Ritterkreuzträger of 126. Infanterie-Division

The 126. Infanterie-Division was formed on 18 October 1940 at the Truppenübungsplatz Sennelager near Paderborn in Wehrkreis VI as a Rhineland-Westphalian formation drawn from elements of the 11. Infanterie-Division, the 253. Infanterie-Division and the non-motorized parts of the 16. Infanterie-Division (mot.). Its initial organization comprised Infanterie-Regiment 422, Infanterie-Regiment 424, Infanterie-Regiment 426 and Artillerie-Regiment 126 together with the usual divisional support units. After training it was transferred to East Prussia and crossed the Soviet frontier south of the Memel on 22 June 1941 as part of Army Group North. Advancing rapidly through the Baltic states it reached the western shore of Lake Ilmen by late July, took part in the capture of Novgorod and later contributed to the seizure of Schlüsselburg and the heights of Sinyavino during the approach to Leningrad. From late 1941 it held defensive positions along the Volkhov River, enduring the severe fighting of the Lyuban offensive and the subsequent battles around Staraya Russa. In the summer of 1942 the division was committed to the defense of the Demyansk salient, remaining there until the pocket was evacuated in February 1943. After reorganization into a Type 44 division with Grenadier-Regimenter 422, 424 and 426 plus Füsilier-Bataillon 126, it returned to the Leningrad front and later absorbed remnants of the 9. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division in February 1944. Heavy casualties marked the withdrawal through the Baltic states in 1944; by October the division was trapped in the Courland Pocket, where it continued to fight in successive defensive battles until the final surrender on 8 May 1945 near Preekuln–Vartava south of Libau, by which time it had been reduced to roughly seventy officers and three thousand men. Commanders included General der Infanterie Paul Laux, Generalleutnant Harry Hoppe, Generalleutnant Gotthard Fischer and Generalmajor Kurt Hähling.

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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER


Oberst Hermann Seitz (1902-1942) was born on 19 April 1902 in Beilngries, Bavaria, and entered military service in 1919 with Schützen-Regiment 43, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1924. By 1934 he had advanced to Rittmeister and served as Chef of the 2./Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7, later becoming Major and Kommandeur of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20 in 1939. He took part in the Polish and French campaigns, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 25 September 1939 and the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 2 July 1941. During the early fighting in the Soviet Union he commanded Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20 and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 11 December 1941. In the heavy defensive battles on the Volkhov front from December 1941 into January 1942 he played a decisive role in the weeks-long defense of the town of Kopzy beginning on 17 January 1942, where his active leadership, personal bravery and iron will enabled the German forces to hold the position against fierce Soviet attacks and thereby maintain operational freedom in the sector. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 12 April 1942 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20 (motorisiert). Promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 March 1942, he assumed command of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 63 of the 17. Panzer-Division in April 1942. In August 1942 north of Orel his regiment contributed decisively to the annihilation of strong elements of three Soviet divisions, and in the subsequent defensive fighting Seitz’s men successfully repulsed twenty large-scale enemy attacks over the course of three days within his sector. These actions brought him the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 31 October 1942 as the 140th recipient. Seitz was killed in action on 20 December 1942 near Werch Kimsky in the Stalingrad area and was posthumously promoted to Oberst.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/126th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)