The 20. Infanterie-Division (mot.) was a fully motorized infantry formation of the German Wehrmacht, originally established on 1 October 1934 in Hamburg under the cover name Reichswehrdienststelle Hamburg and officially designated as the 20. Infanterie-Division on 15 October 1935, before being motorized in autumn 1937 with core units including Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 69, 76, and 90, Artillerie-Regiment (mot.) 20, Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot.) 20, Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 20, and Pionier-Bataillon (mot.) 20. It first saw combat during the 1939 invasion of Poland as part of XIX. Armeekorps under General Heinz Guderian, advancing rapidly through central Poland, crossing the Narew River, engaging in battles south of Zambrow, and participating in the fighting around the fortress of Brest-Litovsk before serving as occupation troops. In May 1940 it joined the Westfeldzug with XVI. Armeekorps, breaking through the Dyle Line, fighting in Flanders and around Dunkirk, then pushing across the Aisne to the Moselle, after which it performed occupation duties in France until early 1941. Deployed to the Eastern Front for Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 under Panzergruppe 3 and Army Group Centre, it advanced through Bialystok and Minsk before transfer to Army Group North in September, where it endured heavy defensive actions on the Volkhov Front throughout 1942, including relief efforts at Velikiye Luki, before returning to Army Group Centre. On 23 July 1943 it was redesignated the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division, reinforced with an assault gun battalion, and continued fighting on the Eastern Front through grueling campaigns such as the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket, ultimately ending the war in the Battle of Berlin in May 1945 under LVI. Panzerkorps after successive commanders including Generals Mauritz von Wiktorin, Hans Zorn, Erich Jaschke, and Georg Jauer. Renowned for its mobility and rapid deployment capabilities that complemented panzer operations, the division exemplified the Wehrmacht's early Blitzkrieg doctrine but suffered attrition in prolonged defensive struggles, maintaining significant manpower strength into 1945 before its final destruction.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Oberstleutnant Ernst-August Fricke (1911-1943) was born on 11 May 1911 in Hamburg-Altona and entered the Hamburger Polizei in 1930 before transferring on 1 August 1935 as Unteroffizier into the Infanterie-Regiment 76 of the Wehrmacht. After participating in the Polenfeldzug he was activated as an officer and promoted to Leutnant on 1 February 1940; during the Westfeldzug he advanced to Oberleutnant and became Chef of the 7. Kompanie of his regiment. From June 1941 he fought in Russia, distinguishing himself in the winter of 1941/42 during the retreat from Tichwin to the Wolchow. On 17 January 1942, as Oberleutnant and Chef of the 7. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 76 (motorisiert) of the 20. Infanterie-Division within the XXXIX. Armee-Korps of the 16. Armee under Heeresgruppe Nord, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for a decisive action southwest of the railway junction west of Ostrowo: the position of the Infanterie-Regiment 76 was critical for the movements of the XXXIX. Armee-Korps, and despite repeated assaults by regiments of the Russian 4th Guards Division using the dense ancient forest, Fricke led his assembled troops forward with unstoppable energy, overran three enemy blocking lines, captured among other things ten mortars, and eliminated the entire enemy garrison, thereby enabling the regiment to retain control of the railway junction essential for the corps. He was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 February 1942, assumed command of the II. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 76 in summer 1942, and rose to Major on 1 January 1943; the unit later became Grenadier-Regiment 76 (motorisiert) within the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division. On 27 June 1943 he received the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres. At the end of July 1943, as Major and Kommandeur of the II. Bataillon, Grenadier-Regiment 76 (motorisiert) of the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division under the LIII. Armee-Korps of the 9. Armee and 4. Panzer-Armee, Fricke and his Hessian-Thüringian battalion repeatedly repelled numerically far superior Soviet attacks aimed at an important German supply road north of Orel; while he held the frontal assaults, the Soviets broke through the left neighbour’s sector in regimental strength, whereupon he immediately established a blocking line, personally directed every man into position under heavy artillery and mortar fire, and inspired every resistance nest to the utmost resistance, thereby laying the foundation for a new defensive front. Severely wounded on 13 August 1943, he was taken to a Lazarett in Königsberg where he succumbed to his wounds on 9 November 1943. Posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant, he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz (341st award) on 30 November 1943. His decorations also included the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (6 November 1939), Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (24 July 1941), Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (25 July 1942), and the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, Silber and Gold.
