Vollrath Lübbe

Vollrath Lübbe (4 March 1894 – 4 April 1969) was a German general in the Wehrmacht. A veteran of World War I, he rose to command several divisions during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise successful military leadership.

Vollrath Lübbe
Born4 March 1894
Klein Lunow, German Empire
Died4 April 1969(1969-04-04) (aged 75)
Hannover, West Germany
Allegiance German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
Years of service1914–45
RankGeneralleutnant
Commands held2nd Panzer Division
81st Infantry Division
462nd Volksgrenadier Division
Battles/warsWorld War I

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Biography

Born in 1894, Lübbe joined the army of Imperial Germany in 1912 and was posted to the 103rd Infantry Regiment. He served in World War I and then in the postwar Reichsheer which in turn became the Wehrmacht.[1]

Having led the 13th Cavalry Regiment since 1939, Lübbe was posted to the 2nd Panzer Division's 2nd Rifle Brigade (2nd Schuetzen Brigade) in 1941. He was appointed to temporary command of the division itself on 16 January 1942 for a few weeks. He was promoted to generalmajor[Note 1] on 1 October 1942, shortly after he resumed command of 2nd Panzer Division which took part in many defensive actions during the 1942–43 period as well as the Battle of Kursk.[1] On 17 August 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross[3] and two months later was promoted to generalleutnant.[1][Note 2]

Transferred to the infantry in early 1944,[1] on 5 April 1944, Lübbe was appointed commander of 81st Infantry Division, which had been heavily depleted in the fighting retreat from Leningrad. His period of command was brief, a period of two months, before being replaced.[4] After a few months he took over the 462nd Volksgrenadier Division on 15 October 1944. Shortly after taking command, the division was shifted to the town of Metz. Under siege from the United States Third Army from early November, Lübbe suffered a stroke on 8 November and had to be relieved.[5] Lübbe was captured by Soviet troops at the end of the war and remained a prisoner of war until October 1955.[1]

Notes
Footnotes
  1. In the Wehrmacht, the rank of generalmajor is equivalent to that of brigadier general in the United States Army.[2]
  2. The rank of generalleutnant is equivalent to that of major general in the United States Army.[2]
Citations
  1. Mitcham 2007a, pp. 46–49.
  2. Mitcham 2007a, p. 257.
  3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 243.
  4. Mitcham 2007b, pp. 137–138.
  5. Mitcham 2007c, pp. 128–130.

References
  • 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.
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007a). Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of WWII and Their Commanders. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3353-3.
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007b). German Order of Battle, Volume One: 1st–290th Infantry Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3416-5.
  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007c). German Order of Battle, Volume Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3437-0.
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