Luftwaffe Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) Albert Kesselring — commander of all German forces in Italy — ordered his forces to retreat to the Barbara Line on 12 October 1943 after the 5th Army crossed the Volturno River, breaching the Volturno defensive line.

Albert Kesselring ( 30 November 1885 – 16 July 1960 ) was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II.

Blitzkrieg had, indeed, brought a rapid victory for the Germans, a far cry from the four years of " mud-and-blood " trench warfare that had raged during the previous war, yet even the Germans were feeling the pinch: Albert Kesselring, who would soon be promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall, reflected that the Luftwaffe ’ s effectiveness had been reduced to almost 30 percent of what it had been before the invasion of France.

Commander-in-Chief South Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, considered this an order, one he interpreted to call for the execution of Italians who had been previously sentenced to death.

He ended the war on Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring's staff.

Gottlieb Ferdinand Albert Alexis Graf von Haeseler ( January 19, 1836 – October 25, 1919 ) was a German military officer of the Imperial Wilhelmine period, with final rank of Generalfeldmarschall.

Marseille had previously ignored orders to use these new aircraft because of its high engine failure rate, but on the orders of Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, Marseille reluctantly obeyed.

I feel compelled, therefore, to compare him with Generalfeldmarschall Rommel, who likewise had mastered the art of tank warfare.

On 4 September he recalled Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt from retirement, in which condition he had been since Hitler had dismissed him as Wehrmacht Commander-in-Chief West on 2 July, and reinstated him in his former command, replacing Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model, who had taken command just 18 days previously and would henceforth command only Army Group B. Rundstedt immediately began to plan a defence against what Wehrmacht intelligence judged to be 60 Allied divisions at full strength, although Eisenhower in fact possessed only 49 divisions.

Paulus was promoted by Hitler to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall on 31 January 1943, ostensibly in part because until that day no German Field Marshal had ever surrendered.

Weidling's commander, Heinrici, recognized the shortage earlier in the day, as Hitler had ordered the transfer of three tank divisions from Army Group Vistula to the command of recently promoted Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) Ferdinand Schörner.

By early June 1944, the forces of Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's Army Group North Ukraine had been pushed back beyond the Dniepr and were desperately clinging to the north-western corner of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's 9th Army sector, tank units using the panzerkeil tactic failed to achieve a breakthrough, and suffered heavy losses due to anti-tank fire.

Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel ( 22 September 1882 – 16 October 1946 ) was a German field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ).

In July, Hitler announced that Rundstedt and a number of other field commanders were to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ).

Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt (; December 16, 1742 – September 12, 1819 ), Graf ( Count ), later elevated to Fürst ( Prince ) von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall ( field marshal ) who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington.

He attained the rank of Generalfeldmarschall ( field marshal ) during World War II, and is best known for having commanded the Sixth Army's assault on Stalingrad during Operation Blue in 1942.

Rupprecht achieved the rank of field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) in July 1916 and assumed command of Army Group Rupprecht on 28 August that year, consisting of the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Army.

He remained in the Bavarian army and was finally promoted to the rank of field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) on 1 January 1905.

He became the last field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) of the Austro-Hungarian Army on October 24, 1918, as an attempt by Kaiser Karl to calm Hungarian nationalists.

He distinguished himself in the capture of Glogau in 1741 and at the battles of Mollwitz, Chotusitz ( where he was made Generalfeldmarschall on the field of battle ), Hohenfriedberg, and Soor.

He became commander-in-chief in Bohemia in 1751, and field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) two years later.

Karl Eberhard Herwarth von Bittenfeld ( 4 September 1796 – 2 September 1884 ) was a Prussian field marshal ( German: Generalfeldmarschall ).

The First Battle of El Alamein ( 1 – 27 July 1942 ) was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces ( Germany and Italy ) of the Panzer Army Africa ( Panzerarmee Afrika ) commanded by Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) Erwin Rommel, and Allied ( specifically, British Imperial ) forces ( Britain, British India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand ) of the British Eighth Army commanded by General Claude Auchinleck.

The first was Hermann Göring, the second was Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim as the second ( and last ) commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, concomitant with his promotion to Generalfeldmarschall, the last German officer in World War II to be promoted to the highest rank.

Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch was to assist Ernst Udet with aircraft production increases and introduction of more modern types of fighter aircraft.

