Bio of General der Infanterie Friedrich Schulz (1897-1976)

Full name: Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Schulz
Nickname: Fritz

Date of birth: 15 October 1897 - Nettkow, Landkreis Grünberg, Silesia (German Empire)
Date of death: 30 November 1976 - Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg (West Germany)

Religion: Protestant  
Parents: His father was a goods manager in the Nettkow area of Silesia. Information on his mother is not widely documented in public sources.  
Siblings: No confirmed information on siblings is available in standard biographical records.  
Spouse: Schulz married Margarete Teichmann on 10 June 1922. She died in 1945. He remarried Luitgard Kohlrausch on 16 October 1948. She died in 2015 at age 96 and is buried with him.  
Children: Two daughters from his first marriage, born in 1923 and 1930 respectively. No further public details on their lives are available.

Promotions:
26th June 1916: Leutnant (promoted on 9th August 1916);
1st October 1919: Leutnant (effective from 1st October 1915);
1st August 1925: Oberleutnant (effective from 1st April 1925);
1st November 1931: Hauptmann;
1st January 1936: Major;
1st February 1939 Oberstleutnant (effective from 1st February 1938);
1st April 1941: Oberst;
1st July 1942: Generalmajor;
1st July 1943: Generalleutnant;
1st April 1944: General der Infanterie;

Career:
19th September 1914: Entered service as Kriegsfreiwilliger and was assigned to IR von der Goltz (7. Pommersches) Nr. 54 as Fahnenjunker;
26th June 1916: Leutnant in (3. Posensches) IR Nr. 58;
Grenzschutz Schlesien in 6. / Infanterie-Regiment 8, Glogau and later with the Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 8;
11th March - 16th March 1919: Wehrkreisprüfung;
1st October 1920: Infanterie-Regiment 8;
1st October 1926: Adjutant III. / Infanterie-Regiment 8, Görlitz;
1st October 1930: Führergehilfenausbildung;
1932: Stab 4.Division, Dresden;
1st September 1933: Generalstab, RWM;
1st October 1934: Kompanie-Chef Infanterie-Reigment 30;
15th October 1935: Ia 23.Infanterie-Division;
1st October 1937 - 20th April 1940: Stab Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, Gruppenleiter II (Organisation) / Abteilung L / Wehrmachtführungsamt;
20th April 1940 - 24th April 1942: Chef des Generalstabes, XXXXIII.Armee-Korps;
12th May 1942 - 21th November 1942: Chef des Generalstabes, 11.Armee;
21sh November 1942 - 12th February 1943: Chef des Generalstabes, Heeresgruppe Don;
12th february 1943 - 1st March 1943: Chef des Generalstabs der Heeresgruppe Süd;
1st May 1943 - 1st December 1943: Kommandeur 28.Jäger-Division;
28th November 1943 - 1st January 1944: Kommandierender General (m.d.F.b.) III.Panzer-Korps;
8th February 1944 - 21nd March 1944: Kommandierender General LIX.Armee-Korps;
22nd March 1944 - 3rd July 1944: Kommandierender General (m.d.F.b. until 31st March 1944, then permanent from 1st April 1944) XXXXVI.Panzer-Korps;
25th July 1944 - 25th March 1945: Oberbefehlshaber 17.Armee;
5th April 1945 - 29th April 1945: Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgrupe G;
29th April 1945: send to Italy bu Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring;
30th April 1945: Oberbefehlshaber Südwest;
3rd May 1945 - 5th May 1945: Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe G;
6th May 1945 - 1946: Prisoner of War U.S. Army.

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 1914 2. Klasse (2 June 1916)  
Eisernes Kreuz 1914 1. Klasse (27 January 1918)  
Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Schwarz  
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918 mit Schwertern (1934)  
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnungen 4. Bis 1. Klasse  
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse 1939 (6 April 1940)  
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse 1939 (14 June 1940)  
Ostmedaille  
Krimschild  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (29 March 1942) as Oberst im Generalstab and Chef des Generalstabes XXXXIII. Armeekorps, for defensive actions near Kaluga. In the harsh winter of 1941–1942, during the Soviet winter offensive near Kaluga southwest of Moscow, the XXXXIII. Armeekorps faced repeated heavy attacks from superior Red Army forces. As chief of staff, Schulz played a central role in planning and coordinating the corps’ defensive operations. Under extreme cold, supply shortages, and constant pressure, he helped organize flexible withdrawals, counterattacks, and the holding of key positions that prevented a complete breakthrough. His clear operational planning and tireless work in stabilizing the front contributed decisively to the corps’ ability to maintain cohesion and inflict significant losses on the attacking enemy. For these achievements in defensive leadership during the critical winter battles, he received the Ritterkreuz.
Orden Michaels des Tapferen III. Klasse (6 October 1942)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (14 March 1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #428 (20 March 1944) as Generalleutnant and Kommandierender General (mit der Führung beauftragt) III. Panzerkorps, for leadership near Cherkassy. In late 1943 and early 1944, during the intense defensive battles around Cherkassy (Korsun Pocket) on the southern sector of the Eastern Front, Schulz temporarily took acting command of the III. Panzerkorps. Soviet forces launched powerful assaults aimed at encircling and destroying German units in the pocket. Under his leadership, the corps conducted skillful mobile defense and counterattacks amid muddy terrain, limited fuel, and overwhelming enemy numbers. Schulz directed coordinated tank and infantry actions that helped relieve pressure on trapped forces, facilitated breakout attempts, and stabilized threatened sectors. His energetic personal leadership and tactical decisions enabled the corps to hold key ground longer than expected and extract valuable combat power despite the dire situation. These actions in the Cherkassy fighting earned him the Eichenlaub.  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #135 (26 February 1945 as General der Infanterie and Oberbefehlshaber 17. Armee, for defense of Upper Silesia. In February 1945, as commander-in-chief of the 17. Armee within Heeresgruppe Mitte, Schulz directed the defense of the vital Upper Silesian industrial region. Following the Soviet breakthrough near Liegnitz during the Lower Silesian Offensive, massive Red Army forces threatened to overrun the area and its critical coal mines and factories. Schulz rapidly reorganized his depleted units, personally inspiring troops through example and energetic command. He established a new defensive line where repeated Soviet attacks were repelled with heavy enemy losses. Despite severe shortages of manpower, ammunition, and fuel, his forces conducted stubborn delaying actions and successful local counterattacks that slowed the Soviet advance and preserved part of the industrial heartland longer than anticipated. His capable leadership turned a potential collapse into an orderly defense that bought precious time for German operations elsewhere. For this outstanding performance in the Upper Silesian battles, he was awarded the Schwerter.

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Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Schulz, commonly known as Fritz Schulz, was a German general of infantry in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. Born on 15 October 1897 in Nettkow in the Province of Silesia within the Kingdom of Prussia, he rose through the ranks from a young volunteer in the First World War to one of the senior field commanders on the Eastern Front in the final desperate months of the conflict. Schulz demonstrated a combination of meticulous staff work and energetic frontline leadership that earned him rapid promotions and Germany's highest military decorations. He served continuously from 1914 until the collapse of the Third Reich in 1945, surviving the war to live quietly in West Germany until his death on 30 November 1976 in Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg.

