(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)

General der Panzertruppe Ludwig Crüwell
Born: 20 Mar 1892 in Dortmund
Died: 25 Sep 1958 in Essen
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (06 Jul 1911); Fähnrich (18 Nov 1911); Leutnant (18 Aug 1912); Oberleutnant (27 Jan 1916); Rittmeister (01 May 1922); Major (01 Oct 1931); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1934); Oberst (01 Mar 1936); Generalmajor (01 Dec 1939); Generalleutnant (01 Sep 1941); General der Panzertruppe (17 Dec 1941)
Career:
Entered Army Service (06 Mar 1911)
Fahnenjunker in the 9th Dragoon-Regiment (06 Mar 1911-17 Sep 1916)
Detached to the War School in Hersfeld (01 Oct 1911-30 Jun 1912)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 9th Dragoon-Regiment (17 Sep 1916-09 Jan 1918)
At the same time, Detached for use as a Stand-In 1st Ordinance-Officer to the 233rd Infantry-Division, of Group St. Quentin (2nd Army), of Group Ypern (4th Army) and of Group Saarburg (Army-Detachment A) (22 May 1917-19 Oct 1917)
At the same time, Detached as Company-Leader to the 450th Infantry-Regiment (28 Nov 1917-06 Jan 1918)
Transferred to Artillery Commander 233 (09 Jan 1918-17 Mar 1918)
Relieved of his Position of Command as Regiment-Adjutant and Detached to the Staff of the 233rd Infantry-Division (17 Mar 1918-03 May 1918)
Adjutant of the 19th Landwehr-Infantry-Brigade (03 May 1918-02 Jun 1918)
Transferred to the General-Staff of Special-Purpose-General-Command 52 (02 Jun 1918-14 Sep 1918)
Transferred into the General-Staff of the 33rd Infantry-Division (14 Sep 1918-03 Jan 1919)
Transferred back into the 9th Dragoon-Regiment (03 Jan 1919-03 Apr 1919)
Detached for Service in the Grand General Staff (03 Apr 1919-06 Apr 1919)
Transferred into the Grand General Staff (06 Apr 1919-07 Aug 1919)
Transferred into the 9th Dragoon-Regiment (07 Aug 1919-19 Aug 1919)
Detached to Command-Office Kolberg of the Grand General Staff (19 Aug 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Detached to the RWM and Officer of the Army (01 Oct 1919-01 Oct 1920)
Without leaving command to the RWM - Auxiliary-Officer with the Staff of the 1st Cavalry-Division (01 Oct 1920-15 Apr 1921)
While retaining previous Service, Transferred into the 8th Mounted-Regiment (15 Apr 1921-01 Oct 1921)
Transferred into the RWM (01 Oct 1921-01 Nov 1921)
While retaining previous Service, Transferred into the 9th Mounted-Regiment and Detached to the Command-Office Berlin (01 Nov 1921-01 Oct 1922)
Transferred into the RWM (01 Oct 1922-01 Dec 1922)
Transferred into the Staff of Group-Command 1 (01 Dec 1922-01 Oct 1923)
Transferred into the RWM (01 Oct 1923-01 Oct 1925)
Transferred to the Staff of the 2nd Cavalry-Division (01 Oct 1925-01 Oct 1928)
Squadron-Chief in the 12th Mounted-Regiment (01 Oct 1928-01 Feb 1931)
At the same time, Detached for Uniform Riding Training to the Cavalry School (11 Oct 1928-07 Nov 1928)
Transferred to the Staff of the 3rd Cavalry-Division and Detached to the Staff of the 6th Division (01 Feb 1931-01 May 1933)
Transferred into the Staff of the 6th Division (01 May 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Chief Of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of Military-District-Command VI (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Chief Of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of VI. Army-Corps (15 Oct 1935-01 Apr 1936)
Officer with Special Duties with the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (01 Apr 1936-06 Oct 1936)
Commander of Anti-Tank-Troops V, Stuttgart (06 Oct 1936-01 Feb 1938)
Commander of the 6th Panzer-Regiment (01 Feb 1938-01 Apr 1939)
Officer with Special Duties with the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (01 Apr 1939-12 Jun 1939)
Chief of 6th Department in the Army General Staff, OKH (12 Jun 1939-23 Oct 1939)
Senior-Quartermaster of the 16th Army (23 Oct 1939-06 Jun 1940)
Führer-Reserve OKH (06 Jun 1940-01 Aug 1940)
At the same time, Detached to the 5th Panzer-Division (06 Jun 1940-04 Jul 1940)
Commander of the 11th Panzer-Division (01 Aug 1940-15 Aug 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Aug 1941-01 Sep 1941)
Commanding General of the German Africa-Corps (DAK) (01 Sep 1941-29 May 1942)
At the same time, Delegated with the Leadership of Panzer-Army Africa (09 Mar 1942-19 Mar 1942)
Ambushed while on a Reconnaissance Mission and was shot, taken prisoner by the British (29 May 1942-00 Apr 1947)
Released (00 Apr 1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz (286): am 14.05.1941 als Generalmajor und Kommandeur der 11. Panzer-Division
- Eichenlaub (34): am 01.09.1941 als Generalmajor und Kommandeur der 11. Panzer-Division (Direkte Verleihung)
- 1914 EK I : 17.09.1916
- 1914 EK II : 20.09.1914
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz: 24.03.1917
- Schlesischer Adlerorden I. Stufe: 15.04.1921
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer: 23.10.1934
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Komturkreuz des ungarischen Verdienstordens: 25.08.1938
- Spange zum EK I : 06.06.1940
- Spange zum EK II : 22.05.1940
- Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber: 19.08.1941
- Wehrmachtbericht: 02.06.1942
- Silberne italien. Tapferkeitsmedaille: 12.02.1942 (Tag der Pressemeldung)
- Ärmelband “Afrika”


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