Bio of General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (1892-1964)

Full name: Hermann Albert Breith  
Nickname: none  

Date of Birth: 07.05.1892 - Pirmasens, Rheinland-Pfalz (German Empire) 
Date of Death: 03.09.1964 - Pech district of Wachtberg, Nordrhein-Westfalen (West Germany)

Battles and operations: World War I (Western Front including Battles of the Somme, Verdun, Flanders; Eastern Front including Kowel and Naratsch-See), Invasion of Poland 1939, Battle of France 1940, Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Moscow, defensive battles north of Kursk 1942, Case Blue 1942, Battle of Kharkov, Operation Citadel, relief of the Cherkassy Pocket 1944, defensive battles in Galicia, Baranow bridgehead, Hungary and Austria 1944-1945  

NSDAP number: none (regular Heer officer)  
Religion: unknown  
Parents: unknown  
Siblings: unknown  
Spouse: unknown  
Children: unknown  

Promotions  
16.04.1910 Fahnenjunker  
13.08.1910 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier  
10.11.1910 Fähnrich  
13.09.1911 Leutnant  
25.11.1916 Oberleutnant  
17.03.1924 Hauptmann  
01.12.1933 Major  
01.04.1936 Oberstleutnant  
01.01.1939 Oberst  
01.08.1941 Generalmajor  
01.11.1942 Generalleutnant  
13.02.1943 General der Panzertruppe  

Career  
16.04.1910-1918 Infantry service in Infanterie-Regiment 60 and transfers including Infanterie-Regiment 166 (MG company leader, regimental adjutant, brigade adjutant on Western and Eastern Fronts)  
1919-1920 Freikorps and transitional Reichswehr service (Ersatz-Bataillon, Radfahrkompanie, Schützen-Regiment 18)  
1920-1925 Adjutant and company officer roles in infantry regiments  
01.10.1925-1931 Kraftfahr units and company commander in motorised formations  
01.06.1931-1934 Referent for Panzer and anti-tank affairs in Reichswehrministerium  
1935-1938 Commanding Officer II. Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 5  
10.11.1938-14.02.1940 Commanding Officer Panzer-Regiment 36 (4. Panzer-Division)  
15.02.1940-14.11.1940 Commanding Officer 5. Panzer-Brigade  
14.11.1940-03.06.1941 Staff of General der Schnellen Truppen / OKH  
22.10.1941-01.10.1942 Commanding Officer 3. Panzer-Division  
02.10.1942-02.01.1943 Führerreserve OKH  
03.01.1943-08.05.1945 Commanding General III. Panzerkorps (with brief attachment periods)  
08.05.1945-05.1947 Prisoner of war in American custody  
05.1947 Released  

Awards and decorations  
10.09.1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914  
30.07.1916 Iron Cross 1st Class 1914  
16.04.1917 Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg  
28.10.1918 Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords  
23.09.1939 Clasp to Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939  
02.10.1939 Clasp to Iron Cross 1st Class 1939  
03.06.1940 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberst and commander of 5. Panzer-Brigade. Awarded for his leadership in the first major tank battle against French armoured forces. On 13 May 1940 near Merdorp (approximately 6 km southwest of Hannut in Belgium), his brigade encountered and decisively engaged the leading French armour formations. The press citation published at the time stated: “Oberst Hermann Breith and his Panzer-Brigade bloodily brushed aside the first formation of French armour they encountered, destroying a large number of hostile tanks in the process. Later on he overcame the heaviest enemy defensive fire with exemplary attacking spirit and personally led his Brigade to victory despite being wounded himself.” Breith’s units were officially credited with the destruction of more than 30 French tanks in this single engagement. He continued to direct operations even after being wounded on 15 May 1940, personally leading the brigade forward under intense artillery and anti-tank fire until the French resistance in the sector was broken. The recommendation was submitted on 29 May 1940 and the award was presented on 3 June 1940. This action formed part of the larger Battle of Hannut, one of the earliest large-scale tank clashes of the war.
01.06.1940 Wound Badge in Black  
20.05.1940 Panzer Badge in Silver  
31.01.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #69, as Generalmajor and commander of 3. Panzer-Division. Awarded for a successful defensive counterattack operation north of Kursk in late January 1942. On 30 January 1942 his division eliminated a dangerous Soviet penetration in the sector Butyrki–Judinka–Stakanowo. Through coordinated armoured and infantry assaults, the 3. Panzer-Division inflicted heavy losses on the attacking Soviet forces (including numerous tanks) and forced the surviving enemy units to withdraw across the Tim River. The Wehrmachtbericht of 31 January 1942 explicitly mentioned the division and its commander for this achievement. The Oak Leaves were awarded the same day, recognising not only the immediate tactical success but also the stabilising effect of the counterattacks on the wider sector of Army Group Centre during the difficult winter fighting of 1941/42.
1942 Eastern Front Medal  
21.02.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #48, as General der Panzertruppe and commanding general of III. Panzerkorps. Awarded for his leadership during the relief operation for the Cherkassy Pocket (Kessel von Tscherkassy) in February 1944. His corps, composed of several Heer divisions and one Waffen-SS division, conducted the main relief attack from the west. The corps successively broke through multiple Soviet defensive lines and advanced to within a few kilometres of the encircled Kampfgruppe Stemmermann. In doing so it drew the bulk of the Soviet forces onto itself, creating the corridor that enabled the encircled German troops to break out. The official press citation read: “General der Panzertruppe Breith led an Armee-Korps comprised of several Heer Divisionen and one of the Waffen-SS that succeeded in forcing its way through to a point just to the west of the encircled Kampfgruppe Stemmermann. In the process one enemy position after another was broken through, and the bulk of the Soviet forces were drawn to the Korps. During this fighting General Breith repeatedly distinguished himself through his bravery and the skillful leadership of his Armee-Korps, and he repeatedly intervened at the hotspots of the combat from the foremost line.” From 18 February 1944 onwards the corps destroyed 728 Soviet tanks during the operation. Breith and his units were mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht of 20 February 1944. The Swords were awarded the following day. 
Wehrmachtbericht mentions (31.01.1942, 20.02.1944, 09.09.1944, 30.10.1944)  
Honour Cross for Front Fighters  

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Hermann Albert Breith was born on 7 May 1892 in Pirmasens, a town in the German Empire. He entered the German Army in 1910 and served through the entirety of the First World War, earning the Iron Cross Second Class on 10 September 1914 and the First Class on 30 July 1916. Additional decorations from that conflict included the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords on 28 October 1918 and the Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg on 16 April 1917. After the armistice, Breith remained in the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht, serving as an advisor in the Reichswehrministerium between 1931 and 1934. 

By the mid-1930s the German Army was expanding its armored forces, and Breith found himself at the forefront of this development. On 15 October 1935 he took command of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Panzer Regiment, holding the post until 10 November 1938. He then assumed command of Panzer-Regiment 36, which he led until 14 February 1940. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Breith advanced quickly. Promoted to colonel on 1 January 1939, he took charge of the 5th Panzer Brigade on 15 February 1940 and held that position through the campaign in the West. 

During the fighting in Belgium and France in May 1940, Breith distinguished himself in combat near Merdorp on 13 May. His brigade encountered the first major French armored formation it had faced, destroyed dozens of enemy tanks, and pressed forward under heavy fire despite Breith himself being wounded. For these actions he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 June 1940 as the 69th recipient, along with the Wound Badge in Black and the Panzer Badge in Silver. He was also mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht. After the French campaign he served briefly in staff roles, attached to the General of Mobile Troops at Army High Command until early June 1941, followed by a short period of unemployment and attachment to the 3rd Panzer Division.

On 22 October 1941 Breith was given command of the 3rd Panzer Division, one of the most experienced armored formations on the Eastern Front. He led it through the harsh winter of 1941-42 and into the following year, rising to the rank of major general on 1 August 1941 and lieutenant general on 1 November 1942. His division played a key role in defensive fighting north of Kursk in late January 1942, where it eliminated a dangerous Soviet penetration near Butyrki, Judinka, and Stakanowo, inflicting heavy losses and forcing the enemy back across the Tim River. For this success Breith was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 31 January 1942 as the 69th recipient. He continued to command the division until 2 October 1942, after which he spent several months in the Führerreserve at OKH.

Breith returned to active duty in early 1943. On 3 January he was appointed acting commander of III Panzer Corps, and on 1 March 1943 he was promoted to general of panzer troops and confirmed in permanent command of the corps. He would lead this formation, with brief interruptions, until the final days of the war. The corps fought in the southern sector of the Eastern Front through the intense battles of 1943 and 1944. One of its most notable achievements came during the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket in February 1944. Breith personally directed a relief force composed of several army divisions and a Waffen-SS unit. His corps broke through successive Soviet defensive lines, drew the bulk of enemy forces onto itself, and advanced close enough to allow the encircled German troops to break out. Breith repeatedly placed himself at the hottest points of the fighting, demonstrating both bravery and tactical skill. For this operation he received the Swords to his Knight's Cross on 21 February 1944 as the 48th recipient. He was mentioned again in the Wehrmachtbericht on several occasions, including 20 February and 9 October 1944.

