Ernst Busch (field marshal)

Not to be confused with Ernst Busch (actor).
Ernst Busch

Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch
Born 6 July 1885
Near Essen, German Empire
Died 17 July 1945 (aged 60)
Camp Aldershot, United Kingdom
Buried at Cannock Chase German war cemetery
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1904–45
Rank Generalfeldmarschall
Commands held 16th Army
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II
Awards Pour le Mérite
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Ernst Bernhard Wilhelm Busch (6 July 1885 – 17 July 1945) was a German field marshal during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

World War II

Born in 1885, Busch entered the Prussian Army in 1904 and served during World War I. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite in 1918. After the war, Busch remained in the army reaching divisional level command. Busch served under Wilhelm List during the Invasion of Poland of 1939, and the following year he led the 16th Army during the Western Offensive. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by Hitler.

During Operation Barbarossa in September 1941, the 16th Army captured Demyansk before taking part in the siege of Leningrad in positions near from Staraya Russa to Ostashkov. Promoted to field marshal, Busch commanded Army Group Centre in 1943 and 1944. After the destruction of the Army Group Center in the Soviet summer offensive of 1944, Operation Bagration, he was relieved of command in early in July 1944 and replaced by Field Marshal Walter Model.

Busch was recalled in March 1945 when he became head of Army Group Northwest. Along with Kurt Student and his 1st Parachute Army, Busch had the task of trying to halt the advance of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's forces into Germany. Busch surrendered to Montgomery on 3 May 1945, and died of heart failure in a prisoner of war camp in England, on 17 July 1945.

Awards

Busch's grave at Cannock Chase German war cemetery

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thomas & Wegmann 1993, p. 327.
  2. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 255.

Bibliography

  • 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. 
  • Stahel, David (2015). The Battle for Moscow. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107087606. 
  • Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1993). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 3: Br–Bu [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 3: Br–Bu] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1734-3. 
  • 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
none		 Commander of 23. Infanterie-Division
October 1935 – February 1938 		Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Walter von
Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt
Preceded by
none		 Commander of 16. Armee
January, 1940 – 12 October 1943 		Succeeded by
General der Artillerie Christian Hansen
Preceded by
Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge		 Commander of Heeresgruppe Mitte
12 October 1943 – 28 June 1944 		Succeeded by
Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model
Preceded by
Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz		 Commander of Heeresgruppe H
15 April 1945 – 3 May 1945 		Succeeded by
none
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