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Sunday, April 2, 2023

Bio of Oberstleutnant Friedrich-Karl Krützmann (1917-2004)

Friedrich-Karl Krützmann

Date of Birth: 19.05.1917 - Greifenberg, Pommern (German Empire)
Date of Death: 16.05.2004 - Reinbek, Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)

Promotions:
01.10.1936 Fahnenjunker
01.09.1939 Leutnant
01.12.1941 Oberleutnant
00.00.1943 Hauptmann
01.03.1944 Major
01.04.1945 Oberstleutnant
01.07.1958 Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
05.12.1964 Oberst (Bundeswehr)

Career:
00.04.1936 Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD) service
01.10.1936 Offizieranwärter (Fahnenjunker) in Infanterie-Regiment 5
00.10.1938 Participated in the taking of Sudetenland
00.11.1942 Chef 6.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5
00.03.1944 Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5
00.02.1945 Führer Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland"
00.03.1945 Kommandeur for unknown battalion
01.07.1958 Joined the Bundeswehr and became Gruppenkommandeur Transportgruppe Luftwaffenversorgungsregiment (LwVersRgt) 2 in Fliegerhorst Diepholz
00.11.1959 - 00.06.1961 Lehrgruppenkommandeur at Höheren Technischen Schule der Luftwaffe
05.06.1961 - 29.02.1964 G 3 (Generalstabs-Offizier für Führung, Organisation und Ausbildung) at Schule der Bundeswehr für Innere Führung in Koblenz-Pfaffendorf
02.05.1964 Kommandeur Vorkommandos of Unteroffizierschule der Luftwaffe in Gürzenich-Vald
01.04.1968 - 30.09.1970 Kommandeur Luftwaffenausbildungsregiment 2
01.10.1972 - 30.09.1975 Leiter Stammdienststelle der Luftwaffe
30.09.1975 Retired

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.193_ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange "Prager Burg"
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.19__ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.194_ Panzerkampfabzeichen
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Bronze
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Bronze
00.00.194_ One Panzervernichtungsabzeichen in Silber
28.11.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
03.03.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Hauptmann and Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 / 12.Panzer-Division. The following excerpt from the regimental history of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 describes the actions by which Krützmann would be decorated with the Ritterkreuz: “10 November 1943... As morning broke at 08:15 a massive drumfire by hundreds of guns commenced, the likes of which the old soldiers hadn’t seen for ages and the young soldiers hadn’t ever encountered. This was the prelude for the large-scale attack by the 1st Belorussian Front against the positions of the German army in the area southeast of Gomel and Retshiza. The Soviets are determined to break the Dnieper Line here, just as they had done on both sides of Kiev a week before. After just a few minutes already the frontline of the combat battalions had a curtain of smoke and dust. In a short time all communication lines are also broken. Only the secondary position of the infantry guns reports in via radio and states at 09:00 that the front is still holding. Then this link was also cut. 15 minutes later the drumfire lets up a little, then moved on and began falling on the second line where our Bataillon command post was situated with full force. At least by then we knew that the enemy attack must have begun. The forward lines had been breached almost everywhere by Russian T-34 tanks and their following infantry. Only Leutnant Eichler with his three 8.8 cm guns and four Panzers could find some breathing space, however he also had to fall back and blow up his guns due to a lack of ammunition during the Soviet 3rd attack wave. The battle had now reached the hill on which the Bataillon command post lay. Hauptmann Krützmann gave the following situation overview: Enemy tanks already passed us on both sides, enemy infantry still about 200 meters away. Our own Grenadiers are falling back everywhere in small groups. All the staff officers and leaders of the 4. and 9. Kompanie are currently trying to gain an overview of the situation or rally stragglers. There is no news from the neighbours and no more contact with the regimental staff. In the midst of this confusion, in which nothing can be calculated or planned with military precision, only one thing is important: the enemy must not reach the Bear position before our own troops are there and ready to defend! With this in mind, back in the Bear position Hauptmann Krützmann calmly and precisely issued his orders. He saw to it that all weapons were taken along and no intact vehicle was left behind. In this way, through his personal presence, he prevented his troops from panicking. At the same time numerous skilled commanders from Oberstleutnant Kahler down to every unknown squad leader were able to bring order to the troops. While the Panzergrenadiers still had their noses deep in the dirt the enemy tank spearheads ran into the battle-ready self-propelled Panzerjäger and Wespen, who brought them to an inglorious halt! Wherever one looked one could see explosions, smashed steel and broken, burning or immobilized T-34s and KV-1s. By the evening the balance read out as 185 enemy tanks destroyed, including 54 from Panzer Gruppe Eicher, 26 from Panzer Gruppe Fehrmann and 14 from the Wespen. However now it was necessary to prevent the enemy from penetrating into the Bear Position. In the right half of the Bataillon sector Oberleutnant Schmidt, and in the left Oberleutnant Moritz, gathered up everyone who could shoot a weapon. Reinforcing the Kompanien were Flak soldiers, Pioniere and old, gray-haired construction troops. The trenches are occupied more than thinly. On the right contact with the neighbouring division is severed very soon following the disappearance of the Feldgendarmerie unit here. From here stems the next danger, that the enemy will find and exploit this gap in the German defensive line. Hauptmann Krützmann personally assembled a response team together with the task of closing this gap no matter what the cost. This took place following much pluck, daring and many hand grenades. The above-mentioned construction of the new defensive line did not have too many ‘5ers’. 231 men fell during the events of the last twelve hours alone, dead, missing or wounded. On the following day Hauptmann Krützmann was the rock in the surf. He led his fleeing Grenadiers back in a counterthrust, taking the positions back and preventing a Soviet breakthrough in the process. On the 11.11.1943 the Panzerjäger destroyed 59 enemy tanks in front of the positions of the I. Bataillon.”
00.00.1945 Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
00.00.19__ Goldenes Sportabzeichen des Deutschen Sportbundes (DSB)

