Mortimer von Kessel

Mortimer von Kessel (25 May 1893 – 8 January 1981) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Mortimer von Kessel
Born(1893-05-25)25 May 1893
Arnswalde, German Empire
Died8 January 1981(1981-01-08) (aged 87)
Goslar, West Germany
Allegiance German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
Years of service1914–45
Rank General der Panzertruppe
Commands held20th Panzer Division
Head of the Army Personnel Department
VII Panzer Corps
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Biography

Kessel joined the Imperial German Army in August 1914 and was then retained in the Reichswehr following World War I. He led a reconnaissance regiment during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Promoted to Oberst in October that year, he was appointed as the head of the Army Personnel Department and remained in this post until January 1943. In May 1943 he was appointed as the commander of the 20th Panzer Division.

On 28 December 1943, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions in the Vitebsk region on the Eastern Front. Then for his actions during the Soviet 1944 summer offensive, Operation Bagration, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. In December 1944, he was appointed commander of the VII Panzer Corps in East Prussia with which he surrendered at the end of the war.

Awards
  • Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (27 March 1915) & 1st Class (25 September 1917)[1]
  • Knight's Cross of the Second Class of the Order of the White Falcon with Swords
  • Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (5 July 1943) & 1st Class (23 July 1943)[1]
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
    • Knight's Cross on 28 December 1943 as Generalmajor and commander of 20. Panzer-Division[2]
    • 611th Oak Leaves on 16 October 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 20. Panzer-Division

References

Citations
  1. Thomas 1997, p. 359.
  2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 254.

Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
Military offices
Preceded by
Generalmajor Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz		 Commander of 20th Panzer Division
12 May 1943 – 1 January 1944		 Succeeded by
Oberst Werner Marcks
Preceded by
Oberst Werner Marcks		 Commander of 20th Panzer Division
2 February 1944 – 5 November 1944		 Succeeded by
Oberst Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski
Preceded by
None		 Commander of VII Panzer Corps
18 December 1944 – 8 May 1945		 Succeeded by
None
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