Karl Bülowius was born on 2 March 1890 in Königsberg, Germany. He joined the Prussian Army on 26 November 1907 and became an officer cadet of the engineering troops where he would make his promotion to Leutnant on 19 June 1909. Bülowius participated in the First World War, serving in various engineering departments of the German Army that were involved in military duties in both Europe and Palestine. During the year 1918, Bülowius was elevated to the rank of Hauptmann. The First World War would end six months later on 11 November with a defeat for Germany and her allies - limiting Germany's army to 100000 men until Adolf Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles fifteen years later. He was relieved from the Army on December 31, 1920 due to unfortunate circumstances surrounding the structure of Germany's post-World War I military. However, Bülowius returned to active military service on 1 June 1924. He would serve in various engineering and cavalry units of the Reichswehr during the 1920s and the 1930s.
At the beginning of World War II, he commanded Oberbaustab X. Bülowius became commanding officer of engineering parts of the 8th Army on 26 October 1939. Success in commanding the 8th Army would result in Bülowius holding on the same post when he was transferred to the 9th Army on 15 May 1940. Transferred to North Africa, Bülowius commanded the engineers of Panzer Army Africa on 25 October 1942. Between 17 and 25 February 1943, he commanded the entire group. Bülowius held the position of post commander in von Manteuffel's former division on April 1943 and kept it until he was captured the following month. Von Manteuffel had been evacuated back to Germany due to exhaustion and later sent to the Eastern Front on a promotion to Major General. He was captured by U.S. troops on 9 May 1943 near the end of the North African campaign. The North Africa campaign would end seven days later on 16 May 1943 when the Axis forces were forced to retreat to Southern Italy in a decisive defeat. Bülowius finished his career in the German Heer component by committing suicide on March 27, 1945 at the prisoner-of-war camp named Camp Forrest in Coffee County, Tennessee, USA. He is interred at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. und I. Klasse mit Schwertern
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42"
Ärmelband "Afrika"
German Cross in Silver – November 30, 1942 as Generalmajor and Armee-Pionier-Führer der 9. Armee
In fiction
Bülowius would make a "special guest appearance" in the Japanese video gameSgt. Saunders' Combat!. This officer is only seen during the North Africa campaign of 1942-43; particularly during the Tunisia Campaign. He holds the rank of Generalmajor in the game and can be killed by any Allied Forces unit. In campaign mode, Bülowius can only be utilized by the AI opponent. He may be seen in other video games related to World War II that involve either the Eastern Front and/or the North Africa campaign.
