Dieter Kesten

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Dieter Kesten
Dieter Kesten.jpg
Birth name Dieter Fritz Paul Wilhelm Kesten
Birth date 9 June 1914
Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date ⚔ 3 April 1945 (aged 30)
Place of death Möllersdorf, Bezirk Baden south of Vienna, Alpen- und Donau-Reichsgaue ("Danubian and Alpine Reichsgaue"), German Reich
Allegiance  National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Flag Schutzstaffel.png Allgemeine SS
Flag Schutzstaffel.png Waffen SS
Years of service 1933–1945
Rank SS-Sturmbannführer
Unit 2nd SS Panzer Division ''Das Reich''
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Iron Cross
Wound Badge (1939)
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Dieter Fritz Paul Wilhelm Kesten (9 June 1914 – 3 April 1945) was an officer of the SS rune.png and the Waffen SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Life

Dieter Kesten II.jpg

Dieter Kesten volunteered to join the Allgemeine SS on 1 September 1933 (SS-Nr.: 149 486) and served with the 7th and 79th Standarte, before being selected to become an officer candidate and was posted to the SS-Führerschule at Braunschweig in April 1936 (3. Friedens-Junker-Lehrgang). After graduation on 31 January 1937, he was commanded to the mandatory platoon leader course, commissioned as SS-Untersturmführer in April 1937 and subsequently posted to 2nd Battalion (Sturmbann) of the Germania Regiment (Standarte "Germania") of the SS-Verfügungstruppe, becoming an orderly officer on the regimental staff. On 1 Mai 1937, he also joined the NSDAP (NSDAP-Nr.: 4 198 299).

In May 1940, he left the regiment to become the adjutant to SS-Brigadeführer Richard Herrmann, the future commander of the Waffen-SS Nord, until December 1940. He also occupied the same position for the commander of the Waffen-SS Ost. In May 1941, he was posted to the SS-Kampfgruppe Nord, again as the adjutant until May 1942, when he returned to the SS-Division Das Reich.

He was given command of the 1st Company, SS-Schützen-Regiment 4 "Langemarck" (serving with Jakob Fick and others) and later was appointed the division adjutant under SS-Obersturmbannführer Rudolf Hinrich Schuldt. He transferred to the 2nd SS Panzer Regiment as the 6th Company commander until November 1943 and it was while in command of the 6th Company that he was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Before and during the Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation, Das Reich had been transferred south to oppose the counterattack of the Soviet 1st Armored Army across the Mius River, and destroying 391 tanks and SUs (Samokhodnaya ustanovka [self propelled guns]) from 30 July to 21 August 1943. Das Reich then moved to the outskirts of Kharkov, where it was involved in even heavier fighting. Its Panther battalion first saw combat on 22 August, around Starja-Ljubotin and Kommuna, knocking out 53 Russian tanks.

On the same day, 12 Kilometers west of Kharkov, the platoon of SS-Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) Karl Mühleck with only 4 Panzer IV broke up a Russian assault with a large superiority of tanks and infantry, supported by heavy artillery. The small platoon destroyed 23 tanks, 2 anti-tank guns and three trucks, also killing many of the attacking infantry soldiers. Mühleck alone destroyed seven enemy tanks with his own. On the 26 August 1943, Kesten's 6th Company, newly supplied with side-skirted Panzer IVs, battled 60 T-34s between Udy-Bogens and Orkan, south west of Kharkov, which had fallen to the Russians on the previous day. Kesten's panzers knocked out 29 of the 60 tanks.

Mühleck and Kesten would later receive Knight's Crosses for these actions.

Kesten was the given the command of the II. Battalion/2nd SS Panzer Regiment in November 1943. Kesten and his men fought resolutely and heroically during more battles at the Eastern Front, against the Invasion of Normandy and during the Battle of the Bulge as well as 1945 in Hungary.

