Carl Hilpert

Carl Hilpert
Born	12 September 1888
Died	1 February 1947 (aged 58) Moscow, Soviet Union
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Army
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands held	XXIII Corps 16th Army Army Group Courland
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Carl Hilpert (12 September 1888 – 1 February 1947) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II.

During the last stages of World War II, Hilpert commanded the German troops which had been surrounded by the Red Army in the Courland Pocket. On 7 May 1945, Karl Dönitz, in his capacity as head of state, ordered Hilpert to surrender Army Group Courland. Hilpert was the army group's last commander-in-chief.^{[Note 1]} Hilpert surrendered himself, his personal staff, and three divisions of the XXXVIII Corps to Soviet Marshal Leonid Govorov. Hilpert sent the following message to his troops:

To all ranks! Marshal Govorod (sic) has agreed to a cease-fire beginning at 14:00 hours on 8 May. Troops to be informed immediately. White flags to be displayed. Commander expects loyal implementation of order, on which the fate of all Courland troops depends.^[1]

He died two years later as prisoner in Moscow on 1 February 1947.

Awards and decorations

• Military Merit Order, 4th class with Swords (Bavaria)
• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (7 October 1914) & 1st Class (18 October 1916)^[2]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 April 1940) & 1st Class (16 June 1940)^[2]
• German Cross in Gold on 19 February 1943 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the XXIII Armeekorps^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 August 1943 as General der Infanterie and commander of the LIV. Armeekorps^[4]
  • 542nd Oaks Leaves on 8 August 1944 as General der Infanterie and commander of the I. Armeekorps^[4]
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht (18 August 1944 and 9 May 1945)

Notes

1. May 12, 1945 (From the Soviet Information Bureau Our Victory) Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. part of the RIA Novosti 60 anniversary of surrender project Archived May 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. notes that Hilpert was commander of the XXXVIII Corps, it explains why only 3 divisions surrenderd with him

References

Citations

1. Hans Dollinger The Decline and Fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan -, Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 67-27047, Page 290
2. Thomas 1997, p. 280.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 186.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 391.

Bibliography

• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color I Abraham – Huppertz] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1.
• 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.
• 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.