Nickname: None widely documented
Date of birth: 28 May 1914 - Lehe, Hannover (German Empire)
Date of death: 6 June 2004 - Bremerhaven, Bremen (Germany)
Religion: Not publicly detailed in available sources (likely Protestant, common for many Heer officers of his background)
Parents: Information limited; born in Lehe (Wesermünde-Lehe/Bremerhaven area)
Siblings: No confirmed public details
Spouse: No confirmed public details available
Children: No confirmed public details available
Promotions:
00.00.1936 Fahnenjunker
01.01.1939 Leutnant der Reserve
01.06.1941 Oberleutnant (RDA 439)
01.01.1943 Hauptmann (RDA 301 i1)
01.12.1943 Major (RDA 71 e)
30.01.1945 Oberstleutnant (RDA 69)
Career:
00.00.1936: Entered the Wehrmacht as a volunteer; trained and appointed Fahnenjunker (officer candidate) in Infanterie-Regiment 69.
Until 06.12.1939: Zugführer in Infanterie-Regiment 69
07.12.1939 - 15.07.1941: Zugführer and Kompanieführer in 6.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 110
16.07.1941 - 31.07.1941: Führer 8.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 110
01.08.1941 - 19.06.1942: Kompaniechef in Ersatz-Bataillon 110
20.06.1942 - 16.11.1942: Ordonnanzoffizier in Panzergrenadier-Brigade 11
17.11.1942 - 08.12.1942: Chef 6.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110
09.12.1942 - 31.12.1942: Führer II.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110
01.01.1943 - 30.04.1944: Führer and Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110
01.05.1944 - 02.09.1944: Kommandeur Feldersatz-Bataillon 11 / 11.Panzer-Division
03.09.1944 - 28.09.1944: Führer Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111
29.09.1944 - 14.10.1944: Führer Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11
15.10.1944 - 09.11.1944: Regimentsführer-Lehrgang
10.11.1944 - 02.05.1945: Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110
Awards and Decorations:
23.06.1940 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
29.04.1941 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
26.05.1941 Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze
27.01.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
17.02.1942 Bulgarischer Tapferkeitsorden IV. Klasse
09.04.1943 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, as Oberleutnant in I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110
28.08.1943 Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
07.09.1943 Nahkampfspange in Bronze
30.10.1943 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #2278 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110 / 11.Panzer-Division. Thieme earned the award for outstanding leadership during the preliminary attacks on 4 July 1943, the day before the main Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk) offensive began. Elements of the division advanced toward Novoselovka in the Kursk salient, part of intense fighting in the southern sector where German panzer forces sought to break through Soviet defenses.
In the sweltering summer heat, amid vast fields of wheat and sunflowers scarred by artillery, Thieme’s battalion pushed forward under heavy Soviet defensive fire. Shells whistled overhead as T-34 tanks and anti-tank guns from prepared positions raked the advancing grenadiers. Thieme led from the front, coordinating infantry assaults supported by assault guns and Panzer IVs. His men stormed Soviet strongpoints, clearing trenches in brutal close-quarters combat with grenades and bayonets while enduring machine-gun fire and mortar barrages. His personal bravery and tactical skill enabled the battalion to seize key terrain and maintain momentum despite fierce counterattacks, contributing significantly to the division’s gains that day. This action exemplified the aggressive, determined leadership that defined early Kursk fighting before the offensive stalled.
11.12.1943 Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
15.02.1944 Nahkampfspange in Silber
23.10.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #627 as Major and Führer Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111 / 11.Panzer-Division. Thieme received the award for a series of resourceful and courageous delaying actions during the German retreat in southern France and Alsace following the Allied landings in Provence (Operation Dragoon). These actions helped prevent the encirclement and rapid destruction of the 19. Armee.
