Heinz Hellmich

Heinz Hellmich
Born	(1890-06-09)9 June 1890 Karlsruhe
Died	Cherbourg, France
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1908–44
Rank	Generalleutnant
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Heinz Hellmich (9 June 1890 – 17 June 1944) was a German Generalleutnant during World War II. Awarded with a posthumous Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 September 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 243. Infanterie-Division.

Career

Born in Karlsruhe, Hellmuch joined the military service in 1908. On 22 March 1910, while serving in 136th Infantry Regiment, he became Leutnant. After World War I he served in various units and kept various commanding positions. His service was followed with the promotions: Oberstleutnant (1 February 1934), Oberst (1 January 1936), Generalmajor (1 October 1939) and Generalleutnant (1 September 1941).

When World War II begun he was on a duty as a supply Officer in German 7th Army. From 25 October 1939 he managed supplies in the Army Group B. As a commander of the 23rd Infantry Division (from 1 June 1940 to 17 January 1942) he took part in the French campaign, invasion of the Soviet Union (operation Barbarossa) and in the bloody battles for Bialystok-Minsk, Brest, Smolensk, Vyazma and finally in the Battle of Moscow. After several months, on 1 April 1942, he became a commander of 141st Reserve Division. In 1943, he worked with the defected Red Army general Andrey Vlasov and other volunteers from the Soviet Union as the general of the eastern troops (Osttruppen), which he held until early January 1944. On 10 January 1944, he was moved to France and put in a command of 243rd Infantry Division, stationed in the Cotentin Peninsula. This coastal defense division protected the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula when the Allied invasion begun on 6 June 1944.

Hellmich was killed while defending Cherbourg during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 17 June 1944.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 September 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 243. Infanterie-Division

References

Bibliography

Military offices
Preceded by General der Infanterie Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt	Commander of 23. Infanterie-Division 1 June 1940 – 17 January 1942	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Curt Badinski
Preceded by Generalleutnant Ulrich von Waldow	Commander of 141. Reserve-Division 1 April 1942 – 10 December 1942	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Otto Schönherr
Preceded by Position established	General of the Eastern Troops (General der Osttruppen) 1943 – 1 January 1944	Succeeded by General der Kavallerie Ernst August Köstring
Preceded by Generalmajor Hermann von Witzleben	Commander of 243. Infanterie-Division 10 January 1944 – 17 June 1944	Succeeded by Generalmajor Bernhard Klosterkemper