Chevallerie, Helmut von der

Chevallerie, Helmut von der, born on 09-11-1896 in Berlin, Josef Goebbel  (did you know) was the Gauleiter of Berlin, was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II, who commanded the 13^th Panzer-Division. Hellmut came from the old Huguenot and noble family of the Chevallerie, who came to Prussia in 1660 . Chevallerie joined the Army, as a volunteer, on 04-08-1914, one month after the outbreak of World War I. He came with 5^th Garde Grenadier Regiment , his brother Kurt was the commander, on the front. Kurt was missed in action on 18-04-1945 near Kolberg in World War II and Kurt’s only son Hans Rudolf died on the Western Front. Helmut was twice wounded  during the battles, in captivity and received both the Iron Crosses. After returning to his homeland in November 1918, he joined the volunteer Garde-Grenadier battalion of the Freikorps Hindenburg  . In May 1920 his takeover took place in the Provisional Reichswehr. Helmut was allowed in this new Reichswehr and was an adjutant in the Generalkommando XII. Armeekorps, as World War II starts. He was involved in the invasion of Russia and as an Oberst and commander of the 10^th Schützen Brigade, he landed in the Führer Reserve, in 1942. In October 1942, he was assigned as commander of the 22^nd Panzer Division , he succeeded Generalleutnant der Panzertruppe, Commander of the 22^nd Panzer Division, Wilhelm von Apell and in November promoted to Generalmajor. He is seriously wounded  and has to give up his command until 30-04-1943. Awarded with the Ritterkreuz   and promoted to Generalleutnant, he reactivated as commander of the  13^th  Panzer Division  in Mai 1943, former commander Generalleutnant der Artillerie, Commander of the 20^th Panzer Division , Walter Düvert.  Chevallerie was awarded the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold , and on  30-04-1943, the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. During the invasion of Poland, soldiers from the 20^th Division took part in massacres in the village of Drzewica  on September 8 and 9 Medical columns marked with Red Cross signs  were also attacked. Soldiers from the division used civilians as human shields. The offensive of the Soviet pushed the Germans to their starting positions of June 1941. The 13^th Panzer Division was attached to Army Group South Ukraine, under General Field Marshal, Ferdinand Schörner, which had orders to stop the Soviets from capturing the Romanian oil fields. The Red Army offensive of August 1944 resulted in the deaths or imprisonment of most of the division. Panzer Division. In the spring of 1945, the division was reformed under the name Feldherrnhalle 2 . The last engagements with the Soviets were fought on the Austro-Hungarian border. The Division surrendered in Austria in May 1945.  Von der Chevallerie again wounded  on 25-10-1943, is in the Führer Reserve (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know) and in November 1943 assigned as commander of the 273^rd Reserve Panzer Division. His son Lieutenant Udo was killed in action in Russia, age 21 on 14-07-1943. His division is disbanded in the spring of 1943 and he lands for the third time in the Reserve. Temporary replaced commander of the 233^rd Reserve Panzer Division, he replaced Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur 29^th Infanterie Division , Max Fremery  from August 1944 until the autumn 1944. Commander, from 01-11-1944, of the Truppenübungsplatzes Bergen, on 20-02-1945 again in the Führer Reserve. He became commander of “Sudetengau” and with the capitulation in Mai 1945 in Allied captivity, until his release in the summer of 1947.