Years of service 1873–1918 Service/branch Prussian Army Awards Pour le Merite | Name Fritz Below Rank General der Infanterie Allegiance German Empire | |
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Born 23 September 1853
Danzig, Prussia ( 1853-09-23 ) Commands held 3rd (Queen Elizabeth) Guards Grenadiers
4th Guards Infantry Brigade
1st Guards Infantry Division
XXI Corps
2nd Army
1st Army
9th Army Battles/wars World War I
Second Masurian Lakes
Battle of the Somme (1916)
Second Battle of the Aisne Died November 23, 1918, Weimar, Germany Battles and wars Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, Battle of the Somme, Second Battle of the Aisne, World War I Similar People Max von Gallwitz, Henry Rawlinson - 1st Baron, Hubert Gough, Robert Nivelle, Douglas Haig - 1st Earl Haig | ||
Fritz Theodor Carl von Below (23 September 1853 – 23 November 1918) was a Prussian general in the German Army during the First World War. He commanded troops during the Battle of the Somme, the Second Battle of the Aisne, and the Spring Offensive in 1918.
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Biography
Born in Danzig (Gdańsk), in 1912 Below was appointed to the command of XXI Corps. In this capacity, he fought along with the 6th Army on the Western Front at the beginning of World War I. His corps was transferred in 1915 to the Eastern Front where it participated in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes. Below was awarded the Pour le Mérite on 16 February 1915 for successful campaigns on the Western Front and in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes.
He was then elevated to command of the 2nd Army at the beginning of the Somme offensive in 1916. 2nd Army bore the brunt of the Allied attack in the Battle of the Somme. It had grown to such an extent that a decision was made to split it into two still-powerful armies. Therefore, 1st Army was reformed on 19 July 1916 from the right (northern) wing of the 2nd Army. Below took command of 1st Army and 2nd Army got a new commander General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz. Gallwitz was also installed as commander of Heeresgruppe Gallwitz-Somme to co-ordinate the actions of both armies on the Somme. Below was awarded the Oakleaves to the Pour le Mérite (signifying a second award) on 11 August 1916 for his success in operations during the Battle of the Somme.
Finally, he was appointed to command the 9th Army in June 1918, still on the Western Front. However, Below had contracted pneumonia so its former commander, General der Infanterie Johannes von Eben, remained in provisional command.
Below died in Weimar on 23 November 1918, shortly after Germany had signed the armistice. He is buried in the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery in Berlin.
Family
Below was the cousin of Otto von Below, another German commander during the war. The two generals are often confused.