German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II
Johann von Ravenstein
Ravenstein, c. 1942
Born
(1889-01-01)1 January 1889 Strehlen
Died
26 March 1962(1962-03-26) (aged 73) Duisburg
Allegiance
German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch
Army
Years of service
1909–45
Rank
Generalleutnant
Commands held
5th Light Division 21st Panzer Division
Battles/wars
World War I
World War II
Invasion of Poland
Battle of France
Operation Battleaxe
Operation Crusader
Awards
Pour le Mérite Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Johann "Hans" Theodor von Ravenstein (1 January 1889 – 26 March 1962) was a German general (generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He commanded the 21st Panzer Division from May 1941 until being made a prisoner of war in late November 1941. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
A professional soldier on the outbreak of World War I, Ravenstein fought as an infantry officer on the Western Front. Awarded the Pour le Mérite in 1918, he participated in the border disputes with Poland after the war before leaving the military. After attending university, he obtained employment with an electrical company and then later with the Duisburg city administration. In 1934, he joined the Heer (Army) branch of the Wehrmacht. He led a rifle regiment in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of France. In May 1941, he was appointed commander of the 5th Light Division, at the time operating in North Africa. His command was soon redesignated as the 21st Panzer Division. He was captured by soldiers from the 2nd New Zealand Division during the British Eighth Army's Operation Crusader.
The first German general to be captured by Allied forces during World War II, Ravenstein was held in a series of prisoner of war camps in Egypt, South Africa, Canada and lastly in Wales. Repatriated to Germany in 1947, he found employment with the Düsseldorf Corporation before returning to Duisburg to again work for the city's administration. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 73.
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Global Information
German Empire (to 1918)
Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany