Paul Schultz

For the New Zealand rugby league footballer of the same name, see Paul Schultz (rugby league).
Paul Schultz
Born (1891-10-30)30 October 1891
Welzheim, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Died 15 September 1964(1964-09-15) (aged 72)
Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1920)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1912–20
1935–45
Rank Generalmajor
Commands held Grenadier-Regiment 308
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work Police officer

Paul Schultz (30 October 1891 – 15 September 1964) was a Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Police career

10 July 1912 joined the Württemberg Army as an officer cadet, assigned to the Infanterie-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen (2. Württembergisches) Nr. 120. Following military school he was promoted on 17 February 1914 to the rank of lieutenant and transferred to Infantry Regiment no. 192. He served for the duration of the First World War in that regiment. After the war, he retired from the German Army on 31 January 1920.

Having already joined the Wurtemberg police force in November 1919, Schultz rose through the ranks, attending the Police Officer's School in Stuttgart in 1930. On 1 October 1935, he returned to the army as a major in the III battalion of the Tübingen Regiment, his promotion and enlistment backdated to 1 October 1934.

World War II

At the declaration of war, in 1939, Schultz commanded the 78th Replacement Infantry Regiment. In April 1940 he took part in Operation Weserubung and the invasion of Denmark at the head of the newly established 308 Infantry Regiment. Later that year, he took part in the invasion of France. On 1 September 1940 he was promoted colonel. Starting in June 1941 Paul Schultz led his regiment in the attack on southern Russia, where he was awarded on 18 October 1941 the German Cross in Gold.

In the fight for Krasnodar in the summer of 1942, Paul Schultz distinguished himself and on 3 September 1942 was presented with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On 1 August 1, 1943 he was appointed commander of the Army Aviation School of the 6th Army. On 26 August 1943 he was awarded retroactively the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for contribution to the fight for the Kuban Bridgeheads.

On 1 March 1944 Paul Schultz was promoted to major-general and on 10 October 1944 assumed command of the Waffenschule (weapons school) of the 8th Army.

Paul Schultz was captured by American troops in May 1945 when the 8th Army surrendered. He was released 11 June 1947.

Awards and decorations

Oak Leaves ceremony, from left to right: Adolf Hitler, Paul Schultz (hidden), Oberst Dr. med. dent. Walter Lange, Major Theodor Tolsdorff, Oberst Günther Pape, Major Dr. Franz Bäke

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Thomas 1998, p. 298.
  2. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 428.
  3. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 318.
  4. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 62.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • 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. 
  • 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 (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
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