Alexander Leschke

Alexander Leschke
Birth name	Alexander Gustav Wilhelm Leschke
Birth date	5 February 1889
Place of birth	Straßburg, Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire
Death date	7 December 1942 (aged 53)
Place of death	Leipzig, German Reich
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Royal Saxon Army Imperial German Army Sturmabteilung Heer
Rank	SA-Oberführer Oberst of the Reserves
Commands held	Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 11
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Alexander Gustav Wilhelm Leschke (5 February 1889 – 7 December 1942) was a German officer, finally Oberst d. R. of the Wehrmacht and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II.

Life

Ritterkreuzträger Leschke ᛣ, in: "Deutsche Zeitung im Ostland", p. 2

Alexander Leschke was born in Straßburg in 1889, where at the time his father was serving as a Hauptmann (since 1 April 1887) in the Royal Saxon 6. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 105 of the 66. Infantrie-Brigade. After completing his Abitur, Alexander joined the 2nd Company of the Royal Saxon 8. Infanterie-Regiment "Prinz Johann Georg" Nr. 107 in 1908 as Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate) and was promoted to Fähnrich (Officer Cadet) on 29 March 1909. On 21 January 1910, now in the 6th Company, he was promoted to Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant). As of the Rangliste 1912, he was in the 1st Company. He served with distinction in WWI and was discharged in 1919.

Sturmabteilung

Between the wars, Leschke served with the Sturmabteilung (Stab der SA-Brigade 35, SA-Gruppe Sachsen), finally rising to SA-Oberführer.

Wehrmacht

Leschke joined the reserves of the Wehrmacht, was reactivated and went into the field 1939 as Major d. R. During the Battle of France, he earned his clasp to his Iron Cross 1st Class and the Infantry Assault Badge. As commander of the II. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 11, since 15 October 1940 motorized (the horse drawn parts were handed over to the 122nd Infantry Division), he now prepared his men for the Operation Barbarossa.

Eastern Front

On 11 July 1941, the regiment was transferred to East Prussia in the area south of Bischofsburg. On 28 November 1941, the regiment reached the easternmost point of its advance at Dimitrov on the Moskva-Volga Canal, about 60 kilometers north of Moscow. The hardships that the soldiers had to put up with for this success were unimaginable and yet only the beginning. All forces were exhausted and now winter set in, which caught the troops completely unprepared because of Hitler's ban on providing winter clothing. On 4 November 1941, Major d. R. Leschke received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and was promoted to Oberstleutnant d. R.

On 6 December 1941, the Red Army counterattacked and the regiment had to retreat. Large numbers of frostbite also weakened the regiment. At the end of January, the regiment landed in the area northwest of Gshazk. In January 1942, Leschke fell ill (Oberleutnant d. R. Harry Schröter took over) but could soon return to his regiment.

Regimental commander was Oberst (later Generalmajor) Dipl. Ing. Paul Schürmann, on 30 June 1942 Oberst Heinrich Arthur Wiedemann took over the Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 11, but fell on 23 July 1942. Now Oberstleutnant Leschke took over the regiment. The regiment was then deployed in July/August 1942 in the combat area north of the Volga, which flows in an arc near Rzhev, and later also east of Rzhev. There was heavy fighting, and towards the end of the summer silting set in again, which meant rain and correspondingly difficult conditions.

On 11 September 1942, Leschke was lightly wounded at around 0700 hours, but still lead the counterattack of his regiment (together with a battalion from the regiment "Großdeutschland" and the Pionier-Bataillon 72) at 1240 hours. Shortly afterwards, Michejewo is retaken and the surviving Russians flee. On the same day, at around 1500 hours, the command post was struck by Russian artillery and Leschke was wounded again. He radios 1515 hours to the division:

"Hooray, the Russian made it. Direct hit in commander's room. Woke up at the door. Still encouraging mood."

The truth is a bit different, the regiment was seriously stricken. So many fallen and wounded, little ammunition and even less sleep. Heinrich Wosch, commander of the senior 14. Infanterie-Division, reported to commanding general of the XXVII. Armee-Korps:

"11th Infantry Regiment is completely exhausted and unable to withstand a serious attack. It has to go!"

During his visit to the division the next day, the Commander-in-Chief of the 9th Army expressed his highest appreciation for Lieutenant Colonel Leschke, who initiated and enforced the cordoning off at Michejewo. The threat of a breakthrough on Rshew has once again been averted. By order of 17 September 1942, Leschke notes that the regiment has again fought exceptionally bravely and thanks the troops. Due to a lack of manpower, the regiment is now divided into three administration battalions and the combat troops. The "masses" of the 11th Infantry Regiment occupied themselves with the usual refresher work during the rest period, building roads, digging cover holes, attending church services and concerts by the music corps. Great importance is also attached to strengthening discipline, which naturally suffers badly on hard days of fighting, especially in the rear parts.

