Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz

Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz
Strachwitz as Oberst and commander of Panzer-Regiment "Großdeutschland", June 1943
Nickname(s)	Conté, Der Panzergraf
Born	(1893-07-30)30 July 1893 Groß Stein, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire (now Kamień Śląski, Opole Voivodeship, Poland)
Died	25 April 1968(1968-04-25) (aged 74) Trostberg, Bavaria, West Germany
Buried at	Cemetery in Grabenstätt
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Deutsches Heer Wehrmacht Heer
Years of service	1912–45
Rank	Generalleutnant of the Reserves
Service number	NSDAP 1,405,562 SS 82,857
Unit	Guards Cavalry Division Freikorps "von Hülsen" 1. Panzer Division
Commands held	Panzer-Regiment "Großdeutschland"
Battles/wars	See battles  World War I Silesian Uprisings Battle of Annaberg World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Battle of Sedan Battle of Dunkirk Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev Battle of Stalingrad Third Battle of Kharkov Battle of Kursk Battle of Narva Narva Offensive (18–24 March 1944) Battle for Narva Bridgehead Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944 Šiauliai Offensive Operation Doppelkopf
Awards	Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten
Other work	Land owner and farmer, and military advisor

World War I

Silesian Uprisings

World War II

Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz (30 July 1893 – 25 April 1968) was a German Army officer of aristocratic descent. Strachwitz saw action in World War I, but rose to fame for his command of armoured forces in World War II. For these services he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), an award created to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or outstanding military leadership. At the time of its presentation to Strachwitz it was Germany's highest military decoration.

Strachwitz was born in 1893 on his family estate in Silesia. He was educated at various Prussian military academies and served with distinction as a cavalry officer in the opening weeks of World War I. He was captured by the French in October 1914. He was nearly shot as a spy after he was caught wearing civilian clothes, but was later sentenced to forced labour. He attempted to escape several times, but was unsuccessful, and returned to Germany after the war ended in late 1918. In the aftermath of World War I, Strachwitz fought with the Freikorps in the Spartacist uprising of the German Revolution in Berlin, and in the Silesian Uprisings against the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia. In the mid-1920s he took over the family estate, Groß Stein, from his father and became a member of the Nazi Party and the Allgemeine SS. He remained an officer in the reserves, and participated in various military exercises during the 1930s.