Schulz entered military service on 19 September 1914 as a war volunteer and officer candidate with Infanterie-Regiment von der Goltz (7. Pommersches) Nr. 54. He transferred to (3. Posensches) Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 58, where he was commissioned as Leutnant in June 1916. During the First World War he fought on both the Western and Eastern fronts, suffering wounds that earned him the Wound Badge in Black. He received the Iron Cross Second Class in 1916 and First Class in 1918 for bravery under fire. After the armistice he participated in border defense duties in Silesia with Grenzschutz units and later joined the Reichswehr, serving with Infanterie-Regiment 8. His early career in the small professional army of the Weimar Republic included adjutant duties, general staff training, and various staff positions that prepared him for higher responsibilities.

In the years leading to the Second World War, Schulz advanced steadily through the ranks while holding key organizational and planning roles. He became Hauptmann in 1931, served as company commander in Infanterie-Regiment 30, and acted as first general staff officer of the 23. Infanterie-Division. By 1937 he had risen to Gruppenleiter for organization matters in the Wehrmachtführungsamt at the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. Promoted to Major in 1936 and Oberstleutnant in 1939, he brought calm professionalism and thorough planning skills to increasingly demanding positions. When war broke out in 1939, his experience placed him in critical staff roles that shaped operations on multiple fronts.

Schulz first gained widespread recognition during the harsh winter battles of 1941-1942 on the central sector of the Eastern Front. As Oberst and chief of staff of the XXXXIII. Armeekorps, he coordinated defensive efforts near Kaluga southwest of Moscow against repeated Soviet winter offensives. Under conditions of extreme cold, frozen equipment, and severe supply shortages, the corps faced relentless attacks by superior Red Army forces attempting to shatter the German line. Schulz helped organize flexible withdrawals, timely counterattacks, and the stubborn defense of key strongpoints that prevented a decisive breakthrough. His clear operational planning and tireless coordination stabilized threatened sectors and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, actions that directly contributed to the award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 March 1942.

Later in the war Schulz transitioned from staff duties to direct field command, facing some of the most intense fighting of the Eastern campaign. In late 1943, as Generalleutnant, he took acting command of the III. Panzerkorps during the critical battles around Cherkassy in Ukraine. Soviet forces launched powerful assaults aimed at encircling German units in the Dnieper bend area, creating muddy quagmires that hampered movement while artillery and tank attacks pounded German positions. Under Schulz's leadership the corps conducted skillful mobile defense, launching localized armored counterthrusts that disrupted Soviet advances and bought time for threatened formations. His energetic direction helped maintain cohesion amid logistical strain and overwhelming enemy pressure in the prelude to the larger Korsun-Cherkassy pocket, earning him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 20 March 1944 as the 428th recipient.

In the final year of the war Schulz rose to army-level command during the Soviet winter offensives of 1945. As General der Infanterie and commander-in-chief of the 17. Armee from July 1944, he was responsible for defending the vital Upper Silesian industrial region with its coal mines and factories essential to the German war effort. Following a major Soviet breakthrough near Liegnitz in February 1945, massive Red Army tank and infantry columns threatened to overrun the area in a rapid advance. Schulz rapidly reorganized depleted divisions, established new defensive lines, and personally inspired his exhausted troops through visible leadership and decisive orders. His forces repelled repeated Soviet attacks with determined resistance and local counterattacks, inflicting heavy casualties and slowing the enemy momentum despite critical shortages of men, ammunition, and fuel. These actions preserved parts of the industrial heartland longer than expected and demonstrated outstanding defensive skill, leading to the award of the Swords to the Knight's Cross on 26 February 1945 as the 135th recipient.

In the chaotic last weeks of the war Schulz briefly commanded higher formations, including Heeresgruppe G and temporary oversight of operations in southern Germany and Italy under Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring. Captured by American forces in May 1945, he spent time as a prisoner of war before his release in 1948. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he avoided public controversy or further military involvement in the postwar era. Schulz lived a private life in West Germany, remembered primarily by military historians for his progression from capable staff officer to resilient army commander in the most demanding defensive battles of the Eastern Front. His decorations and career reflect the heavy burdens placed on German generals in the later stages of the conflict.

Source:
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945.  
Elite of the Third Reich by W.P. Fellgiebel and related Wehrmacht command studies.  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Schulz  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34588/Schulz-Karl-Friedrich-Fritz-Wilhelm.htm  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/schulz-karl-friedrich-fritz-wilhelm/  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/  
https://rk.balsi.de/  
https://www.geni.com/  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.unithistories.com/  
Archived Geocities material via web.archive.org (orion47)  
https://grokipedia.com/  

Bio of Generalleutnant Dietrich von Müller (1891-1961)

Full name: Dietrich Ernst-August von Müller
Nickname: None known

Date of Birth: 16 September 1891 - Malchow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin (German Empire)
Date of Death: 3 January 1961 - Hamburg (West Germany)

Religion: Protestant (Evangelical Lutheran)
Father: Generalmajor Emil von Müller
Mother: Elisabeth von Grolman
Siblings: Information not publicly detailed
Spouse: Maria-Theresia von Requisto
Children: Information not publicly detailed

Promotions
01 October 1910 Einjährig-Freiwilliger
17 June 1911 Leutnant
01 January 1934 Hauptmann
01 January 1939 Major
01 April 1941 Oberstleutnant
01 April 1942 Oberst
09 November 1944 Generalmajor
20 April 1945 Generalleutnant

Career:
01 October 1910: Entered service as Einjährig-Freiwilliger (one-year volunteer) in Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3, Lübben
Served on the Western Front; awarded both classes of the Iron Cross (1914–1916)
End of World War I: Leutnant in the staff of the Berlin Landwehr Inspectorate
01 April 1920: Discharged from Reichswehr
After military service, Müller studied agricultural sciences and worked in civilian positions until rejoining the Wehrmacht in the 1930s.
01 January 1934: Reentered Heer as Hauptmann, assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 5 (Stettin)
01 January 1939: Major, commanded II. Battalion, Infanterie-Regiment 5
20 August 1940: Commanding Officer, Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 5
01 April 1941: Promoted to Oberstleutnant
05 September 1941: Appointed Kommandeur, Schützen-Regiment 5 (later Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5)
21 February 1942: Awarded Deutsches Kreuz in Gold as Oberstleutnant commanding Schützen-Regiment 5
03 May 1942: Awarded Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross) for leadership during battle near Pogostje
10 July 1942: Regiment renamed Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5; Müller remained commander
01 April 1942: Promoted to Oberst
16 August 1943: Awarded Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (Oak Leaves) for actions near Bolchow
Mid-1943: Appointed Leiter der taktischen Lehrgänge (Head of tactical courses) at Panzertruppenschule II, Krampnitz
1943–1944: Conducted training at the Abteilungsführerschule in Paris and served on the staff of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, Inspector of the Panzertruppen
14 August 1944: Appointed Kommandeur, 16. Panzer-Division
09 November 1944: Promoted to Generalmajor
20 February 1945: Awarded Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub (Swords) as Generalmajor and Kommandeur of the 16. Panzer-Division for successful leadership during Soviet offensives near Kielce and Sulejów
20 April 1945: Promoted to Generalleutnant (officially after his capture)
19 April 1945: Dietrich von Müller was captured by Czech partisans near Hoštice Castle, Kroměříž District, Moravia, and handed over to the Soviet Red Army. He was convicted as a war criminal in the Soviet Union and held in captivity until his release in late 1955. He lived quietly in Hamburg until his death on 3 January 1961 at the age of 69.

