A Wartime Signed Photo of Panzer General & Oak Leaves with Swords Recipient Gerhard Graf von Schwerin

A photo postcard, measuring 102x145mm, near mint condition. It is signed in blue ink.

Footnote: Gerhard Graf von Schwerin (1899–1980) was a General of Panzer Troops and recipient of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He entered the military at age 15 and fought on both the Western and Eastern Front during the First War, being wounded in action, and receiving the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class while still a teenager. Schwerin proceeded to climb the ranks during the inter-war period. In 1938 he was promoted to Major and served as a staff officer in the Oberkommando des Heeres (Supreme High Command of the Army). During the Second War, Schwerin saw action in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Africa, and Russia. He won the Knight’s Cross while commanding Infantry Regiment 76 during Operation Barbarossa in early 1942. He went on to command the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division, being promoted to Lieutenant General in mid 1943, and winning the Oak Leaves and Swords for his successful retreat with said division from Russia in the face of an overwhelming pursuit by the Red Army. Schwerin’s division was then redeployed to the Western Front and upgraded to become the 116th Panzer Division, with which Schwerin fought in the Battle of Aachen. Towards the end of the war, he was sent to lead a unit in Italy where he was promoted to General and ultimately captured by British forces in April of 1945. After the war, Schwerin worked as a military advisor for the German government and later one of the country’s political parties.