The Sturm-Division Rhodos was a German Army formation of the Wehrmacht established on 31 May 1943 on the Italian-occupied Greek island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese during the Second World War, drawing primarily upon elements of the 22. Infanterie-Division transferred from Crete, remnants of the 164. Infanterie-Division and 999. leichte Afrika-Division that had been unable to reach Tunisia, together with existing fortress troops already stationed on Rhodes and other Aegean islands. Despite its designation as a division, the unit never exceeded brigade strength and was equipped mainly with light weapons, though it incorporated motorized and armoured elements including the Grenadier-Regiment Rhodos (also known unofficially as Sturm-Regiment Rhodos), the Panzer-Abteilung Rhodos with Panzer IV tanks and assault guns, the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 999, an artillery detachment drawn from the 999. Artillerie-Regiment, a Fla-Kompanie Rhodos, a Pionier-Kompanie and supporting signals and supply units. Command was assumed by Generalleutnant Ulrich Kleemann, who established headquarters at Campochiaro and conducted intensive training near Italian defensive positions. Following the announcement of the Italian armistice on 8 September 1943, Generalleutnant Kleemann ordered a surprise offensive against the larger Italian garrison beginning on 9 September; after brief but intense fighting the Germans secured control of the island by 11 September, disarming and internment of tens of thousands of Italian troops and thereby forestalling British plans to seize Rhodes as the key to the Dodecanese. The division thereafter performed occupation, coastal defence and security duties under the direct subordination of Heeresgruppe E while remaining on constant alert against possible Allied landings. In September 1944 larger portions of the infantry, stripped of heavy equipment, were airlifted by Ju 52 transports via Saloniki to the Belgrade area, where they were incorporated into the newly formed Panzergrenadier-Division Brandenburg and suffered heavy losses in subsequent fighting against Soviet and partisan forces; the divisional staff was used to reconstitute the IV. Panzerkorps. The residual garrison remaining on Rhodes came under the authority of the Kommandant Ost-Ägäis, Generalmajor Otto Wagener, and continued defensive duties until the final capitulation to British forces on 9 May 1945.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
General der Panzertruppe Ulrich Kleemann (1892-1963) was born on 23 March 1892 in Langensalza and entered military service in October 1911 as Fahnenjunker in the 2. Badische Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 21. He fought in the First World War as Leutnant, suffering wounds in 1915, and ended the conflict as Oberleutnant and regimental adjutant, receiving both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz. Remaining in the Reichswehr, he advanced through cavalry units, becoming Major in 1933, Oberstleutnant in 1936 and Oberst in 1938 while commanding Schützen-Regiment 3 of the 3. Panzer-Division. In the Second World War he led this regiment in the Polish campaign of 1939 before taking command of the 3. Schützen-Brigade for the 1940 Western campaign and the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. As Oberst and commander of the 3. Schützen-Brigade he earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 October 1941 for outstanding leadership south of Smolensk, where his Kampfgruppe successfully crossed the rivers Ssosh, Iput and Desna, forestalling Soviet defensive lines and later helping seal the Kiev pocket near Lochwiza. Promoted Generalmajor, he commanded the 90. leichte Afrika-Division in North Africa from April to November 1942, distinguishing himself in operations around El Adem, Marsa Matruh and the First Battle of El Alamein until severely wounded by a mine. After recovery he took charge of the newly formed Sturm-Division Rhodos in May 1943 and was promoted Generalleutnant. Following Italy’s capitulation he directed the rapid disarmament of the far larger Italian garrison on Rhodes, capturing its commander and securing the island within two days against potential Allied intervention; these decisive actions, accomplished despite numerical inferiority and logistical difficulties, prevented British occupation of key Aegean positions and earned him the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 16 September 1943 as the 304th recipient. Later he commanded Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle on the Eastern Front from late 1944, fighting in Hungary until the corps was destroyed at Budapest. Captured by American forces in 1945 and released in 1947, Kleemann reached the rank of General der Panzertruppe and died on 1 January 1963 in Oberursel.
Source :
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/SturmDivisionen/SDRhodos.htm
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