busch (Army Group North).
• 27 August 1942 to 1 February 1943: General of Infantry Kurt von Tippelskirch served in Italian 8th Army on the Eastern Front.
• 18 February 1944 to 4 June 1944: von Tipelskirch was commanding general of the XII Army Corps on the Eastern Front. In June to July 1944 he assumed temporary command of the German 4th Army.
• 18 July 1944: von Tippelskirch was injured in an airplane crash. From 31 October 1944 to 22 February 1945, von Tippelskirch was delegated to the Western Front, first as the commander of the German 1st Army in Lorraine and then as the commander of the German 14th Army in Italy.
• 26 December 1944: von Tippelskrich launched Operation Winter Thunderstorm, which held off the Allied forces until 1945.
• 27 April 1945 to 2 May 1945: von Tippelskirch was the commander of German 21st Army on the collapsing Eastern Front. His army operated in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg.
• 29 April 1945 to 1 May 1945: von Tippelskirch was the commander of Army Group Vistula (Heeresgruppe Weichsel), acting for Kurt Student. For the especially successful leadership in German Army, von Tippelskirch was decorated and awarded.
• 2 May 1945: von Tippelskirch surrendered to the United States Army.

After the war

Kurt von Tippelskirch surrendered to the United States Army on 2 May 1945. He surrendered in the vicinity of Lübeck – Schwerin - Wismar (Germany).

After the war, von Tippelskirch wrote several books on military history (e.g. History of the Second World War, 1951).

Kurt von Tippelskirch died 10 May 1957 at Lüneburg (Lower Saxony).

Ranks

• Officer Candidate (Fähnrich): 3 March 1910
• Lieutenant (Leutnant): 20 March 1911 (Patent 24 June 1909)
• Major (Major): 1 April 1928
• Lieutenant-Colonel (Oberstleutnant): 1 February 1933
• Colonel (Oberst): 1 March 1935
• Brigadier-General (Generalmajor): 1 April 1938
• Major-General (Generalleutnant): 1 June 1940
• Lieutenant-General of Infantry (General der Infanterie): 27 August 1942 (RDA 1 February 1942)

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (18 November 1914)
  • 1st Class (20 December 1919)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Anschluss Medal
• Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (30 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (31 May 1940)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 November 1941 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 30. Infanterie-Division
  • 539th Oak Leaves on 30 July 1944 as General der Infanterie and deputy commander-in-chief of the 4. Armee
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (3 April 1944)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
3 April 1944	Zwischen dem Dnjepr und Tichauffy haben die unter dem Befehl des Generals der Infanterie von Tippelskirch und des Generals der Artillerie Martinek stehenden Truppen in siebentägigen schweren Kämpfen Durchbruchsversuche von 17 feindlichen Schützendivisionen, einer motorisierten und zweier Panzerbrigaden vereitelt und damit einen hervorragenden Abwehrerfolg errungen.	Between the Dnieper and Tichauffy, troops under the command of General of Infantry of Tippelskirch and General of Artillery Martinek in seven days of heavy fighting have thwarted breakthrough attempts of 17 enemy infantry divisions, a motorized and two armored brigades, and thus achieved an outstanding defensive success.

See also

• List of World War II military operations
• Battle of Berlin

References

Bibliography

Military offices
Preceded by Generalmajor Walter Buechs	Commander of 30. Infanterie-Division 5 January 1941 – 5 June 1942	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Thomas-Emil von Wickede
Preceded by Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici	Commander of 4. Armee 4 June 1944 – 18 July 1944	Succeeded by General der Infantrie Friedrich Hoßbach
Preceded by General der Panzertruppen Traugott Herr	Commander of 14. Armee 12 December 1944 – 22 February 1945	Succeeded by General der Panzertruppen Joachim Lemelsen
Preceded by Generaloberst Nikolaus von Falkenhorst	Commander of 21. Armee 27 April 1945 – 2 May 1945	Succeeded by none
Preceded by Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici	Commander of Army Group Vistula 29 April 1945 – 1 May 1945	Succeeded by none