Hasso von Manteuffel and Siegfried von Waldenburg

General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel (Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee) in the center with his son, Gert, and Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg (Kommandeur 116. Panzer-Division) at right. The picture was taken in the end of 1944 or early 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge.

General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel (Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee) in the center with his son, Gert, and Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg (Kommandeur 116. Panzer-Division) at right. The picture was taken in the end of 1944 or early 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewforum.php?f=5

Hasso von Manteuffel and Windhund Officers

General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel (left, Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee) conferring with his subordinate unit from 116. Panzer-Division "Windhund" somewhere in the northern France, September 1944. In the center is Leutnant Horst Gittermann (Adjutant I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 16 / 116.Panzer-Division), while on the right is Oberleutnant Walter Penzler (Chef 4.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 16 / 116.Panzer-Division). The officer in the background is a representative of von Manteuffel's personal guard. Please note the "Windhund" (greyhound) emblem on Gittermann's and Penzler's caps, which was also the emblem and nickname of the 116. Panzer-Division. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Genzler of PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) 698.

General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel (second from left, Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee) conferring with his subordinate unit from 116. Panzer-Division "Windhund" somewhere in the northern France, September 1944. Second from right is Leutnant Horst Gittermann (Adjutant I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 16 / 116.Panzer-Division), while on the right is Oberleutnant Walter Penzler (Chef 4.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 16 / 116.Panzer-Division). The officer at left is a representative of von Manteuffel's personal guard. This moment in time would have been captured during preparation for Wacht am Rhein - what became to be for the Allies the Battle of the Bulge in Allied terminology.  Von Manteuffel wears a leather overcoat with the AFRIKA cuffband being worn on the incorrect arm.  The Großdeutschland cufftitle is also worn - on the correct arm - and in this case, above the AFRIKA band, attesting to the stature von Manteuffel accorded his service in command of this elite unit.  Although no longer commanding Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland at the time of this photo, it is known that the GD unit cufftitle was permanently awarded within the division on rare and exceptional occasions for superior service.  In fact it was von Manteuffel who began this practice as division commander.  The Division even created divisional award documents to support the permanent awarding of the cufftitle, which otherwise had to be removed if the soldier was reassigned.  It is likely that von Manteuffel received such an honor upon his departure as the GD's commanding general.  However, as worn by von Manteuffel, this combination is otherwise entirely incorrect.  He is also known to have continued to wear the unique GD cipher on his shoulder straps after taking command of 5th Panzerarmee.. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Genzler of PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) 698.

General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel (center, Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee) confers with the staff of Panzer-Brigade 111. Behind the general were officers from 116. Panzer-Division "Windhund", from left to right: Major Gerhard Tebbe (Kommandeur Panzer-Abteilung 116 / Panzer-Regiment 16 / 116.Panzer-Division), Leutnant Horst Gittermann (Adjutant I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 16 / 116.Panzer-Division), and unknown.

Source :
"The Defeat of Germany: Then and Now" by Winston Ramsey
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/10/album-foto-general-der-panzertruppe.html
https://www.themodellingnews.com/2017/06/construction-review-officer-116th-pz.html
https://waralbum.ru/359472/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/campaign_awards/cufftitles/afrika_files/wear_regulations.htm

Surrender of LIII. Armeekorps

This footage documents the mass surrender of the German LIII. Armeekorps - commanded by Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein - to the 7th Armored Division near Menden, Germany on April 16, 1945. Over 20,000 Germans from at least four division surrendered at once. This footage shows elements of the divisions listed in the excerpt below, including the famous 116. Panzer-Division "Windhund".

From the 7th Armored Division AAR for April 16, 1945: The size of this mass surrender can be better appreciated by looking at the total figures of prisoners taken. For the period 152400 to 162400, the Seventh processed 20,303 German prisoners of war. Known units that surrendered intact to the division are: 116. Panzer-Division, 180. Infanterie-Division, 190. Infanterie-Division, and remnants of the 9. Panzer-Division. A number of other Flak, Pionier, Artillerie, TD, replacement training, and service formations located in the Corps area turned themselves in. There were four General officers, all with field commands:
1. Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein (Kommandierender General LIII. Armeekorps,
2. Generalleutnant Ernst Hammer (Kommandeur 190. Infanterie-Division),
3. Generalmajor Bernhard Klosterkemper (Kommandeur 180. Infanterie-Division),
4. Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg (Kommandeur 116. Panzer-Division).

In addition, the Commander of the remains of the 9. Panzer-Division, Oberst Helmut Zollenkopf, was included in the take, also Oberstleutnant i.G. Heinz Günther Guderian (Ia 116. Panzer-Division). A brief recapitulation of prisoners of war taken by the division to date follows:

- Prisoners taken prior to crossing of Rhine river: 9,085
- Taken between Rhine river and Eder See Dam: 13,071
- Taken from the Ruhr Pocket: 34,476
- Military personnel in overrun hospitals (not evacuated): 1,313
- Grand total to date (16 April 1945): 60,945

In the above clip, the following Ritterkreuzträger are shown:
1. Siegfried von Waldenburg (00:01 - 01:07 - 01:50)
2. Heinz Günther Guderian (00:42 - 01:25)
3. Bernhard Klosterkemper (01:40)
4. Ernst Hammer (01:50 - 02:57)
5. Fritz Bayerlein (02:04 - 02:56)

Source :
NARA Archive, 111-ADC-3341
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRTFYsbUf7o

Ritterkreuz Action of Johannes Lutz

Johannes "Hans" Lutz (11 March 1920 - 26 August 2005) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 9 December 1944 as Leutnant and Zugführer in Divisions-Begleit-Kompanie / 116. Panzerdivision "Windhund" / 7.Armee / Heeresgruppe B. The following text by Divisionskommandeur von Waldenburg describes the actions by which Lutz would receive the Ritterkreuz:

“On 6 November 1944 Leutnant Lutz received the order to participate in a large-scale counterattack, in which his role was to take his Zug and capture the village of Vossenack from the south. The neighbouring formations were to attack it from the north and east. Despite the heaviest defensive fire from all weapons, including direct fire by enemy tanks, Lutz and his men succeeded in taking their assigned portion of the village.

After breaking into the village he was able to grasp the overall situation: The attacks of the other German forces had bogged down in heavy defense fire, and only Lutz and his Zug had managed to get as far as the village. All connection to neighbouring units had been lost. The enemy tanks and APCs had bypassed him to the rear and were currently pushing in the direction of the Mestringer mill. Their obvious goal was to catch the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung employed there in a flank attack and prevent the imminent encirclement of their American comrades at Kommerscheidt.

In light of this situation, Leutnant Lutz made the independent decision to thwart this enemy move to the best of his abilities. At the very least he would try to throw the enemy into confusion close a the frontline gap by drawing closer to the rest of his Kompanie. And so, without hesitating on account of the inferiority of his force against tanks and APCs, he attacked the much larger enemy group with his Zug. At the head of his men he personally destroyed 2 fully-manned American APCs and 1 armoured command vehicle in the first attack with Panzerfausts. As the AT weapons of his Zug were thereby expended, he and his Zug were attacked by enemy tanks while still being deployed on open ground. In order to save his men he gathered everyone together and charged the enemy tanks while firing with all their weapons, personally shooting off his machine-pistol and inspiring his men by his example. With a loud “Hurra” they approached the enemy tanks, who were intimidated by this fierce attack and forced to fall back.

Through this action Lutz succeeded in resupplying his men after rejoining the Kompanie and closing the existing frontline gap. His attack also managed to confuse the enemy as planned, and the Americans halted their attack on the Mestringer mill in order to reform in a secure area.

After this was completed 5 enemy tanks drove towards Lutz’s position, making a new attempt to break through to the mill. Immediately Leutnant Lutz hurried into action, procuring 2 Panzerfausts and some hand grenades, and worked his way to within a few metres of the tanks. With the 2 Panzerfausts he destroyed one enemy tank at very close range and set a second one on fire with hand grenades. At the same time the other enemy tanks were destroyed with Panzerfausts by an Oberfeldwebel from the left neighbouring formation. With this the attempted enemy armoured breakthrough to Mestringer mill was once again stopped in its tracks.

Leutnant Lutz (who was still suffering from the effects of an old wound) was once again wounded twice while leading a forcefully conducted attack on Würselen, however stayed with his men by his own wish. He is the model of an experienced and outstandingly brave frontline officer, who demands the utmost of himself. Through this superbly led operation he prevented a dangerous breakthrough by a much superior combat force against the Mestringer mill, while removing a great danger to the flank of the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung. He thus made a major contribution to the later encirclement of strong enemy forces south of Mühle, near Kommerscheidt.

Following this action Leutnant Lutz was once again heavily wounded by a shell splinter on 8 November 1944.”


Source :
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Lutz,_Johann
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/36272/Lutz-Johannes.htm

Bio of Major i.G. Heinz-Günther Guderian

 

Heinz-Günther Guderian (23 August 1914 – 25 September 2004) was a German officer in the Wehrmacht and later a major general and Inspector of Panzer Troops in the West German Bundeswehr and NATO. He was the son of famous World War II General Heinz Guderian.

Born in Goslar in what was then the Prussian Province of Hanover, Heinz Günther Guderian entered the German Army as an officer cadet on 1 April 1933. He was promoted to second lieutenant in 1935 and served as a Zugführer (platoon leader), battalion and regimental adjutant and company commander in Panzer Regiments 1 and 35. He saw combat during the invasion of Poland and was wounded twice during the Battle of France in 1940. He graduated from the General Staff College in 1942 and served as a staff officer in various armored units until being assigned as the Operations Officer for the 116th Panzerdivision ("The Greyhounds") in May 1942, a position he held until the end of the War. He was captured at the conclusion of World War II and held as a prisoner of war until 1947. After the creation of the Bundeswehr, Guderian returned to the army and was given command of Panzerbattalion 3 (later 174) and, later, Panzerbrigade 14. He also served in a variety of staff assignments, culminating in service as Inspector of Panzer Troops — the same job his father held during World War II — for the Bundeswehr. He retired in 1974.

Heinz-Günther Guderian received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 October 1944 as Major im Generalstab and Ia 116. Panzer-Division.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_G%C3%BCnther_Guderian
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/30113/Guderian-Heinz-G%C3%BCnther.htm