Shame on you all!!! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

The name of the lowest ranked officer who commanded a division in the German Wehrmacht was Hauptmann (captain) Graf Johann Adolf von Kielmansegg who took command of the 1. Panzerdivision on May 17th 1940, in the precise momment when colonel Charles DeGaulle's 4e. Division Blindée was attacking the 1. Panzerdivision in Lisle-Montcornet.

On May 15th, the division commander, Generalmajor Friedrich Kirchner was laying on the ground, sleeping, he bloody needed a rest. But then, some fool Panzer commander in a Pz II passed over Kirchner's knee. He obviously lost his leg. Then, Major Wenck and Hauptmann Von Kielmansegg, Kirchner's chieffs of staff took command, in a certain way receiving orders from Kirchner, who yelled orders from a bed in the rear, but they actually had to command Germany's best division. But on the 17th, Major Wenck had returned from the XIX Panzerkorps' headquarters, after witnessing a hard fight between generals Guderian and Von Kleist. Wenck went back just in the precise moment when DaGaulle's tanks (including heavy Char-Bs) were smashing the German lines. He got hit. Then Von Kielmansegg had to gave orders, coordinate the deffense and counter attack and tell Guderian about everything. DaGaulles' counterattack was repelled.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun