Hans-Georg von Seidel (11 November 1891
[Prisoners of Special Camp 11]
Retrieved on 18 December 2009. – 10 November 1955) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
military leader who served in the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and in the ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' (German Air Force) during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Seidel was promoted to the rank of ''
General der Flieger'' (General of the Air).
[
Seidel served for most of World War II as the head of German Air Force organization, armament, maintenance, and supply. He was a practical realist who distanced himself from his idealist boss Hans Jeschonnek, ''Luftwaffe'' Chief of Staff, an unquestioning follower of ]Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. Seidel attempted to implement the expansive Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
war plans but suffered from heavy combat losses of materiel and men. After the war, Seidel was chosen leader of the high-ranking prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
at Island Farm
Island Farm, also called Camp 198, was a prisoner of war camp on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It hosted a number of Axis prisoners, mainly German, and was the scene of the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain d ...
.
Early career
Hans-Georg von Seidel was born in the farming village of Diedersdorf in the county of Lebus, a rural district in the Province of Brandenburg
The Province of Brandenburg (german: Provinz Brandenburg) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1945. Brandenburg was established in 1815 from the Kingdom of Prussia's core territory, comprised the bulk of the historic Margraviate of Brandenburg ...
, Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
, on 11 November 1891.[ Seidel joined the German Army in Prussia in 1910 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1911. He served as an officer in the German Army during World War I, and left the service in 1920 as a captain of cavalry.][Mitcham, 1988, pp. 291–292.]
In 1934, Seidel was called to serve in the military: this time in the Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
with a promotion to major. Not yet a pilot, Seidel was detached in August 1935 to the flying school at Braunschweig
Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...
to take the aerial observer course and the pilot course. He then attended the ''Kampffliegerschule'' (bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
flying school) at Jüterbog where he learned to fly multi-engine aircraft.[ At the end of 1935, Seidel was posted to the General Staff of the German Air Force at the Air Ministry where he served as a department chief, and was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel.
In March 1937, Seidel accepted the command of an air group, ''Aufklärungsgruppe 12'' (Reconnaissance Group 12) and was simultaneously given command of the group's airfield at Stargard-Klützow.][
]
World War II
On 16 April 1938 Seidel was named ''Generalquartiermeister der Luftwaffe'', the top staff officer in charge of supply and administration for the German Air Force, a position he held for the next six years. He served under Hans Jeschonnek, an ardent Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
and an airman prone to making significant strategic mistakes, such as opposing the production of four-engine bombers in favor of dive bombers.[Mitcham, 1988, p. 232.] To Jeschonnek, the Quartermaster General should have been his second-most important assistant after the Chief of Operations, but Jeschonnek suffered a cold relationship with Seidel.[Suchenwirth, 1970 Issue 174, p. 270.] The two men worked hundreds of kilometres apart, with no contact for months on end, though their plans were intimately tied. On five occasions, Seidel requested a transfer and was refused each time.[ Seidel tried to keep the ''Luftwaffe'' supply lines from breaking, but Hitler's ideas and Jeschonnek's plans were too difficult to counter. Seidel agreed with top airman Hermann Göring and influential General Erhard Milch that their leader was a negative factor in air planning. After the war, Seidel said, "Hitler understood nothing about flying and cared less."][
In 1939, Seidel formed two ''Flugzeug-Überführungsgruppen'' (aircraft ferry groups) to streamline the delivery of new aircraft to combat air groups. Prior to this the aircraft were sometimes flown to combat groups by airmen posted to the Supply and Procurement Groups, and sometimes were picked up by combat fliers with a resulting disruption to manpower availability at the front.][Suchenwirth, 1970 Issue 160, p. 140.]
When Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, the ''Luftwaffe'' was worked hard, and the supply chain was stretched taut. Before the attack, aviation gas reserves were at 400,000 tonnes and Seidel, promoted to major general the day the war started,[ demanded that they be increased to 600,000 tonnes, a six-month supply, before offensive operations were begun.][ His numbers "were ridiculed as 'exaggerated'."][ The expenditure of aerial munitions in the operation went beyond expectations, taking some 3,000 tonnes, a third of the total stock of explosives. Many aircraft were lost to Polish ]anti-aircraft fire
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
, and some from fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
opposition and operational accidents. Seidel reported that as of 28 September 1939, 285 aircraft were lost to all causes, while 279 additional aircraft were damaged more than ten per cent and required major repairs. Aircrew losses were 189 dead, 126 wounded, and 224 missing, with 195 more casualties among ''Luftwaffe'' ground personnel and ''Fliegerabwehrkanone'' (flak) units.