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After attending secondary school and graduating from high school at Easter 1936, Karl-Friedrich Krützmann went to the Reich Labor Service and then joined the 5th Infantry Regiment in Stettin on October 1, 1936 as an officer candidate (fahnenjunker), which in 1937 became a motorized unit of the 2. Infanterie-Division (mot.). From his main regiment he took part in the usual cadet and ensign courses, and was finally promoted to lieutenant on April 1, 1939. In October 1938 he and his regiment had already taken part in the liberation of the Sudetenland. On January 10, 1941, the unit was renamed to Schützen-Regiment 5. In October 1940 it was reorganized into a rifle regiment, with the III. Battalion became Kradschützen Battalion 34. The remainder of the regiment was redesignated the Schützen-Regiment 5 on 10 January 1941.

After formation, the regiment remained subordinate to the 12. Panzer-Division. The soldiers from the regiment had to exchange their white waffenfarbe for meadow green. At the beginning of February 1941, both battalions were transferred from the regiment to the Wischau military training area for one week each. The commander of the 1st battalion of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel von der Linde, had to relinquish leadership. The new commander of the I Battalion was Lieutenant Colonel Loeven. Commander of the II Battalion remains Major Renner. In February 1941, the column left the regiment and formed the 11. kleine Kraftwagen-Kolonne with Panzer-Divisions-Nachschubführer 2. In early March 1941, the entire division was transferred to the Warthelager military training area in military district XXI. On March 9, 1941, the regiment left its quarters in the Eastern Sudetes. The Trachenberg area was reached via Troppau, Oppeln and Breslau, where the division spent the night. On March 10, 1941, the division arrived at the Warthelager military training area in military district XXI. It stays there for 14 days. The interaction with a tank regiment was practiced for the first time. On March 23, 1941, the regiment was transferred to Groß Kirschbaum, near Schwiebus, in Military District III. The regiment is now on the hiking training area. On April 5, 1941, the regiment consisted of 73 officers and 2,442 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. Each battalion consists of 28 officers and 1,034 non-commissioned officers and men on this day. By May 1941, the regiment also underwent a major makeover. All soldiers older than 32 years are transferred or supplied to the reserve force. Until the end of May 1941, time passed with exercises. In the last few days of May, the entire division was transferred to the Neuhammer military training area in military district VIII for a few days. Then it's back to the Schwiebus area. On June 12, 1941, the division began to march towards East Prussia. Since the march only takes place at night, serious accidents also occur. The march ends in the Sensburg - Nikolaiken - Johannesburg area. On the evening of June 19, 1941, the division marched through Arys and Lyck into the Treuburg area. On June 20, 1941, sutlers and live ammunition were issued and the regiment subdued in the woods east of Suwalki. On July 10, 1942, the regiment was renamed Panzer Grenadier Regiment 5.

