Date of birth:

March 7th, 1897 (Esch-Elsdorf/Rhineprovince, Germany)

Date of death:

July 14th, 1981 (Hamburg/Lowersaxony, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Son of Ober-Telegraphen-Sekretär Ferdinand Rintelen and Margarethe Rinkelen-Bodden.

Promotions:
Freiwilliger: 1st September 1915
Fähnrich: 16th December 1917
Leutnant (ohne Patent): 3rd March 1918
Polizei-Oberleutnant: 1st November 1923
Polizei-Hauptmann: 1st October 1929
Hauptmann: 15th October 1935 (mit Patent vom 1st February 1933)
Major: 1st August 1936
Oberstleutnant: 1st January 1940 (30)
Oberst: 1st June 1941 (14)
Generalmajor: 1st August 1944
Generalleutnant: 16th March 1945

Military career:
1st September 1915: Freiwilliger im Telegraphen-Bataillon 3
15th November 1915: Reserve-Frensprech-Abteilung 3
30th August 1916: E / Fernsprech-Abteilung 3
11th february 1917: Fernsprech-Abteilung 84
22nd June 1917: 1./Pionier-Bataillon 20
30th July 1918: Stab General der Pioniere 9
17th August 1918: 4./Pionier-Bataillon 20
23rd November 1918: E /Pionier-Bataillon 20
26th September 1919: Reichswehr-Pionier-Bataillon 9
23rd March 1920: Abwehr-Stelle Pionier-Bataillon 20
9th April 1920: Out of service
15th Jne 1920: In service with Polizei Hamburg
1st July 1935: Infanterie-Regiment Stettin
15th October 1935: Kompanie-Chef 1./Infanterie-Regiment 5
1st October 1937: Kommandeur IE / Infanterie-Regiment 94
26th August 1939: Kommandeur I./Infanterie-Regiment 478
15th November 1940: Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 222
31st May 1942: Führer-Reserve
5th September 1942: Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 931
15th November 1942: Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 713
20th January 1944: Führer-Reserve
3rd February - 1st March 1944: 9.Divisionsführerkurs (Hirschberg/Schlesien)
1st May 1944: Heeresgruppe Mitte
15 juni 1944: Heeresgruppe Nordukraine
12th September 1944 - 29th April 1945: Kommandeur 357.Infanterie-Division (succeded by Oberst Walter Krüger)

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur I. / Infanterie-Regiment 478

Awarded on:

August 5th, 1940

The following wartime excerpt (dated 30.08.1940) describes why Rintelen received the Knight’s Cross…

“On the evening of the 20.06.1940, following a march of about 50 kilometres, Oberstleutnant Rintelen managed to strike into the rear of French forces in Charmes with a weak contingent of his own. In doing so he prevented the destruction of the Mosel bridges here, and at the city hall he managed to force the capitulation of the totally surprised higher French staff units (consisting of a corps staff and two divisional staffs) along with the city’s still fully combat-capable garrison. The ruthless devotion to duty and fearless spirit that Oberstleutnant Rintelen displayed here resulted in the premature surrender of the enemy, which in turn decisively influenced the ending of the combat in this area.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Generalmajor

Unit:

Kommandeur 357.Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

February 1st, 1945

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
  - Scheibert, H., Die Träger des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold (Das Heer), Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Friedberg, Germany, 1983
  - Axis History Biographical Research via Axis History Forum
  - das-ritterkreuz.de
  - Die Tapfersten