Seidel saw that aircraft testing areas were needed behind front lines, so that newly delivered aircraft could be assessed and given minor field modifications appropriate to their employment in battle. He established such testing areas, and also used them for final assembly of any light aircraft shipped by rail.[
In autumn 1940, Seidel was informed by Hermann Göring, leader of the ''Luftwaffe'', of ]Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's plan to invade the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
the next summer. Along with other top air officers, Seidel was astonished at the idea and doubtful of success. He warned Göring that the ''Luftwaffe'' could not possibly cope with this demand. Göring insisted that there was no alternative, that he had already tried to change Hitler's mind.
Mannerheim's birthday
Upon the occasion of the 75th birthday of the Marshal of Finland, Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (, ; 4 June 1867 – 27 January 1951) was a Finnish military leader and statesman. He served as the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918, as Regent of Finland (1918–1919), as comma ...
, Hitler flew to Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
to visit him. On the morning of 4 June 1942 at Immola airfield near Imatra, Seidel was the first German general to arrive, followed within a few hours by ''Generaloberst'' Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, ''Generaloberst'' Eduard Dietl, and then ''Feldmarschall'' Wilhelm Keitel who accompanied Hitler. Finnish and German officers reviewed troops in the airfield, then the officers met in a rail car for a few hours. The visiting Germans flew out in the evening.
Eastern front
For the 800,000 ''Luftwaffe'' personnel on the Eastern Front, Seidel was able to work with Milch to secure extra woollen underwear, fur boots, and other winter wear. However, beginning in October 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...
, Seidel sought desperately to find enough aircraft to supply the surrounded Sixth Army by air–the Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers.
Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German Aeros ...
transports of '' Luftflotte 4'' (Air Fleet 4) were not sufficient, and Hitler had ordered the army to stand and fight. On 23 November, Seidel ordered all German ministry, training, and staff aircraft of any size to join the airlift into Stalingrad.[Akins, Willard B., II, Major, USAF. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2004]
''The Ghosts of Stalingrad''.
/ref> Some 600 aircraft flown by highly skilled instructors were taken from training facilities and sent east, with the result that some specialized training schools were closed. Aircraft as various as Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after th ...
bombers, Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor reconnaissance patrol bombers, Junkers Ju 90 airliners, and Junkers Ju 86
The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s, and employed by various air forces on both sides during World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry ten passengers. Two were delivered to S ...
trainers were pressed into airlift service.[ Many that arrived at eastern air bases were pushed aside as useless until they could be winterized. By 19 December, the collection of aircraft were at their peak of delivery, with 289 tonnes of supplies dropped in 154 sorties on that day. The Sixth Army needed 700–800 tonnes each day, with food and munitions as top priority, but they received only a fraction of that, and some deliveries such as spices and summer clothing were completely useless to the troops. Severe winter conditions and unrelenting Soviet attacks took a heavy toll of the ground and air forces. Some 488][Mitcham, 1988, p. 199.] aircraft were lost along with some 1,000 of the ''Luftwaffe'' finest airmen. Seidel noted the great equipment losses in that theatre: "Of 100,000 ''Luftwaffe'' vehicles in the East, only 15 per cent still functioning early in January 1942." The aircraft evacuated 42,000 men, mostly wounded, with the last one flown out on 24 January 1943. The Sixth Army surrendered on 3 February.
Hitler blamed Göring for the disaster in East, after which Göring announced that he would court-martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
Jeschonnek and Seidel for causing the failure of the Stalingrad airlift. Hitler forbade this action as he knew the two men were not at fault. Hitler considered Göring to be second only to himself in terms of guilt for the over-optimistic planning.[
From July 1944 to February 1945 Seidel served in Berlin as commander of ''Luftflotte 10'' (Air Fleet 10), a training and replacement organization. Late in February he was named leader of the Reserve ''Luftwaffe'' High Command, a position he was to hold for a few months until the end of the war.][
]
Post-war
Seidel was taken prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
on 6 May 1945 at Oberaudorf by American troops.[ On 17 May he was transferred to British supervision. On 9 January 1946, Seidel was taken to ]Island Farm
Island Farm, also called Camp 198, was a prisoner of war camp on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It hosted a number of Axis prisoners, mainly German, and was the scene of the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain d ...
where he became the leader of the prisoners at Special Camp 11.[ In that role he worked with Rear Admiral ]Hans Voss
Rear-Admiral Hans Voss (28 April 1894 – 29 May 1973) was a German naval officer. He entered the German Imperial Navy on 6 August 1914.
