Dietrich von Saucken

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Dietrich von Saucken
Dietrich von Saucken.JPG
Birth name Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Kasimir Dietrich von Saucken[1]
Birth date 16 May 1892(1892-05-16)
Place of birth Fischhausen, Province of East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 27 September 1980 (aged 88)
Place of death Pullach, Bavaria, West Germany
Resting place Waldfriedhof Solln, Munich
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Freikorps Flag.jpg Freikorps
War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1910–1945
Rank General der Panzertruppe
Battles/wars World War I
Finnish Civil War
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Relations ∞ 1923 Elisabeth von Saucken
Other work Artist

Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Kasimir Dietrich von Saucken (16 May 1892 – 27 September 1980) was a German officer, finally General der Panzertruppe and last recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds in WWII.

Life

Coat of arms of the Saucken family.png
Dietrich von Saucken II.jpg
Dietrich von Saucken III.jpg
General der Panzertruppe Dietrich von Saucken und seine Ehefrau Elisabeth, Grabstätte auf dem Waldfriedhof Solln in München.jpg

As a child, von Saucken attended the Collegium Fridericianum, a prestigious Gymnasium in Königsberg where he graduated with his Abitur (university-preparatory high school diploma) in 1910. As a student, von Saucken showed aptitude as an artist, a talent supported by his mother and the director of the Fridericianum, Georg Ellendt. He often visited Nidden, present-day Nida, Lithuania, where his ambitions to become an artist were influenced by the Künstlerkolonie Nidden, an expressionist artists' colony. On 1 October 1910, he joined the Grenadier-Regiment "König Friedrich Wilhelm I." (2. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3 (2nd East Prussian Grenadier Regiment King Frederick William I Nr. 3), one of the oldest Prussian regiments, subordinated to the 1. Division (1st Division) and based in Königsberg. In June 1912, he was commissioned.

With the outbreak of World War I, the division was deployed on the Eastern Front. With the division, von Saucken fought in the battles of Stallupönen, Gumbinnen, and Tannenberg. He then fought in the Battle of Verdun and in the battles of the Carpathian Mountains in September 1917. For combat in the German spring offensive and Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front, he received the Prussian Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords and the Austrian Military Merit Cross. He was wounded seven times so that he received the Wound Badge in Gold.

  • August 1914 Platoon leader in the 8th Company/Grenadier-Regiment "König Friedrich Wilhelm I." (2. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3
  • 7 October 1914 Leader of the 8th Company/Grenadier-Regiment "König Friedrich Wilhelm I." (2. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3
  • 15 November 1916 Battalion Adjutant/Grenadier-Regiment "König Friedrich Wilhelm I." (2. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3
  • 10 April 1917 Regimental Adjutant/Grenadier-Regiment "König Friedrich Wilhelm I." (2. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3

In 1918, he also served with the Baltic Sea Division (Ostsee-Division) under the command of General Rüdiger von der Goltz which fought in the Finnish Civil War (27 January to 15 May 1918). At the end of the war, he was serving as adjutant of the 2. Infanterie-Radfahr-Brigade. After the First World War, in December 1918, he joined the paramilitary Freikorps (with the Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 3 of the Volunteer 1st Infantry Division in the area of ​​the General Command of the I. Army Corps Königsberg/Province of East Prussia) and served with the Border Protection East (Grenzschutz Ost).

  • 5 October 1919 Orderly officer with the Infantry Leader I in Allenstein (Military District I)
  • 16 May 1920 Transferred to the Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 1 in Königsberg
    • 27 September with effect from 1 October 1920 renamed 1. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment
  • 15 December 1921 Transferred to the 8. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Oels
  • 8 December 1922 with effect from 1 January 1923 Transferred to the 3. Eskadron/2. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Allenstein
  • 3 May 1923 Permission to marry
  • 1 April 1925 Regimental Staff/2. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Allenstein
  • 17 April 1927 Appointed commander of the 2nd Squadron/2. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Lyck/Ermland-Masuren
    • 20 July to 31 August 1927 Foreign language studies in Odessa as guest of Vice Consul Dr. von Saucken
    • 25 November 1932 Successful assistant interpreter exam in Russian
    • 30 July 1934 Leave to Riga to consolidate his language skills
    • 19 February 1935 Successful interpreter exam in Russian
  • 15 October 1935 War School Hanover, tactics instructor
    • other sources state, he was already at the War School from 1 May 1934
    • 1 November to 15 December 1936 On leave in Reval, Estonia to consolidate his language skills
  • 1 April 1937 to 30 September 1940 Commander of the Reiter-Regiment 2 in Angerburg as successor to Colonel Alexander "Alex" Goeschen

