Generaloberst Heinz Guderian
(Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen) and Generalleutnant Walther Wenck
(Chef des Generalstabes 1. Panzerarmee) planning the next operation
(possibly Unternehmen Zitadelle/Kursk), spring 1943. Wenck (last rank
General der Panzertruppe) wearing the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
which he received on 28 December 1942. He was a talented general, and
enjoyed (if that is the word) a distinguished career on the Eastern
Front, serving a considerable period in command of German forces
operating in conjunction with Romanian forces (he was highly decorated
by Romania), and in key staff posts. He is best remembered, however, for
his actions as commander of the 12. Armee in April 1945. This
recently-formed Army, which had been fighting the Americans, responded
to orders to turn about and attack towards Berlin with the object of
relieving the city. It is a tribute to the skills of Wenck and his
officers in the staff area that they accomplished the turn-around, and
launched an attack on the Soviets that acheived a surprise breakthrough.
However, Wenck was neither a Nazi nor a madman; he limited his
breakthrough to one with more-or-less sustainable flanks, rather than
pressing through (suicidally) to Berlin, and invited German military
formations and civilians within reach to use it as an escape corridor to
the West. The number of "kettled" German soldiers and Berliners who
escaped through this corridor is uncertain - but it was probably not
less than 300,000. There is some dispute as to how one should interpret
Wenck's actions. It did after all constitute disobedience of orders. But
more likely a sign of a realistic officer who served not the Nazis in
the end, but Germany
Source:
http://weltkrieg2.de/Kriegstagebuch/1943/02/22-28-Februar.htm#mainEvent
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