Ernst von Leyser
| Ernst von Leyser | |
|---|---|
Ernst von Leyser in 1941
|
|
| Born | 18 November 1889 |
| Died | 23 September 1962 (aged 72) |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch | Army (Wehrmacht) |
| Rank | General of the Infantry |
| Commands held |
269th Infantry Division XXVI Army Corps XV Mountain Army Corps XXI Mountain Army Corps (Germany) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Ernst von Leyser (German pronunciation: [ˈeʁnst ˈuːlʁiːx ˈxans fon ˈlaɪsa]) (18 November 1889 – 23 September 1962) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded several army corps.
After the war, in 1947, Leyser was tried for war crimes committed in the Balkans and sentenced to ten years of imprisonment during the Hostages Trial; his sentence was commuted to time served and he was released in 1951.
During the invasion of France, Leyser commanded a regiment. In April 1941 he appointed commander of the 269th Infantry Division. As part of the Army Group North, the division fought in northern Soviet Union after the launching of Operation Barbarossa. On 18 September 1941 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and command of the XXVI Army Corps during the siege of Leningrad.
On 1 December 1942 Leyser assumed command of the XXVI Army Corps. Almost a year later, he was assigned to lead the XV Mountain Army Corps, which was fighting against Yugoslav partisans in Croatia. On 20 July 1944 (coincidentally, the day of the failed assassination of Adolf Hitler) he switched command with General Gustav Fehn, commander of the XXI Mountain Army Corps (Germany) in the Balkans.
On 29 April 1945, he was relieved of command. Leyser was arrested by the United States forces on 8 May.
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