Throughout 1944 and early 1945 III Panzer Corps remained heavily engaged in Ukraine, Romania, and later defensive actions farther west as the Red Army advanced. Breith maintained command through the final collapse of German forces in the East. On 8 May 1945 he was taken into American captivity along with the remnants of his corps. He remained a prisoner of war until his release in May 1947. 

After returning to civilian life, Hermann Breith lived quietly in West Germany. He died on 3 September 1964 at the age of 72 in the Pech district of Wachtberg, near Bonn. Over the course of his long career he had risen from a young officer in the Imperial Army to one of the Wehrmacht's most experienced panzer leaders. In addition to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, he had accumulated the 1939 Clasp to both classes of the Iron Cross, the Eastern Front Medal, and numerous other campaign and service awards. His leadership of armored formations in both offensive and defensive operations on multiple fronts left a lasting record in the history of the German Army during the Second World War.

Source:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Breith  
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Breith  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28682/Breith-Hermann.htm  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/B/BreithH.htm  
https://generals.dk/general/Breith/Hermann/Germany.html  
https://rk.balsi.de/ (Ritterkreuzträger database)  
https://www.unithistories.com/  
https://grokipedia.com/page/Hermann_Breith  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/  
https://www.geni.com/  
Wegmann, Günter. Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945. Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 1: A-E. Bissendorf 2004.  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.  
Additional biographical sketches from books.google.com searches on Ritterkreuzträger der Panzertruppe.

Bio of Generalmajor Erich Bärenfänger (1915-1945)

Full name: Erich Bärenfänger  
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 12.01.1915 - Menden, Westfalen (German Empire)  
Date of Death: 02.05.1945 or 03.05.1945 - Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin (Germany)  

Battles and Operations: Polish Campaign, Western Campaign, Operation Barbarossa, Siege of Sevastopol, Caucasus Campaign, Kuban Bridgehead, Kerch Peninsula defensive battles, Battle of Berlin  

Religion: No information  
Parents: Father postman (name unknown), mother unknown  
Siblings: No information  
Spouse: Unknown name (committed suicide together with him)  
Children: No information  

Promotions:  
01.10.1937 Gefreiter  
01.06.1938 Unteroffizier  
20.04.1939 Leutnant der Reserve (RDA 01.04.1939)  
15.10.1941 Oberleutnant (RDA 01.02.1939)  
31.08.1942 Hauptmann (RDA 01.08.1942)  
10.06.1943 Major (RDA 01.04.1943)  
23.01.1944 Oberstleutnant (RDA 01.02.1944)  
25.04.1945 Generalmajor (RDA 20.04.1945, skipping Oberst)  

Career:  
16.10.1936 entered the Wehrmacht as conscript, Infanterie-Regiment 67  
Later transferred to Infanterie-Regiment 123, 50. Infanterie-Division  
01.04.1939 Leutnant der Reserve shortly before mobilisation  
1939-1940 Polish and Western Campaigns, platoon leader  
1941 transferred to active service, Oberleutnant  
End of September 1941 Führer 7. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 123  
January 1942 Kompaniechef, Infanterie-Regiment 123  
1942 Führer III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 123 / 50. Infanterie-Division  
Later Kommandeur III. Bataillon, Grenadier-Regiment 123, 50. Infanterie-Division  
1943-1944 heavy defensive fighting on the Kerch Peninsula  
Early 1944 transferred to Führerreserve, Regimentskommandeur-Lehrgang Döberitz  
Mid-June 1944 Inspector for Wehrertüchtigung with Reichsjugendführer  
01.08.1944 Generalinspekteur für den Führernachwuchs  
01.11.1944 again Führerreserve, kommandiert to Reichsjugendführung  
April 1945 Kommandeur Verteidigungsabschnitt A (later also B) in the Battle of Berlin  
25.04.1945 promoted Generalmajor for services in Berlin defence  

Awards and Decorations:  
Goldenes SA-Sportabzeichen (12.11.1934)  
DRL-Sportabzeichen in Gold  
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4. Klasse (02.10.1936)  
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (12.06.1940)  
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (21.06.1940)  
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz (01.07.1940)  
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber (23.07.1941)  
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber (09.08.1941)  
Ritterkreuz des Ordens der Krone von Rumänien (13.08.1941)  
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (26.12.1941)  
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Gold (10.01.1942)  
Bulgarischer Militärorden für Tapferkeit IV. Stufe, I. Klasse (07.02.1942)  
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (05.08.1942)  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (07.08.1942. some sources list 27.08.1942 due to administrative processing) as Oberleutnant and Führer III. Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 123 / 50. Infanterie-Division. Awarded for a bold night attack launched on his own initiative during the final assault on Sevastopol (Crimea campaign). On the night of 29/30 June 1942, Bärenfänger led his battalion against a heavily fortified Soviet bunker position south of Hill 1658. The surprise attack succeeded with minimal German losses, allowing friendly forces to encircle and destroy Soviet troops in the "Champagne ravine" (Champagner-Schlucht). This breakthrough enabled the regiment to storm another bunker line near Hill 1670 the next morning and permitted the entire 50. Infanterie-Division to advance rapidly to the southeastern edge of Sevastopol on 30 June 1942 without facing unexpectedly heavy resistance. The action was decisive in the division's push during the siege.  
Ehrenblattspange des Heeres (14.08.1942)  
Krimschild (02.11.1942)  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #243 (17.05.1943) as Hauptmann and Kommandeur III. Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50. Infanterie-Division. Awarded for outstanding tactical skill, personal bravery, and leadership during heavy defensive and withdrawal fighting in the Caucasus and Kuban bridgehead. Key deed: In spring 1943 (after Romanian units on his flank collapsed), Bärenfänger personally led a counterattack that repelled two Soviet regiments ("leitete er einen Gegenangriff ein, bei dem zwei sowjetische Regimenter zurückgeschlagen werden konnten"). His battalion distinguished itself in sustained combat along the Terek River and during the subsequent withdrawal to the Kuban bridgehead (evacuated February 1943). These actions helped stabilize the front and prevent a Soviet breakthrough despite intense pressure. 
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #45 (23.01.1944) as Major and Kommandeur III. Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50. Infanterie-Division (simultaneously promoted Oberstleutnant). Awarded for exceptional defensive leadership and counterattacks on the Kerch Peninsula (Crimea) against repeated Soviet offensives. Specific actions included: From 13–17 November 1943 and 4–6 December 1943: His battalion repulsed numerous Soviet storm attacks; Bärenfänger stayed in the line with his men despite suffering his 6th and 7th wounds; On 10 January 1944: He personally led an assault that recaptured the important Hill 125.6; Sustained bitter close-quarters fighting to hold and defend Hill 133.3 (north of Kerch, northeast of Bulganak), a key height that was critical to the peninsula's defense. These stands prevented Soviet breakthroughs on the Kerch front and demonstrated extraordinary determination. The division commander (Generalmajor Sixt) recommended the Schwerter specifically for these Crimea/Kerch actions.
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht

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Erich Bärenfänger was born on January 12, 1915, in Menden, a town in the Province of Westphalia within the German Empire. He grew up during a period of political and economic turmoil in Germany following the First World War. In 1933, he joined the Sturmabteilung, the Nazi Party's paramilitary wing commonly known as the brownshirts or SA. This early affiliation reflected his alignment with the rising National Socialist movement.

Bärenfänger entered military service in the reserves on October 16, 1936, with the 67th Infantry Regiment. He progressed through the enlisted ranks before being commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve in 1939. His active officer career accelerated after the outbreak of the Second World War. He participated in the invasions of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940, gaining combat experience as an infantry platoon leader.

During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Bärenfänger served on the Eastern Front. He rose steadily through the ranks: Leutnant in September 1941, Oberleutnant shortly thereafter, Hauptmann in 1942, Major in June 1943, and Oberstleutnant in February 1944. He commanded the III. Battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 123 (later redesignated Grenadier-Regiment 123) within the 50th Infantry Division.

His battlefield performance earned him significant decorations. On August 7, 1942, as an Oberleutnant and battalion leader, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for actions on the Eastern Front. On May 17, 1943, as a Hauptmann commanding the same battalion, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. On January 23, 1944, as a Major still leading the battalion, he received the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, one of the highest distinctions bestowed by Nazi Germany for military valor. These awards placed him among the most highly decorated officers of the Wehrmacht.

In the later stages of the war, Bärenfänger was involved in defensive operations, including on the Crimean Peninsula in early 1944. By April 1945, as the Red Army advanced toward Berlin, he found himself in the capital. Adolf Hitler personally promoted the 30-year-old Oberstleutnant to Generalmajor on April 20 or 22, 1945, skipping the rank of Oberst entirely. This made Bärenfänger one of the youngest generals in the Heer and the second-youngest in the entire Wehrmacht after Dietrich Peltz.

