Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetHyacinth Graf Strachwitz
German World War II general
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Kamień Śląski, Opole Voivodeship, Poland
About Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz
- Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz (30 July 1893 – 25 April 1968) was a German Army officer.
- Strachwitz saw action in World War I, but rose to fame for his command of armoured forces in World War II.
- For these services he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Strachwitz was born in 1893 on his family estate in Silesia.
- He was educated at various Prussian military academies and served with distinction as a cavalry officer in the opening weeks of World War I.
- He was captured by the French in October 1914.
- He was nearly shot as a spy after he was caught wearing civilian clothes, but was later sentenced to forced labour.
- He attempted to escape several times, but was unsuccessful, and returned to Germany after the war ended in late 1918.
- In the aftermath of World War I, Strachwitz fought with the Freikorps in the Spartacist uprising of the German Revolution in Berlin, and in the Silesian Uprisings against the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia.
- In the mid-1920s he took over the family estate, Groß Stein, from his father and became a member of the Nazi Party and the Allgemeine SS.
- He remained an officer in the reserves, and participated in various military exercises during the 1930s. At the outbreak of World War II, Strachwitz was appointed as an ordnance officer.
- He participated in the Invasion of Poland and later in the Battle of France.
- Transferred to the 16th Panzer Division he fought in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
- He fought with distinction on the Eastern Front and received awards such as the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, for his actions during the tank battle of Kalach.
- He was given command of Panzer-Regiment "Großdeutschland" and received the Swords to his Knight's Cross, for his contribution to the counterattack at Kharkov.
- He then fought in the Battle of Kursk and the German retreat to the Dnieper.
- While commanding a battle group on the Narva front in early 1944 he was awarded the Diamonds to his Knight's Cross on 15 April.
- He was wounded 12 times during the war, and was also injured in an automobile accident. In 1945, he surrendered to US forces and was taken into custody.
- By the time of his release in June 1947, his youngest son had been killed in action, his wife had been killed in a road accident, and his Silesian estate had been confiscated by Poland.
- He remained in West Germany, married again and briefly worked for the Syrian Armed Forces as a military consultant.
- He lived on an estate in Bavaria from 1951 until his death from lung cancer on 25 April 1968.
- He was buried with military honours in Grabenstätt, Bavaria.
Read more at Wikipedia
See Also
- Famous People's Birthdays on 30 July, Poland
- Famous People's Birthdays in July, Poland
- Famous People's Birthdays on 30 July, Germany
- Famous People's Birthdays in July, Germany
- Famous military personnel's Birthdays on 30 July, Poland
- Famous military personnel's Birthdays in July, Poland
- Famous military personnel's Birthdays on 30 July, Germany
- Famous military personnel's Birthdays in July, Germany
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