World War I
By January 1918 he was serving on the , ex-, when it sortied into the Aegean Sea to attack Britis ...
who was liaison to the British authorities. Seidel headed a group of German officers who ranked above him, ones charged with war crimes or being held as witnesses, including Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
s Gerd von Rundstedt, Erich von Manstein, Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist, and Walter von Brauchitsch
Walther Heinrich Alfred Hermann von Brauchitsch (4 October 1881 – 18 October 1948) was a German field marshal and the Commander-in-Chief (''Oberbefehlshaber'') of the German Army during World War II. Born into an aristocratic military famil ...
. He was interviewed for his views on the war, and gave his opinion that the invasion of Germany would have failed except for Allied air power disrupting German supply lines. He said that this was "the decisive factor..." On 12 May 1948 after three years of imprisonment, Seidel began the process of repatriation.
In 1949, Seidel gave a lecture about how the supply of aviation fuel was a major factor in the war.[Suchenwirth, 1970 Issue 160, p. 128.] In the early 1950s, he corresponded with authors seeking further information about the war. Seidel died in Bad Godesberg
Bad Godesberg ( ksh, Bad Jodesbersch) is a borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 to 1999, while Bonn was the capital of West Germany, most foreign embassies were in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings ar ...
on 10 November 1955.[
A '']Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
'' barracks at Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
was named in his honor in 1965: ''General-von-Seidel-Kaserne'' (General von Seidel Barracks).
Commands and assignments
* 18 March 1910 – 30 September 1913: ''Fahnenjunker'' and squadron officer in ''1. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr.1.''
* 1 October 1913 – 2 August 1917: Squadron officer and squadron commander in ''Husaren-Regiment Kaiser Nikolaus II von Rußland (1. Westfälisches ) Nr.8.''
* 3 August – 31 October 1917: Ordnance officer on the staff of 77th Reserve Division.
* 1 November 1917 – 30 June 1918: Chief Supply Officer (Ib) on the staff of 2nd Infantry Division.
* 1 July – 13 December 1918: Chief Supply Officer (Ib) on the General Staff of the ''Landwehr'' Corps.
* 14 December 1918 – 11 August 1919: Consultant in the Operations Department of the Army High Command, General Staff of the Field Army and General Staff of the Army.
* 12 August – 25 September 1919: Transferred to the ''Kommandostelle'' of the General Staff of the Army in Kolberg.
* 26 September – 27 November 1919: Transferred to the ''Abwicklungsstelle'' of the General Staff of the Army.
* 28 November 1919 – 26 April 1920: Consultant in the Army Command/Reich War Ministry.
* 26 April 1920: Separated from the Army.
* 1 May 1934: Returned to military service with the Luftwaffe.
* 1 May 1934 – 30 November 1935: Consultant in the Air Command Department, Reich Air Ministry.
* 18 August – 11 October 1935: Detached to aerial observer course at the Flying School Braunschweig
Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...
and at the ''Kampffliegerschule'' (Bomber Flying School) Jüterbog.
* 1 December 1935 – 28 February 1937: Department Chief in the General Staff of the ''Luftwaffe'', Reich Air Ministry.
* 1 March 1937 – 15 April 1938: Commander of ''Aufklärungsgruppe 12'' (Reconnaissance Group 12) and, at the same time, Military Airfield Commandant Stargard-Klützow.
* 16 April 1938 – 30 June 1944: Quartermaster General of the ''Luftwaffe''.
* 1 July 1944 – 27 February 1945: Commander-in-Chief of ''Luftflotte 10 A list of ''Luftwaffe "Luftflotten"'' (Air Fleets) and their locations between 1939 and 1945.
Timeline
ImageSize = width:580 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:80 bottom:60 top:10 right:40
AlignBars = early
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy ...
'' (Air Fleet 10).
* 27 February – 6 May 1945: ''Führer'' Reserve Luftwaffe High Command.
* 6–17 May 1945: Prisoner of war in American captivity.
* 17 May 1945 – 17 May 1948: Prisoner of war in British captivity.