23 August 1944 – Montélimar Area: Stationed in Montélimar, Thieme received orders to block the Grenoble–Lyon road. He quickly formed Kampfgruppe Thieme, reinforced with an NCO training group (equipped with obsolete Panzer IIs), Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11, I./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 110, and self-propelled artillery. In fluid, chaotic fighting along the Rhône Valley, his mixed force engaged in sharp combat to occupy La Coucourde and secure parts of the Rhône valley. Later that day, they repelled an Allied thrust west of Crest through determined defensive stands, using terrain and rapid redeployments to blunt superior American armored and motorized forces.
27 August 1944 – Romans-sur-Isère: Reorganized with I./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 110, pioneers, artillery batteries, and eight Panthers, Thieme received orders to seize Romans-sur-Isère and its vital supply dump. He executed a daring surprise attack on U.S. troops holding the town. Panthers rumbled through streets at dawn, grenadiers storming positions in house-to-house fighting amid exploding ammunition dumps and chaotic street battles. The assault smashed the American defenders, destroying or capturing supplies and enabling the main body of the 19. Armee to withdraw safely through the Tain valley, buying critical time for the retreating German forces.
31 August 1944 – Pont d’Ain: While reassembling his battalion in Bourg-en-Bresse, Thieme learned that Americans had seized the bridge at Pont d’Ain. He immediately gathered available troops, launched a swift counterattack, recaptured the bridge in intense close combat, and demolished it to delay Allied pursuit.
6 September 1944 – Pont-de-Roide: Now deputy commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111, Thieme had only the I./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 110 under direct control and was out of contact with the rest of the division. He improvised a larger Kampfgruppe by incorporating local Heer and Luftwaffe troops. At the strategic pass at Pont-de-Roide (about 30 km south of Belfort), he established a defensive line along Roches–Pont-de-Roide–Remondants. Over several days, his outnumbered force repelled repeated U.S. attempts to break through in heavy fighting involving artillery duels, infantry assaults, and armored probes. This stand prevented an immediate American breakthrough into the Rhine plain, covering the withdrawal of larger German formations.
These successive actions demonstrated Thieme’s initiative, adaptability in fluid retreats, and ability to forge effective combat groups from disparate units under pressure.
09.05.1945 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #156 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111 / 11.Panzer-Division. Thieme received the award while already in American captivity (captured 2 May 1945). Specific details of the final actions leading to this high award are less documented in open sources compared to earlier awards, as they occurred in the chaotic final weeks of the war in southern Germany or western Austria.
Karl Thieme's nomination by the troop was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Personnel Office) on 10 April 1945 via teleprinter. Major Joachim Domaschk noted "By no means sufficient! Requesting statement from OB West", which was requested on 13 April. OB West responded on 24 April (entry date at the Heerespersonalamt on 28 April): "Statement from OB West not possible, since nomination was not made via OB West". Major Joachim Domaschk then decided on 28 April: "Heeresgruppe B, postpone!" In this instance the nomination was not processed due to AHA 44 Ziff. 572 (Allgemeines Heeresamt — General Army Office) but also because statements from his commanding officers could not be obtained anymore due to the capitulation. The nomination list for the higher grades of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes also contains a note from 10 April 1945: postponed. A bestowal thus didn't occur. The Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (OdR) claims that the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The sequential number "156" was assigned by the OdR. Fellgiebel assigned the presentation date.
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Karl Alfred Thieme was a German officer in the Heer during World War II who rose to the rank of Oberstleutnant and became one of the recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Born on 28 May 1914 in Lehe near Wesermünde, which is now part of Bremerhaven, he volunteered for military service in 1936. Thieme began his career as an infantryman and quickly advanced through officer training, earning a commission and assignment to motorized units as the Wehrmacht expanded. His early service included participation in the campaigns in Poland and the West, where he demonstrated competence in leading small units under combat conditions. By the time of the invasion of the Soviet Union, he had transitioned into the panzergrenadier forces, serving with the 11th Panzer Division, a formation known for its aggressive armored operations on the Eastern Front. Thieme's leadership style emphasized personal bravery and rapid decision-making, traits that would define his later recognition.
