Eugen Ritter von Schobert
Encyclopedia
Eugen Siegfried Erich Ritter von Schobert (March 13, 1883 – September 12, 1941) was a German
general
who served in World War I
and World War II
. He died in the Soviet Union
when his observation plane crashed in a Soviet minefield.
in the Kingdom of Bavaria
, a member state of the German Empire
. He was the son of Major Karl Schobert and Anna née Michaely. Schobert entered the Royal Bavarian Army in July 1902. He served primarily in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment "König" and underwent pilot training in 1911.
of 1918, he led the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment. For his actions on March 23, 1918, when he personally and successfully led his battalion in the crossing of a canal near Jussy
against stiff British resistance, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
. This was Bavaria's highest military honor, comparable to the Prussian Pour le Mérite
, and conferred a patent of nobility on a recipient who was a commoner. Hence Eugen Schobert became Eugen Ritter
von Schobert.
After World War I, Schobert remained in the Reichswehr
and then the Wehrmacht
, steadily rising up the ranks. He was Inspector of Infantry from December 1933 to September 1934 and then commanded the 17th Infantry Division and the 33rd Infantry Division. He took command of the VII Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps) on February 4, 1938.
as part of the reserve of Army Group South
. In May–June 1940, his corps, part of General Ernst Busch's Sixteenth Army of Army Group A
, participated in the invasion of Belgium and Luxembourg and the Battle of France
. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for his leadership of the VII Corps in the breakthrough of the Maginot Line
and the capture of Nancy and Toul
. He remained in command of the corps during preparations for the invasion of Great Britain
.
In September 1940, Schobert was given command of the Eleventh Army. The army was assigned to Army Group South
for Operation Barbarossa
, the invasion of the Soviet Union. During combat operations in the southern Soviet Union, Schobert and his pilot were killed when their Fieseler Storch observation aircraft crashed in a Soviet minefield.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
who served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He died in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
when his observation plane crashed in a Soviet minefield.
Early life
Schobert was born as Eugen Schobert in WürzburgWürzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
in the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
, a member state of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. He was the son of Major Karl Schobert and Anna née Michaely. Schobert entered the Royal Bavarian Army in July 1902. He served primarily in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment "König" and underwent pilot training in 1911.
World War I and post-war
During World War I, Schobert remained a Bavarian infantry officer, serving the entire war on the Western Front. During the German Spring OffensiveSpring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
of 1918, he led the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment. For his actions on March 23, 1918, when he personally and successfully led his battalion in the crossing of a canal near Jussy
Jussy
-France:Jussy is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Jussy, in the Moselle département* Jussy, in the Yonne département* Jussy, in the Aisne département* Jussy-Champagne, in the Cher département...
against stiff British resistance, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
. This was Bavaria's highest military honor, comparable to the Prussian Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, and conferred a patent of nobility on a recipient who was a commoner. Hence Eugen Schobert became Eugen Ritter
Ritter
Ritter is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr"...
von Schobert.
After World War I, Schobert remained in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
and then the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, steadily rising up the ranks. He was Inspector of Infantry from December 1933 to September 1934 and then commanded the 17th Infantry Division and the 33rd Infantry Division. He took command of the VII Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps) on February 4, 1938.
World War II and death
In September 1939, Schobert led his VII Army Corps in the invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
as part of the reserve of Army Group South
German order of battle for Operation Fall Weiss
This article details the order of battle of German army units invading Poland in 1939.The German forces for the invasion of Poland with the codename Fall Weiss were divided into Army Group North and Army Group South .-Army...
. In May–June 1940, his corps, part of General Ernst Busch's Sixteenth Army of Army Group A
Army Group A
Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.-Western Front, 1940:During the German invasion of the Low Countries and France Army Group A was under the command of General Gerd von Rundstedt, and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes...
, participated in the invasion of Belgium and Luxembourg and the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
for his leadership of the VII Corps in the breakthrough of the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
and the capture of Nancy and Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
. He remained in command of the corps during preparations for the invasion of Great Britain
Operation Sealion order of battle
The German plan for a land invasion of England in 1940 was code-named Operation Sea Lion . This is the Operation Sea Lion order of battle for the modified German plan produced in August, 1940.-Heeresgruppe A:...
.
In September 1940, Schobert was given command of the Eleventh Army. The army was assigned to Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
for Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union. During combat operations in the southern Soviet Union, Schobert and his pilot were killed when their Fieseler Storch observation aircraft crashed in a Soviet minefield.
Family
Schobert married Alice Rieder-Gollwitzer in 1921. They had three children: two sons and one daughter. His younger son was killed in combat in 1944 while serving as a fighter pilot for the Luftwaffe.Decorations
- Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
(1940) - Military Order of Max JosephMilitary Order of Max JosephThe Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
, Knight's Cross - 1914 Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
1st Class with Clasp "1939" - 1914 Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
2nd Class with Clasp "1939" - House Order of HohenzollernHouse Order of HohenzollernThe House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
, Knight's Cross with Swords - Bavarian Military Merit OrderMilitary Merit Order (Bavaria)The Bavarian Military Merit Order was established on July 19, 1866 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was the kingdom's main decoration for bravery and military merit for officers and higher-ranking officials. Civilians acting in support of the army were also made eligible for the decoration...
, 4th Class with Swords - Bavarian Military Merit OrderMilitary Merit Order (Bavaria)The Bavarian Military Merit Order was established on July 19, 1866 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was the kingdom's main decoration for bravery and military merit for officers and higher-ranking officials. Civilians acting in support of the army were also made eligible for the decoration...
, 4th Class with Crown and Swords (1918) - Romanian Order of Michael the Brave, 2nd Class and 3rd Class (1941)
- 1918 Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in black