Awards and Decorations:
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (2 October 1914)
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (19 August 1916)
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse (19 September 1939)
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz I. Klasse (31 October 1939)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (21 February 1942)
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42"
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #982 (3 May 1942) as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Schützen-Regiment 5 / 12.Panzer-Division. He received the award for his actions on 16 February 1942 near Pogostje (also spelled Pogost'ye), during heavy winter fighting on the Eastern Front.
The Soviets launched a powerful assault with overwhelming force, including 43 tanks supporting infantry, aiming to shatter the German lines. The situation turned critical as enemy armor and troops threatened a major breakthrough that could endanger not only the division but the entire corps. Von Müller personally led his regiment in a determined defense. His troops held firm under intense pressure, repelling the attack through coordinated fire, close-quarters fighting, and resolute leadership. By preventing the penetration, they turned a near-disaster into a defensive victory, stabilizing the sector and averting a collapse.
In vivid terms: Snow-covered forests and frozen ground echoed with the roar of Soviet T-34s and KV tanks grinding forward, their tracks churning up ice and mud. Waves of Red Army infantry charged through blizzards, supported by artillery barrages that shook the earth. Von Müller's grenadiers, dug into hasty positions or fighting from half-tracks, poured machine-gun and anti-tank fire into the onslaught. When tanks breached forward lines, he directed close defense with Panzerfausts, grenades, and flanking fire from hidden positions. Amid the chaos of exploding shells, burning vehicles, and hand-to-hand combat in the snow, his calm command and personal example rallied his men, sealing the gap and forcing the Soviets to withdraw with heavy losses. (Note: His regiment was later redesignated Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 on 10 July 1942.)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #272 (16 August 1943) as Oberst and Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 / 12.Panzer-Division. He earned the award for his regiment's decisive intervention and leadership during counterattacks east of Bolchoff (Bolkhov) from 13–20 July 1943. This occurred amid the Soviet Oryol Offensive (part of the broader operations following the Battle of Kursk), where the division helped plug a dangerous penetration in the sector of the 208. Infanterie-Division.
Key moments included:
On 14 July, the regiment attacked astride the Asarowo-Kornilowo road to regain lost ground.
On 16 July, the I. Battalion became encircled by Soviet forces. Von Müller personally led a relief force consisting of two Panzer IV tanks and an armored car, smashing through the enemy ring in a daring breakout. He then extracted the battalion and returned it to the main German frontline.
On 18 July, his troops repulsed nine separate Soviet attacks in heavy, bloody fighting, playing a central role in restoring and stabilizing the front.
The combat was intense and fluid, typical of mid-1943 Eastern Front battles: Soviet infantry and armor probed and assaulted repeatedly under cover of artillery and air support, while German panzergrenadiers—mounted in half-tracks or fighting dismounted—counterattacked with tank support. Muddy summer terrain, ruined villages, and shell-pocked fields became killing grounds. When encircled, von Müller's small armored spearhead roared through enemy positions, cannons blazing and machine guns raking Soviet troops, creating chaos and allowing the trapped battalion to fight its way out. Over days of near-constant action, his regiment's aggressive defense and local counterthrusts blunted the Soviet momentum, preventing a deeper breach despite numerical inferiority and exhaustion. His tactical skill and personal courage in the relief action were highlighted as pivotal.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub mit Schwertern #134 (20 February 1945) as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 16. Panzer-Division. He received the award for his leadership during the chaotic Soviet winter offensive in January 1945, particularly the division's repeated breakouts from encirclement in Poland and western Ukraine/southern Poland sectors (around the Baranow bridgehead area, Kielce, Sulejow, and toward the Oder).
The 16. Panzer-Division faced the massive Red Army push from the Baranow (or Baranów) bridgehead. It attempted to stem the tide but was forced to withdraw under heavy pressure, suffering losses and abandoning or destroying many vehicles due to fuel shortages. The division was encircled south of Kielce, fought its way out to friendly lines, only to be encircled again east of Sulejow. It then joined General Walther Nehring's pocket (part of XXIV Panzer Corps operations) and spearheaded a fighting withdrawal through Lissa (Leszno), eventually reaching the Oder River near Glogau (Głogów) on 27 January 1945.
These breakouts involved desperate mobile warfare in freezing winter conditions: Soviet tank armies and infantry swarmed German positions, cutting supply lines and surrounding pockets. Von Müller's division, reduced in strength but retaining some armored fighting vehicles and determined panzergrenadiers, executed aggressive thrusts to punch through enemy cordons. Tanks and half-tracks spearheaded charges across snowfields and through villages, engaging Soviet T-34s and infantry in running battles. Ammunition and fuel were critically low, forcing improvisation—abandoning damaged vehicles after stripping them, or using captured fuel. Troops fought in blinding snowstorms, with close combat in ruined buildings and along roads. His command coordinated these repeated escapes, preventing annihilation and allowing the formation to rejoin larger German forces for the defense along the Oder. The actions contributed significantly to the corps' overall successful (if costly) withdrawal, showcasing resilient leadership amid collapse.

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Dietrich von Müller was a German general who served in both world wars and rose to the rank of Generalleutnant in the final months of the Second World War. Born on 16 September 1891 in Malchow in Mecklenburg, he volunteered for military service in 1910 and joined Jäger-Regiment 3. During the First World War he saw action on the Western Front, where he was wounded several times and commissioned as Leutnant in 1915. After the armistice he left the Reichswehr in 1920 but returned to active duty in 1939 as the commander of the second battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 5. His steady career in motorized and armored formations on the Eastern Front later earned him high decorations for leadership under extreme pressure. 

In the early phase of Operation Barbarossa, von Müller commanded Schützen-Regiment 5, a motorized infantry unit that operated in the harsh winter conditions of 1941-1942 near the Volkhov sector. On 16 February 1942 the Soviets launched a massive assault near Pogostje with strong infantry supported by more than forty tanks. The enemy armor ground forward through deep snow and frozen terrain, threatening to tear open the German lines and endanger the entire corps. Von Müller personally directed the defense from forward positions, coordinating anti-tank fire and close-quarters counterattacks. His grenadiers held their hastily prepared positions amid blinding blizzards and artillery barrages, using machine guns, grenades, and flanking maneuvers to destroy or disable numerous Soviet tanks. When penetrations occurred, he led rapid responses that sealed the gaps, turning a critical situation into a defensive success that stabilized the sector. For these actions he first received the German Cross in Gold on 21 February 1942 and then the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 May 1942 as Oberstleutnant and regimental commander.