During the Battle of Berlin, Bärenfänger commanded defense sectors in the eastern part of the city, particularly Sector A, where he organized resistance against the advancing Soviet forces. His wife reportedly remained by his side during the fighting. He directed troops in desperate counterattacks and attempts to hold key positions amid the collapsing German defenses. One notable incident involved him allegedly directing from the turret of a Tiger tank in a makeshift armored formation.

As the situation became hopeless in the final days of April and early May 1945, Bärenfänger attempted a breakout toward Oranienburg with small combat groups on the night of May 1 to 2. The effort failed. On May 2, 1945, in a side street near the Prenzlauer Berg underground station in Berlin, he committed suicide alongside his young wife and her brother. A devoted Nazi to the end, he chose death over capture as Soviet troops overran the city. He was 30 years old.

Erich Bärenfänger's rapid rise from a junior officer to general exemplified the combination of aggressive leadership and ideological commitment that the Nazi regime rewarded during the war. His career ended in the ruins of Berlin, symbolizing the final collapse of the Third Reich.

Source :  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/  
https://en.wikipedia.org/  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/  
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_B%C3%A4renf%C3%A4nger  
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.bundesarchiv.de/en/  
https://www.geni.com/  
https://books.google.com/  
Generalmajor Erich Bärenfänger. Vom Leutnant zum General. Flechsig Verlag, Würzburg.  
Scherzer, Veit: Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis/Jena 2007.  
Additional biographical references from unit histories of the 50. Infanterie-Division and Wehrmacht award documentation.

Bio of Major Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (1916-1944)

Full name: Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn  
Nickname: Heini

Date of Birth: 14.08.1916 - Kopenhagen, Denmark  
Date of Death: 21.01.1944 - near Luebars by Stendal, Germany
Buried at: German War Cemetery Ysselsteyn, Netherlands (Plot TH, Row 1, Grave 2)

Battles and Operations: Battle of France, Battle of Britain, Operation Barbarossa, Defence of the Reich  
No party number (Luftwaffe officer)  
Religion: Protestant (family background)  
Parents: Prince Gustav Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (diplomat) and Walburga Baroness von Friesen  
Siblings: two brothers (Ludwig and Alexander)  
Spouse: none (unmarried)  
Children: none  

Promotions:  
01.06.1938 Leutnant  
00.08.1942 Oberleutnant  
00.10.1942 Hauptmann  
01.01.1944 Major  

Career:  
00.00.1916-17.12.1935 various schools in Copenhagen, Switzerland (Lake Geneva, Davos, Montreux), Neubeuern and Freiburg im Breisgau (Abitur at Realgymnasium)  
12.04.1932 joined Hitler Youth (later Kameradschaftsfuehrer and Wehrsportleiter)  
04.1937 joined 17. Kavallerie-Regiment Bamberg after Reichsarbeitsdienst  
Summer 1937 transferred to Luftwaffe  
10.1937 flight training at Fliegerschule Braunschweig  
06.1938 officer commission  
Winter 1938-39 Kampfbeobachter with KG 54  
1940 observer and later pilot with KG 1 Hindenburg (He 111)  
03.1941 combat missions with KG 1 and KG 51 during Operation Barbarossa (150 missions total as bomber crew)  
08.1941 transferred to night fighter force  
01.11.1941 Staffelkapitaen 9./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2  
01.12.1942 Gruppenkommandeur IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (later redesignated I./NJG 100)  
15.08.1943 Gruppenkommandeur II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3  
01.12.1943 Gruppenkommandeur II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2  
01.01.1944 Geschwaderkommodore Nachtjagdgeschwader 2  

Awards and Decorations:  
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (05.06.1940)  
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (26.06.1940)  
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokal (15.09.1941)  
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (21.08.1942) as Oberleutnant in 6./NJG 2  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (02.10.1942) as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitaen 9./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, after reaching 22 confirmed aerial victories, all at night. He transferred to night fighters in early 1942 after earlier bomber/observer service. His first nocturnal victory came on the night of 6/7 May 1942 (a Bristol Blenheim or similar). He rapidly built his score during operations over the Netherlands and later the Eastern Front, often flying the Junkers Ju 88. By October 1942 he had 22 kills, earning the Ritterkreuz. The award was presented by General Josef Kammhuber (head of the night fighter force). No single “decisive mission” is cited—it was the cumulative result of his early effectiveness in the Nachtjagd.
Front Flying Clasp for Night Fighters in Gold  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #290 (31.08.1943) as Hauptmann and Kommandeur I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 100, after reaching 54 aerial victories (most sources; one lists 47 at confirmation).
By mid-1943 he was a proven Experte. Notable feats contributing to this total included: An “ace-in-a-day” performance on 20 July 1943 near Oryol (Eastern Front), where he shot down seven Soviet aircraft in one night (six of them within 47 minutes, taking his score to victories 36–41); Additional multi-kill nights in July–August 1943 (e.g., three victories on 1 August and three more on 3 August). The Eichenlaub recognized his leadership as a group commander and his rising score during the intense Eastern Front night fighting and early Defence of the Reich operations. The award was personally presented by Adolf Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair (Führerhauptquartier) in East Prussia on 22 September 1943, alongside other aces (Günther Rall and Walter Nowotny received Swords that day). He also received a congratulatory letter from the 4. Jagd-Division commander.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #44 (23.01.1944) posthumously as Major and Geschwaderkommodore Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, for overall record of 83 victories (including leadership of night fighter wings) and, crucially, his final extraordinary mission on 21 January 1944. On the night of 21 January 1944, flying a Ju 88 R-4 (R4+XM) in a “Zahme Sau” (Tame Boar) free-hunting mission near Berlin, Wittgenstein and his crew (Feldwebel Friedrich Ostheimer as radio operator and Unteroffizier Kurt Matzuleit as mechanic) engaged a large RAF bomber stream. Between approximately 22:00 and 22:40 he claimed five four-engined Lancasters in rapid succession: First at ~22:05 (observed exploding), Second at 22:10–22:15, Third at ~22:30 (exploded), Fourth at 22:40 (hit the ground), Fifth during a final attack (the bomber was already burning when Wittgenstein came under attack). During the fifth engagement, British escort fighters (possibly Mosquitos) hit his Ju 88; the left wing caught fire. He ordered his crew to bail out (they survived). Wittgenstein attempted to nurse the burning aircraft back or bail out himself, but his parachute was found unopened. His body was recovered the next day near the wreckage in a forest near Lübars (Stendal area), with the cause of death listed as a closed fracture of the skull and facial bones (likely from striking the aircraft’s tail fin during egress). At the time of his death he was the Luftwaffe’s leading night fighter ace. The Swords were awarded just two days later in recognition of his total score, command achievements, and this final act of aggression in which he downed five bombers before perishing. These awards reflect the Luftwaffe’s system of honoring night fighter aces for cumulative success in the brutal nocturnal air war over Europe. Wittgenstein remains one of the top three night fighter aces in history (behind only Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer and Helmut Lent). His remains were later reinterred at Ysselsteyn German war cemetery in the Netherlands.

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Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was born into an aristocratic family in Copenhagen where his father served as a German diplomat. After a peripatetic education across Europe he completed his Abitur in Freiburg and joined the Wehrmacht via the cavalry before transferring to the Luftwaffe. He flew as observer and pilot in bomber units during the campaigns in France and Britain and then over 150 missions in the East with KG 1 and KG 51.  

In August 1941 he volunteered for the night fighter arm and quickly rose to Staffelkapitaen of 9./NJG 2. His first nocturnal victory came on the night of 6/7 May 1942 when he downed a Bristol Blenheim west of Walcheren. By early October 1942 he had reached 22 confirmed night victories, including multiple three-victory nights such as 31 July and 10 September 1942. These achievements, combined with his leadership of the Staffel, earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 2 October 1942. The award recognised not only his personal score but also his aggressive tactics and ability to locate and engage bombers in darkness using early Lichtenstein radar and visual contact.  

Transferred to the Eastern Front as Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 5 (later I./NJG 100) in December 1942, he continued to excel. On the night of 20/21 July 1943 alone he claimed seven Soviet aircraft near Oryol, six of them within 47 minutes, demonstrating exceptional skill in target-rich night conditions. Additional triple victories followed on 1 August and 3 August. By 31 August 1943 his total stood at 54 victories and he received the Eichenlaub (290th award). The Oak Leaves were presented personally by Adolf Hitler at the Wolfsschanze on 22 September 1943 together with other aces. At that time he flew mainly the Ju 88, which he preferred over the Bf 110 for its range and firepower.  

On 1 January 1944 he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of NJG 2. His score had reached 68 by then. On the night of 20/21 January 1944, during a Zahme Sau intercept mission near Berlin in a Ju 88 (Werknummer 750467), he claimed five four-engined RAF bombers (Lancasters and a Halifax) between 22:00 and 22:40. During the fifth attack his own aircraft was hit by defensive fire from a bomber or possibly a Mosquito escort, setting the wing ablaze. He ordered his radio operator Friedrich Ostheimer and mechanic Kurt Matzuleit to bale out; both survived. Wittgenstein attempted to nurse the burning aircraft back but crashed in a forest near Luebars. His body was found the next day with a fractured skull; the parachute had not opened. At the time of his death his total stood at 83 nocturnal victories (33 on the Eastern Front, 50 on the Western Front). He was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht and posthumously awarded the Schwerter (44th award) on 23 January 1944 in recognition of his outstanding record and command achievements. He was initially buried at Deelen airfield and re-interred in 1948 at Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery alongside fellow aristocratic night fighter pilot Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld.  

