Date of birth:

March 13th, 1901 (Lauenhagen/Schaumburg-Lippe)

Date of death:

February 17th, 1969 (Bückeburg/Lower Saxony, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (03 Oct 1918);
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (12 Jun 1919);
Fähnrich (01 Jan 1921);
Oberfähnrich (01 Nov 1921);
Leutnant (01 Apr 1922);
Oberleutnant (01 Feb 1927);
Hauptmann (01 Apr 1934);
Major (01 Aug 1938);
Oberstleutnant (01 Nov 1940);
Oberst (01 Jun 1942);
Generalmajor (01 Nov 1943);
Generalleutnant (09 Nov 1944).

Career:
Entered Army Service (09 Jul 1918)
Fahnenjunker in the 10th Pioneer-Replacement-Battalion (09 Jul 1918-10 Sep 1918)
In the Field with the 10th Pioneer-Battalion (10 Sep 1918-17 Mar 1919)
Transferred into the 3rd Infantry-Regiment (17 Mar 1919-22 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the 10th Reichswehr-Pioneer-Battalion (22 Oct 1919-23 Jun 1920)
Detached to the Infantry-School Munich (29 May 1920-30 Nov 1920)
Transferred into the 7th Reichswehr-Pioneer-Battalion (23 Jun 1920-03 Sep 1920)
Transferred into the 10th Reichswehr-Pioneer-Battalion (03 Sep 1920-01 Jan 1921)
Transferred to 1st Company of the 6th Pioneer-Battalion (01 Jan 1921-01 Jul 1925)
Detached to the Pioneer-School Munich (04 Jan 1922-08 Mar 1922)
Detached to HG-Course in Sennelager (02 Oct 1924-18 Oct 1924)
Transferred to the Bridging-Column of the 6th Pioneer-Battalion (01 Jul 1925-01 Nov 1927)
Detached to Searchlight-Course in Klausdorf (01 Feb 1926-30 Mar 1926)
Detached to Transport-Course with the 6th Transport-Battalion (11 Aug 1927-12 Sep 1927)
Battalions-Adjutant and Court-Officer of the 6th Pioneer-Battalion (01 Nov 1927-01 Oct 1932)
Detached to Officers-Course at the Pioneer-School (01 Oct 1928-28 Feb 1929)
Adjutant of the Higher Pioneer Officer with Group-Command 1 (01 Oct 1932-01 Oct 1933)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of Army Command and Detached to Secret General Staff Courses, from 01 May 1935 to the War-Academy (01 Oct 1933-10 Jul 1935)
Detached to the Army General Staff (10 Jul 1935-08 Jan 1937)
Transferred into the Army General Staff (08 Jan 1937-12 Oct 1937)
Chief of 3rd Company of the 19th Pioneer-Battalion (12 Oct 1937-10 Jul 1938)
Detached to the 31st Pioneer-Battalion (15 Jun 1938-07 Jul 1938)
Transferred to the General-Staff of Army-Service-Office 9 (10 Jul 1938-10 Nov 1938)
Transferred to the General-Staff of the Command-Office of Fortifications by Aachen (10 Nov 1938-24 Nov 1938)
Transferred into the General-Staff of Command-Staff Eifel (24 Nov 1938-01 Mar 1939)
With the General-Command of Border-Troop Eifel (01 Mar 1939-01 May 1939)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of the 2nd Light Division (01 May 1939-18 Oct 1939)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of the 7th Panzer-Division (18 Oct 1939-15 Nov 1940)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of the 4th Panzer-Division (15 Nov 1940-06 Apr 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH (06 Apr 1942-13 May 1942)
Chief of the General Staff of XXIV. Army-Corps (motorised) (13 May 1942-21 Jun 1942)
Chief of the General Staff of XXIV. Panzer-Corps (21 Jun 1942-14 Mar 1943)
At the same time, Delegated with the Temporaty Leadership of XXIV. Panzer-Corps (21 Jan 1943-15 Mar 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Mar 1943-05 May 1943)
Chief of the General-Staff of the 3rd Panzer-Army (05 May 1943-01 Sep 1944)
Chief of the General-Staff of Army-Group Centre (01 Sep 1944-25 Jan 1945)
Chief of the General-Staff of Army-Group North (25 Jan 1945-26 Jan 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKH (26 Jan 1945-15 Apr 1945)
Commandant in Section Geysing with the Commander Erz Mountains (Generaloberst Hoth) (14 Apr 1945-27 Apr 1945)
Commander of he 464th Infantry-Division (27 Apr 1945-09 May 1945)
In US Captivity (09 May 1945-24 May 1945)
Released (24 May 1945)

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Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

1934

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major im Generalstab (Major to the General Staff)

Unit:

Generalstabsoffizier, Ia, 2. leichte Division

Awarded on:

September 25th, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major im Generalstab (Major to the General Staff)

Unit:

Generalstabsoffizier, Ia, 2. leichte Division

Awarded on:

October 4th, 1339

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberstleutnant im Generalstab (Lieutenant-colonel to the General Staff)

Unit:

Generalstabsoffizier, Ia, 4. Panzer-Division

Awarded on:

March 7th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst im Generalstab (Colonel to the General Staff)

Unit:

Chef des Generalstabes, XXIV. Panzerkorps, Heeresgruppe B

Awarded on:

February 8th, 1943

Heidkämper’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“After his commanding general had fallen and his staff had been dispersed by a Soviet tank attack, Oberst i.G. Heidkämper went to the fighting troops on the 15.01.1943 (these included the 385. and 387. Infanterie-Divisionen). Along with the Italian Alpine Corps, this group was encircled by the enemy.

After the death of the commanding general, Eibl, Oberst i.G. Heidkämper took over command of the group in the place of several Italian and one German generals that were present.

With 9000 Germans and 11000 Italians, Oberst Heidkämper fought his way backwards for a period of 14 days, all while being cut off from all friendly contact and surrounded by an enemy that attacked from all sides. He was the soul of the will to break through. His freshness, confidence, energy and leadership were alone responsible for that fact that almost 20000 soldiers were able to escape destruction. In the daily combat, during which most German officers and NCOs became casualties, Oberst Heidkämper repeatedly distinguished himself through personal bravery.

On the 31.01.1943 he and his group were able to reach German territory, and thereafter the German and Italian troops could once again be reinserted into the main defensive front.

The commanding general of the Generalkommando z.B.V., Generalleutnant Cramer, submitted Oberst i.G. Heidkämper for the award of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”

• Photo 1:
• - WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 2009.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht
  - Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer, Elite of the Third Reich - The Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-45: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, England, 2003
  - Mitcham Jr., S.W. Rommel’s Lieutenants – The Men Who Served the Dessert Fox, France, 1940, Praeger Security International, Westport, U.S.A., 2006
  - Federl, C., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, Germany, 2000
  - Axis Biographical Research