Assmann, Dr. Walter Karl Friedrich.

Assmann, Dr. Walter Karl Friedrich, born in 22-07-1896 in Mühlhausen, was an officer in the Reichswehr , the Weimarer Republic and in the Wehrmacht of the Third Reich (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know). Assmann started his military career as a volunteer, on 10-08-1914, in the 2^th Rekruten-Depot of the 1^st Ober Elsässischen Infanterie Regiment nr. 167 in Kassel, age 18. At the beginning of World War I, he entered the Western Front and was hit in the right arm in 1915, he came in hospital in Bad Driburg. He ended World War I as a adjutant and came in the new Reichswehr . As commander of the XII Army Corps, he was wounded again on 14-08-1940. After his recover, he came as Regiments Commander at the Eastern Front. The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross  was awarded to him to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Assmann was promoted to Generalleutnant on 29-03-1945, the youngest Generalleutnant in WWII was Theodor Tolsdorff, and Assmann after heavy defence fighting’s with his 101^st Jäger Division , succeeded General

   Emil Vogel, could avoid that many of his soldiers came into Soviet captivity. During the last year of the war it fought in Hungary and Austria, by the end of the war it had been reduced to the size of a Kampfgruppe. Generalleutnant Emil Vogel died very old age 91 on 01-10-1985 in Mülheim. Assmann brought the rest of his Regiment to Rosenberg, under American imprisonment, after an agreement with the commander of the 26^th US Infantry Division, nickname “Yanky Division” , Generalmajor der Infanterie, Willard Stewart Paul. General Paul died at Walter Reed Army Hospital on 21-03-1966 and was buried in Section 30, Grave 1073 RH of Arlington National Cemetery.

   The 26^th Infantry Division was an infantry division, a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history. During World War II, the 26^th Infantry Division spent 199 days in combat. During that time, it suffered 1.678 killed in action, 7.379 wounded in action, 740 missing in action, 159 prisoners of war, and 6.895 non-battle casualties, for a total of 16.851 casualties during the conflict. Soldiers of the division received two Medals of Honor, , Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers, the first and only of seven black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II, and Technician Fifth Grade, Alfred Leonard Wilson , who during a firefight, near Bezange-la-Petite, France, was severely wounded but refused evacuation and continued to treat other injured soldiers until he fell unconscious. He died of his wounds and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor seven months later, on 18-07-1945. The division also won 38 Distinguished Service Crosses, seven Legions of Merit, 927 Silver star Medals, 42 Soldier’s Medals, 5.331 Bronze Star Medals, and 98 Air Medals.

Assmann was soon released and took up his old profession as a dentist. Highly decorated, he lived in Tübingen, he at the age of 68 died, on 01-05-1964, in Offenbach am Main. Dr. Assmann is buried on the Bergfriedhof of Tübingen. Close the graves of Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur der 332^th Infanterie Division, Hans Kessel

   and Generaloberst der Infanterie, Command of the 17^th Army Corps, Richard Ruoff.

Message(s) for the webmaster, tips or interesting graves:   robhopmans@outlook.com