The regiment was redesignated Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 in July 1942 and continued fighting with the 12. Panzer-Division under Heeresgruppe Mitte. In mid-July 1943, during the Soviet Oryol Offensive that followed the Battle of Kursk, the division was thrown into desperate counterattacks east of Bolkhov to close a dangerous penetration in the sector of the 208. Infanterie-Division. Von Müller, now Oberst, led his regiment in aggressive thrusts along the Asarowo-Kornilowo road on 14 July. Two days later, when the first battalion became encircled by superior Soviet forces, he personally assembled a small relief group consisting of two Panzer IV tanks and an armored car. The tiny spearhead roared through enemy positions under heavy fire, cannons blazing and machine guns sweeping Soviet infantry, creating enough chaos for the trapped battalion to fight its way back to the main German lines. Over the following days his troops repelled repeated assaults in bloody fighting across muddy fields and ruined villages, playing a decisive role in restoring the front despite being outnumbered. These actions earned him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 16 August 1943 as the 272nd recipient.

After a period of instructional duties at Panzer training schools and staff assignments, including a brief role with the staff of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, von Müller returned to frontline command in 1944. In August 1944 he took charge of the 16. Panzer-Division, which had been heavily engaged in defensive battles in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. By early 1945 the division faced the overwhelming Soviet winter offensive launched from the Baranow bridgehead. Reduced in strength and short of fuel and ammunition, the formation was repeatedly encircled amid the chaos of rapid Soviet advances through Poland. Under von Müller's leadership the division first broke out from a pocket south of Kielce, fighting through snow-covered roads and Soviet blocking forces in running battles. Shortly afterward it was surrounded again east of Sulejow. Once more the panzergrenadiers and remaining tanks punched through enemy cordons in desperate mobile actions, joining the larger wandering pocket commanded by General Walther Nehring. The Kampfgruppe under von Müller spearheaded the fighting withdrawal, passing through Lissa and reaching the Oder River near Glogau on 27 January 1945. His calm direction and aggressive use of limited armored assets prevented the complete destruction of the division and contributed significantly to the corps' survival. For this resilient leadership during the January retreats he received the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 20 February 1945 as the 134th recipient, while serving as Generalmajor.

Promoted to Generalleutnant on 20 April 1945, von Müller continued to lead remnants of his division in the final chaotic weeks of the war. On 19 April 1945, near Hoštice castle in the Kroměříž District of Moravia, he was captured by Czech partisans of the 1st Czechoslovak Partisan Brigade and handed over to the Red Army. He spent the next decade in Soviet captivity before being released in 1955. After returning to West Germany he lived quietly in Hamburg, where he died on 3 January 1961 at the age of 69.

Throughout his career Dietrich von Müller exemplified the qualities of a professional armored commander on the Eastern Front: personal courage in relief actions, tactical skill in fluid defensive battles, and the ability to inspire exhausted troops during repeated encirclements. His decorations reflected not only individual bravery but also the successful execution of missions that delayed Soviet advances at critical moments, often against overwhelming odds in the brutal conditions of winter warfare and summer offensives. Though the 16. Panzer-Division under his command suffered heavy losses in the final campaigns, its repeated breakouts allowed many soldiers to reach safer lines along the Oder and continue the defense of the Reich in its closing days. Von Müller's service spanned more than three decades of German military history, from the trenches of the First World War to the mobile operations and desperate retreats of the Second.

Source:
Alman, Karl. Ritterkreuzträger des Westwalles.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945.
Müller-Hillebrand, Burkhart. Das Heer 1933–1945.
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945.
[https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/M/MuellerDietrichv.htm](https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/M/MuellerDietrichv.htm)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_von_Müller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_von_Müller)
[https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/12204/Müller-von-Dietrich.htm](https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/12204/Müller-von-Dietrich.htm)
[https://rk.balsi.de/](https://rk.balsi.de/)
[https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html](https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html)
[https://forum.axishistory.com/](https://forum.axishistory.com/)
[https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/](https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/)
[https://www.geni.com/](https://www.geni.com/)

Bio of Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (1875-1953)

Full name: Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt
Nickname: The Last Prussian

Date of birth: 12.12.1875 - Aschersleben, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of death: 24.02.1953 - Hanover, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Buried: Stöckener Cemetery

Religion: Evangelical
Parents: Gerd Konrad von Rundstedt (Father) and Adelheid Elise Doraline von Zesterfleth (Mother)
Siblings: He had two brothers and three sisters
Spouse: Louise "Bila" von Götz (married in 1902)
Children: Hans-Gerd von Rundstedt (Son)

Promotions:
17.06.1893 Sekonde-Leutnant
01.01.1899 Leutnant
12.09.1902 Oberleutnant
24.03.1907 Hauptmann
28.11.1914 Major
01.10.1920 Oberstleutnant
01.02.1923 Oberst
01.11.1927 Generalmajor
01.03.1929 Generalleutnant
01.10.1932 General der Infanterie
15.03.1938 Generaloberst (with effect 01.03.1938)
19.07.1940 Generalfeldmarschall

Career:
22 March 1892: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker (Officer Cadet) in the 83rd Infantry Regiment (Kassel).
17 June 1893: Promoted to Leutnant (Lieutenant).
16 June 1902: Promoted to Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant).
October 1906 – July 1909: Attended the War Academy (Kriegsakademie) in Berlin.
24 March 1909: Promoted to Hauptmann (Captain).
1909 – 1912: Assigned to the Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab) in Berlin.
1 October 1912: Transferred to the staff of the 171st Infantry Brigade (Magdeburg).
2 August 1914: At the outbreak of WWI, served as a General Staff Officer with the XXII Reserve Army Corps.
28 November 1914: Promoted to Major (Major).
10 May 1915: Transferred to the General Staff of the 8th Army.
30 September 1915: Appointed Chief of Staff of the XXXVIII Reserve Army Corps.
19 September 1916: Appointed Chief of Staff of the 7th Army.
1919: Member of the Peace Commission for the return of the Army.
1 October 1919: Joined the Reichswehr Ministry and served on the staff of Gruppenkommando 1.
23 October 1921: Promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).
1 November 1923: Appointed Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment.
1 February 1925: Promoted to Oberst (Colonel).
1 November 1926: Appointed Chief of Staff of Wehrkreiskommando II (Stettin).
1 October 1927: Appointed Chief of Staff of Gruppenkommando 1 (Berlin).
1 February 1929: Promoted to Generalmajor (Brigadier General).
1 October 1929: Appointed Commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division (Breslau).
1 February 1932: Promoted to Generalleutnant (Major General).
1 October 1932: Appointed Commander of Wehrkreiskommando III and the 3rd Infantry Division (Berlin).
1 February 1934: Promoted to General der Infanterie (General of Infantry).
1 June 1935: Appointed Commander-in-Chief of Heeresgruppenkommando 1 (Berlin).
1 March 1938: Promoted to Generaloberst (Colonel General).
31 October 1938: Retired from active service (in den Ruhestand versetzt).
01.11.1938 Appointed to Chef des IR 18 (collar-patches as Oberst, the figure “18“ on his shoulder boards)
18.08.1939 Leiter “Arbeitsstab Rundstedt“
24.08.1939 Oberbefehlshaber 12. Armee
02.09.1939 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd (08.10. - 20.10.1939 also Oberbefehlshaber Ost)
26.10.1939 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A (since 10.10.1940 also Oberbefehlshaber West)
10.06.1941 - 01.12.1941 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd
15.03.1942 - 02.07.1944 Oberbefehlshaber West
05.09.1944 - 09.03.1945 Oberbefehlshaber West

