Generaloberst der Panzertruppe. Oberbefehler B 2nd Panzer Armee.
which were seen in the German Army as authoritative. These papers were based on extensive war gaming without troops, with paper tanks and finally with armored vehicles. In the Second World War, Guderian first served as the commander of the XIX Corps in the invasion of Poland. Generalfeldmarschall der Panzertruppe, Paul Ewald von Kleist began the offensive on 09-05-1940. Following the Generalfeldmarschall der Infanterie, Erich von Manstein, Kleist’s troops attacked through the wooded hills of the Ardennes. Kleist wanted to move cautiously but General Heinz Guderian, who commanded the 1st, 2nd and 10th Panzer Divisions , moved at great speed and crossed the Meuse near Sedan on 14th May. Kleist now ordered Guderian to halt until the arrival of Generalfeldmarschall der Infanterie, Wilhelm Sigimund List and his 12th Army. Guderian disagreed with Kleist’s view that the panzers needed the support of the infantry. After a heated argument with Kleist, who had the support of his superiors, Generalfeldmarschall der Panzertruppe, Kommandeur Battle of the Bulge, Gerd von Rundstedt and Generalfeldmarschall der Artillerie, Walther von Brauchitsch, on 17-05-1940, Guderian threatened to resign. Kleist responded by sacking Guderian. In 1941 he commanded Panzergruppe 2, also known as Panzergruppe Guderian, in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, receiving the 24th award of the Oak Leaves to his Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, together with Generaloberst der Infanterie, Franz Halder and SS Oberstgruppenführer der Waffen SS Hermann Hoth.
, ace remained loyal to Hitler and accepted his dismissal from the positions he held on 28-03-1945, when it was clear that he was incapable of preventing the Russians from occupying Berlin.
Death and burial ground of Guderian, Heinz Wilhelm.
Together with his Panzer Staff, Guderian surrendered to American troops on 10-05-1945 and remained in U.S. custody as a prisoner of war until his release on 17-06-1948. Former Luftflotte Commander Hugo Sperrle, former Chief of General Staff Heinz Guderian, former Air Force General Hans Jurgen Stumpff, and former Air Force Field Marshall Erhard Milch play cards until they are called to be witnesses at the International Military Tribunal trial of war criminals at Nuremberg.
Guderian died on 14-05-1954 at the age of 65, in Schwangau near Füssen, Bavaria and is buried with his wife Margarete, who died age 78 on 02-03-1972, in a family grave at the Friedhof Hildesheimer Strasse in Goslar. Next to their grave is the grave of SS Obergruppenführer, Reichsminister of Food and Agriculture, Richard Darré. Further away are the graves of WWII Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur Ersatz Division in Brünn, Gustav Wagner, General der Infanterie, Kommandeur von Dniepropetrovsk, Ernst Adolph and Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Chef Heeresgruppe “Kurland”, Friedrich Foertsch.
Cemetery and grave location of Guderian, Heinz Wilhelm.