Ritter von Thoma
| Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
11 September 1891 Dachau, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 30 April 1948 (aged 56) Dachau, Bavaria, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
Condor Legion Heer |
| Years of service | 1912–45 |
| Rank | General der Panzertruppe |
| Unit | 20. Panzer-Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II |
| Awards |
Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph Spanish Cross In Gold with Swords and Diamonds Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Wilhelm Josef Ritter von Thoma (11 September 1891 – 30 April 1948) was a German officer who served in World War I, in the Spanish Civil War, and as a general in World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Thoma is known for his indiscretion while a POW in the British captivity, whereas he unwittingly revealed the details of the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 weapons program. He was subject to surveillance by the British intelligence and, while speaking to another German officer, was recorded discussing rockets that were being tested at Kummersdorf West, which he observed while on a visit that also included Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. British reconnaissance flights over Peenemünde Army Research Center in May and June 1943 brought back unmistakable images of rockets at the facility; the subsequent bombing of the site severely disrupted the program.
Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma was born in Dachau in 1891. Thoma took part in World War I on the Russian front and the Serbian front. He was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Bavarian Military Max Joseph Order, the highest military decoration for bravery in the Bavarian Army and was awarded the noble title of Ritter. He remained in the army following the war.
During the Spanish Civil War, he served in Spain commanding the ground element of the Condor Legion, following Nazi Germany's intervention on the side of the Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. During the 1941 Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, Thoma lead the 17th Panzer Division, and then the 20th Panzer Division, which took part in the Battle of Moscow. In December 1941, Thoma received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In September 1942 Thoma was transferred to serve with the Afrika Korps in North Africa, where he took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.
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