Awards and Decorations:
Königlich Preussisches Kronen-Orden IV.Klasse
Ritterkreuz II.Klasse des Sachsen-Weimarischer Hausorden der Wachsamkeit oder vom weissen Falken
Königlich Preussisches Roter Adler-Orden IV.Klasse
Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden
Waldecksches Verdienstkreuz IV.Klasse
Schwarzburgisches Ehrenkreuz III.Klasse
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Erinnerungs-Medaille 1797-1897 (Centenarmedaille)
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstorden IV.Klasse mit Schwertern
Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden mit Schwertern
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstkreuz I.Klasse
Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstkreuz IV.Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern
Kaiserlich und königlich  österreichische Militär-Verdienstkreuz III.Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
Ritterkreuz des königlich Preussisches Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (16.09.1939)
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (21.09.1939)
Turkish Harp Madalyası (Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond)
Preussische Dienstauszeichnungskreuz
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (1934)
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse
Eichenlaub zur Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse
Magyar Érdemrend Nagykeresztje (Grosskreuz des königlich Ungarische Verdienstorden) (11.08.1937)
Ordine della Corona d'Italia - Cavaliere della Croce Grande (Italienische Orden der Krone) (07.06.1938)
Königlich Jugoslawische Heisen-Orden II Klasse (06.07.1938)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #1 (30.09.1939) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd. The campaign was a baptism of fire for the German Wehrmacht, and von Rundstedt was the conductor of a complex symphony of armored and infantry movements. Under his command, Army Group South, comprising the 8th, 10th, and 14th Armies, launched a devastating offensive from Silesia and Slovakia aimed at destroying the Polish forces west of the Vistula River. The most vivid action occurred during the Battle of the Bzura, the largest single engagement of the campaign. Polish forces launched a fierce counter-attack against the German 8th Army, threatening to unhinge the German advance. Von Rundstedt remained calm amidst the crisis, directing the strategic response with cold precision. He ordered the 4th Panzer Division and the 1st Mountain Division to wheel around and entrap the Polish attackers. The battle turned into a slaughter as the German Luftwaffe dominated the skies, strafing the trapped Polish troops in the open fields. The encirclement was sealed, resulting in the destruction of three Polish infantry divisions and the capture of over 170,000 prisoners, a decisive victory that validated the Blitzkrieg concept and secured his status as one of Germany's foremost commanders.
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (06.08.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (08.08.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (19.09.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 3 (19.09.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 2 (19.09.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (11.10.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (12.10.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 1 (01.09.1942)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (10.09.1941)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #519 (01.07.1944) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber West, recognizing his role in attempting to stabilize the Western Front following the Allied invasion of Normandy. As Commander-in-Chief West, von Rundstedt was the supreme authority on the ground during the critical weeks of June and July 1944. Despite the overwhelming material superiority of the Allies, he orchestrated a defensive battle that inflicted heavy casualties and delayed the Allied breakout for weeks. The citation for the award highlighted his leadership during the defense of the Cotentin Peninsula and the grueling attrition warfare in the bocage country. Specifically, during the British Operation Goodwood and the American Operation Cobra, von Rundstedt coordinated the fragmented German armored reserves, including the II SS Panzer Corps, to launch violent counter-attacks against the Allied beachheads. In the fields around Caen, his forces turned the landscape into a fortress of hedgerows and rubble, engaging in vicious close-quarters combat that bled the British armored divisions dry. Even as the front lines crumbled under the weight of carpet bombing and naval gunfire, von Rundstedt's steadfast management of the chaotic retreat and his ability to reorganize broken units into cohesive defensive lines exemplified the "Old Prussian" virtues of duty and resilience in the face of inevitable defeat.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #133 (18.02.1945) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber West, for his role in planning and initiating the Ardennes Offensive, the last great German offensive of the war. At the age of 69, von Rundstedt was tasked with commanding an ambitious operation aimed at splitting the British and American lines and recapturing the port of Antwerp. While the plan was ultimately Hitler's fantasy, the operational setup was handled by von Rundstedt and his staff. On the morning of December 16, 1944, under his orders, thousands of German guns opened fire in a barrage that shattered the early morning silence of the Ardennes forest. He directed the 6th Panzer Army and the 5th Panzer Army to punch through the thinly held American lines. The initial assault was a stunning success, as German armored columns, including the elite Kampfgruppe Peiper, roared through the snow-covered pine forests, overrunning American positions and creating a massive bulge in the Allied lines. The terrain was treacherous, and the weather was foul, grounding the Allied air forces. Von Rundstedt managed to sustain the offensive for three weeks, engaging in a desperate struggle in the freezing cold, which momentarily caused panic in the Allied High Command. Although the offensive eventually stalled due to fuel shortages and improving weather, the sheer scale of the initial breakthrough and the temporary reversal of fortunes in the West earned him the high honor of the Schwerter.

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Karl Rudolph Gerd von Rundstedt was born December 12th 1875 in Aschesleben in the Harz mountains near Magdeburg. He came from a military family dating back to the 12th century. When Gerd was born, his father served in a Prussian regiment of Hussars in the rank of Lieutenant. His mother was the daughter of a real estate owner.

At the age of 12, he went to cadet school in Oranienstein. He already spoke English as his mother had employed an English nanny to take care of her children. Later, Von Rundstedt would even take the exam for French interpreter. At the age of 16, he was admitted to the Haupt Kadettenanstalt (central Prussian school for Cadets) in Gross Lichterfelde near Berlin, successfully graduating in 1892 to be admitted to the rank of candidate officer.

In 1892, Von Rundstedt joined the 83. Infanterieregiment Von Wittlicht (Kurrhessische No. 3) in Kassel for a period of six months before taking his exam for the rank of Fähnrich at the Kriegsschule in Hannover. In 1902, he married Louise von Götz, the daughter of a retired officer. In that same year, he passed the entrance examination to the Kriegsakademie whereupon the young couple moved to Berlin.

