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Otto von Below

Otto von Below was born in 1856.  He was the youngest General to receive an army command in Germany during WWI.  He won the Pour le Merite in 1915.  Below then commanded Army Group Below from 1916 through much of 1917, the VI. Army in 1917, the famous XIV. Army from October 1917 until spring 1918.  It was with this army that Below gained fame for the breakthrough at Caporetto on 24 October 1917, which caused the Italian III. Army to vanish and led to the retreat of the whole Italian fighting force to the Piave River. Then throughout the rest of 1918, the XVII. Army and the I. Army, respectively.  Otto von Below died in Danzig in 1944. GWS, 6/01 Attention:  Visit FEEFHS map room for a Map of the Southwestern Theatre including placenames mentioned here, except for Caporetto.  Be sure to open in a separate window to toggle between this page and FEEFHS.

Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, late October 1917 Immediately prior to the Battle of Caporetto XIV. Deutsche Armee, GdI Otto von Below   I. closed troop:  IV. K.u.K. inf. div., FML Pfeffer       13 K.u.K. inf. div., FML von Kaiser       XXXIII. inf. div., GM von Iwanski    Krauss Group, I. Korps, GdI Alfred Krauss        K.u.K. Edelweiss inf. div., GM von Wieden        XXII. K.u.K. Schützen div., GM Müller        LV. K.u.K. inf. div., GM Felix Prinz zu Schwarzenberg        Deutsch Jäger div., Oberst von Wodke    Group Stein, III. Bayerisch Korps, GLt Freiherr von Stein        L. inf. div., GM Gerabek        XII. inf. div., GM Lequis    Alpenkorps, GM Ritter von Tutschek        CXVII. inf. div., GM Seydel    Group Berrer, GLt Albert von Berrer        XXVI. Württembergisch inf. div., GLt von Hofacker        CC. inf. div., GM Hans von Below    Group Scotti, XV. K.u.K. Korps, FML Karl Scotti       I. K.u.K. inf. div., FML Metzger      XXV. Deutsch inf. div., GM von Wedel Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, November 1917 Immediately following the breakthrough at Caporetto Erzherzog Eugen Armee Front, FM Erzherzog Eugen Deutsch XIV. Armee, GdI von Below   Group Krauss, K.u.K. I. Korps, GdI Alfred Krauss        Edelweiss, III. K.u.K. inf. div., GM von Wieden        XXII. Schützen div., GM Müller        LV. inf. div., GM Felix Prinz zu Schwarzenberg    Group Stein, III. Bayerisch Korps, GLt Freiherr von Stein        L. inf. div., GM Gerabek        XII. inf. div., GM Lequis    Deutsch Alpenkorps, GM von Tutschek        CXVII. inf. div., GM Seydel    Group Berrer, GLt Albert von Berrer        XXVI. inf. div., I. Württembergisch inf. div., GLt von Hofacker        CC. Deutsch inf. div., GM Hans von Below    Group Scotti, XV. K.u.K. Korps, FML Karl Scotti v     I. inf.div., FML Metzger        V. Deutsch inf. div., GM von Wedel