Years of service 1914–45 Rank Generalleutnant | Name Franz Westhoven Service/branch German Army | |
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Born 7 December 1894
Ludwigshafen ( 1894-12-07 ) Allegiance German Empire (to 1918)
Weimar Republic (to 1920)
Nazi Germany Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Battle of France
Operation Barbarossa
Siege of Leningrad
Battle of Moscow
Battle of the Caucasus Died October 9, 1983, Hamburg, Germany Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Battles and wars World War I, Battle of France Commands held 3rd Panzer Division, 21st Panzer Division, 2nd Panzer Division | ||
Franz Westhoven (7 December 1894 – 9 October 1983) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several panzer divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Westhoven served in the Army personnel office at the start of World War II, where he had been from 1934 to 1940, and then took command of the 1st Rifle Regiment in October 1941 as an oberst (colonel) (promoted on 1 November 1939), and led this unit into Operation Barbarossa as part of 1st Panzer Division in Army Group North. In February 1942, he took command of the 3rd Rifle Brigade, which later became the 3rd Panzergrendier Brigade. He was given command of the 3rd Panzer Division on 1 October 1942, and was promoted to generalleutnant on 1 April 1943, but was wounded in action on 20 October 1943.
Returning to active service on 1 February 1944, he served as an advisor under his mentor Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg in Panzer Group West, had two brief deputy commands in France (21st Panzer Division from 8 March to 8 May 1944, and 2nd Panzer Division from 5 May until 26 May 1944), and ended the war in the roles of deputy inspector general of panzer troops (August 1944 – 1945) and commander of tank schools (1945).