Balck, Hermann

Balck, Hermann (1893–1982) prominent German field commander According to some of his contemporaries, Hermann Balck was the most skilled, even the greatest, of Germany's field commanders in World War II. He was born in Danzig-Langfuhr, Germany, the son of a general, and entered Hanover Military College in February 1914. During World War I, he served with the 10th (Hanoverian) Jäger Regiment on the western front and remained in the army during the interwar period, becoming an enthusiastic advocate of motorized warfare, the tactics and technology that would enable the Blitzkrieg program that was so devastatingly effective early in the war. At the beginning of World War II, Balck commanded the 1st Security Regiment (Schutzanregiment) in the 1st Panzer Division, then became commanding officer of the 3rd Panzer Regiment, serving under Heinz Guderian in the invasion of France. On May 13, 1940, boldly exploiting a heavy air attack on Sedan, he raced his men across the Meuse River in storm boats, seized enough ground for a bridgehead, and set the divisional bridging train to work deploying pontoons for the waiting tanks. Decorated with the Knight's Cross for this action, he was promoted to colonel and sent to Greece on March 5, 1942, took Salonika on April 9,and was given command of the 11th Panzer Division. He then fought in the Soviet campaign, receiving Oak Leaves for his Knight's Cross on December 20, 1942, for action in the Caucasus. In November 1943, he was promoted to acting general in command of the 48th (Grossdeutschland) Panzer Corps. In 1944, Balck was transferred to the western front as commanding general of Army Group G. After he failed to prevent the overwhelming advance of George Smith Patton's Third Army into Lorraine, Adolf Hitler expressed his displeasure by relegating Balck to command of a subarmy, Armeegruppe Balck, against the Russians in Hungary in December 1944. Failing to recapture Budapest from the Red Army, Balck was forced to retreat into Austria, where he surrendered on the day of Germany's formal capitulation, May 8, 1945. Held prisoner until 1947, he retired to Stuttgart.