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)
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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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).
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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/
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/
