Hans-Jürgen von Arnim

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Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (April 4, 1889 - September 1, 1962), was a German Colonel-General of Cavalry, serving during World War II. He was born in Ernsdorf, Germany in 1889, the son of general Sixt von Arnim.

Hans-Jürgen von Arnim served in the German Army from 1907 until the end of World War II. During the First World War he saw action on both the Eastern and Western fronts. After the war he remained in the Army and rose to command the elite 68th Infantry Regiment in Berlin. With the rise of the Nazi's he was made a Major General in 1938. He commanded the 52nd division in both the Battles for Poland and France. In October 1940, von Arnim was given command of the 17th Panzer Division. With the outbreak of the war against the Soviet Union he was promoted to Lieutenant General under Heinz Guderian, but was seriously wounded a few days after the start of the campaign. He commanded the XXXIX Panzer-Corps until in November 1942, he was placed in command of the 5th Panzer Army under Erwin Rommel in North Africa. When Hitler refused to allow Rommel to return to Tunisia, von Arnim was promoted to full general and made Commander-in-Chief of Army-Group Africa and de facto commander of the Afrika Korps from March, 1943 until his capture by Royal Indian Army's 4th Infantry Division two months later in May, 1943. Von Arnim served the rest of the war as British POW and was released in July 1947. He returned to Germany and died on September 1, 1962 in Bad Wildungen.

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