In 1906 Von Rundstedt was posted to the Generalstab on probation and after having passed the final, very difficult exam, he was promoted to Hauptmann on the Generalstab in March 1909. He was posted to the staff of headquarters of the IX. Armeekorps and in 1912 he went to work as company commander in the 171. Infanterieregiment in Colmar in Alsace-Lorraine.

At the outbreak of the First World War, 39-year-old Von Rundstedt was immediately given a posting on the operational staff of the 22. Reserve division. He owed his promotion to Major in November 1914 to the outbreak of the war by the way. During the battle on the River Marne, the 22. Reserve division was deployed on the right flank of the front. The division commander was killed in action whereupon Von Rundstedt was given command of the unit. At the beginning of the trench warfare, Von Rundstedt left the division and was posted to the staff of the German military government in Belgium. Afterwards he served in a division in Poland, in the military government in Warsaw, in an army corps in the Carpathians, an army corps on the Baltic coast and finally in 1918 as Chief of Staff of XV. Armeekorps on the western front. After the war, Von Rundstedt was posted to the new, starkly reduced German army, the Reichswehr.

After he had been promoted to Oberst in 1923, he was transferred from the 3. Kavalleriedivision to headquarters of Wehrkreis II as Chief of Staff. Two years on, he received a new command, this time of 18. Infanterieregiment (in 1938 he was named honorary member and he has always worn the uniform of the unit afterwards). In 1926, he returned to a staff position, this time as Chief of Staff of Obergruppenkommando II in Kassel. After his promotion to Generalmajor he was given command of the 2. Kavalleriedivision in Breslau. In 1929, he was promoted to Generalleutnant and in January of that year he became overall commander of Wehrkreis III in Berlin. In October that year he was appointed General der Infanterie and commander of Obergruppenkommando I, likewise in Berlin.

When Adolf Hitler came to power, Von Rundstedt was involved in the secret German rearmament. In March 1938, Hitler grabbed his chance to tighten his grip on the Wehrmacht. The two most prominent military men of Germany, Werner von Blomberg and Günther von Fritsch were ousted and also all those who sympathized with them. Von Rundstedt was not among them. He angrily submitted his resignation but his request was rejected. Hitler (Bio Hitler) probably did not want to lose his highest ranking general after seven of them on the list right beneath Von Rundstedt had been fired, including Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (B) and Ewald von Kleist. Von Rundstedt was duly promoted to Generaloberst.

In October 1938, Generaloberst Von Rundstedt, commander of an Army Group, was involved in the invasion of the Sudetenland. When he became convinced that Hitler was preparing for war, he strongly argued that Germany was from being adequately equipped for war in the near future. As a result Hitler ordered Von Rundstedt to step down. Owing to a shortage of experienced commanders, Von Rundstedt was recalled. When the war started in September 1939, Von Rundstedt, in command of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army group south) participated in the attack on the main body of the Polish armed forces (Case White). He managed to prevent the Poles from retreating beyond the River Weichsel. For his achievements, Von Rundstedt was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross).

Von Rundstedt was commander of Heeresgruppe A during the German attack on France and the Low Countries in May 1940 (Case Yellow). Along with the bulk of the armored forces, he advanced through the Ardennes, crossing the River Meuse and striking towards the Channel coast. A large part of the Allied armies was encircled near Dunkirk in the process. Total victory failed to materialize however as the armies were evacuated from Dunkirk. Von Rundstedt proposed, and Hitler ordered the Germans should not attempt to capture Dunkirk and so they missed the opportunity to deal with the British Expeditionary Force once and for all.

After the fall of France, Von Rundstedt was appointed feldmarschall by Hitler on July 19th , 1940. Preparations for Operation Seelöwe (Sea Lion), the invasion of Great Britain, got under way. This invasion never took place though because the Luftwaffe failed to win air superiority over the British Isles in the Battle of Britain. Hereafter, Hitler decided to leave Great Britain alone and commenced planning for a campaign against the Soviet Union. Heeresgruppe A was transferred to the General Government (that part of Poland occupied by the Germans) in order to prepare for the imminent attack on the Soviet Union.

In April 1941, Generalfeldmarschall Von Rundstedt was named commander of Heeresgruppe Süd; in fact, Heeresgruppe A was renamed Heeresgruppe Süd. When Operation Barbarossa was launched on June 22nd, 1941, Von Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe initially struck deep into enemy territory. The advance stagnated though and he needed help from 2. Panzergruppe commanded by Generaloberst Heinz Guderian (Bio Guderian) in order to encircle his most important strategic target Kiev. (Battle of Kiev) After the encircled Soviets had surrendered, Heeresgruppe Süd struck towards Rostov on the River Don. Against Soviet counter-attacks, under command of Marshal S.K. Timoshenko (Bio Timoshenko), Von Rundstedt was forced to pull back dozens of miles. Hitler was furious so Von Rundstedt offered his resignation. Hitler accepted his request and replaced Von Rundstedt by Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Reichenau (Bio Von Reichenau) who only did what Von Rundstedt had ordered previously and was fired for: retreat to a defensive line on the River Mius.

In March 1942, Von Rundstedt was called back into service once more and appointed Oberbefehlshaber West (supreme commander), succeeding Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben. He was to prepare the western front for the expected Allied invasion. In that capacity he supervised the construction of the Atlantikwall, an immense network of bunkers and fortifications stretching all the way from Spain to Norway. Later on he was assisted by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (Bio Rommel). In 1942, the first invasion took place at Dieppe. The Germans however managed to defeat the predominantly Canadian invasion force in this downright suicide operation. In violation of the rules of land warfare, Von Rundstedt handed the Allied prisoners-of-war over to the Gestapo.

On D-Day, June 6th, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy. Von Rundstedt had no free hand to act concerning the redeployment of troops. Hitler was of the opinion that the D-Day landings were no more than a diversionary maneuver for an even more massive landing in the Pas de Calais. Partly due to these irregularities - within the O.K.W. for instance he had no say over the armored reserves, making it extremely difficult to launch a coordinated counter attack in time - the Germans failed to push the Allies back into the sea. The result was that Hitler ordered Von Rundstedt on July 1st , 1944 to retire once more. Nonetheless, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) to his Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz).

The day after the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in the Wolfsschanze on July 20th, Von Rundstedt was appointed chairman of a Court of Honor (Ehrengericht). During this trial, officers of the Wehrmacht who were suspected of complicity in the murder attempt were discharged.

On September 1st , Gerd von Rundstedt was recalled by Hitler to become Oberbefehlshaber West (supreme commander). Formally, Von Rundstedt was responsible for the failure of the Allied Operation Market Garden. In October he let Hitler know, through Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, it would be better to end the war. Hitler fired him on the spot but quickly revoked his decision. After having been appointed ObW again, Von Rundstedt assisted in the planning for the offensive in the Ardennes as he was formally in command. The real tactical work during the operation itself was done by Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Bio Model), just like during the defensive battles of Market Garden. On February 18th, 1945, Hitler awarded him the Schwerter (Swords) to his Ritterkreuz for his distinguished services.

