Nickname: In military and veteran circles he is often referred to as “der letzte Kommandeur der 62. Volksgrenadier‑Division” (the last commander of the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division)
Date of birth: 18 August 1908 - Kattowitz, Upper Silesia (German Empire)
Date of death: 1 December 2003 - Bramstedt, Lower Saxony (Germany)
Religion: Protestant (evangelisch)
Parents: The son of a customs official (Zollbeamter). Details about his mother and any siblings remain sparsely documented in public sources.
Spouse: He married, but his wife died in Upper Silesia in early 1945 during the chaotic final months of the war. He received special leave in February 1945 to attend her funeral.
Children: Information regarding his children is limited and not extensively recorded in available biographical materials. After the war he resided in West Germany and became actively involved in veterans traditions associations focused on Silesian military heritage.
Promotions:
1926 Enters military service as a Freiwilliger in the Reichswehr
1930 Unteroffizier
1935 Feldwebel
1937 Hauptfeldwebel
1 April 1938 Oberleutnant
1 February 1939 Hauptmann
1 January 1942 Major
1 September 1943 Oberstleutnant
18 October 1944 Oberst
1955 Oberst der Reserve (Bundeswehr)
Career:
13 April 1926: Enlisted as a volunteer in the 3. Kompanie, 7. (Preussisches) Infanterie-Regiment in Neisse.
1930: Passed the non-commissioned officer examination.
1935: Promoted to Feldwebel in the regimental staff of Infanterie-Regiment 7; trained Fahnenjunker (officer candidates) of the 8. Division.
1937: Promoted to Hauptfeldwebel in the staff company, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 7, Neisse.
1 April 1938: Promoted to Oberleutnant; appointed Chef, 3. Kompanie, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 7.
1 February 1939 (some sources cite 1 October 1938): Promoted to Hauptmann; appointed Chef, 1. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 7 (later associated with Infanterie-Regiment 38 of the 8. Infanterie-Division).
1938-1939: Participated in the occupation of the Sudetenland and the remainder of Czechoslovakia.
1939: Participated in operations in Silesia near Hindenburg and the polish campaign near Nikolai, earning both classes of the iron cross.
October 1939: Führer, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 7.
10 May 1940: Fought in the western campaign in France as Führer, I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 38, 8. Infanterie-Division.
Summer 1941: Eastern front with 8. Infanterie-Division; operations around Grodno, Rudno, Witebsk, Smolensk.
Circa July 1941: Appointed Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 38.
1 January 1942: Promoted to Major; continued as Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 38 (later Jäger-Regiment 38 after the division became the 8. Jäger-Division).
February-March 1942 onward: Fought in the Demjansk pocket area and along the Lowat river.
April-June 1943: Attended Regimentsführerlehrgang in Döberitz.
July 1943: Kommandeur, Grenadier-Regiment 532, 383. Infanterie-Division (initially Heeresgruppe B, later in the Pripyat area south of Bobruisk).
1 September 1943: Promoted to Oberstleutnant.
1 March 1944: Promoted to Oberst.
June-August 1944: Defended positions during the soviet summer offensive; held a railway bridge over the Beresina near Bobruisk for several days to allow corps elements to withdraw, served as rearguard holding the northern edge of Bobruisk, and led a fighting breakout of approximately 700 km over 44 days through encirclement via Minsk and Baranowitschi, finally breaking through soviet lines near Augustowo on 18 August 1944 with a small group of survivors.
September 1944: Führer, Grenadier-Regiment 164, 62. Volksgrenadier-Division (formed in Neuhammer, Silesia).
December 1944-January 1945: Participated in the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge); his regiment advanced toward the Salm river and Trois Ponts area near Malmedy, contributing significantly to the deepest penetrations by infantry units.
February 1945: Defensive fighting at the Westwall near Gmünd; received special leave for his wife's funeral in Upper Silesia.
March 1945: Führer, 62. Volksgrenadier-Division; fighting in the Siebengebirge area; conducted negotiations with american forces to protect field hospitals.
April 1945: Continued defensive actions in the Ruhr pocket area near Wuppertal; taken prisoner by US forces on 17 April 1945.
Post-1945: Released from captivity; worked in rubble clearance, agriculture, and later as an independent merchant.
Circa 1955: Joined the Bundeswehr as Oberst der Reserve; served as deputy brigade commander, Panzergrenadierbrigade 32.
1960 onward: Appointed Ehrenoberst (honorary colonel). From 1982 he led the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Traditionsverbände Schlesischer Truppen and co-authored material on Silesian military traditions.
Awards and Decorations:
Dienstauszeichnung Der Wehrmacht 4. Klasse (4 Jahre) (2 October 1936)
Dienstauszeichnung Der Wehrmacht 3. Klasse (12 Jahre) (2 October 1936)
Dienstauszeichnung Der Wehrmacht 2. Klasse (18 Jahre) (1938)
Medaille Zur Erinnerung An Den 1. Oktober 1938 Mit Spange "Prager Burg" (1939)
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (2 October 1939)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (27 October 1939)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (13 August 1941)
Nahkampfspange In Bronze (1 October 1941)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 In Schwarz (2 November 1941)
Ritterkreuz Des Eisernen Kreuzes #717 (14 December 1941) as Hauptmann and Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 38 / 8.Infanterie-Division. In the first weeks of September 1941, during the Battle of Smolensk and the follow-on operations toward the Dnieper River, Jüttner’s battalion played a critical role in sealing off escaping Soviet forces. The Germans aimed to prevent a major Soviet evacuation from the Smolensk pocket and trap large enemy formations east of the Dnieper.
Near Pnewo (close to the Dnieper River), Jüttner’s battalion held a key sector of the German frontline under intense pressure. Soviet forces from at least three divisions attempted to break out. Jüttner’s men repelled repeated assaults, taking hundreds of prisoners while maintaining their positions despite heavy artillery and infantry attacks.
When a Soviet cavalry regiment exploited a gap in the line and threatened to rupture the German cordon, Jüttner personally led a flanking counterattack. His troops moved swiftly through difficult terrain to strike the cavalry from the side. In close-quarters fighting—marked by savage hand-to-hand combat, sabers clashing with bayonets, and machine-gun fire mowing down charging horsemen—the German infantry crushed the regiment. This action helped close the pocket tighter and contributed to the capture of significant numbers of Soviet troops and equipment.
Jüttner’s leadership, personal bravery under fire, and tactical initiative in both defensive stands and aggressive counterattacks were cited as decisive.
Medaille "Winterschlacht Im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille) (1942)
Demjanskschild (1943)
Deutsches Kreuz In Gold #320/1 (27 February 1943)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 In Silber (18 August 1944)
Nahkampfspange In Silber (18 October 1944)
Ritterkreuz Des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #622 (18 October 1944) as Oberst and Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 532 / 383.Infanterie-Division (later associated with remnants in the Bobruisk area), during the Soviet summer offensive (Operation Bagration) in Belarus.
In June 1944, as the Red Army launched its massive offensive that destroyed much of Army Group Center, Jüttner’s regiment was positioned near Bobruisk along the Beresina River (Berezina).
Defense of the Railroad Bridge: Jüttner’s men held the vital railroad bridge over the Beresina long enough for elements of three German corps to withdraw across it under heavy Soviet pressure. This rearguard action prevented an immediate collapse and allowed thousands of German troops and vehicles to escape encirclement amid constant artillery barrages and probing attacks by Soviet infantry and tanks.
Rearguard at Bobruisk (30 June 1944): As the pocket closed, remnants of five German divisions formed Gruppe Hoffmeister for a desperate breakout. Jüttner’s regiment again formed the rearguard, holding the northern edge of Bobruisk for an entire day against overwhelming Soviet forces. The fighting was chaotic and brutal: house-to-house combat in the burning ruins of the city, with German grenadiers using panzerfausts, machine guns, and grenades to repel repeated Soviet assaults supported by tanks and artillery.
When the position became untenable, Jüttner ordered his forces to split into multiple small Kampfgruppen (battle groups) to increase survival chances during the breakout. He personally led one small group in an epic 700 km march through enemy-held territory via Minsk and Baranowitschi (Baranovichi). Over 44 days, they fought almost daily small-scale battles—ambushes in forests, skirmishes in villages, night marches to avoid detection, and desperate fights for food and ammunition. The group endured exhaustion, Soviet patrols, partisans, and harsh summer conditions.
On 18 August 1944, near Augustowo (Augustów), Jüttner’s group (now reduced to just 3 officers and 8 men) reached the Soviet frontline. That night, they launched a daring final breakout, infiltrating and fighting through Soviet lines to reach German positions.
These actions—skilled delaying tactics, selfless rearguard leadership, and extraordinary endurance during the long fighting withdrawal—earned Jüttner the Eichenlaub. The award recognized not a single engagement but a sustained series of brave and selflessly conducted actions amid the near-collapse of the front.
Ritterkreuz Des Eisernen Kreuzes Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #141 (5 April 1945) as Oberst and Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 164 / 62.Volksgrenadier-Division, on the Western Front during the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) and its aftermath.
During the German winter offensive in the Ardennes (December 1944–January 1945), Jüttner’s regiment played a key role in the push toward the Salm River (near Vielsalm, Belgium). His leadership helped German forces reach the river in good time despite fierce American resistance, difficult terrain, freezing weather, and fuel shortages.
Later, as the offensive stalled and Allied counterattacks intensified, Jüttner ordered his regiment to hold positions west of Vielsalm against overwhelming enemy superiority (American infantry, tanks, and artillery). The regiment fought a bitter defensive battle for a full day. By afternoon they were surrounded, with Americans attacking from the front and rear. Under Jüttner’s personal command, the grenadiers held their ground into the night—repelling assaults in snow-covered forests and villages amid bitter cold, with close-range fighting, artillery duels, and desperate counterattacks to keep supply lines or escape routes open as long as possible.
