Panzer Colonel Rothenburg - 1941 Eastern Front obituary doc

1941 printed German military handout, an obituary / commemoration for Panzer Oberst Karl Rothenburg (later posthumously promoted to Generalmajor). Colonel Rothenburg was the commander of Panzerregiment 25, which was part of the 7. Panzerdivision, the famous “Ghost Division”. He was killed on the Eastern Front, in Belarus, on June 28th 1941. 

This two-page handout (21.5cm x 15cm) was printed at the behest of Colonel General (Generaloberst) Hermann Hoth, commander of the 3rd Panzer group, and distributed to officers in Panzerregiment 25. It serves as a death notice and short biography for Oberst Rothenburg. He was a highly decorated officer in WW1, having been awarded the highest decoration, the Pour le Mérite. His multiple exploits during the France campaign, while leading his panzer regiment, lead him to being awarded the Knight’s Cross in June 1940. During this period he was serving under Erwin Rommel, who was commander of the 7. Panzerdivision. Most of this handout details Rothenburg’s achievements during the first week of Operation Barbarossa, his regiment having captured numerous bridges intact, participating in the capture of Vilnius and having destroyed over 80 Soviet tanks. During combat around the city of Minsk, Rothenburg was severely wounded during a large Soviet counter-attack (he was wounded by an exploding Soviet armored train). He was evacuated in a car but was killed in an ambush by roaming Soviet troops. His body was discovered by German troops the next day, on June 29th. His panzer regiment was later allowed to bear his name, sometimes being referred to as “panzer regiment Rothenburg”. 

Rare and unique document honouring a well-decorated panzer officer, at the behest of Colonel General Hoth. The words “Offizieren” is pencilled in on the front of the handout.