On March 11th , 1945, Von Rundstedt was stripped of his function for the last time, due to the successful crossing of the undamaged railway bridge across the Rhine at Remagen by American troops. Moreover, there were arguments with the O.K.W. about the tactic to be applied. After his discharge, Von Rundstedt sat watching idly until the end of the war.

In May 1945, near Bad Tölz, the field marshal was taken prisoner by the Americans and handed over to Great Britain. He spent more than three years in prison and appeared before the military tribunal in Nuremberg as a witness, making an impression by his dignified attitude. Although he had been involved in most military campaigns on the highest level, the British never seemed to have considered bringing any charge against him.

Gerd von Rundstedt returned to west Germany in 1951. He passed away on February 24th, 1953 in Hannover.

Source :
Messenger, Charles. *The Last Prussian: A Biography of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, 1875–1953*. London: Brassey's, 1991.
Liddell Hart, B.H. *The German Generals Talk*. New York: William Morrow, 1948.
Mitcham, Samuel W. *Hitler's Field Marshals and Their Battles*. New York: Stein and Day, 1989.
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerd_von_Rundstedt
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/12464/Rundstedt-Gerd-von.htm
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/

Bio of Generalmajor Max Sachsenheimer (1909-1973)

Full name: Maximilian Heinrich Sachsenheimer
Nickname: Max

Date of birth: 05.12.1909 - Mühlbach, Baden (German Empire)
Date of death: 02.06.1973 - Merzhausen, Baden-Württemberg (West Germany)

Religion: Evangelical
Parents: Friedrich Sachsenheimer (Stonemason/Architect) and Sofie Rosina Hemmerle
Siblings: Hans Ferdinand Sachsenheimer
Spouse: Berta Schwarz (Married August 11, 1938)
Children: Two daughters


Promotions:
April 1, 1928: Schütze
July 1, 1932: Feldwebel
September 1, 1934: Oberfähnrich
January 1, 1935: Leutnant
October 1, 1937: Oberleutnant
April 1, 1941: Hauptmann
April 1, 1942: Major
June 1, 1943: Oberstleutnant
July 1, 1944: Oberst
March 1, 1945: Generalmajor

Career:
April 17, 1928: Entered military service as a volunteer in the Reichswehr, joining the 14th (Baden) Infantry Regiment.
1928–1934: Underwent various officer training courses and rose through the non-commissioned ranks.
July 1, 1934: Commissioned as a Leutnant (Second Lieutenant).
1934–1938: Served in the 5th Infantry Division as the German military expanded.
October 1, 1938: Appointed commander of a company in Infantry Regiment 75 (5th Infantry Division).
September 1939: Served as a staff officer for traffic control during the early stages of the war.
May–June 1940: Led his company during the Campaign in the West (France), earning the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class in quick succession.
July 20, 1941: Promoted to commander of the 2nd Battalion (II./Jäger-Regiment 75) during the invasion of the Soviet Union.
July 29, 1941: Severely wounded by shrapnel on the Eastern Front, resulting in the loss of two fingers on his left hand; he was evacuated but returned to the front by November.
April 5, 1942: Awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as a Hauptmann (Captain) for his leadership during the Demyansk Pocket operations.
February 3, 1943: Awarded the German Cross in Gold while serving as a Major.
October 1943 – February 1944: Attended the War Academy in Hirschberg for advanced leadership training.
May 14, 1944: Awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for his regiment's actions during the relief of Kovel.
September 1944: Promoted to Oberst (Colonel) and took command of the 17th Infantry Division.
December 1, 1944: Promoted to Generalmajor, becoming one of the younger generals in the German Army.
February 6, 1945: Awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross for his division's defense against the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive and a specific counterattack at Dyhernfurth to secure a strategic chemical plant.
May 1945: Led the remnants of his division toward the Western Allies to avoid Soviet capture; he surrendered to U.S. forces.
1945–1947: Held as a prisoner of war.
1947: Released from captivity and returned to civilian life in West Germany.
1955: Declined an offer to join the newly formed Bundeswehr (the West German military) as a Brigadier General of the Reserves.
June 2, 1973: Passed away in Freiburg im Breisgau following a heart attack.

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz (1939) 2. Klasse (May 25, 1940)
Eisernes Kreuz (1939) 1. Klasse (June 15, 1940)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (February 3, 1943)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #954 (05.04.1942) as Hauptmann and Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.leichte Infanterie-Division. During the winter of 1941–1942, the 5th Jäger Division was part of the forces encircled by the Red Army in the swampy, frozen forests of Demyansk. Sachsenheimer, commanding the II. Battalion of Jäger-Regiment 75, was tasked with holding a vital sector of the perimeter.
The battle reached a fever pitch in early 1942. Under constant mortar fire and temperatures plunging well below freezing, Soviet ski battalions launched relentless waves against the German lines. Sachsenheimer moved between his foxholes, personally directing MG 34 fire and coordinating local counter-thrusts. When the Soviets managed to pierce the main line of resistance, he gathered a small "assault group" of clerks and messengers, leading a frantic bayonet and grenade charge that cleared the breach. His ability to maintain the integrity of the pocket's western wall under extreme physical deprivation was the primary justification for his Ritterkreuz.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #472 (14.05.1944) as Major and Führer Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.Jäger-Division. Awarded for his Regiment’s role in the German relief attack towards Kovel, as detailed in the following chronology:
22.03.1944 - Reinforced Jäger-Regiment 75 arrives from Brest-Litovsk to participate in the Kovel relief operation.
26.03.1944 - The town of Zyrcze captured in a surprise attack.
27.03.1944 - Sachsenheimer and his men capture the bridge NW of Gomiki through an attack from the rear.
Night of 31.03.-01.04.1944 - The Wyzowka stream is crossed and the village of Piaseczno captured in close combat.
10.04.1944 - Sachsenheimer’s Regiment captures the railway line and station at St. Myzowa. Subsequently all Soviet attempts to recapture the place are repulsed.
Mentioned in Wehrmachtsbericht (June 6, 1944)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtsbericht (October 10, 1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #132 (06.02.1945) as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 17.Infanterie-Division. The action that earned Sachsenheimer the award was perhaps his most dramatic. First, for his achievements in early 1945. His Division became the focus of a major Soviet offensive launched from the Pulawy bridgehead on 14.01.1945. After a valiant defense that resulted in 100 enemy tanks being destroyed the Division fought its way back to Silesia. As commander of the 17. Infanterie-Division, Sachsenheimer realized that the Soviets had captured a bridgehead near Dyhernfurth, which housed a secret factory producing Tabun nerve gas—a facility the German High Command desperately wanted to destroy or recover.
Sachsenheimer organized a daring night operation. Under the cover of a massive snowstorm and using the frozen Oder River as a highway, he personally led his division's elite elements in a pincer movement. The combat was chaotic and localized, fought house-to-house with submachine guns and Panzerfausts. He successfully pushed the Soviet units back across the river, secured the factory, and held the line long enough for the chemical agents to be neutralized and specialized equipment to be evacuated. This counter-attack provided a rare, albeit brief, victory during the collapse of the Eastern Front, resulting in him becoming the 132nd recipient of the Swords.
Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (1967)

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Max Sachsenheimer was born on 5 December 1909 in Mühlbach, located in the Grand Duchy of Baden. He entered military service in the Reichswehr during the Weimar Republic era, joining the 14th Infantry Regiment in 1928. His early years in the military were marked by the steady advancement typical of the interwar period, during which he developed the leadership skills that would define his later career. By the time the Second World War commenced in 1939, Sachsenheimer had been commissioned as an officer and was serving with the 75th Infantry Regiment, a unit with which he would remain closely associated throughout many of the conflict's most intense campaigns.

