COMMANDER // 1896–1969
Heinrich Lüttwitz
Lifespan
1896 – 1969
Active service 1944 — 1 battle across 1 war; first command at age 48.
Profile
Heinrich Diepold Georg Freiherr von Lüttwitz was a Prussian Junker, Olympic equestrian, and German officer who served in both World Wars, retiring as a General der Panzertruppe. Lüttwitz's team competed at the 1936 Summer games in Berlin but they came away without a medal. This failure was viewed as embarrassing by the Nazi regime and, as a consequence, he was left in professional obscurity for the next few years. He eventually went on to command two Panzer Divisions and the XLVII. Panzerkorps, where he earned fame for his demand of the surrender of the American 101st Airborne Division.
Battles (1)
1944
Battle of the BulgeWorld War II · Germany