Unique and interesting facts include that Sayn-Wittgenstein came from one of Germany's oldest princely houses and was a descendant of a Russian field marshal. He possessed an almost intuitive sixth sense for locating enemy aircraft, described by comrades as a personal radar. He was known for strict discipline in the air, once confining a radio operator to quarters for losing contact, yet pardoning him after a successful mission. By 1943 he had grown disillusioned with the regime and reportedly contemplated actions against Hitler, though he continued fighting out of duty and ambition to surpass other aces. He flew over 320 combat missions in total.

Source:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Prinz_zu_Sayn-Wittgenstein  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/26218/Sayn-Wittgenstein-Prinz-zu--Heinrich.htm  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/SaynWittgensteinHPv.htm  
https://grokipedia.com/page/Heinrich_Prinz_zu_Sayn-Wittgenstein  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/sayn-wittgenstein-heinrich-alexander-ludwig-peter-prinz-zu/  
https://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html  
https://aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?q=units  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/  
https://www.geni.com/  
https://books.google.com/ (searches on Luftwaffe night fighters)  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.  
Goss, Christopher. Princes of Darkness: The Lives of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Aces Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld. 2003.  
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

Bio of Hajo Herrmann (1913-2010)

Full name: Hans-Joachim Herrmann
Nickname: Hajo

Date of Birth: 1 August 1913 - Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)
Date of Death: 5 November 2010 - Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)

Battles and Operations: Spanish Civil War, Polish Campaign, Norwegian Campaign, Western Campaign, Battle of Britain, Mediterranean Campaign, Arctic Convoys (including PQ-17), Defense of the Reich

NSDAP-Number: No information
SS-Number: No information (Luftwaffe officer)
Religion: No information
Parents: No information
Siblings: No information
Spouse: Ingeborg Reichelt (married 1959)
Children: Two sons (Benno and Thilo Martinho)

Promotions:
1 June 1935 Polizei-Leutnant (Hamburg State Police)
1 June 1938 Oberleutnant
1 December 1940 Hauptmann
1 March 1943 Major
1 August 1943 Oberstleutnant
1 December 1943 Oberst

Career:
May 1933 joined Hamburg State Police
1 August 1935 transferred to Luftwaffe
1936-1937 bomber pilot with Condor Legion in Spanish Civil War (flew He 111 with Kampfgruppe 88)
September 1939 transferred to 7. Staffel/KG 4
20 June 1940 Staffelkapitän 7./KG 4 "General Wever"
October 1940 transferred to KG 30
February 1941 operations in Mediterranean with III./KG 30 (Malta, Greece)
1 September 1941 Gruppenkommandeur III./KG 30 (Norway, Arctic convoys)
July 1942 transferred to Luftwaffenführungsstab (OKL staff)
April 1943 formed Nachtjagdversuchskommando and later Geschwaderkommodore JG 300 "Wilde Sau"
December 1943 Inspector of Night Fighters and later Inspector General of Night Fighters
End of 1944 commander 1. Jagddivision and 9. Fliegerdivision
April 1945 led Sonderkommando Elbe (Rammjäger unit)
11 May 1945 captured by Soviet forces, held in captivity until October 1955
1955 studied law
1965 Rechtsanwalt in Düsseldorf

Awards and Decorations:
Spanienkreuz in Bronze mit Schwertern
Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (October 1939)
Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (27 May 1940)
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg (28 September 1940)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (13 October 1940) as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 7./Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever". Awarded for distinguished service as a bomber pilot (primarily He 111 and later Ju 88). By this point he had flown numerous combat missions across several campaigns. Specific operations highlighted in the award citation include: Attacks on Polish troop concentrations in the Kutno pocket (September 1939), The attack on Fortress Dröbak during the Norwegian campaign (April 1940), Reconnaissance and anti-submarine sorties in the Skagerrak–Kattegat area, Raids on British landing positions at Namsos and Andalsnes (Norway), Attacks on Dutch airfields at Amsterdam-Schiphol and Bergen op Zoom (May 1940), and Mining operations in the mouth of the Thames. He had already participated in the invasion of Poland (first mission on 1 September 1939 bombing railways), operations over Norway, the Battle of Britain (including the first attack on London on the night of 7/8 September 1940 and 21 missions over the city by mid-October), and earlier Condor Legion service in Spain. By the time of the award he had completed dozens of missions and sunk or damaged significant shipping.
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold #1/61 (5 June 1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #269 (2 August 1943) as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 300. The award recognised a mix of an earlier spectacular success as a bomber pilot, the creation of a revolutionary night-fighting tactic, and his first personal aerial victories: On the night of 6/7 April 1941 (while operating from Sicily/Greece with KG 4 or KG 30), Herrmann scored a direct hit on the British ammunition ship Clan Fraser in Piraeus harbour (Greece). The resulting explosion destroyed or damaged 11 other ships (total ~41,942 GRT) and closed the port for months. (Note: Some secondary sources incorrectly list the location as Malta; the decisive strike occurred in Piraeus during support of the Greek campaign). Development of “Wilde Sau” single-engined night-fighter tactics. In 1942–43 he recognised the limitations of the rigid Kammhuber Line (“Himmelbett”) system against RAF bomber streams. He proposed using day fighters (Bf 109 and Fw 190) at night, illuminated by the fires of the target cities. After initial rejection, he gained approval in March 1943, formed the experimental Nachtjagdversuchskommando, and established JG 300 in mid-1943. The tactic dramatically improved the defence against night raids. By the award date he had achieved at least 6 (of his eventual 9) nocturnal victories against four-engined bombers while flying Wilde Sau missions himself (he was forced to bail out twice). The combination of the earlier shipping destruction, the new tactic that was already proving effective, and his personal score earned him the Eichenlaub.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #43 (23 January 1944) as Oberst and Inspekteur der Deutschen Luftverteidigung. The award recognised his continued outstanding leadership in the defence of the Reich and the full success of his innovations: He had by then personally claimed a total of 9 aerial victories against RAF four-engined bombers (Lancasters and Halifaxes) while flying Wilde Sau sorties with JG 300 and the 30. Jagd-Division (confirmed claims include victories on 4 July, 26/28/31 July, 3 August, 24 August 1943, and two on 3 January 1944 over Berlin). The “Wilde Sau” tactic (and its further development) had become a key element of German night defence. JG 300 and follow-on units inflicted heavy losses on RAF Bomber Command during the Battle of Berlin and other raids. As Inspector General he oversaw the broader integration of single-engine night fighters and continued to fly operational missions. The award specifically cited the 9 bomber victories plus his “development of innovative fighter tactics.” By this stage he had also flown ~320 bomber missions earlier in the war and was one of the most influential tactical thinkers in the Luftwaffe’s night-fighter arm.
Gemeinsames Flugzeugfuhrer-Beobachter Abzeichen mit Brillianten

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hans-Joachim Herrmann, often affectionately called Hajo by his comrades, was a highly decorated Luftwaffe bomber and night fighter pilot who flew more than 320 combat missions and later became a key innovator in the defense of the Reich. Starting his career in the Hamburg State Police in 1933, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935 and gained early combat experience in the Spanish Civil War and the early campaigns of World War II. As Staffelkapitän of 7./KG 4 he led daring raids over Poland, Norway, the Low Countries and Britain, sinking or damaging significant shipping and earning rapid recognition for his leadership and precision bombing. 

Transferred to KG 30, Herrmann continued his successes in the Mediterranean, most notably striking the ammunition ship Clan Fraser in Piraeus harbor on 6/7 April 1941, an explosion that destroyed eleven vessels and rendered the port unusable for months. By 1942 he had moved to staff duties but soon proposed revolutionary single-engine night-fighting tactics using day fighters in illuminated skies over German cities. Authorized in 1943, these "Wilde Sau" operations with JG 300 allowed him to claim several victories himself while greatly improving the effectiveness of night defenses against Allied bomber streams. 

Appointed Inspector of Night Fighters and later commander of the 1. Jagddivision, Herrmann oversaw critical phases of the Reich air defense and in the final months of the war directed the experimental Rammjäger unit Sonderkommando Elbe. Captured by Soviet forces in May 1945, he endured ten years of harsh captivity before returning to Germany in 1955. He studied law, qualified as a Rechtsanwalt in Düsseldorf in 1965 and maintained a public profile into his later years. Herrmann is remembered as both a skilled aviator who sank approximately 65,000 tons of Allied shipping and a pioneering tactician whose ideas shaped late-war Luftwaffe night operations.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajo_Herrmann
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Joachim_Herrmann_(Flieger)
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34538/Herrmann-Hans-Joachim-Hajo.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?q=units
https://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedberg 2000.
Stockert, Franz. Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe. Band 3. Bad Friedrichshall 2012.
Bundesarchiv personnel files references.

