Georg Stumme

Georg Stumme (29 July 1886 – 24 October 1942) was a general in the of Nazi Germany during the Second World War who briefly commanded the Axis forces at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein, and died during the Defence of Outpost Snipe. He had taken part in the Battle of France, the invasion of Yugoslavia and Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. On 19 July 1940, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany) after the Wehrmacht had won the Battle of France in June 1940.

First World War Stumme fought in the First World War and stayed with the after the war. After the Nazi regime came to power in January 1933 he was promoted to (Colonel) in 1933. After the German rearmament had begun, Stumme was promoted to (equivalent to a one-star or brigadier general in Allied armies) in 1936. Stumme became commander of 2nd Light Division, which was formed on 10 November 1938.

Second World War Stumme had achieved the rank of by the beginning of WW 2, and he commanded 2nd Light Division in the Invasion of Poland in 1939. The unit was converted into 7th Panzer Division on 18 October 1939. He relinquished command to Erwin Rommel in 1940, and on 15 February 1940 was appointed as commander of XXXX (renamed XXXX Corps (motorized) in September 1940).

Stumme and XXXX Corps participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1940. Stumme led the attack of the right flank of the 12th Army. His two divisions drove west separately into Yugoslavia and then wheeled south, meeting at Monastir on 9 April. He then participated in the invasion of Greece. Ulrich von Hassell called it a case of "the grotesque game of tin soldiers which Hitler plays with the generals" in his diary and commented: "Stumme, commanding general of a tank corps, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment because [of the actions of a divisional staff officer]. He was immediately pardoned [in reality, he was released several weeks later], with Göring promising him a new command and now being sent to Africa as a substitute for Rommel. An unmilitary, un-Prussian farce."

Stumme was sent to North Africa, where Rommel was to be relieved due to illness and exhaustion. Stumme arrived on 19 September to be briefed a few days before Rommel departed. He took overall command of (combined German and Italian forces), confronting the British at El Alamein in Egypt,

Battle of El Alamein and death Stumme "faithfully followed the plan left by Rommel" for responding to the expected attack.

Unlike Rommel, Stumme travelled without the protection of an escort and radio car. On 24 October Stumme and Colonel Andreas Büchting, his chief signals officer, drove to the front to review the situation. On the way to the command post, the car came into the open and was attacked. Büchting was killed by a shot in the head. Stumme jumped out of the car and apparently was holding onto the side while the driver drove out of range. He was found dead along the track the next day, with no wound that could be seen. He was known to have high blood pressure and it was thought he had died of a heart attack. He was replaced as commander of with the return of Rommel, while the was commanded by Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. One of his officers, Friedrich von Stauffenberg, said that Stumme created a "congenial" atmosphere while maintaining a "crack, well-officered division".