'The future battle on the ground will be preceded by battle in the air. This will determine which of the contestants has to suffer operational and tactical disadvantages and be forced throughout the battle into adoption compromise solutions.' Erwin Rommel

Sunday, December 26, 2010

GENERAL DER KAVALLERIE SIEGFRIED WESTPHAL


Born: 18.3.1902 in Leipzig
Died: 2.7.1982
 Assignments and commands:
  • Commander of 164 Leichte-Infanterie-Division (temporarily): 6.12.1942-30.12.1942- In staff of the Panzer-Armee "Afrika"
  • Ia of the "Deutsche-Italienische" Panzer-Armee
  • Chief of staff of Oberbefehlshaber "Südwest" and the Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe "C" (1943-1944)
  • Chief of staff of Oberbefehlshaber "West" (1944-1945)
Promotions:
  • Oberst: 1.8.1942
  • Generalmajor: 1.3.1943
  • Generalleutnant: 1.4.1944
  • General der Kavallerie: 1.2.1945
Assignments and commands:
  • Ia of 58 Infanterie-Division: 1.9.1939
  • Ia of XXVI Armee-Korps: 5.3.1940
  • Ia of Panzergruppe Afrika: 15.6.1941
Awards and decorations:
  • Knight´s Cross: 29.11.1942
  • German Cross in Gold
Awards:
  • 1939 Iron Cross 2nd class
  • 1939 Iron Cross 1st class
  • Tank Combat Badge in Silver
1941 - Erwin Rommel Pushing is Horst Command Car. Behind him is General Siegrfried Westphal
Notes:
  • He was seriously wounded on the first day of june 1942.
  • American POW: 8.5.1945 - December, 1947
  • Westphal took up a career in the Ruhrstahl Company and rose to be a director of that organisation. He retired in 1972.
  • Campaigns: West (1940); North Africa (1941/1942); Italy (1943/1944); West (1944/1945)
  • Westphal wrote The book "The German Army in the West" (1952).


Thanks to Francisco de Asís Romero y Medina,
Ken McCanliss and TH for the top picture

2 comments:

  1. Are your sure the officer behind Rommel is not F.W. von Mellenthin?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well. Not shure. In facto looks like Friedrich von Mellenthin. I try to figure it. Thanks

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