** Wilhelm Keitel, German Nazi Generalfeldmarschall ( b. 1882 )

From an initial aerial victory over a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 on 5 April their tally rose dramatically and the squadron became the focus of Soviet propaganda, so much so that Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel decreed that any French pilot captured would be executed.

* Wilhelm Keitel — Generalfeldmarschall, head of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht.

Protests followed from Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel ; General Gleiniger, German commander in Limoges ; and the Vichy government.

The Zabrze commune was renamed Hindenburg in 1915 in honor of Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg.

On 14 May, German Army Group A burst through the Ardennes and advanced rapidly to the west toward Sedan, then turned northward to the English Channel, in what Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein called the " Sickle Cut " ( known as " Plan Yellow " or the Manstein Plan ), effectively flanking the Allied forces.

An even higher decoration, the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross ( also called the Blücher Star ), was awarded only twice, to Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher in 1813 and to Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg in 1918.

The Battle of Brienne was fought on January 29, 1814, and resulted in the victory of Emperor Napoleon I's French forces over the Russian and Prussian forces commanded by the Prussian Generalfeldmarschall Prince von Blücher.

Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( 12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953 ) was a German Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) during World War II.

They made their way to the Führerbunker, where Hitler promoted von Greim to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall and to Hermann Göring's former command of the barely functioning Luftwaffe.

He was made Generalfeldmarschall of the Kingdom of Prussia on 27 January 1916, and of the Empire of Germany on 1 February 1916.

He was also a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall, but is best known for being the father of Catherine the Great of Russia.

Göring appointed his successor Albert Kesselring as CS and Ernst Udet head the Reich's Air Ministry Technical Office ( Technisches Amt ), although he was not a technical expert.

Other officers promoted to the second highest military rank in Germany were Albert Kesselring, Hugo Sperrle, Erhard Milch, and Wolfram von Richthofen.

** Albert Kesselring, German field marshal ( b. 1885 )

* November 30 – Albert Kesselring, German field marshal ( d. 1960 )

On 9 March Hitler phoned Rundstedt and told him he was to be replaced by Albert Kesselring, to be transferred from Italy.

While Lucas consolidated, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, the German commander in the Italian theatre, moved every spare unit to be found into a ring around the beachhead, where his gunners had a clear view of every Allied position.

The terrain of central Italy had proved ideally suited to defense, and Field Marshal Albert Kesselring took full advantage.

The German forces in Italy were commanded by Field Marshal ( Feldmarschall ) Albert Kesselring.

A year later, in 1952, even before his release from prison, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring was elected as leader federal a post he kept till his death in 1960.

In reality, the German commanders in Sicily were contemptuous of their allies, and German units took their orders from the German liaison officer attached to Italian 6th Army HQ, Generalleutnant Frido von Senger und Etterlin who was subordinate to Albert Kesselring, the German Commander-in-Chief Army Command South ( OB Süd ).

On 12 July Albert Kesselring had visited Sicily and formed the opinion German troops were fighting virtually on their own.

On 18 February, Rommel submitted his proposals to Albert Kesselring, who forwarded them with his blessing to the Comando Supremo ( Italian High Command ) in Rome.

At a meeting at Rommel's Kasserine HQ on February 23 Albert Kesselring and his Chief of Staff Siegfried Westphal tried to change Rommel's mind, arguing that there were still possibilities for success.

German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring commanded the four German divisions at Anzio, which included the Herman Goering Division and the 35th Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS Division.

As well, Italy occupied by a hostile German army would have created additional problems for the German Commander-in-Chief Albert Kesselring.

Albert Kesselring in his Siebel Fh 104

On hearing of the landings at Termoli, the German supreme commander in Italy — Generalfeldmarshall Albert Kesselring — ordered the 16th Panzer Division to switch to the Adriatic front, presenting a major threat to the unsupported Allied infantry.

In Italy, German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, unaware of what was happening in Germany, had been building up the strength of his forces.

In July 1940, skirmishes took place, between Luftflotte 2, under Albert Kesselring and Hugo Sperrle's Luftflotte 3 on one side, and Group Captain Keith Park's No. 11 Group RAF of Fighter Command on the other.

* June 22 – General Albert Kesselring directs Hauptmann Wolfgang Falck to establish the Luftwaffes first true night fighter unit, Nachtjagdgeschwader 1.

** 131 U. S. Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortresses conduct a bombing raid against the headquarters of Field Marshal Albert Kesselring at Frascati, Italy, killing 485 civilians.