Bio of General der Panzertruppe Gerhard Graf von Schwerin (1899-1980)

Full name: Gerhard Helmut Detleff Graf von Schwerin
Nickname: Gerd

Date of Birth: 23.06.1899 - Hannover, German Empire
Date of Death: 29.10.1980 - Rottach-Egern, Bavaria, West Germany

Battles and Operations: World War I (Eastern and Western Fronts), Western Campaign (France 1940), North African Campaign (Mechili oasis), Operation Barbarossa, fighting near Mga and Schlüsselburg (approaches to Leningrad), Caucasus Campaign, retreat from the Caucasus, Mius Front, Zaporozhye bridgehead, Normandy Campaign, Battle of Aachen, Italian Campaign 1945

Religion: No information
Parents: Father was a civil official in the Prussian State Government (name unknown)
Siblings: No information
Spouse: Married three times (first to Herta Kannengiesser, second to Julia Zulich, third to Esther Klippel)
Children: Gabrielle (born August 1932), Christian (born January 1939)

Promotions:
10.08.1914 Fähnrich
18.07.1915 Leutnant (Patent: 02.06.1916)
01.07.1923 Leutnant (RDA: 01.03.1918)
01.04.1925 Oberleutnant
01.06.1933 Hauptmann
01.03.1937 Major (RDA: 01.10.1936)
10.11.1938 Major (RDA: 01.04.1936)
01.04.1939 Oberstleutnant (RDA: 01.08.1938)
01.08.1941 Oberst
01.10.1942 Generalmajor (RDA: 01.10.1942)
01.06.1943 Generalleutnant
01.04.1945 General der Panzertruppe

Career:
00.00.1914 entered Prussian Army as Fähnrich in 2. Foot Guards Regiment, later transferred to 2. (1st Pomeranian) Grenadier Regiment
1918 company commander and battalion adjutant on Eastern and Western Fronts (wounded 26.09.1918)
1920 discharged from army
1920-1922 managerial apprenticeship in coffee import firm (Bremen) and petroleum company (Berlin)
01.07.1923 rejoined Reichswehr as Leutnant in Infanterie-Regiment 1
1931 Infanterie-Regiment 18 (Paderborn)
01.06.1933 Hauptmann
1933-1935 General Staff course at Prussian Military Academy Berlin
1935-1937 various General Staff and company command positions (including Chef 13. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 17)
10.11.1938 3. Abteilung, Generalstab des Heeres
01.04.1939 Oberstleutnant
1938-1939 staff officer at Oberkommando des Heeres and attaché duties in London (clandestine contacts with British officials warning of impending war and suggesting anti-Hitler coup support)
09.09.1939 Kommandeur I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment Grossdeutschland
15.12.1940 Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 254
17.01.1941 Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment z.b.V. 200 (5. leichte Division, North Africa)
28.07.1941 Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 76, 20. Infanterie-Division (mot.)
29.05.1942 Führerreserve OKH
02.07.1942 m.d.F.b. 8. Jäger-Division
27.09.1942 Stab Oberfeldkommandantur 365
05.11.1942 Stab 16. Infanterie-Division (mot.)
13.11.1942 Kommandeur 16. Infanterie-Division (mot.), later 16. Panzergrenadier-Division
01.05.1944 Kommandeur 116. Panzer-Division (Windhund-Division)
20.09.1944 Führerreserve OKH
19.10.1944 Reserve-Lazarett
10.12.1944 Kommandeur 90. Panzergrenadier-Division
03.02.1945 m.d.F.b. LXXVI. Panzerkorps
01.04.1945 Kommandeur LXXVI. Panzerkorps (Italian front)
26.04.1945 captured by British forces
late 1947 released from POW camp
1950 chief advisor on military and security policy to Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and head of Dienststelle Schwerin (Zentrale für Heimatdienst)
1950-1950s advisor on military policy for Free Democratic Party parliamentary group
post-war resident in Rottach-Egern

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (World War I)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914 (World War I)
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber 1918 (wounded 26.09.1918)
Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (World War I)
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
DRL-Sportabzeichen in Bronze (14.03.1930)
DRL-Sportabzeichen in Silber (11.03.1932)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4. Klasse (4 years)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 3. Klasse (12 years)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 2. Klasse (18 years)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 1. Klasse (25 years)
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (11.05.1940) as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment Grossdeutschland
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (19.05.1940) as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment Grossdeutschland
Panzerkampfabzeichen (ohne Zahl) (15.06.1941) as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment z.b.V. 200
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #803 (17.01.1942) as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 76, 20. Infanterie-Division (mot.). During the fighting near Mga-Cory (on the approaches to Leningrad) from 30 August to 5 September 1941, Schwerin led a Kampfgruppe that became encircled and came under attack from all sides for three days. Despite a direct order from corps headquarters to break out toward Mga, he chose to hold the position with his troops until relief arrived. Through his outstanding leadership and decisive command, the Kampfgruppe held firm, was successfully relieved, and played a key role in the subsequent capture of Schlüsselburg just three days later. This action contributed significantly to German operations in the Leningrad sector during Operation Barbarossa. At the time, his regiment was advancing deep into Soviet territory as part of the broader drive eastward.
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (22.07.1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #240 (17.05.1943) as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 16. Infanterie-Division (mot.)/ Schwerin demonstrated exceptional leadership during the difficult winter retreat of the division from the Caucasus (1942–43). He successfully extricated the division while it was under constant pressure from pursuing Soviet forces, eventually repositioning it along the Mius front by March 1943. His greatest achievement in this period was the destruction of the Soviet 4th Guards Mechanized Corps during the intense fighting for the Fedorenko gorge (18–23 February 1943). These actions prevented the collapse of the sector and preserved combat effectiveness under extreme conditions. The 16. Infanterie-Division (mot.) had been heavily engaged in the fighting around Stalingrad and the subsequent Soviet counteroffensives before the retreat.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #41 (04.11.1943) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 16. Panzergrenadier-Division. The Schwerter recognized Schwerin’s continued outstanding leadership of the division during its retreat from the Mius position in late summer 1943, followed by its successful defensive and offensive achievements in the fighting for the Zaporozhye bridgehead. These operations occurred under relentless Soviet pressure, and his command prevented encirclement while maintaining the division’s fighting capability. Adolf Hitler personally presented the Swords to him at a ceremony in the Berghof upon his return to Germany.
Ärmelband Afrika (17.12.1943)
Medaglia commemorativa della campagna italo-tedesca in Africa
Ordine della Corona d'Italia - Commendatore
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (27.10.1943)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gerhard Helmut Detleff Graf von Schwerin was born on 23 June 1899 in Hanover in the German Empire into a Prussian aristocratic family whose father served as a civil official in the Prussian State Government. At the age of fifteen he entered the cadet school at Koslin and soon joined the Prussian Army as a Fahnrich in the 2nd Foot Guards Regiment before transferring to the 2nd Pomeranian Grenadier Regiment. During the closing months of the First World War in 1918 he saw combat on both the Eastern and Western Fronts as a company commander and battalion adjutant until he was wounded on 26 September 1918 and hospitalized until the armistice. For his wartime service he received the Iron Cross Second Class and First Class along with the Wound Badge in Silver and the Honour Cross for Front Fighters.

After the war Schwerin was discharged from the army in 1920 and spent several years in civilian occupations including a managerial apprenticeship with a coffee import firm in Bremen and work for a petroleum company in Berlin. In 1923 he rejoined the Reichswehr as a lieutenant in Infantry Regiment 1 and progressed through a series of infantry postings including service in Infantry Regiment 3 and later Infantry Regiment 18 in Paderborn. He was promoted to captain in June 1933 and from 1933 to 1935 attended the General Staff course at the Prussian Military Academy in Berlin. By October 1938 he had reached the rank of major and served on the staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres. In January 1939 while attached to the UK and US intelligence section at the German Embassy in London he made clandestine contact with British officials urging them to abandon the policy of appeasement and instead support a potential military coup within Germany by deploying naval and air forces to pressure Adolf Hitler over the impending invasion of Poland. These overtures which carried the risk of high treason were conveyed to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain but ultimately rejected.

With the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 Schwerin took command of the 1st Battalion of the motorized Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland and led it through the 1940 campaign in France and the Low Countries where elements of his unit were later investigated for the massacre of disarmed French Senegalese Tirailleurs prisoners. He subsequently commanded Rifle Regiment 86 and other formations before transferring in April 1941 to North Africa as commander of Special Purposes Regiment 200 within the Afrika Korps. There he led a joint German-Italian commando raid deep behind British lines capturing the Mechili oasis and taking nearly three thousand prisoners including three generals an action that helped open the way for Erwin Rommel’s early successes. Returning to Europe late in 1941 he assumed command of Infantry Regiment 76 during Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front and for his leadership in holding a cut-off Kampfgruppe near Mga and Schlüsselburg he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 January 1942 as an Oberst.