**9 January 1946 transferred to Island Farm
Island Farm, also called Camp 198, was a prisoner of war camp on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It hosted a number of Axis prisoners, mainly German, and was the scene of the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain d ...
Special Camp 11
**12 May 1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation.
Promotions
* '' Fahnenjunker- Unteroffizier'': 5 August 1910
* ''Fähnrich
Fähnrich () is an officer candidate rank in the Austrian Bundesheer
The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria.
The military consists of 22,050 active-d ...
'': 16 November 1910
* '' Leutnant'': 18 August 1911 (Patent 20 August 1909)
* ''Oberleutnant
() is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces.
Austria
Germany
In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Trans ...
'': 18 August 1915
* '' Rittmeister'': 18 August 1918
* '' Hauptmann i.G.'': 21 August 1918
* ''Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
i.G.'': 1 May 1934
* '' Oberstleutnant i.G.'': 1 April 1936
* '' Oberst i.G.'': 1 August 1938
* ''Generalmajor
is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...
'': 1 September 1939
* '' Generalleutnant'': 19 July 1940
* '' General der Flieger'': 1 January 1942[
]
Awards
* Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
of 1914, 1st and 2nd class
* Clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class
* Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit ...
with Swords as ''General der Flieger'' and Quartermaster General of the Luftwaffe (20 July 1944)
* Memel Medal
The Return of Memel Commemorative Medal (''Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes''; 22. März 1939) was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, the last in a series of Occupation Medals.
Description
G ...
* Sudetenland Medal with clasp "Prague Castle"
* War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit ...
, 1st and 2nd class with Swords
* Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
The Pilot/Observer Badge (german: Flugzeugführer- und Beobachterabzeichen) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Luftwaffe service personnel who had already been awarded the Pilot's Badge and Observer Badge. It was instituted o ...
* Wehrmacht Long Service Award, Class IV (four years 1936–1940) and Class III (eight years 1936–1944)
* Order of the White Rose of Finland, Grand Cross (19 February 1941)[Matikkala, 2017, p. 516.]
* Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...
, Grand Officer with Swords (23 December 1941)
* Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Oakleaves and Swords (31 March 1943)
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Barnett, Correlli. ''Hitler's Generals''. Grove Press, 1989.
* Bekker, Cajus. ''The Luftwaffe War Diaries: The German Air Force in World War II''. Da Capo Press, 1994.
* Boog, Horst; Gerhard Krebs; Detlef Vogel. ''Germany and the Second World War: Volume VII: The Strategic Air War in Europe and the War in the West and East Asia, 1943–1944/5''. Oxford University Press, 2006.
* Brett-Smith, Richard. ''Hitler's Generals''. Osprey Publishing, 1976.
* Craig, William. ''Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad''. New York: Penguin Books paperback, 1973.
* Hayward, Joel S.A. ''Stopped at Stalingrad: The Luftwaffe and Hitler's Defeat in the East, 1942–1943.'' Modern War Studies. University Press of Kansas, 1998.
* Hooton, E.R. ''Luftwaffe at War; Gathering Storm 1933-39: Volume 1.'' Chevron/Ian Allan, London, 2007.
* Hooton, E.R. ''Luftwaffe at War; Blitzkrieg in the West: Volume 2.'' Chevron/Ian Allan, London, 2007.
* Hooton, E.R. ''Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe''. Weidenfeld Military, 1997.
* Matikkala, Antti. ''Kunnian ruletti: Korkeimmat ulkomaalaisille 1941–1944 annetut suomalaiset kunniamerkit''. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2017.
* Mitcham, Samuel W. ''Men of the Luftwaffe''. Presidio Press, 1988.
* Suchenwirth, Richard. ''The development of the German Air Force, 1919–1939''. Issue 160 of USAF historical studies, German Air Force in World War 2 Series. Ayer Publishing, 1970.
* Suchenwirth, Richard. ''Command and leadership in the German Air Force''. Issue 174 of USAF historical studies, German Air Force in World War 2 Series. Ayer Publishing, 1970.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seidel, Hans-George Von
1891 births
1955 deaths
People from Märkisch-Oderland
People from the Province of Brandenburg
German Army personnel of World War I
Prussian Army personnel
Luftwaffe World War II generals
Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
Grand Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania
Recipients of the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class
Luftwaffe pilots
German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom
German untitled nobility
Generals of Aviators