Eberhard Kinzel

Eberhard Kinzel (18 October 1897 – 25 June 1945) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Eberhard Kinzel
Born	(1897-10-18)18 October 1897 Berlin, Germany
Died	25 June 1945(1945-06-25) (aged 47) near Idstedt, Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	German Army
Rank	General of the Infantry
Unit	Army Group North Army Group Vistula
Commands	570th Volksgrenadier Division 337th Volksgrenadier Division
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Spouse(s)	Erika von Aschoff (Partner)

Military career

Kinzel was with section Fremde Heere Ost, FHO or Foreign Armies East, until the spring of 1942 when he was replaced by Reinhard Gehlen.^[1] The FHO prepared situation maps of the Soviet Union, Poland, Scandinavia and the Balkans; and assembled information on potential adversaries.

Kinzel was part of the delegation that participated in the negotiations for the German surrender with Field-Marshal Montgomery at Lüneburg Heath on 4 May 1945.

Death

Kinzel, together with his girlfriend Erika von Aschoff, committed suicide on 25 June 1945.^[2]

Personal life

Kinzel was the uncle of Günther Lützow.

Awards and decorations

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 December 1942 as chief department GZ [Zentralabteilung—central department] with the chief of the Generalstab des Heeres [until November 1942 chief of the General Staff XXIX Armeekorps].^[3]

References

Citations

1. Höhne & Zolling 1972, p. 10.
2. More 2013, p. 181.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 441.

Bibliography

• Höhne, Heinz; Zolling, Hermann (1972). The General Was a Spy: The Truth about General Gehlen and his spy ring. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. ISBN 978-0-698-10430-3.
• More, Charles (2013). The Road to Dunkirk: The British Expeditionary Force and the Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal, 1940. London: Frontline. ISBN 978-1-84832-733-7.
• 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 —	Leader of Foreign Armies East 1 March 1939 – 31 March 1942	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Reinhard Gehlen
Preceded by Generalleutnant Wilhelm Hasse	Chief of Staff of Heeresgruppe Nord 22 January 1943 – 18 July 1944	Succeeded by Generalmajor Oldwig von Natzmer
Preceded by Brigadeführer Heinz Lammerding	Chief of Staff of Heeresgruppe Weichsel 21 March 1945 – 22 April 1945	Succeeded by Generalmajor Ivo-Thilo von Trotha