90th Light Panzer Division “Afrika” 1941-1943 Illustrated (Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions) by German Army Center Military History

Author:German Army Center Military History
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2015-04-04T21:00:00+00:00

Liutenant General Theodor von Sponeck

Dates: January 24, 1896 Offenburg; † 13 June 1982 Bächingen

A German officer, last Lieutenant General in World War II, as well as commander of the 90th African Division, with whom he participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein.

Karl Theodor Anton Graf von Sponeck was the son of Anton von Sponeck, Major and district officer to Mosbach, born and his wife Therese, born Baroness von Cornberg scion of an old noble family of Baden. After attending high school in Mosbach he pursued a military career and went in 1912 in the Hauptkadettenanstalt large light field. At the age of 18 years, was appointed lieutenant, he fought during the First World War on the Western and Eastern Front. After the war, he was transferred to the Army in 1920 as a lieutenant and used as an intelligence officer in the 14th Infantry Regiment in Konstanz. There Sponeck remained almost ten years and was promoted to the circumstances of the small army in 1925 according to company commander and 1 April 1929 captain. His good performances were his successful training as General Staff Officer result, the pushed open the door in his Defense Ministry. The Polish campaign experienced Theodor von Sponeck first General Staff Officer (Ia) of the XV. (Motorized) Army Corps under Hermann Hoth. In March 1940, he was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Rifle Regiment 11, which belonged to the 9th Panzer Division, was appointed. With this, he took part at the west and the Balkan campaign. Due to its successful use in the campaign against the Soviet Union, he was awarded on 12 September 1941, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On November 1, 1941, he suffered a knee in the attack on the Kursk bullet, which had several months convalescing result. After his promotion to major general in June, he was transferred in late September 1942 to North Africa, where instead of the wounded Ulrich Kleemann he took over the leadership of the 90th Light Africa Division. During the second battle of El Alamein in October/November 1942 Sponeck was used again and again with his division at the focal points successfully, but also led the retreat in the Fukastellung anxious and concerned about the welfare of his soldiers. Even the opposing army leaders, including Montgomery, praised Sponeck strikingly care attitude towards his men again and again. On March 11, 1943, he was appointed by name in the Wehrmacht:

Awards

Iron Cross (1914) II.

"On the African theater, the slight Africa Division have particularly distinguished under the leadership of Lieutenant General Sponeck and the 15th Panzer Division under the command of Major General Borowietz."

On May 12, 1943 Sponeck had with the remnants of his division in Tunisia surrender and fell into British captivity. Shortly before he was even promoted to lieutenant general. Upon his return in 1947 he was still working for a time as a sales manager Württemberg Maschinenfabrik until he died at the age of 86 years in the hospital Heidenheim.

And First Class Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords Knight's Cross II.

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