Brief command of the 254th Infantry Brigade followed in spring 1942 before he took over the 8th Jäger Division on the Eastern Front and was promoted to Generalmajor in October 1942. In November 1942 he was given command of the 16th Infantry Division later redesignated the 16th Panzergrenadier Division which he led through the bitter fighting around Stalingrad and the subsequent retreats from the Caucasus and the Mius River line. For his skill in extricating the division and destroying Soviet mechanized forces during these operations he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross on 17 May 1943 as Generalmajor and the Swords on 4 November 1943 as Generalleutnant the latter personally presented by Hitler at the Berghof. The division was transferred to France in March 1944 and upgraded to the 116th Panzer Division known as the Windhund or Greyhound Division with Schwerin assuming command on 1 May 1944.

During the Normandy campaign the 116th Panzer Division crossed the Seine on 20 July 1944 and engaged American forces between Beaucoudray and Percy retaking the former village but failing to secure Mont Robin amid difficult terrain that hampered the Panzer IV and Panther tanks. In Operation Lüttich in early August the division advanced toward Brécey but suffered from delayed commitment flank exposure and Allied bombing that severed supplies contributing to the failure of the counter-offensive and leading to Schwerin’s temporary relief from command. Reappointed he led the battered formation which by September 1944 had been reduced to roughly six hundred men twelve serviceable tanks and no artillery during the early fighting around Aachen. Facing the American advance and concerned for the several thousand unevacuated civilians and the historic status of the ancient Holy Roman Empire capital he made the unilateral decision to withdraw his forces declare the city an open city and leave a communiqué at the post office requesting that American commanders treat the civilian population humanely. When the note fell into SS hands he was relieved of command placed under close arrest and replaced by Gerhard Wilck but after intervention by Gerd von Rundstedt and Walter Model he received only a reprimand rather than harsher punishment.

In December 1944 Schwerin was transferred to the Italian front where he succeeded Traugott Herr as commander of the LXXVI Panzer Corps. He was promoted to General der Panzertruppe on 1 April 1945 and continued defensive operations until he was captured by British forces on 26 April 1945. Released from captivity in late 1947 he returned to civilian life and in May 1950 was appointed chief advisor on military and security policy to Chancellor Konrad Adenauer heading the covert Dienststelle Schwerin to lay the groundwork for West German rearmament under American occupation. He was replaced in October 1950 by Theodor Blank after public statements but later served as a military policy advisor to the parliamentary group of the Free Democratic Party. In the post-war decades he cultivated the image of the saviour of Aachen which earned him a street named Graf-Schwerin-Strasse and civic honours in the 1950s and 1970s though the name was changed in 2008 amid renewed scrutiny of incidents under his command including the execution of two fourteen-year-old looters in September 1944.

Schwerin married three times first to Herta Kannengiesser then to Julia Zulich with whom he had two children and finally to Esther Klippel. He died on 29 October 1980 in Rottach-Egern Bavaria at the age of eighty-one and was buried in the local cemetery. Throughout his long career he had also accumulated additional decorations including the 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross Second and First Class the Panzer Combat Badge the Eastern Front Medal the Africa Cuff Title the Italian-German African Campaign Medal the Order of the Crown of Italy as Commander and various long-service awards reflecting more than three decades of military and advisory service across two world wars and the early years of the Federal Republic.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
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/
Additional sources: Walther-Peer Fellgiebel, Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (2000); Veit Scherzer, Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945 (2007); various unit histories and Wehrmacht documents referenced on the above websites.

Bio of Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge (1882-1944)

Full name: Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge
Nickname: Hans-Günther, Clever Hans

Date of Birth: 30.10.1882 - Posen, Province of Posen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 19.08.1944 - near Metz/Verdun (France)

Battles and Operations: Polish Campaign, Western Campaign, Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Smolensk, Operation Typhoon / Battle of Moscow, Battles of Rzhev, Operation Citadel / Battle of Kursk, Normandy Campaign  

NSDAP-Number: No information  
SS-Number: No information  
Religion: No information  
Parents: Max von Kluge (Generalmajor)  
Siblings: Wolfgang von Kluge (Generalleutnant)  
Spouse: Mathilde von Briesen (married 1907)  
Children: Günther, Ester and Marie Louise  

Promotions:  
- 22.03.1901: Leutnant  
- 16.06.1910: Oberleutnant  
- 00.00.1914: Hauptmann  
- 01.04.1923: Major  
- 01.07.1927: Oberstleutnant  
- 01.02.1930: Oberst  
- 01.02.1933: Generalmajor  
- 01.04.1934: Generalleutnant  
- 01.08.1936: General der Artillerie  
- 01.10.1939: Generaloberst  
- 19.07.1940: Generalfeldmarschall  

Career:  
- 22.03.1901: entered service in Niedersächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 46  
- 1910-1918: General Staff officer, served on Eastern and Western Fronts in World War I  
- 1923: transferred to Reichswehrministerium in Berlin  
- 01.03.1930: commander of 2. (Preußisches) Artillerie-Regiment  
- 01.04.1934: commander of 6. Division  
- 01.04.1935: commanding general of VI. Armeekorps  
- 01.12.1938: commander of Heeresgruppen-Kommando 6  
- 26.08.1939: commander of 4. Armee  
- 19.12.1941: Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte  
- 02.07.1944: Oberbefehlshaber West (OB West) and commander of Heeresgruppe B  
- 17.08.1944: relieved of all commands  

Awards and Decorations:  
- Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (1914)  
- Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (1914)  
- Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern  
- 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (05.09.1939)  
- 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (17.09.1939)  
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (30.09.1939) as General der Artillerie and Kommandeur 4. Armee. Awarded for outstanding leadership during the Polish Campaign (Operation Fall Weiss / Fall Weiß). The 4th Army, advancing from West Pomerania (Pommern), played a central role in the rapid conquest of the Polish Corridor. It crossed the Brda River, sealed off Polish forces (including elements of the 9th and 27th Infantry Divisions and the Pomeranian Cavalry Brigade), advanced through the Tuchola Forest (Tucheler Heide), crossed the Vistula River near Graudenz (Grudziądz), and linked up with Army Group South forces. This contributed to the early encirclement and destruction of Polish units in the north. The XIX Army Corps (under Heinz Guderian) supported operations, capturing Brześć (Brest-Litovsk) on 17 September. Hitler personally praised Kluge as one of his most capable commanders for these swift, coordinated advances with relatively low casualties. This award came shortly after the campaign's conclusion and recognized the army-level operational success that helped secure victory in Poland within weeks.
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #181 (18.01.1943) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte. Awarded for distinguished leadership and defensive successes during the Eastern Campaign, particularly the harsh winter fighting of 1941/42 and subsequent months. After commanding the 4th Army during Operation Barbarossa (including the Vyazma encirclement and advances toward Moscow in late 1941), Kluge took over Army Group Centre amid the Soviet winter counteroffensive. He stabilized the front through positional warfare and defensive battles against vastly superior Soviet forces in manpower and materiel. His forces repeatedly repelled attacks, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy despite severe challenges like extreme cold, supply shortages, and lack of mobility. This included holding key sectors during the Battles of Rzhev and preventing a collapse of the central front. The award highlighted his skill in managing relentless Soviet pressure while maintaining cohesion in a critical defensive phase. The Eichenlaub recognized his transition from offensive command to masterful defense on the Eastern Front.
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwerter #40 (29.10.1943) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte. Awarded for exceptional command achievements in the East during summer and autumn 1943, particularly in defensive operations against overwhelming Soviet superiority. Kluge oversaw Army Group Centre during Operation Citadel (the Battle of Kursk, July 1943), where his forces (including the 9th Army) formed the northern pincer. Although he had initially expressed reservations about the offensive due to insufficient strength, he executed the operation and then managed the subsequent Soviet counteroffensives (e.g., Operation Kutuzov). He conducted skillful withdrawals and defensive actions (such as the earlier Operation Büffel in March 1943, which shortened lines by ~370 km), preventing breakthroughs despite massive Soviet numerical and material advantages. His leadership emphasized efficient use of limited resources, timely counterattacks, and preservation of combat effectiveness in a war of attrition. The Swords specifically praised his aptitude for high-intensity defensive warfare under these conditions.  
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold  
- Ostmedaille  
- Wound Badge in Black (1918)  
- Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (various classes)  
- Several campaign medals  

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Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge was born on October 30, 1882, in Posen, then part of the German Empire and now Poznań in Poland. He came from a Prussian military family—his father was a lieutenant general—and followed the traditional path into the army. In 1901 he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the 46th Field Artillery Regiment. He advanced steadily through the ranks, attending the War Academy and serving on the General Staff before the First World War.

During the Great War, Kluge served primarily in staff roles and as an artillery specialist. He participated in major engagements, including the Battle of Verdun in 1916, where he was seriously wounded. His performance earned him a reputation as an energetic and capable officer. After the armistice he remained in the Reichswehr, the limited army permitted under the Treaty of Versailles. Through the 1920s and 1930s he held various command and staff positions, rising to Major General in 1933, Lieutenant General in 1934, and General of Artillery in 1936. By 1938 he commanded Army Group 6 in Hanover.

