Otto

Otto Heidkämper, born 13-03-1901 in Lauenhagen, District Stadthagen, entered the Army at the end of the first war as a Fahnenjunker in the 10^th Pioneer Replacement Battalion on 09-11-1918, age 17 and was a short time in the fields with this Battalion. Heidkämper was allowed in the new Reichswehr and with the beginning of World War II he as an Adjutant with the Chief of Operations in the General Staff of the 2^nd Light Division, until 18-10-1939. The same position in the 7^th Panzer Division under Erwin Rommel (see Rommel), until 15-11-1940 and the same position then in the 4^th Panzer Division, he succeeded General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (see Eberbach)  until 06-04-1942 , under General Boineburg-Lengsfeld (see Boineburg-Lengsfeld) and General Dietrich von Saucken (see Saucken). Heidkämper then landed in the Führer Reserve (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know) (see William Hitler) to 13-05-1942. He meanwhile as an Oberst was Chief of the General Staff of the XXIV Motorized Army Corps, until 21-06-1942. Following Chief of the General Staff of the XXIV Panzer Corps to 14-03-1943. He again was in the Führer Reserve from 15-03-1943 until 05-05-1943 and assigned as the Chief of Staff of the 3^rd Panzer Army under Generaloberst Hans Georg Reinhardt (see Reinhardt) , meanwhile a Major General to 01-09-1944. Chief of GS of the Army Group Centre and promoted to Lieutenant General on 01-11-1944. Chief of GS of Army Group North, to 26-01-1945 and in the infamous Führer Reserve again until 15-04-1945. Commander of the Section Geysing with Commander Erz Mountain under SS General Hermann Hoth (see Hoth) to 27-04-1945. His last command was of the 464^th Infantry Division to 09-05-1945 and landed in American captivity. Already released on 24-05-1945 he retired in Bückeburg where he at the age of 67 died, on 16-02-1969. Heidkämper is buried with his wife Erika, born Titze-Eichmann, who died age 63 in 1974, on the Stadtfriedhof of Bückeburg, Close by the graves of the Generals Carl André (see André), Sigismund Falkenstein (see Falkenstein) and Hans Graf von Kanitz (see Kanitz).