Viktor Linnarz

Generalleutnant Viktor Leopold Linnarz (19 August 1894 – 14 October 1979) was a German army officer who served in the Prussian Army in World War I and the German Army during World War II.

Viktor Leopold Linnarz
Born19 August 1894
Alfeld, Lower Saxony
Died14 October 1979 (1979-10-15) (aged 85)
Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Bavaria
Allegiance German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
Years of service1914–45
RankGeneralleutnant
Commands held26. Panzer-Division
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
*Operation Barbarossa
*Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
AwardsGerman Cross in Silver

He joined the Prussian Army in March 1914 and was awarded the Iron Cross during his service in World War I. At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 he was an Oberstleutnant. He was promoted to Oberst (Colonel) in 1940 and served as a Brigade commander in the 3rd Panzer Division from 27 June 1941 to August 1941. In 1942 he was appointed the Deputy Chief of the Army Personnel Office (HPA) at the Army High Command (OKH).[1] On 1 January 1943 he was promoted to Generalmajor (Major General) and on 1 April 1944 to Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General). On 21 July 1944 he arrived at the country home of Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben, having been ordered to arrest him following his involvement in the 20 July plot coup attempt.

Linnarz was the commander of the 26th Panzer-Division in Italy from 1 March 1945 until 8 May 1945.[2][3] He surrendered his division to the British and was then taken into captivity and held in the prisoner-of-war camp at Ghedi, Italy where he made a posthumous award of a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross to a major in a Panzergrenadier Regiment without authority.[1] Linnarz was interrogated about his wartime role and recollections on 25 February 1948. He died aged 85 in 1979 in Weiden in der Oberpfalz.[4][5][6]

Awards

References
  1. Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). 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.
  2. Viktor Linnarz at flames of war. Retrieved 27 August 2014
  3. Viktor Linnarz at ww2 in color. Retrieved 27 August 2014
  4. Viktor Linnarz at ifz-muenchen (German Language) Retrieved 27 August 2014
  5. ifzmuenchen (German Language). Retrieved 27 August 2014
  6. Viktor linnarz at Unit Histories. Retrieved 27 August 2014


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