At the end of September 1942, the regiment received 238 men replacements, whose training by the replacement army and internal attitude, insofar as they are not convalescents, generally still did not meet the demands of the front. And in the future it got worse instead of better. On 15 October 1942, the regiment was renamed Grenadier-Regiment 11 (mot.). In the middle of October 1942, the regiment moved, one could not call it a march, in individual groups and in short marching distances to the area around Poltipo (11 km north-west of Tschertolino), where until 21 October 1942 it was gathered. It took until 1 November 1942, for the whole division to arrive in this area, since the paths are completely soft again and the horses are completely exhausted. A number of horses even had to be shot. In addition, fuel was allocated too late. The automobiles were completely run down. Accommodation was cramped and makeshift, regimental headquarters and staff company were in Poltino.

Death

Lescke was stricken by cardiac arrhythmias and pneumonia, also his wounds had not healed properly. On 7 November 1942, he finally had to leave the regiment, which was taken over (in representation) the day before by Oberstleutnant Otto Eduard Hoeland (1894–1959), commander of the Pionier-Bataillon 14. Lescke was transported back to the Reich and admitted to a military hospital (Reservelazarett III Leipzig), where his family awaited him. On 1 December 1942, he was promoted to Oberst der Reserve. Still, his health deteriorated and on 7 December 1942, Alexander Leschke died.

The solemn funeral ceremonies took place in the crypt of the Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal) in Leipzig. He rests in the German war cemetery of the Leipzig South Cemetery; final grave location: section XXV, group II, grave 7/8.

Family

Alexander was the son of Royal Saxon officer Oberst z. D. Wilhelm Maximilian Leschke (b. 17 May 1853; d. 10 September 1924) and his wife Camilla, née Hartwig (d. 6 May 1898). His brother Oberst Horst Johann Georg Leschke (b. 14 July 1894 in Leipzig-Gohlis) also served in both world wars. Also, Oberst Georg Karl Edgar Gläsche (1889–1968) was their brother-in-law. Edgar was married to their sister, Anna Leschke (b. 7 July 1890 in Straßburg). Edgar was also son of a professional officer, Generalmajor Carl Robert Georg Gläsche (1853–1921).

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Saxon Albert Order (Albrechts-Orden), Knight 2nd Class with Swords (SA3b⚔/AR2⚔)
• Military Merit Order (Bavaria), 4th Class with Swords (BMV4⚔)
• Civil Order of Saxony (Sächsischer Verdienstorden), Knight Second Class with Swords (SV3b⚔)
• Saxon Military St. Henry Order, Knight’s Cross (SH3)
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918) in Black and Silver
  • other sources presume, the badge in silver was from WWII (Verwundetenabzeichen 1939)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (1934) with Swords
• SA-Wehrabzeichen

WWII

• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd and 1st Class
• Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen)
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 November 1941 as Major of the Reserves and Commander of the II. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 11 (motorized)
• German Cross in Gold on 11 February 1943 (posthumously) as Oberst der Reserve and Commander of the Grenadier-Regiment 11 (motorized)/14. Infanterie-Division (motorized)

Gallery

• 

  SA-Stabschef Viktor Lutze at the reception for seven Knight's Cross holders of the SA in January 1942; the photo was taken in the standard hall (Standartensaal) of the adjutant's office of the SA chief of staff in Berlin, and the following day the gentlemen were also received by Joseph Goebbels.

• 

  From left to right: Oberführer Major Alexander Leschke, Standartenführer Leutnant Georg Feig, Sturmbannführer Leutnant Walter Evers, Sturmbannführer Unteroffizier Alois Zmugg, Obersturmführer Leutnant Hans Hoffritz, Sturmführer Feldwebel Josef Gollas and Rottenführer Oberfeldwebel Karl Brüggemann.

• 

  Heinrich Wosch (in general's coat) paying his last respects to Oberst Heinrich Arthur Wiedemann from Plauen, who had fallen on 23 July 1942 in Tereschkowo/Rshew; to the right with Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and Stahlhelm is Oberstleutnant d. R. Alexander Leschke, new commander of the Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 11.

Further reading

• Walther-Peer Fellgiebel: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German), Podzun-Pallas, Wölfersheim 2000, ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6
  • English: The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches, expanded edition, 2000
• Klaus D. Patzwall / Veit Scherzer: Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber, Band II (in German), Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 2001, ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8
• Veit Scherzer: Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German), Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag, Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2