This stand contributed significantly to the overall German effort in that sector by delaying Allied advances and buying time for other units. The Swords citation highlighted Jüttner’s major share in the offensive’s partial successes and his regiment’s tenacious defense under dire conditions.
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Arthur Jüttner was a German army officer who served in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War and rose to the rank of Oberst. Born on 18 August 1908 in Kattowitz in Upper Silesia as the son of a customs official, he attended middle school in Kattowitz and Beuthen before completing a commercial apprenticeship in Oppeln. He joined the Reichswehr in 1926 and continued his military career after the transition to the Wehrmacht. Jüttner progressed steadily through the ranks, gaining early command experience as a company leader and later as a battalion and regimental commander. His service spanned several major campaigns from the invasion of Poland through the campaigns in the West and the prolonged operations on the Eastern Front.
Jüttner began the war as a company commander in Infanterie-Regiment 38. He led his unit during the annexation of the Sudetenland, the occupation of Czechoslovakia, and the Polish campaign in 1939, where he earned both classes of the Iron Cross. He subsequently participated in the campaign in the West in 1940 as deputy battalion commander. In the summer of 1941, with the launch of Operation Barbarossa, he assumed command of the III. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 38 within the 8. Infanterie-Division. His battalion saw heavy fighting near the Dnieper River. In early September 1941, near Pnewo, Jüttner and his men defended a critical sector of the front to block Soviet attempts to retake Smolensk. They captured prisoners from three Soviet divisions and, through a personal flanking attack, destroyed a Soviet cavalry regiment that had broken through the lines. For these actions he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 December 1941 while still a Hauptmann. He was promoted to Major on 1 January 1942.
Throughout 1942 and 1943 Jüttner continued to serve on the Eastern Front with various infantry and Jäger formations, including periods with the 8. Jäger-Division. He earned the German Cross in Gold on 27 February 1943 and was promoted to Oberstleutnant in September 1943. At that time he took command of Grenadier-Regiment 532 of the 383. Infanterie-Division in the area south of Orel. His regiment later operated in the Pripyat marshes region between the Dnieper and Berezina rivers south of Bobruisk. Jüttner was promoted to Oberst on 1 March 1944. His leadership during defensive operations earned him recognition for maintaining discipline and effectiveness under difficult conditions against numerically superior Soviet forces.
During the Soviet summer offensive of 1944, Operation Bagration, the 383. Infanterie-Division was shattered near Bobruisk. Jüttner's regiment played a key role in holding a southern railway bridge over the Berezina for three days, allowing elements of three German corps to withdraw. His unit then formed the rearguard, defending the northern edge of Bobruisk for a full day before being overrun. Cut off from the main German lines, Jüttner led remnants of his forces in a fighting withdrawal. Over 44 days they covered approximately 700 kilometers through enemy territory via Minsk and Baranowitschi. On 18 August 1944 near Augustowo, Jüttner and a small group of eleven men broke through Soviet lines at night to reach German positions. For his leadership and bravery during these engagements he was awarded the 622nd Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 18 October 1944.
In late 1944 Jüttner assumed command of Grenadier-Regiment 164 within the newly formed 62. Volksgrenadier-Division. The division participated in the Ardennes Offensive, known as the Battle of the Bulge. Jüttner's regiment contributed significantly to the advance toward the Salm River. He ordered his men to hold positions west of Vielsalm against overwhelming enemy forces for an entire day, helping to secure the German timetable in that sector. In early 1945 the division shifted to defensive duties along the Westwall near Gmünd. On 11 March 1945 Jüttner took temporary command of the entire 62. Volksgrenadier-Division. For his continued performance, particularly in the Ardennes, he received the 141st Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 5 April 1945, presented by Generaloberst Josef Harpe. The division ultimately fought in the Ruhr Pocket until the end of the war in Europe.
After the war Jüttner was released from captivity and later lived in West Germany. He served for a time as an Oberst der Reserve and deputy commander of Panzergrenadierbrigade 32 in the Bundeswehr reserve structure. He remained active in veteran circles and in the postwar years compiled his memoirs with assistance from former comrades, offering a detailed account of frontline service from company level to divisional command. Arthur Jüttner died on 1 December 2003 in Bramstedt, Lower Saxony, at the age of 95. He was remembered by contemporaries and later historians as a capable infantry leader who rose from modest beginnings through demonstrated bravery and tactical skill in some of the most intense battles of the Eastern Front and the final Western campaigns.
Source:
Soldatische Tradition in Schlesien 1241-1945 by Arthur Jüttner and Eckehart G. Münnich (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Traditionsverbände Schlesischer Truppen, 1997)
https://www.das-kriegsende.de/oberst-juettner/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/7534/Juettner-Arthur-Grenadier-Regiment-164.htm
https://www.das-kriegsende.de/oberst-juettner/
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Arthur_J%C3%BCttner
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/J/JuettnerA.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Knight%27s_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross_recipients_(J) (and related pages)
https://rk.balsi.de/
https://forum.axishistory.com/ (threads on knight's cross holders and unit histories)
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.unithistories.com/ and archived resources via web.archive.org.
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