Rudolf Kaempfe

Rudolf Kaempfe (10 April 1883 – 23 December 1962) was a German general during World War II who held commands at the division and corps level.

Rudolf Kaempfe
Born	10 April 1883 Moscow
Died	23 December 1962(1962-12-23) (aged 79) Stuttgart
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Army (Wehrmacht)
Years of service	1902–45
Rank	General der Artillerie
Commands	31st Infantry Division XXXV Army Corps
Battles / wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Moscow
Awards	German Cross

Biography

Kaempfe fought in the First World War on the Western Front and in Serbia.

In April 1937, he received command of the 31st Infantry Division, with which he participated in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of France.
In May 1941, he became the commander of the Höheres Kommando z.b.V. XXXV, later renamed as XXXV Army Corps. At the beginning of the summer of 1941, he participated with his Corps in the attack on Central Russia. On 1 July 1941, he was promoted to general of artillery. On December 19, 1941, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. In autumn 1942, he gave up his command and was transferred to the Führerreserve.

In connection with the assassination attempt on Hitler of 20 July 1944, he was arrested on 21 July 1944 by the Gestapo. When the war ended in May 1945, he was not liberated, but was taken captive by the Red Army and deported to the Soviet Union. He was released from captivity in the Autumn of 1949 and returned to Germany.

Sources

• Lexikon der wehrmacht.de
• Feldgrau