Knight's Cross

“During the hard defensive battles southwest of Kharkov, and following the elimination of an enemy penetration near Korotitsch, the Korotitsch collective farm (1 km NW of the village) became the target of repeated mass Russian attacks. Their objective was to capture this collective farm, which had a commanding view of the Poltava-Kharkov road, and thereafter advance up the road towards Kharkov with tanks. Through this the crossing over the Merefa river near Guki (2 km west of Kharkov) would be blocked on its southern bank, and the retreat route for the bulk of the XI. Panzer-Korps would be severed. The defense of this major sector near Kharkov against enemy attacks, which were supported by strong artillery and tank units, fell to the Tiger-Kompanie of the SS-Pz.Rgt. ‘Das Reich’ as well as a Bataillon of the SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. ‘Der Führer’ (the latter of which was in position at the collective farm). On the 26 August 1943, following an hour-long artillery/mortar barrage, the enemy attacked the collective farm with about 60 tanks. Among these were a large number of new enemy assault guns that were being encountered for the first time, and whose combat capabilities were unknown. After a bitter battle the enemy succeeded in overrunning the German trenches with their tanks and pushing back our own Panzer forces that were to the south of the collective farm. Our infantry remained in their foxholes and soon engaged in tough combat with the following enemy infantry. However this fighting was made very difficult by a portion of enemy armour that had remained behind, suppressing our troops by driving over their trenches and with direct fire.
In this dangerous situation SS-Hauptsturmführer Kesten arrived, having followed the battle noises to the break-in position. Before the enemy attack had begun he had been instructed to take his Kompanie, consisting of 9 operational Panzer IVs, from its position with the SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. ‘Deutschland’ (north of Ljubotin) to Korotitsch. From here he was to prevent any possible enemy armoured breakthrough along the road to Kharkov. During the march Hauptsturmführer Kesten decided to take his Kompanie and investigate the heavy battle noises north of his designated route. Thus, going against his prior orders, he was able to engage the broken-in enemy due to a decision on his own initiative stemming from a correct appraisal of the situation. Disregarding the far superior enemy assault guns, he attacked with his 9 Panzer IVs from the west in a flanking move against the broken-in enemy armoured forces. Through this bold attack and the destruction of several enemy tanks, the enemy became disordered and began to pull back (presumably due to the lingering impacts of their heavy losses the previous day). In a vicious tank battle Hauptsturmführer Kesten and his Panzers destroyed 24 enemy tanks in the first engagement, while losing only 2 of their own. Kesten himself knocked out 4 enemy tanks. He then pursued the fleeing enemy, advancing far past the original German line and destroying another 5 enemy tanks with his Kompanie. The Tigers had meanwhile eliminated another 11 tanks. 3 new enemy assault guns were knocked out and then captured. The Kompanie inflicted particularly devastating damage on the enemy infantry, who were under the protection of their tanks just about to crush our own troops taking cover in their foxholes. During this armoured charge SS-Hauptsturmführer Kesten’s tank was knocked out and he was wounded, but he nonetheless remained with his men.
The bold decision and skillful actions of SS-Hauptsturmführer Kesten are responsible for preventing the enemy armoured breakthrough and recovering/consolidating the old German line. SS-Hauptsturmführer Kesten first came to the Panzerwaffe early this year. In the hard fighting of this summer he has repeatedly distinguished himself during the numerous armoured skirmishes and full-scale battles. He proved himself in an outstanding way during the expansion of our break-in at Beressow-Lutschki (north of Belgorod), the thrust of the Division’s armoured group to the Psel river, the tank battles which led to the recapture of our old line at the Mius, and in the retreat movements from Kolomak to Poltava. Wherever the opportunity presented itself to engage the enemy, Kesten gave the utmost of himself and led his Kompanie to high achievements, always leading the way as an inspiring example. SS-Hauptsturmführer Kesten is known throughout the Panzer-Regiment as an especially brave Kompanie commander. In 9 weeks, his Kompanie has destroyed 150 enemy tanks. In every respect he is worthy of bearing the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”[1]

Death

SS-Sturmbannführer der Waffen-SS Dieter Kesten was killed in action near Möllersdorf on 3 April 1945, three days before the begin of the Battle of Vienna. He rests in the German war cemetery in Blumau; Final grave location: Block 3, Row 1, Grave 59.

Promotions

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ↑ Kesten, Dieter (Waffen SS)
  2. ↑ KC SS-Stubaf. Dieter Kesten
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