Fritz von Below

Fritz Theodor Carl von Below (23 September 1853 – 23 November 1918)[1] was a Prussian general in the German Army during the First World War. He commanded troops during the Battle of the Somme, the Second Battle of the Aisne, and the Spring Offensive in 1918.

Not to be confused with Otto von Below.
Fritz von Below
Born(1853-09-23)23 September 1853
Danzig, Province of Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia now Gdańsk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Died23 November 1918(1918-11-23) (aged 65)
Weimar, Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Weimar Republic
Allegiance German Empire
Service/branchPrussian Army
Years of service1873–1918
RankGeneral der Infanterie
Commands held
Battles/warsWorld War I
AwardsPour le Mérite with Oakleaves

Biography
Below's tomb at Berlin Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery

Born in Danzig (Gdańsk), Below was appointed to the command of XXI Corps in 1912. In this capacity, he fought along with the 6th Army on the Western Front at the beginning of World War I.[2] His corps was transferred in 1915 to the Eastern Front where it participated in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes.[3] Below was awarded the Pour le Mérite on 16 February 1915 for successful campaigns on the Western Front and in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes.[4]

Below was elevated to command of the 2nd Army on 4 April 1915. In 1916 the 2nd Army bore the brunt of the Allied attack in the Battle of the Somme. Reinforcements increased the size of the 2nd Army to such an extent that a decision was made to split it. The 1st Army was reformed on 19 July 1916 from the right (northern) wing of the 2nd Army. Below took command of 1st Army and 2nd Army got a new commander General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz, who was also installed as commander of armeegruppe Gallwitz-Somme to co-ordinate the actions of both armies.[5] Below was awarded the Oakleaves to the Pour le Mérite (signifying a second award) on 11 August 1916 for his success in operations during the Battle of the Somme.[6]

Below was appointed to command the 9th Army in June 1918, still on the Western Front. Below had contracted pneumonia and its former commander, General der Infanterie Johannes von Eben, remained in provisional command.[7]

Below died in Weimar on 23 November 1918, shortly after Germany had signed the armistice. He is buried in the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery in Berlin.

Family

Below was the cousin of Otto von Below, another German commander during the war. The two generals are often confused.

Glossary
  • Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.[8]
  • Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
  • Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.

See also

References
  1. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). "Below, Fritz von" . Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company.
  2. Cron 2002, pp. 317–320
  3. "Who's Who Fritz von Below". Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  4. "Orden Pour le Mérite". Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  5. Cron 2002, p. 49
  6. "Orden Pour le Mérite". Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  7. "Biography on The Prussian Machine". Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  8. Cron 2002, p. 84

Bibliography
  • Cron, Hermann (2002) [1937]. Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
Military offices
Preceded by
Helmuth von Moltke the Younger		 Quartermaster-General of the German Army
13 February 1906 – 22 February 1906		 Succeeded by
Erich von Gündell
Preceded by
New Formation		 Commander, XXI Corps
1 October 1912 – 4 April 1915		 Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Oskar von Hutier
Preceded by
Generalfeldmarschall Karl von Bülow		 Commander, 2nd Army
4 April 1915 – 19 July 1916		 Succeeded by
General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Max von Fabeck		 Commander, 1st Army
19 July 1916 – 9 June 1918		 Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Bruno von Mudra
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Johannes von Eben		 Commander, 9th Army
9 June 1918 – 6 August 1918		 Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Adolph von Carlowitz
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