Kessel, Hans.

Kessel, Hans, born 11-08-1889, six months after Adolf Hitler (did you know), in Luckau, Nieder Lausitz, joined the Army Service, age 18, on 02-05-1908, as a Fahnenjunker in the 20^th Infantry Regiment. He was in the fields of the first war as a Platoon leader of the 155^th Infantry Regiment and on 26-02-1916 to 1917, wounded in hospital  . He was again wounded in hospital on 30-03-1918 until the end of the war. Kessel remained in the Reichswehr   and as an Oberst and Army Equipment Inspector for Infantry weapons he started in World War II to 21-09-1939. Appointed to commander of the 289^th Infantry Regiment to 10-06-1940, wounded  a long time in hospital again and in the Führer Reserve until 06-08-1941. Assigned as Commander of the 332^nd Infantry Division, he succeeded Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Heinrich Recke,   Recke was missed in action in the region of Kharkow, age 52, on 01-08-1943. The 332^nd Static Infantry Division was raised over the winter of 1940-1941 and served on coastal defense duties in Brittany and along the Channel coast until early 1943. In October 1942 the division was reorganized as the 332^nd Infantry Division, with improved mobility and offensive capabilities, and in the spring of 1943 it was transferred to the Russian Front where it fought in the Battle of Kursk under Army Group South under Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt,   in July. After the battle the division’s remnants were used to reinforce other divisions, and it was written off the order of battle. Kessel was Commander of POW’s in Military District V to 27-12-1944 and retired, age 55, from the Service.

Death and burial ground of Kessel, Hans.

Living in Tübingen after the war Kessel died at the very old age of 90, 08-08-1979 and is buried with his wife Lucie, born Devens, who died also at a very old age, 98, in 1998, on the Bergfriedhof of Tübingen, close the graves of Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Walter Assmann  and Generaloberst der Infanterie, Commander of the 17^th Army Corps, Richard Ruoff.  

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