Engel, Gerhard

On October 5, 1925, Engel entered the service of a gunner in the 5th Prussian Infantry Regiment of the Reichswehr . August 17, 1927 received the title of fan-cadet . After two missions to the infantry school in Dresden, Engel received the rank of lieutenant on September 1, 1930 and served in the 2nd company , and since April 1932 - in the 3rd company. He was promoted to lieutenant on July 1, 1933, and from September 10, 1933 he was appointed adjutant of the 3rd battalion in Rostock . In 1937, Engel received the rank of captain . In 1937-1938 he commanded the 11th company of the 27th infantry regiment. In 1938-1941 he held the post of adjutant of the ground forces under the command of the Adjutant of the Wehrmacht Rudolf Schmundt under the supreme commander of the ground forces . In 1941, Engel was appointed a liaison officer from the ground forces under Hitler . In 1941 he received a major title, in 1943 he became a lieutenant colonel . On October 1, 1943, of his own free will, he was sent to the front, where he took command of the 27th Fusilier Regiment near Nevel, and then the 197th Grenadier Regiment and the 12th Infantry Division near Aachen and the Ardennes , from May 1944 the rank of colonel , and from November 1944 - major general . On April 1, 1945, Engel received the rank of lieutenant general and was appointed commander of the People’s Grenadier Division named after Ulrich von Gutten in the 20th Army Corps in the Halle area. From May 8, 1945 to December 1947, Engel was captured by the Americans.

After being released from captivity, he worked as the manager of a sugar factory near Nörfenich , and then an instrumental factory in Düsseldorf . He headed the Society of Veterans of the 12th Division. In 1974, Engel issued memoirs on the period of service at Hitler's main headquarters , which are an important source of historical information.

• Hildegard von Kotze (Hrsg.): Heeresadjutant bei Hitler 1938-1943: Aufzeichnungen des Majors Engel . Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-421-01699-2 .

• Medal "For the length of service in the Wehrmacht" 4th grade (October 2, 1936)
• Medal “In memory of March 13, 1938” (November 21, 1938)
• Order of the Crown of Italy Officer Cross (July 14, 1938) ( Kingdom of Italy )
• Order of the Saints of Mauritius and Lazarus Officer Cross (July 14, 1938) ( Kingdom of Italy )
• Order of Merit Officer Cross (January 3, 1939) ( Kingdom of Hungary )
• Order of Saint Sava 3rd class (July 28, 1939) ( Kingdom of Yugoslavia )
• Order of the Crown of Romania Officer Cross (June 7, 1940) ( Kingdom of Romania )
• Order of the Cross of Liberty 2nd class with swords (December 16, 1941) ( Finland )
• German cross in silver (October 16, 1943)
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd class (February 26, 1944)
• Iron Cross (1939) 1st class (May 23, 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross (July 4, 1944)
  • oak leaves (No. 679) (December 11, 1944)
• Cross “For Military Merit” 2nd and 1st grade with swords
• Breastplate "For the wounded" (1939) in gold
• Breast Assault Infantry Badge in Silver
• Medal "For the length of service in the Wehrmacht" 3rd class
• Mention in the Wehrmachtbericht (November 26, 1944)

• Dermot Bradley (Hrsg.), Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp: Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945. Die militärischen Werdegänge der Generale, sowie der Ärzte, Veterninäre, Intendanten, Richter und Ministerialbeamten im Generalsrang. Band 3: Dahlmann-Fitzlaff. Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück 1994, ISBN 3-7648-2443-3 , S. 336-337.
• Michael Buddrus: Mecklenburg im Zweiten Weltkrieg . Edition Temmen, Bremen 2009, ISBN 978-3-8378-4000-1 .
• Gerhard Engel sur World War 2 Awards.com