Kluge initially viewed the Nazi regime with skepticism. He objected to Hitler's aggressive foreign policy and was disturbed by the regime's anti-Semitic policies. This led to his temporary dismissal from the army in 1938 during the purges that removed several conservative officers. Yet his expertise in mobile warfare and his earlier record soon brought him back into favor. He was recalled to command the newly formed Fourth Army (initially designated as the Sixth Army Group) on the eve of the Second World War.

In September 1939, Kluge led the Fourth Army during the invasion of Poland as part of Army Group North under Fedor von Bock. His forces advanced rapidly, reaching the Vistula before Britain and France declared war. The campaign showcased his ability to coordinate infantry, armor, and artillery effectively. The following year, in the Battle of France, the Fourth Army operated under Army Group A commanded by Gerd von Rundstedt. Kluge's troops pushed through Belgium and northern France, contributing to the encirclement at Dunkirk and the subsequent drive to the Seine and the Atlantic ports. For these successes Hitler promoted him to Generalfeldmarschall on July 19, 1940, one of the dozen field marshals appointed that day.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Kluge again commanded the Fourth Army, now part of Army Group Center under von Bock. His army participated in the encirclement battles at Minsk and Smolensk, then advanced toward Moscow. During the Battle for Moscow in late 1941, harsh winter conditions, overstretched supply lines, and fierce Soviet resistance halted the German offensive. Kluge, like many senior commanders, faced criticism, but he retained Hitler's confidence. In December 1941, after von Bock's dismissal following the Soviet counteroffensive, Kluge was appointed commander of Army Group Center. He held this position for nearly two years, through the massive Soviet offensives of 1942 and 1943. He proved adept at defensive operations, stabilizing the front after heavy losses and containing repeated Red Army attacks. In October 1943 he was severely wounded in a car accident and temporarily sidelined for recovery.

By mid-1944 the strategic situation had deteriorated dramatically. The Red Army's Operation Bagration in June destroyed much of Army Group Center in Belarus, while the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6 opened a second front in the west. On July 2, 1944, Hitler dismissed Rundstedt as Commander-in-Chief West and appointed Kluge to replace him, hoping the field marshal's reputation for energy would stabilize the crumbling German defenses in France. Kluge assumed command of all German forces in the west, including the remnants of Army Group B under Erwin Rommel (until Rommel's wounding in mid-July).

The Normandy campaign proved impossible to salvage. Allied air superiority devastated German supply lines and armored movements. Kluge's staff car was strafed by British fighter-bombers in early August, killing his driver and another occupant, though he escaped injury. Hitler overruled Kluge's recommendations for withdrawal and ordered a counterattack at Mortain (Operation Lüttich) in early August. The offensive failed, and Allied forces soon closed the Falaise Pocket, trapping large numbers of German troops. Kluge struggled to extricate surviving units amid overwhelming pressure.

Meanwhile, the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944—the July Plot—intensified suspicion within the Nazi leadership. Kluge had maintained loose, ambivalent contacts with elements of the military resistance over the years, sharing the old officer corps' antipathy toward Hitler and the Nazi party. He was not an active participant in the plot and had no prior knowledge of the bomb attack, but his name appeared in some incriminating documents uncovered in the aftermath. Hitler grew convinced of his disloyalty, possibly even suspecting secret contacts with the Allies.

On August 17, 1944, Hitler relieved Kluge of command and ordered him to return to Berlin. Aware of the fate awaiting those suspected of treason—arrest, interrogation under torture, and likely execution—Kluge chose not to face it. On August 19, near Metz in eastern France, he swallowed a cyanide capsule and died. In a farewell letter addressed to Hitler he denied betraying Germany but expressed despair over the military collapse and the suffering inflicted on the German people. He wrote that the time had come to end the frightfulness and hoped the Reich would be spared from Bolshevism.

Kluge's career encapsulated the dilemmas faced by many senior Wehrmacht officers: talented professionals who achieved early victories under Hitler, only to become entangled in a regime's catastrophic policies and eventual downfall. His tactical competence earned respect, yet his hesitation and ultimate suicide reflected the moral and strategic impasse of the German high command in the war's final stages.

Source:  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/  
https://en.wikipedia.org/  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/  
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.bundesarchiv.de/en/  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.  
Additional cross-referenced data from personnel files and Wehrmacht reports.

Bio of SS-Standartenführer August Dieckmann (1912-1943)

Full name: August Hinrich Dieckmann
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 29 May 1912 - Cadenberge, Lower Saxony (German Empire)
Date of Death: 10 October 1943 - Kreschtschatik (Fuchsschwanzinsel) on the Dnieper River (Soviet Union)

Battles and Operations:
Polish Campaign 1939, Western Campaign 1940, Operation Barbarossa 1941, Battle of Rostov 1941, Defensive battles north of Samara and Otscheretino 1942, Attack on Rostov 1942, Caucasus offensive including Kuban bridgehead, Laba river, and Maikop area 1942, Battles around Malgobek and oilfields 1942, Seizure of Grischino and Alexandrowka 1943, Defensive battles west of Kharkov 1943, Heavy fighting along the Dnieper 1943

NSDAP-Number: 4.455.713 (1 May 1937)  
SS-Number: 183.917 (4 November 1933)  
Religion: not known  
Parents: not known  
Siblings: not known  
Spouse: not known  
Children: not known

Promotions:  
1 July 1935 SS-Standartenjunker  
25 February 1936 SS-Standartenoberjunker  
20 April 1936 SS-Sturmführer  
2 September 1937 SS-Obersturmführer  
1 September 1939 SS-Hauptsturmführer  
26 December 1941 SS-Sturmbannführer  
21 June 1943 SS-Obersturmbannführer  
15 May 1944 SS-Standartenführer (posthumous, rank date of rank 1 October 1943)

Career:  
4 November 1933 entered the SS with 1. Sturm, SS-Standarte 88  
1934-1935 training at SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig  
1936 service with SS-Standarte 1 Deutschland in various battalions and Zugführer roles  
1937 platoon leader and tactics instructor  
1939 company and battalion leader with SS-Regiment Deutschland during Polish Campaign  
1940 battalion leader during Western Campaign  
1941 transferred to SS-Division Wiking as leader of I. Bataillon, SS-Regiment Germania  
From late 1941 commander of I. Bataillon SS-Regiment Germania and later regimental duties in the East  
1943 commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Westland, 5. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking

