Arthur
Axel Heinrich August von Lindequist
(17.10.1855 - 01.11.1937)
place of birth: Wostevitz (Isle of Rügen)
Königreich
Preußen: KG,
Generalleutnant
Imperial German infantry officer
who served as a division- and corps-level commander during the Great
War. Generalmajor von Lindequist was in charge of 40th
Infantry Brigade as the Germans marched into Belgium, participating
initially in the action against the Liege Fortress. As the brigade
continued on to Namur, the general was wounded by grenade shrapnel and
was forced to convalesce back to Germany.
After a four-month rehabilitation, von
Lindequist returned to the field to head up a reserve infantry brigade.
He and his 87th reservists were transferred in the Spring of 1915 to
the Eastern Front as part of the force making its way from Lemberg
(Lviv, Ukrakine) to the Brest-Litovsk region. Later
that summer, Lindequist was assigned to head up the renowned 3rd Guards
Division as they engaged Russian troops throughout Galicia.
In April 1916, the division headed west to the Champagne
region of France and participated in the Battle of the River
Somme during the summer months. After that devastating
engagement, 3rd Guards returned to the Eastern Front and fought
defensive skirmishes along the River Narajiwka in
support of the Südarmee. Back to the Western Front
in November 1916, where the division immediately began preparations for
participation in the Battle of Arras, Spring 1917.
Following heavy losses, the division moved to Flanders and fought in
the area of Passchendaele from October through
November.
Von Lindequist was promoted to Generalleutnant
in early November 1917, just in time to lead his soldiers into battle
against British tanks at Cambrai. In recognition of
his battlefield successes and leadership during that battle, Kaiser
Wilhelm personally awarded General von Lindequist the Pour le
Merite medal in December of 1917. Although he had served at
the rank of Generalleutnant for only three months, von Lindequist was
selected in February 1918 to command XIV. Reserve Corps. Subordinate to
Seventeenth Army, von Lindequist's reservists took part in the
large-scale Spring Offensive of 1918. In early
June, he was transferred to VII. Reserve Corps headquarters to lead
those soldiers in fighting along the River Marne and
Champagne. Lindequist brilliantly lead his
corps troops as they fought in support of Germany's orderly retreat
during the autumn months, again receiving recognition from OHL
with the awarding of the PLM Oakleaves. After
hostilities ceased in November 1918, the war-weary general brought his
reservists back to Germany for demobilization and was placed on the
active reserve list himself in late December. Civilian life agreed with
him, and he lived until the age of 82, passing away in Berlin in 1937.
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Generalleutnant |
06.11.1917 |
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Pour
le Mérite |
23.12.1917
(Eichenlaub: 07.11.1918) |
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