Born on 15 January 1897 in
Regensburg,
Bavaria, Pemsel entered the
Bavarian Army during the
First World War in April 1916 as a volunteer. He was assigned to the 11th Reserve Infantry Regiment, with which he saw action at the
Western Front. On 30 April 1918 Pemsel was promoted to lieutenant. After the Armistice, Pemsel remained in the shrunken German
Reichswehr. In 1935 Pemsel became a staff officer in the
1st Mountain Division. During the
Second World War he fought in various theaters. In 1941 during the
Invasion of Yugoslavia he was the chief of staff of the
XVIII Gebirgskorps. By 1944 he had been promoted to lieutenant-general and made chief of staff of the
7th Army under
Generaloberst Friedrich Dollmann, during which coordinated the first German response to
Operation Overlord. In August 1944 Pemsel was transferred to Finland and given command of the
6th Mountain Division, a command he held until 19 April 1945. On 9 December 1944 Pemsel was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In April 1945 Pemsel was transferred to Italy, where he became chief of staff of the
Ligurien Armee. He surrendered on 26 April 1945 and remained a prisoner of war until April 1948. Pemsel retired on 30 September 1961 and died on 30 June 1985 in Munich. ==References==