During the early stages of the war, Sachsenheimer participated in the invasion of France in 1940, where his unit was involved in the breakthrough of the Maginot Line and the subsequent pursuit of Allied forces across the French countryside. His performance during these operations earned him initial recognition, but it was on the Eastern Front that he established a reputation for tactical proficiency and personal bravery. Following the launch of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, he led his troops through the grueling advances toward Moscow, enduring the extreme weather conditions and the increasing resistance of the Soviet Red Army. His ability to maintain unit cohesion under duress became a hallmark of his command style.

The summer of 1942 saw Sachsenheimer and his regiment deployed to the southern sector of the Eastern Front as part of the drive toward the Caucasus. He was heavily involved in the fighting around the Don River and the subsequent defensive actions as the strategic situation for the German forces began to deteriorate. For his leadership during the heavy defensive battles in the winter of 1942 and 1943, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. This period represented a transition in his career from offensive maneuvering to the high-stakes management of tactical withdrawals and the establishment of defensive perimeters against numerically superior Soviet forces.

As the conflict progressed into 1944, Sachsenheimer continued to serve in various frontline roles, eventually rising to the command of the 17th Infantry Division. He was tasked with holding vital positions during the Soviet summer offensive, known as Operation Bagration, which shattered the German center. His leadership during the retreat through Poland was recognized with the addition of the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross. He was known among his men for his presence at the front lines, often personally overseeing the placement of heavy weapons and the coordination of counterattacks to prevent the encirclement of his division.

In the final months of the war, Sachsenheimer was promoted to the rank of Generalmajor and continued to lead his exhausted division in the defense of the German heartland. He was awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross in early 1945, making him one of the highly decorated commanders of the German infantry. Despite the collapse of the organized resistance, he attempted to maintain the discipline of his remaining troops while retreating toward the Western Allies to avoid Soviet captivity. He eventually surrendered to American forces in May 1945, shortly after the unconditional surrender of the German high command.

Following his release from captivity in 1947, Sachsenheimer returned to civilian life in West Germany. Like many former high-ranking officers, he spent his later years engaged in veteran affairs and contributed to the documentation of his unit's history. He maintained a relatively quiet life in the post-war era, focusing on his family and his community in the Black Forest region. Max-Hellmuth Sachsenheimer passed away on 13 February 1973 in Freiburg im Breisgau. His military career remains a subject of study for those interested in the tactical execution of mid-level infantry command and the complexities of leadership during the protracted retreat on the Eastern Front.

In 3 November 1942, a big delegation of Ritterkreuzträger (German Knight's Cross recipients) visited the Reichsjugendführung, doing inspections of training places and communications with young Hitlerjugend members. This picture was taken when they met the HJ leader, Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann. The identification as follow: 1.Hauptmann Karl Langesee (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 207 / 97.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz in 10 August 1942), 2.Leutnant der Reserve Gerhard Hein (Führer 5.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 209 / 58.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 3 September 1940 and Eichenlaub in 6 September 1942), 3.Hauptmann Harald von Hirschfeld (Führer II.Bataillon / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 / 1.Gebirgs-Division. Ritterkreuz in 15 November 1941), 4.Hauptmann Erich Löffler (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 57 / 9.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 7 October 1942), 5.Oberleutnant Wilhelm Henz (Kommandeur 2.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 29 / 29.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 8 August 1941), 6.Oberleutnant der Reserve Günther Hilt (Führer 7.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 56 / 5.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz in 14 September 1942), 7.Hauptmann Max Sachsenheimer (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz in 5 April 1942), 8. Hauptmann Hans-Gotthard Pestke (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 176 / 61.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz in 15 November 1941), 9.Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann, and Generalleutnant Friedrich Herrlein (General der Infanterie beim Oberkommando des Heeres. Ritterkreuz on 22 September 1941)

In 3 November 1942, a big delegation of Ritterkreuzträger (German Knight's Cross recipients) visited the Reichsjugendführung, doing inspections of training places and communications with young Hitlerjugend members. This picture was taken when they met the HJ leader, Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann. The identification as follow: (1) Oberleutnant Günter Klappich (Chef 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 60 [motorisiert] / 16.Infanterie-Division [motorisiert]. Ritterkreuz on 31 July 1942), (2) Hauptmann Erich Löffler (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 57 / 9.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 7 October 1942), (3) Hauptmann Wilhelm Spindler (Chef 13.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 / 1.Gebirgs-Division. Ritterkreuz on 21 December 1940), (4) Hauptmann Max Sachsenheimer (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 75 / 5.Jäger-Division. Ritterkreuz on 5 April 1942), (5) Hauptmann Hans-Gotthard Pestke (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 176 / 61.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 15 November 1941), (6) Generalleutnant Friedrich Herrlein (General der Infanterie beim Oberkommando des Heeres. Ritterkreuz on 22 September 1941), (7) Oberleutnant der Reserve Richard Grünert (Kommandeur 3.Kompanie / Kradschützen-Bataillon 7 / 7.Panzer-Division. Ritterkreuz on 14 October 1941), (8) Oberleutnant Peter Kiesgen (Führer 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 239 / 106.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 5 October 1941), (9) unidentified, (10) Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann, (11) Oberleutnant Hans Guhr (Regimentsadjutant Infanterie-Regiment 513 / 294.Infanterie-Division. Ritterkreuz on 10 September 1942), and (12) Generalmajor Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach (Stellvertretenden Inspekteur der Inspektion des Erziehungs- und Bildungs-Wesens im Oberkommando des Heeres. Ritterkreuz later on 26 March 1944).

Source:
Berger, Florian. Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 1999.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Podzun-Pallas, 2000.
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945. Scherzers Militär-Verlag, 2007.
Thomas, Franz. Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z. Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/SachsenheimerM.htm]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Sachsenheimer
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/16839/Sachsenheimer-Maximilian-Heinrich-Max.htm
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://www.geni.com/people/Max-Sachsenheimer/6000000030025427844
https://forum.axishistory.com/