Service/branch German Army | Name Harald Hirschfeld Years of service 1935–45 | |
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Battles/wars World War IIAnnexation of AustriaAnnexation of the SudetenlandInvasion of PolandOperation BarbarossaBattle of UmanBattle of Kiev (1941)Battle of Rostov (1941)Second Battle of KharkovBattle of the CaucasusCephalonia MassacreBattle of Dukla Pass Died January 18, 1945, Tarnow, Poland Battles and wars Anschluss, Invasion of Poland | ||
Commands held 78th Infantry Division | ||
Harald von Hirschfeld (10 July 1912 – 18 January 1945) was a war criminal and general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who commanded the 78.Volksgrenadier-Division during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
Hirschfeld, the son of a Mecklenburg merchant, was largely educated and trained abroad, in South America, Spain, London, and Paris. On 23 October 1935, he joined the mountain infantry regiment 98 in Kempten. In September 1943, as a colonel in the 1st Mountain Division, he played a major role in the massacre of the Acqui Division, the murder of Italian personnel of the 33 Mountain Infantry Division Acqui in Cephalonia.
On 15 January 1945, he was promoted to Generalmajor. On this day he was officially put in command of the 78th Sturm Division, which he had unofficially led since 26 September 1944. He was the Wehrmacht's youngest general officer. He was severely wounded during the Battle of Dukla Pass and died en route to the field hospital on 18 January 1945. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general on 10 February 1945. Hirschfeld was married to Sylvinia von Dönhoff, who later married the former fighter pilot Adolf Galland.