Johann von Kielmansegg
| Johann von Kielmansegg | |
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Johann von Kielmansegg in 1967
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| Born | 30 December 1906 Hofgeismar, Province of Hesse-Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 26 May 2006 (aged 99) Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Allegiance |
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| Years of service | 1926–1945; 1955–1968 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Relations | Werner von Fritsch |
Count Johann Adolf Graf von Kielmansegg (30 December 1906 – 26 May 2006) was a German general staff officer during the Second World War and later general of the Bundeswehr.
Johann Adolf Graf von Kielmansegg was the youngest of three children of Johann Adolf von Kielmansegg (1864 - 1907) and his wife Eva Mathilde (1868 - 1953). His two sisters Ilse and Anna both quickly married into noble families.
Kielmansegg joined the German Army on 7 April 1926 after his time in cadet school in Rosleben and served as a cavalry officer in the 16th Cavalry Regiment in Hofgeismar, Langensalza and Erfurt. In 1930 he was promoted to lieutenant, and in 1937, to captain. From October 1937 to August 1939 he received General Staff training at the Prussian Military Academy in Berlin.
During the Second World War Kielmansegg served in various divisions, staff regiments and fronts in Poland, France and Russia. From 1942 to 1944 he served as General Staff officer to the High Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW). On 1 May 1944, he was promoted to colonel, but was a few months later arrested by the Gestapo for being a co-conspirator of the 20 July plot, but released on 23 October 1944 for a lack of evidence. He later said:
"The plotters set a good example to the army, because these men put their lives on the line against the dictator."
In November 1944, shortly before the Battle of the Bulge, he was given command of the 111th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, and led it in battle until 16 April 1945.
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