Vollrath Lübbe

Vollrath Lübbe
Born 4 March 1894
Klein Lunow, German Empire
Died 4 April 1969(1969-04-04) (aged 75)
Hannover, West Germany
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1914–45
Rank Generalleutnant
Commands held 2nd Panzer Division
81st Infantry Division
462nd Volksgrenadier Division
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Vollrath Lübbe (4 March 1894 – 4 April 1969) was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht. A veteran of World War I, he rose to command several divisions during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise successful military leadership.

Biography

Born in 1894, Lübbe joined the army of Imperial Germany in 1912 and was posted to the 103rd Infantry Regiment. He served in World War I and then in the postwar Reichsheer which in turn became the Wehrmacht.[1]

Having led the 13th Calvary Regiment since 1939, Lübbe was posted to the 2nd Panzer Division's 2nd Rifle Brigade (2nd Schuetzen Brigade) in 1941. He was appointed to temporary command of the division itself on 16 January 1942 for a few weeks. He was promoted to Generalmajor (major general) on 1 October 1942, shortly after he resumed command of 2nd Panzer Division which took part in many defensive actions during the 1942–1943 period as well as the Battle of Kursk. Promoted to Generalleutnant (lieutenant general) on 1 October 1943, he was transferred to the infantry in early 1944.[1]

On 5 April 1944, Lübbe was appointed commander of 81st Infantry Division, which had been heavily depleted in the fighting retreat from Leningrad. His period of command was brief, a period of two months, before being replaced.[2] After a few months he took over the 462nd Volksgrenadier Division on 15 October 1944. Shortly after taking command, the division was shifted to the town of Metz. Under siege from the United States Third Army from early November, Lübbe suffered a stroke on 8 November and had to be relieved.[3] Lübbe was captured by Soviet troops at the end of the war and remained a prisoner of war until October 1955.[1]

Awards and decorations

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Mitcham 2007a, pp. 46–49.
  2. ↑ Mitcham 2007b, pp. 137–138.
  3. ↑ Mitcham 2007c, pp. 128–130.
  4. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 243.

References

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007a). Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of WWII and Their Commanders. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3353-3. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007b). German Order of Battle, Volume One: 1st–290th Infantry Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3416-5. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007c). German Order of Battle, Volume Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3437-0. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
Military offices
Preceded by
Oberst Karl Fabiunke		 Commander of 2nd Panzer Division
1 October 1942–31 January 1944 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Erich Schopper		 Commander of 81st Infantry Division
5 April–1 July 1944 		Succeeded by
Generalmajor der Reserve Dr. Ernst Meiners
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Walter Krause		 Commander of 462nd Volksgrenadier Division
15 October–8 November 1944 		Succeeded by
Generalmajor Heinrich Kittel
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