Harald von Hirschfeld

Harald von Hirschfeld
Born	11 July 1912 Weimar, German Empire
Died	18 January 1945(1945-01-18) (aged 32) Dukla Pass, Germany (modern-day Prešov, Slovakia)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Heer
Service years	1935–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant (posthumously)
Commands	78. Volksgrenadier-Division
Conflicts	Annexation of Austria Annexation of the Sudetenland World War II Eastern Front Invasion of Poland Operation Barbarossa Battle of Uman Battle of Kiev Battle of Rostov Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of the Caucasus Battle of Dukla Pass  (DOW) Mediterranean Theater Cephalonia Massacre
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Harald von Hirschfeld (10 July 1912 – 18 January 1945) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who commanded the 78. Volksgrenadier-Division during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Hirschfeld, the son of a Mecklenburg merchant, was largely educated and trained abroad, in South America, Spain, London, and Paris and was fluent in Italian and Spanish. He joined the Wehrmacht in 1935 and served most of his career in the 1st Mountain Division (1. Gebirgs-Division): in 1938 he was the Adjutant of the 2nd battalion; in August 1940, he took command of the 7th company; in August 1942 he led the 2nd company and in October 1943 he served as the commander of the 98th Mountain Regiment.

In September 1943, as a colonel in the 1st Mountain Division, he played a major role in the massacre of the Acqui Division, the murder of 5,155 Italian prisoners of war of the 33 Mountain Infantry Division Acqui in Cephalonia.

On 15 January 1945, he was promoted to Generalmajor. On that day he was officially put in command of the 78th Sturm Division, which he had unofficially led since 26 September 1944. He was the Wehrmacht's youngest general officer. On 18 January 1945, shortly after the start of the major Soviet winter offensive, Hirschfeld was severely wounded during a Soviet low-level aerial attack near the Dukla Pass and died the same day en route to the field hospital. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general on 10 February 1945. Hirschfeld was married to Sylvina von Dönhoff, who later married the former fighter pilot Adolf Galland.

Awards and decorations

• Anschluss Medal (8 November 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 November 1939) & 1st Class (28 June 1941)
• Wound Badge (1939) Black (23 July 1941), Silver (23 September 1941) & Gold (2 October 1941)
• Infantry Assault Badge (25 July 1941)
• Order of the Crown (Romania) with Swords on Ribbon 5th Class (1 November 1941)
• Eastern Front Medal (1 August 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 15 November 1941 as Oberleutnant and chief of the 7./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98
  • Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as Hauptmann and leader of the 11./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Lieb, Peter (2008). "Generalleutnant Harald von Hirschfeld: Eine nationalsozialistische Karriere in der Wehrmacht" [Lieutenant General Harald von Hirschfeld: A National Socialist Career in the Wehrmacht]. In Hartmann, Christian (ed.). Von Feldherren und Gefreiten: Zur biographischen Dimension des Zweiten Weltkriegs [From Generals to Privates: On the Biographical Dimension of the Second World War] (in German). Munich: Oldenbourg-Verlag. pp. 45–56. ISBN 978-3-486-58144-7.
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1993). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VI: Die Gebirgstruppe Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VI: The Mountain Troops Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2430-3.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.