Feuchtinger, Edgar, born on 09-11-1894 in Metz,
joined a cadet school in Karlsruhe in 1907. During the First World War, Edgar fought as Leutnant in Russia and France. While there, he participated in the Battle of Verdun, the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of the Aisn. The Battle of Verdun was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse. The German 5th Army attacked the defences of the Fortified Region of Verdun (RFV, Région Fortifiée de Verdun) and those of the French Second Army on the right (east) bank of the Meuse. Using the experience of the Second Battle of Champagne in 1915, the Germans planned to capture the Meuse Heights, an excellent defensive position, with good observation for artillery-fire on Verdun. The Germans hoped that the French would commit their strategic reserve to recapture the position and suffer catastrophic losses at little cost to the German infantry.

After the war, he continued to serve with the Reichswehr
in a variety of staff roles and was promoted to Major, in November 1935. Now serving with the Wehrmacht, Feuchtinger was promoted to Oberst and by 1939 had risen to the role of Commander of the 227th Artillery-Regiment which he commanded from 26-08-1939 until 16-08-1942.
Feuchtinger was appointed Commander of Fast Division West on April 1943 and Commander of the 21st Panzer-Division
on August 1943, where he succeeded Generalmajor, Heinrich Herman von Hülsen
, who died old age 86, on 06-06-1982 in Celle. The last commander of the 21st, Generalleutnant der Artillerie, Kommandeur LXXXIV Heeres Gruppe, Werner Marcks
was killed in action on the Normandy front. The youngest Generalleutnant in WWII with 36, was Theodor Tolsdorff.
Feuchtinger was in Paris at the time of the Normandy invasion. He returned to Normandy with his female companion on June 6, but commanded the division from the rear. He allowed his subordinate commanders a great deal of latitude in making decisions for their units. On 01-08-1944 Feuchtinger was promoted to Generalleutnant. Shortly thereafter, on 06-08-1944, he received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Oberst Hans von Luck
, a commander of broad experience, ended up operating his armoured regiment through the entire campaign, from the Normandy landings through the breakout attempt of Operation Goodwood to the final devastation of the 7th Army in the Falaise pocket, with very little contact or direction from Feuchtinger. Oberst Hans von Luck survived the war and died in Hamburg on 01-08-1997 at the age of 86.








Much of the 21st Panzer Division was caught in the Falaise Gap, but Feuchtinger managed to keep clear of the encirclement, telling von Luck: “From now on you are on your own. I cannot tell you where you will get fuel, ammunition or food. All the best, Luck. Bring me back lots of men from our division. Under him with the 22nd Panzer Regiment was then Oberst der Panzertruppe, Kommandeur 20th Panzer Division
. Golden Medal winner Olympic 1936, Hermann von Oppeln Bronikowski




The Falaise pocket or battle of the Falaise pocket (12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. Allied forces formed a pocket around Falaise, Calvados, in which German Army Group B, consisting of the 7th Army and the Fifth Panzer Army (formerly Panzergruppe West), were encircled by the Western Allies. The battle resulted in the destruction of most of Army Group B west of the Seine, which opened the way to Paris and the Franco-German border.
The 21st Panzer Division was deployed near Caen, as a mobile striking force as part of the Army Group B Reserve. Exhausted and lacking any serviceable tanks the unit surrendered to the Soviets on 29-04-1945, the day before Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun
(see Braun parents)
committed suicide in his Berlin Bunker. Later in 1944 he was tried and convicted of treason by the Reich court under jurist Roland Freisler





Georg Jauer
as Kanonier, before being captured by British troops in April 1945.


Edgar Feuchtinger was married to Hildegard, born Sistig Feuchtinger and she died in 2002 (age 89–90)
Death and burial ground of Feuchtinger, Edgar.



Feuchtinger died at Berlin, on 21-01-1960 at the age of 65 and is buried, with his wife Sistig, on the Hauptfriedhof of Krefeld. Close by the graves of two other WWII Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur van Thorn,

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