Gustav Schmidt (general)

Gustav Schmidt (24 April 1894  – 7 August 1943) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Schmidt committed suicide on 7 August 1943 to avoid capture by the Red Army in the course of the Soviet Belgorod-Kharkov Offensive Operation.

Gustav Richard Ernst Schmidt
Born	(1894-04-24)24 April 1894
Died	7 August 1943(1943-08-07) (aged 49) Belgorod, Soviet Union
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Army
Years of service	1913–43
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands	19th Panzer Division
Battles / wars	Belgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation  †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (15 September 1914) & 1st Class (18 October 1915)^[1]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (21 September 1939) & 1st Class (2 October 1939)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 22 April 1942 as Oberst in the 19. Schützen-Brigade^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 September 1940 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 742^[3]
  • 203rd Oak Leaves on 6 March 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 19. Panzer-Division^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 267.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 412.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 310.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 59.

Bibliography

• 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.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.

Military offices
Preceded by General der Panzertruppe Otto von Knobelsdorff	Commander of 19. Panzer-Division 5 January 1942 – 7 August 1943	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Hans Källner