Thieme first gained significant attention during the prelude to the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. As a Hauptmann commanding the first battalion of Panzergrenadier Regiment 110, he led his men in fierce assaults toward Novoselovka on 4 July. Under intense Soviet artillery and antitank fire across open terrain dotted with defensive positions, his battalion pressed forward in coordination with assault guns and panzers. Thieme moved at the front, directing assaults that cleared trenches and strongpoints through close-quarters fighting involving grenades and small-arms fire. His unit's success in maintaining momentum despite heavy casualties contributed to the division's initial gains in that sector. For these actions he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 October 1943, an award that highlighted his tactical skill and inspirational presence amid one of the largest armored clashes of the war. This decoration marked him as a rising combat leader within the panzer forces.
By 1944, with the war turning against Germany, Thieme operated in increasingly defensive roles during the retreat from the Eastern Front and subsequent operations in the West. Promoted to Major, he commanded replacement battalions and ad-hoc Kampfgruppen within the 11th Panzer Division. His ability to improvise with mixed forces of infantry, armor, and artillery proved vital as Allied advances accelerated. Thieme earned promotion and further respect for organizing rapid counteractions that delayed superior enemy formations, buying time for larger German withdrawals. His reputation grew as a reliable commander capable of holding critical positions even when cut off from higher command.
The actions that earned Thieme the Oak Leaves occurred during the chaotic German retreat in southern France following the Allied landings in Provence in August 1944. Commanding a field replacement battalion near Montélimar, he formed Kampfgruppe Thieme with available troops, including training units equipped with older tanks, reconnaissance elements, and self-propelled guns. On 23 August his force seized La Coucourde and parts of the Rhône valley, then blocked an Allied thrust west of Crest through determined defensive fighting. Days later, on 27 August, a reorganized group with Panthers launched a surprise assault on Romans-sur-Isère, overrunning American positions and securing a vital supply area that facilitated the 19th Army's escape route. Subsequent operations included recapturing the bridge at Pont d'Ain on 31 August and establishing a blocking position at the Pont-de-Roide pass in early September. There, with limited forces augmented by local Heer and Luftwaffe personnel, Thieme held a defensive line against repeated American attacks, preventing a breakthrough into the Rhine plain. These successive delaying actions led to the award of the 627th Oak Leaves on 23 October 1944.
As the war entered its final phase in 1945, Thieme, now an Oberstleutnant, commanded Panzergrenadier Regiment 111. He continued to lead rearguard actions amid the collapsing fronts in southern Germany and adjacent areas. His regiment engaged in desperate defensive battles, often involving small-unit counterattacks and efforts to maintain cohesion under overwhelming pressure from American and other Allied forces. Thieme was captured by American troops on 2 May 1945. Even in captivity, his earlier cumulative leadership earned him the Swords to the Knight's Cross, the 156th such award, dated 9 May 1945. This rare distinction reflected recognition of sustained excellence in both offensive and defensive operations throughout the conflict.
After the war Thieme returned to civilian life in the Bremerhaven area, where he resided in Langen until his death on 6 June 2004 at the age of ninety. His military career exemplified the experiences of many mid-level German officers who rose through competence and bravery on multiple fronts, from the high-water mark of German offensives to the bitter defensive struggles of the war's end. Thieme's decorations placed him among a select group of highly awarded soldiers, and accounts of his actions remain documented in divisional histories and award records of the period.
Source:
- Franz Thomas & Günter Wegmann, *Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945*, Biblio-Verlag.
- Walther-Peer Fellgiebel, *Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945*.
- Veit Scherzer, *Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945*.
- Klaus D. Patzwall & Veit Scherzer, *Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945*.
- Florian Berger, *Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern*.
- https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/
- https://www.tracesofwar.com/
- https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Karl_Thieme
- https://rk.balsi.de/
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