Günther Horst Sylvester Ritter und Edler von Oetinger  
(31.12.1857 - 27.09.1928)
place of birth:  Erfurt
Königreich Preußen:  KG,  Stellv KG,  Generalleutnant


Imperial German general officer Horst von Oetinger commanded an infantry division and IX. Army Corps during the Great War. He was born in Erfurt as the son of Prussian Generalmajor Günther Ritter und Edler von Oetinger and his spouse Franziska nee Klien. Son Horst enjoyed a pre-War carry as a staff officer, and just prior to mobilization in 1912, was promoted to Generalmajor and given command on 55th Infantry Brigade. At the outset of the War, he was nevertheless unable to to carry out field commander duties because of an illness, and was thus temporarily assigned to XIV. Army Corps headquarters in Karlsruhe.

Upon recovering, von Oetinger was sent to Liege, Belgium as head of the Landwehr Division there. In late September, OHL dispatched him the Aisne region to take charge of 20th Infantry Division, engaged in trench warfare in support of General von Emmich's X. Army Corps. On the occasion of Kaiser Wilhelm's birthday in 1915, von Oetinger received a field promotion to Generalleutnant. In April, his division entrained for the Eastern Front and soon was engaged in the Bug Offensive in Galicia, fighting in support of 11th Field Army. At the end of that summer, General von Oetinger fell ill with cholera and was carried to the field hospital in Biala Piska.

Generalleutnant von Oetinger once again recovered from sickness and was transferred to Jakobstadt (Lithuania) to command the newly-established 109th Division, subordinate to Eighth Army. Following a year of positional fighting, the 109th was transferred south to Romania in October 1916 to fight in the Vulkan Mountains with Erich von Falkenhayn's Ninth Army. The 109th enjoyed success against the Romanians during the Battle of Argesch in December 1916, as well as the Battle of the Putna in January 1917. Von Oetinger then found himself back on the Western Front, where he replaced General von Quast as commander of IX. Army Corps. His troops were engaged along the Siegfriedstellung (Hindenburg Line), at first in support of First Army, then subordinate to Second Army. For the Spring Offensive of 1918, IX. Army Corps fought under Eighteenth Army as they successfully broke through at St Quentin - La Fere and pushed on to the River Somme. These military achievements were recognized by the Kaiser as he personally awarded Generalleutnant von Oetinger the Pour le Merite in March 1918.

IX. Army Corps continued battling along the Hindenburg Line during the summer of 1918, and in September were moved to Lorraine region to fight in the trenches alongside Tenth Army until War's end. After the Armistice signing in Compiegne, Generalleutnant von Oetinger returned with his corps to Altona for subsequent demobilization. He retired from active duty in 1919 and received an honorary promotion to the rank of General der Infanterie. Upon passing away in 1928, General von Oetinger was interred in the town of Baden-Baden.

 
 
Generalleutnant  27.01.1915

Pour le Mérite  26.03.1918
 
 
 

  
 
Curriculum Vitae
   
15.02.1877 ,,Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 - Charlottenburg  (Fahnenjunker)
15.09.1877 Portepée-Fähnrich
12.10.1878 Sekonde-Lieutenant
01.04.1881 ,,Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 - Charlottenburg  (Bn Adjutant)
01.10.1887 Preußische Kriegsakademie - Berlin
22.03.1888 Premier-Lieutenant
21.07.1890 ,,Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 - Charlottenburg
01.04.1891 Großer Generalstab - Berlin
25.03.1893 Hauptmann
01.04.1893 ,,Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 - Charlottenburg  (Coy Cdr)
14.11.1895 à la suite des Großen Generalstabes - Berlin
00.00.0000 1. Infanterie-Division - Königsberg  (Ia on general staff)
00.00.0000 V. Armeekorps - Posen  (Ia on general staff)
25.03.1899 Major
18.10.1902 Füsilier-Regiment ,,Königin (1. Schleswig-Holsteinisches) Nr. 86 - Flensburg  (Bn Cdr)
16.03.1905 Großer Generalstab - Berlin
16.03.1905 V. Armeekorps - Posen  (detached for duty from Great General Staff)
15.09.1905 Oberstleutnant
17.10.1905 V. Armeekorps - Posen  (Ferdinand Wolf von Stulpnagel's Chief of Staff)
30.04.1908 ,,Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 4 - Berlin  (Cdr)
18.05.1908 Oberst
22.03.1912 Generalmajor
22.03.1912 55. Infanterie-Brigade - Karlsruhe  (Cdr)
   
Great War
   
02.08.1914 Offizier von der Armee   (on convalescent leave)
22.08.1914 Landwehr-Division Lüttich  (Cdr)
24.09.1914 20. Infanterie-Division  (replaced Alwin Schmundt)
27.01.1915 Generalleutnant
27.08.1915 Feldlazarett - Bialla  (convalescent leave due to cholera)
04.11.1915 109. Infanterie-Division  (newly established)
24.01.1917 IX. Armeekorps  (replaced Ferdinand von Quast)
25.11.1918 IX. Armeekorps - Altona, Stellvertretender KG  (Acting Cdr at IX. Corps HQ)   
20.10.1919 General der Infanterie  (charakter)
   
   
 

06.05.1914

 

 

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