During World War II, Krützmann's career rose as a platoon commander, adjutant, company commander, battalion commander, and regimental commander. He took part in the Polish campaign, the 1940 western campaign and the eastern campaign. For his achievements on the Eastern Front, as captain and commander of the 1st Battalion/Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 5, he received the Knight's Cross on March 3, 1944.

In February 1945, Major Krützmann is said to have become the last commander of the Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland" after the death of Colonel Wolfgang Heesemann. According to other sources, he was charged with commanding the regiment, but only until a new commander arrived. Then, in March 1945, he is said to have commanded another battalion until he was seriously wounded again and transferred to a military hospital in Schleswig-Holstein. This would explain why he did not live to see the division's annihilation in the final battle for East Prussia. As a lieutenant colonel, he was discharged from the Wehrmacht at the end of the war; there is no proof that he was a prisoner of war.

After the five serious wounds had healed, he learned the bricklayer's trade and passed the journeyman's examination in 1948, which was followed by five semesters of study at the state building school in Eckernförde, with the conclusion of the engineer's examination (civil engineering). Working in the private sector from August 1, 1951, he was most recently employed as department manager in the central office of a large forwarding company in Hamburg.

When he joined the Bundeswehr as a lieutenant colonel on July 1, 1958, Krützmann became group commander of the newly formed transport group of Air Force Supply Regiment (LwVersRgt) 2 at the Diepholz air base (reorganized in 1959 as Air Force Park Regiment 2, in 1968 as Air Force Supply Area 2 and in 1973 again as Air Force Supply Regiment 2). This was followed by assignments as a teaching group commander from mid-November 1959 to early June 1961 at the Higher Technical School of the Air Force in Neubiberg and from June 5, 1961 to February 29, 1964 as G 3 (General Staff Officer for leadership, organization and training) at the school Bundeswehr for internal leadership in Koblenz-Pfaffendorf.

On May 2, 1964, Colonel Krützmann was put in charge of the Vorkommando of the Luftwaffe non-commissioned officer school in Gürzenich-Vald near Düren, where he was commander from April 1, 1964 to March 31, 1968. Here he was appointed colonel on December 5, 1964. He was then employed from April 1, 1968 to September 30, 1970 as department head and permanent deputy to the head of the Luftwaffe's main office in Cologne. From October 1, 1970 to September 30, 1972, he led Air Force Training Regiment 2 and was at the same time the site elder of the Legerplaat Budel/Netherlands.

On October 1, 1972, Colonel Krützmann took over the management of the Luftwaffe's main office. In his capacity, he was responsible for the personnel management and processing of all portepee non-commissioned officers as well as the Luftwaffe special personnel managed centrally in the Luftwaffe's main office. His special interest was in sports. At the end of September 30, 1975, he was retired.



Source :
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Kr%C3%BCtzmann,_Friedrich-Karl
http://soldaten.balsi.de/index.php?action=show&id=15461
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/10628/Kr%C3%BCtzmann-Friedrich-Karl.htm

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