Friedrich Kühn (general)
Encyclopedia
General Friedrich Kühn (7 August 1889 – 15 February 1944) was an Panzer
General
in the German
army during World War II
who was the chief of Wehrmacht
Motor Transport and mechanization.
He joined the German Imperial Army in 1909 as an officer cadet and in World War I in the 32nd Infantry Regiment and had reached the rank of Hauptmann
. He was then retained in the Reichswehr
where he served in a motor transport battalion and as an inspector of transport troops until his retirement in 1928. He was then involved in the secret training of Panzer
troops in Russia and returned to active military service in 1930.
He then served as an officer on the General Staff of the Army and commanded various Panzer regiments and brigades, reaching the rank of Generalmajor by 1940 when he was appointed commander of the 33rd Infantry Division which became the 15th Panzer Division and the 14th Panzer Division
from March 1941 to June 1942. He was then promoted to Generalleutnant and appointed General for Army Mechanization at the OKH. On 1 April 1943 he was promoted to General der Panzertruppe
as the chief of Wehrmacht Motor Transport and mechanization. He was killed in an air raid on 15 Feb 1944.
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
General
General (Germany)
General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
in the German
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...
army during 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...
who was the chief of 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:...
Motor Transport and mechanization.
He joined the German Imperial Army in 1909 as an officer cadet and in World War I in the 32nd Infantry Regiment and had reached the rank of Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
. He was then retained in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
where he served in a motor transport battalion and as an inspector of transport troops until his retirement in 1928. He was then involved in the secret training of Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
troops in Russia and returned to active military service in 1930.
He then served as an officer on the General Staff of the Army and commanded various Panzer regiments and brigades, reaching the rank of Generalmajor by 1940 when he was appointed commander of the 33rd Infantry Division which became the 15th Panzer Division and the 14th Panzer Division
14th Panzer Division (Germany)
The German 14th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II. It was created in 1940 by the conversion of the 4th Infantry Division.- Commanding officers :...
from March 1941 to June 1942. He was then promoted to Generalleutnant and appointed General for Army Mechanization at the OKH. On 1 April 1943 he was promoted to General der Panzertruppe
General der Panzertruppe
General der Panzertruppe was a rank of German Army General introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1935. As the commander of a Panzer Corp this rank corresponds to a US Army Lieutenant-General...
as the chief of Wehrmacht Motor Transport and mechanization. He was killed in an air raid on 15 Feb 1944.
Awards
- 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....
(1914)- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- 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...
(1914)- in Black
- Hanseatic CrossHanseatic CrossThe Hanseatic Cross was a decoration of the three Hanseatic Cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were member states of the German Empire during World War I...
of Hamburg - Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with SwordsHouse 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...
- Cross of HonorCross of HonorThe Cross of Honor, also known as the Honor Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I...
- 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....
(1939)- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Panzer BadgePanzer BadgeThe Panzer Badge was a German medal awarded to armour troops during World War II. It was introduced during World War II in December 1939 .- History :The Tank Combat Badge, or Panzer Badge, first existed in the German Army during World War I, and was later...
in Silver - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (22 April 1942) - 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...
- Knight's Cross on 4 July 1940 as Generalmajor and commander of 3. Panzer-Brigade