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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER
Generalleutnant Hans Traut (1895-1974), born on 25 January 1895 in Saargemünd and deceased on 9 December 1974 in Darmstadt, was a German officer who rose through the ranks of the Wehrmacht during World War II, ultimately commanding several infantry formations on both the Western and Eastern Fronts after serving in the First World War and the Reichswehr. As Oberstleutnant and commander of I./Infanterie-Regiment 90 of the 20. Infanterie-Division (mot.), he earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 August 1940 for his bold thrust during the Westfeldzug in France, where on 16 June 1940 he advanced from Langres toward Vesoul to seize the vital railroad junction and block enemy retreat routes southward; despite threats from the north, he reinforced his battalion, fought through to secure the Pont-sur-Saône river crossing, and personally led a renewed nighttime assault up a heavily defended mountain slope under intense machine-gun fire to capture the heights overlooking Vesoul by dawn, sealing the town's fate. Promoted to Oberst and given command of Infanterie-Regiment 41 (mot.) within the 10. Infanterie-Division, he received the Eichenlaub on 23 January 1942 as the 67th recipient for his outstanding leadership during Operation Barbarossa, including the fierce fight for Shlobin and the Dnieper crossing on 6 July 1941, the prolonged defense of Propoisk from 19 to 25 July, repelling a Soviet battalion incursion near Novosybkov with improvised supply troops and a Flak Zug on 24 August, holding against attacks by elements of four Soviet divisions north of the Desna on 27 August, pushing back strong enemy forces at the Glukhov bridgehead in late September to capture 1,700 prisoners, the contested battle for Negino in October, the storming of Yefremov in November while subordinated to the 18. Panzer-Division, and a decisive counterattack at Gorlovo on 8 December that recaptured heights at Klekotki, freed 39 German prisoners, and reopened key supply routes. Later rising to Generalleutnant, Traut commanded the 263. Infanterie-Division and then the 78. Sturm Division, participating in Unternehmen Zitadelle and subsequent defensive battles before being captured by Soviet forces during the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive in July 1944, after which he endured imprisonment as a war criminal until his release in 1955.
General der Infanterie Hans Zorn (1891-1943) was born on 27 October 1891 in Munich, Bavaria, in the German Empire, and entered the Bayerische Kadettenkorps in 1905 before joining the 2. Königlich Bayerisches Infanterie-Regiment "Kronprinz" as a Fähnrich in 1911. Commissioned Leutnant in 1913, he served throughout the First World War on the Western Front, rising to Oberleutnant and earning the Eisernes Kreuz Second Class in 1914 and First Class in 1916 along with the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern. After the war he continued in the Reichswehr, advancing through staff and command posts, becoming Oberst in 1936 and commanding the Infanterie-Regiment 19 from 1938 until the outbreak of the Second World War, when he became Chef des Stabes of the XXVII. Armeekorps. Promoted Generalmajor in July 1940, he assumed command of the 20. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert) in November 1940. During the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa he led this division in the advance through central Russia; after heavy fighting he seized and held a vital bridgehead at Vitebsk across the Düna, including the critical railroad bridge, against repeated and fierce Soviet counterattacks, an action of decisive importance for the continued operations of the Panzergruppe and one that earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 27 July 1941 as Generalmajor and Kommandeur of the 20. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert). Promoted Generalleutnant early in 1942, he briefly led the XXXX. Armeekorps (mot.) and played a role in the Demjansk operations before becoming General der Infanterie on 1 June 1942 and Kommandierender General of the XXXXVI. Panzerkorps. For his corps command he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 14 June 1942. The Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz, the 291st award, was conferred posthumously on 3 September 1943 for his successful leadership of the XXXXVI. Panzerkorps, particularly during the summer of 1942 near Rzhev, where his formations helped eliminate a Soviet pocket south of the Smolensk-Vyazma railway line, thereby securing the rear of the German 9. Armee and capturing 50,131 prisoners while destroying or seizing 226 tanks and 763 guns. Zorn was killed on 2 August 1943 by a Soviet aerial bomb near Krassnaya-Roschtocha southwest of Kromy while directing operations of the XXXXVI. Panzerkorps from the front during the Soviet Operation Kutuzov.