Awards and Decorations:  
Ehrenwinkel der Alten Kämpfer (1934)  
Julleuchter der SS (1935)  
Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS (12 December 1936)  
SS-Ehrenring  
SS-Dienstauszeichnung 4. Stufe (1937)  
Iron Cross 2nd Class (28 September 1939)  
Iron Cross 1st Class (3 June 1940)  
Wound Badge 1939 in Black  
Infantry Assault Badge in Silver  
German Cross in Gold (28 February 1942)  
Eastern Medal (1942)  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (23 April 1942) as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of I./SS-Regiment Germania for the defense of Otscheretino. The village of Otscheretino, captured on 16 February 1942 during the advance north of the Samara, held decisive terrain dominance and formed the vital cornerstone of the right wing of Gruppe Sanne. On the afternoon of 19 February 1942 the Russians launched a major attack after intense artillery and mortar preparation, supported by eight heavy tanks. The enemy penetrated the eastern and central parts of the burning village. With the last operational anti-tank gun knocked out and other weapons inoperable, SS-Sturmbannführer Dieckmann personally rushed to a nearby battery gun, took command, and directed close-range fire that destroyed four enemy tanks. He then immediately led a counterthrust with a loud Hurra, personally throwing the superior enemy force out of the village. On 20 February and during the night of 22-23 February his battalion, in coordination with other units, repelled further tank-supported assaults. The enemy suffered over 300 dead, 29 prisoners, and the loss of numerous heavy and light machine guns, anti-tank rifles, and rifles. Dieckmanns personal bravery, initiative, and leadership in the critical moment ensured the village remained in German hands and inflicted heavy losses on the attacker.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #233 (16 April 1943) as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Germania. After receiving the Ritterkreuz for Otscheretino, SS-Sturmbannführer Dieckmann repeatedly proved himself as an armoured combat group leader. During the attack on Rostov from 21-23 July 1942 he broke through deeply echeloned Soviet defences north and northwest of the city, always at the very spearhead. On 23 July he personally conducted terrain reconnaissance under heavy artillery, mortar, and rifle fire, escorted only by one officer and two messengers; this reconnaissance proved decisive for the assault on the third anti-tank ditch and the village of Leninawan northwest of Rostov. In the subsequent street fighting for the suburbs his personal example kept the attack moving and enabled capture of the southwestern part of the city. On 3 August 1942 during the thrust across the Kuban at Grigoripoliskaja he created and held the bridgehead despite heavy urban combat still raging in the village; he drove through the fighting in his car to the crossing site, oversaw the rubber-boat crossing under fire, and personally reconnoitred bridge-building possibilities, then intervened repeatedly in the defensive fighting. His calm ruthlessness under fire became legendary and inspired his men. In the advance toward the Laba river at Teginskaja and the Chadyshenskaja oilfield his Kampfgruppe secured key points such as Woronzowo-Daschkoff, where he rapidly regrouped forces, personally led a counterthrust, and directed howitzer fire to within 100 metres to repel a regimental-sized Soviet attack and protect the division supply route. In the street fighting for Chadyshenskaja he fought in the foremost line with riflemen and tanks, blocked the Maikop-Tuapse road, and inflicted heavy losses. On 5 October 1942 at the assault on hills west of Malgobek he stormed forward as point man to rally his pinned-down battalion, captured the objective, and repelled the immediate counterattack. The next day at Hill White House, despite fog and heavy losses, he repeatedly charged ahead of 2. Kompanie, enabling the capture of the strongly fortified height and opening the way for neighbouring units. On 7 October he personally counterattacked with his battalion against a tank- and infantry-supported Soviet assault, holding the line through his presence in the foremost positions. On 17 October at Hill 701 he rallied an assault party, fought with machine pistol and hand grenades to eject a Soviet penetration, and held the hill all day, preventing flank attacks on the division. On 12 February 1943 he seized Grischino in a surprise attack, cutting supply lines to Soviet Mobile Group Popov, and then defended it successfully. During the attack on Alexandrowka on 24 February 1943 his battalion, as the lead unit in an enveloping move, faced thousands of defenders with over twenty tanks and strong artillery; when the assault stalled at the edge of the city under heavy fire he personally placed himself at the head of the threatened company, inspired the men forward, and broke into the city. After bitter house-to-house fighting Alexandrowka fell, with the enemy losing over 100 dead plus seven tanks, twelve anti-tank guns, four artillery pieces, and numerous other weapons. Through these repeated personal interventions, fearless leadership at the decisive points, and inspirational example SS-Sturmbannführer Dieckmann contributed decisively to the successes of his battalion and regiment.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #39 (10 October 1943) as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 Westland. After taking command of Regiment Westland in the 5. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking, SS-Obersturmbannführer Dieckmann led his unit in continuous defensive battles on the southern sector of the Eastern Front from 5 July 1943 onward. From 11 August 1943 alone his regiment repelled more than 100 enemy attacks west of Kharkov, most of them launched by far superior Soviet forces. In all these actions Dieckmann was the soul of the defence; despite intense enemy fire he was constantly forward among his men, motivating them through his devotion to duty, fearlessness, and prudent leadership. The divisional commander repeatedly highlighted his deeds in daily reports. Even after being wounded several times by shell splinters he remained with his troops, personally reconnoitring penetrations in an armoured car and restoring the situation wherever neighbouring units or his own companies were threatened. On 10 October 1943, while fighting in the foremost line during the heavy defensive battles along the Dnieper at Kreschtschatik, SS-Obersturmbannführer Dieckmann was killed in action. He did not live to learn that the Führer had awarded him the Swords that same day as the 39th soldier of the Wehrmacht. Throughout countless battles in the East Dieckmann had become a legendary figure of heroic troop leadership far beyond the ranks of the Wiking Division and the Waffen-SS. His loss robbed the Waffen-SS of one of its finest regimental commanders and a constant model of soldierly virtues for the Germanic volunteers under his command.

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August Hinrich Dieckmann was born on 29 May 1912 in Cadenberge in Lower Saxony, Germany. He entered the SS on 4 November 1933 as a member of the 1st Sturm of SS-Standarte 88. Between 1 April 1934 and 25 April 1935 he attended the SS-Junkerschule in Braunschweig while serving with the 2nd Sturm of SS-Standarte 2 in Munich. On 1 July 1935 he was promoted to SS-Standartenjunker and on 25 February 1936 to SS-Standartenoberjunker. After completing a Zugführerlehrgang in Dachau he joined the III. Sturmbann of SS-Standarte 1 Deutschland in Ellwangen on 1 April 1936 and received his commission as SS-Sturmführer on 20 April 1936. He continued serving with various battalions of the Deutschland regiment, undertook a Truppen-Pionier-Lehrgang at the Pionier-Schule in Dessau-Roßlau, and was promoted to SS-Obersturmführer on 2 September 1937. He joined the NSDAP on 1 May 1937 and held platoon and company leadership roles within the Deutschland regiment before being attached to the XI. Armeekorps in Hannover in September 1938. By June 1939 he had risen to command the II. Sturmbann of SS-Standarte 1 Deutschland and on 1 September 1939 he was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer.

At the outbreak of war Dieckmann led the II. Bataillon of the motorized SS-Regiment Deutschland, which was attached to Panzer-Division Kempf and the 3. Armee during the campaign in Poland in 1939. He earned the Iron Cross Second Class on 28 September 1939 for his actions there. In the spring of 1940 he continued to command the same battalion within the SS-Verfügungsdivision during the campaign in the West and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class on 3 June 1940. After the French campaign he served as a tactics instructor at the SS-Junkerschule in Braunschweig. In early 1941 he transferred to the newly forming SS-Division Wiking and on 10 February 1941 took command of the I. Bataillon of SS-Regiment Germania. He was promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer on 26 December 1941.

With the launch of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 Dieckmann led his battalion in heavy fighting with Heeresgruppe Süd. His unit participated in the advance toward Rostov and endured the bitter defensive battles around that city in November 1941. On 28 February 1942 he received the German Cross in Gold for his leadership during these engagements. In February 1942 his battalion was committed to reinforce the village of Otscheretino, fifteen kilometers south of Barvenkovo, a key strongpoint on the right wing of Gruppe Sanne. When Soviet forces supported by eight heavy tanks attacked on 19 February after intense artillery preparation, they penetrated the eastern and central parts of the burning village and knocked out the last operational anti-tank gun. In this critical moment Dieckmann personally took charge of a nearby field gun, directed its crew under fire, and destroyed four enemy tanks at close range. He then organized an immediate counterattack, leading his men with a cheer and driving the superior Soviet force out of the village. Over the following days his battalion repelled further tank-supported assaults and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, including more than three hundred dead and numerous prisoners and weapons. For this decisive leadership and personal bravery he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 April 1942 as commander of the I. Battalion of SS-Regiment Germania.

In the summer of 1942 Dieckmann continued to distinguish himself during the German offensive toward the Caucasus. He led an armored battle group of SS-Regiment Germania in the assault on Rostov from 21 to 23 July. Over three days of intense combat his unit broke through multiple layers of Soviet defenses north and northwest of the city. On 23 July he personally conducted terrain reconnaissance under heavy artillery, mortar, and rifle fire, escorted only by one officer and two messengers, which proved vital for the success of the armored group's attack. During the subsequent street fighting in the suburbs of Rostov he remained at the forefront, inspiring his men by example and ensuring the southwestern part of the city was secured. On 3 August 1942 his Kampfgruppe spearheaded the crossing of the Kuban River near Grigoripoliskaja, again demonstrating outstanding initiative and courage that enabled the establishment and retention of a bridgehead. These actions, building on his earlier Knight's Cross, earned him the 233rd Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 16 April 1943 while still commanding the I. Battalion of the newly redesignated SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Germania within the 5. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking.

By the spring of 1943 Dieckmann had assumed command of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 Westland in the same division. He was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer on 21 June 1943. On 10 October 1943, while leading his regiment in defensive fighting along the Dnieper River near Kreschtschatik, also known as Fuchsschwanzinsel, he was killed in action at the age of thirty-one. On the very day of his death he was posthumously awarded the 39th Swords to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 Westland. The following year, on 15 May 1944, he received a posthumous promotion to SS-Standartenführer with a rank seniority date of 1 October 1943.

Throughout his career Dieckmann accumulated numerous additional decorations that reflected both his early service and frontline achievements. Among them were the SS-Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS, the SS-Ehrenring, the Ehrenwinkel der Alten Kämpfer, the Julleuchter der SS, the SA-Sports Badge in Bronze, the DRL Sports Badge in Bronze, the SS Long Service Award 4th Class, the Anschluss Medal, the Sudetenland Medal, the Wound Badge in Black, the Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, the Close Combat Clasp in Bronze, and the Eastern Front Medal. He was buried at the German War Cemetery in Kiev, though the exact grave location remains unknown. Dieckmann exemplified the aggressive leadership and personal courage that characterized many early Waffen-SS officers, rising rapidly through the ranks from junior platoon commander to regimental commander in some of the most demanding campaigns on the Eastern Front. His repeated selection for independent battle-group commands and the exceptional nature of the recommendations for his highest decorations underscored the impact he had on the battlefield until his final action on the Dnieper in October 1943.

Source:  
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedberg 2000.  
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Jena 2007.  
Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles (Volumes 2 and 3).  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Dieckmann  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29014/Dieckmann-August-Hinrich.htm  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/D/DieckmannA.htm  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-august-dieckmann-1942-48342984.html