Deboi, Heinrich Anton.

Deboi, Heinrich Anton, born 06-04-1893 in Landshut, joined the 2^nd Königlich Bayerische Infanterie-Regiment „Kronprinz“ on  06-07-1912, age 19, as a Fähnrich. Heinrich followed the War School in Munich, from October 1913 until end July 1914 as a Leutnant. With the start of the first war he returned to his Regiment and on the battlefields on the Western Front. He was involved in the famous battle of the Somme and served all the time as a Company leader from 31-05-1917 until the end of the war. He returned to Munich where the Army was demolished on 28-12-1918, only the New Reichswehr  of 100.000 men remained  in Germany. At the same time Deboi retired and joined the New Reichswehr on 01-10-1920 with the 19^th (Bavarian) Infanterie-Regiment as a Adjutant in the 4^th Machine Gun Company from 01-10-1923. He was assigned as Chief of the 15^th Company and from 1926 he was in the Staff of the 7^th Bavarian Division. From 1930 he was assigned  as commander of the 8^th MG Company. He, a Major now, became a teacher at the War School in Munich from 15-10-1935 until the begin of October 1936 and from 06-10-1936 he became the commander of the 1^st Battalion of the 91^st Infantry Regiment in Kempten, until August 1939. With the mobilization of World War II Deboi, now an Oberst, was commander of the 199^th Infantry Regiment of the 57^th Infantry Division  under Generalleutnant Oskar Blümm   and involved in the Poland invasion with the Heeresgruppe South, under Generalfeldmarschall der Panzertruppe, Gerd von Rundstedt. Blumm died age 67 on 12-12-1951 in Ursberg  Deboi was awarded with the ribbon of the Iron Cross . In the spring of 1940 Deboi was leading his Regiment  in the Western invasion, Holland (see About), Belgium and France. After the defeat of France his regiment stayed there as an occupation force. With the beginning of Operation Barbarossa

he with his regiment and with the Heeresgruppe South he was in the area of Belgorod. He lost the command of his regiment from 31-01-1942 to Oberstleutnant Josef Anton Schmidt.

  He became the commander of the 44^th Infantry-Division   succeeding Generalleutnant Friedrich Siebert,    and promoted to Generalmajor 01-04-1942. Josef Schmidt was killed in action, age 49, in Perichino near Woronesh on 28-01-1-943. Deboi on 21-02-1942 was awarded with the German Cross in Gold  for excellent leading. As a union of the 6^th Armee , under Generalfeldmarschall der Panzertruppe, Friedrich Paulus “Der Lord”, they were involved in Operation Blau  and advanced in the direction of Stalingrad. Promoted to Generalmajor on 01-12-1942.

The German losses of Paulus’s 6th Army and 4th Panzer were over 300,000 men. Romanian casualties were 158,854, 114,520 Italians (84,830 killed, missing and 29,690 wounded) and 143,000 Hungarian (80,000 killed, missing and 63,000 wounded). Losses among Soviet POW turncoats Hiwis, or Hilfswillige range between 19,300 and 52,000.

Death and burial ground of Deboi, Heinrich Anton.

    In the battle for Stalingrad a great part of his division was destroyed by the Russian forces in the Stalingrad pocket and Deboi landed in Russian captivity on 29-03-1943. He came to the Camp 5110/42 of Woikowo, where he ten years later on 20-01-1955, age 62, died of natural causes. He is buried on the small General Cemetery of Chertnsy, in Row 3. A few of his neighbours are Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur of Warschau, Rainer Stahel, General der Infanterie,Kommandeur 145^th Infanterie Regiment, Karl Specht, Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Commander of a Field Training Division, Friedrich Bayer,Generalmajor, Commander 290^th Infantery Division, Hans-Joachim Baurmeister, General der Infanterie, Commander 32^nd Infantry Division  and L Army Corps, Hans Boeckh-Behrens, Generalmajor der Wehrmacht, Grenadier Regiment 70, Louis Tronnier, Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur der XVIII Gebirgstruppe, Friedrich Hochbaum, Generalmajor and commander of the 570^th  Infantry Regiment. Erwin Hans Barends, General der Artillerie, Kommandeur IV Heeresgruppe, Max Pfeffer and Generalmajor der Wehrmacht,  Pioneer Commander, Wilhelm Runge.

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