General der Infanterie Erich Jaschke (1890-1961) was born in Danzig. He entered the Prussian Army in 1909 as a Fahnenjunker in 1. Unter-Elsässisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 132, fought as an Oberleutnant and machine-gun officer throughout World War I, and later served extensively in the Reichswehr as a Hauptmann and Major. At the outbreak of World War II, Oberst Jaschke served as Chef des Stabes des Inspekteurs der Infanterie im Oberkommando des Heeres before assuming field command of Infanterie-Regiment 90 in March 1941. Leading this motorized regiment during Unternehmen Barbarossa, he distinguished himself in the advance toward Leningrad, where his tactical resolve in breaking Soviet positions and holding exposed lines earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 December 1941. Shortly thereafter, he took command of 20. Infanterie-Division (mot.), earning promotion to Generalmajor and then Generalleutnant in January 1943. In March 1943, he took charge of LV. Armeekorps and was promoted to General der Infanterie on 1 May 1943. During the defensive operations following Unternehmen Zitadelle in July and August 1943, Jaschke commanded LV. Armeekorps in the heavily contested Orel and Zhizdra sectors, where his corps halted massive Soviet armored assaults and stabilized the front, earning him the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 7 September 1943. In October 1943, he was reassigned to the home front as General der Infanterie im OKH, supervising infantry doctrine until his capture by Allied forces in May 1945, after which he was held in captivity until June 1947 and lived in Hamburg until his death on 18 October 1961.
General der Panzertruppe Gerhard Graf von Schwerin (1899-1980) was born on 23 June 1899 in Hanover into a Prussian aristocratic family with long military traditions. At age 15 he entered the cadet school and joined the 2. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß as Fähnrich, later transferring to the 2. Grenadier-Regiment. During World War I he served on both Eastern and Western fronts as company commander and battalion adjutant, was wounded on 26 September 1918, and received the Eisernes Kreuz first and second class. Discharged in 1920, he briefly worked in business before rejoining the Reichswehr in 1923, rising through the ranks and attending the Kriegsakademie. In World War II he commanded units in France, North Africa with Kampfgruppe Schwerin capturing Mechili, and on the Eastern Front. As Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment (motorisiert) 76 of the 20. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert) he earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 January 1942 for holding his isolated Kampfgruppe near Mga-Cory against superior Soviet forces for three days, enabling the fall of Schlüsselburg. Promoted to Generalmajor, he took command of the 16. Infanterie-Division (motorisiert) in November 1942, leading it through the Caucasus retreat and destroying the Soviet 4th Guards Mechanized Corps at Fedorenko gorge, for which he received the Eichenlaub on 17 May 1943. As Generalleutnant commanding the redesignated 16. Panzergrenadier-Division he guided it through heavy fighting during the withdrawal from the Mius positions and the Zaporozhye bridgehead battles, earning the Schwerter on 4 November 1943, the 41st such award, presented by Hitler. Later he led the 116. Panzer-Division in Normandy and Aachen, then the LXXVI. Panzerkorps in Italy, reaching General der Panzertruppe in April 1945 before capture by British forces. Released in 1947, he advised Chancellor Adenauer on rearmament in 1950 and later the FDP, dying on 29 October 1980 in Rottach-Egern.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)
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