WWII

  • 30 September with effect from 1 October 1940 Führerreserve
  • 30 November with effect from 16 November 1940 Appointed commander of the 4. Schützen-Brigade
    • wounded lightly, returned to his brigade after a short treatment
  • 9 December 1941 Führerreserve
  • 27 December 1941 Delegated with the leadership of the 4. Panzer-Division
  • 2 January 1942 Severely wounded during the defensive battles for the city of Volkhov, face and brain (heavily scared, almost lost sight), operated on more than once, stay at the war military hospital in Smolensk, later transfer to a reserve military hospital in the Reich
  • 7 July 1942 Commanded to the School for Rapid Troops (Schule für Schnelle Truppen; de facto Panzer school) in Krampnitz for in-service training as the future commander
  • 21 September with effect from 24 August 1942 Appointed commander of the School for Rapid Troops in Krampnitz
  • 15 May 1943 Commanded to the 4. Panzer-Division for in-service training as the future commander
  • 31 May 1943 Appointed commander of the 4. Panzer-Division
  • 24 September 1943 Commander of the “Gruppe General von Saucken“ (4. Panzer-Division and 31. Infanterie-Division), subordinated to the XX. Armeekoprs/2nd Army
    • On 3 December 1943, he was mentioned by name in the Wehrmacht report: "In the tough and bitter defensive fighting of the past few days, the Main-Franconian 4th Panzer Division under Lieutenant General von Saucken and the Bavarian 296th Infantry Division under Lieutenant General Kullmer thwarted all Soviet attempts to break through under the most difficult fighting conditions."
  • 3 March 1944 Again commander of the 4. Panzer-Division
  • 1 June 1944 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the III. Panzer-Korps for General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith who had received leave
  • 29 June 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the XXXIX. Panzerkorps, at the same time commander of the “Gruppe General von Saucken“ near Minsk, subordinated to the 4th Army
    • On 5 July 1944, he was again mentioned by name in the Wehrmacht report because of the fighting northwest of Kiev: "Here, a Panzerkampfgruppe under the command of Lieutenant General von Saucken shot down 232 enemy tanks in mobile combat between 27 June and 3 July."
  • 1 August 1944 Commanding General of the XXXIX. Panzerkorps
  • 16 October 1944 Führerreserve
  • 10 November 1944 Commanding General of the Panzerkorps “Großdeutschland“ (de)
  • 29 January to 3 February 1945 Commander of the “Gruppe General von Saucken“, subordinated to the XXIV. Panzer-Korps/4th Panzer Army
  • 11 February 1945 Führerreserve after disagreements with Heinz Guderian about the senselessness of continuing the war
  • 12 March 1945 Reported to the Führerhauptquartier in the Reichskanzlei, there delegated with the leadership of the 2nd Army with effect from 13 March 1945 as successor to Walter Weiß
    • When Hitler told him that he must take his orders from Albert Forster, the Gauleiter of Danzig, von Saucken said, he had no intention of placing himself under the orders of a Gauleiter. To the surprise of everyone who was present, Hitler capitulated and replied to the much respected general, "All right, Saucken, keep the command yourself."
  • 14 March 1945 Arrived at army headquarters and took over command
  • 7 April 1945 2nd Army renamed Armeeoberkommando (AOK) Ostpreußen
  • 9 May 1945 Became a Russian POW in Hela/Kurische Nehrung

POW

As late as 1945, von Saucken and his soldiers formed a strong bridgehead, tied down strong Russian forces, and halted the advance so that the civilian population of East Prussia could be evacuated (Operation Hannibal). When Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz sent him a plane and ship to escape, he refused to leave his soldiers alone and went into captivity with them.

Von Saucken was deployed almost continuously at the front. He managed to establish and hold a bridgehead southeast from Danzig to the Vistula Spit until a large portion of the population could be evacuated. Von Saucken gathered the rest of his troops on the Hel Peninsula to facilitate the evacuation of the civilian population and his soldiers. Dönitz sent him an airplane to escape, but he sent it back. He also sent a ship that was supposed to take him with him.

On 9 May 1945, he was again mentioned by name in the last Wehrmacht report:

"The Commander-in-Chief, General of the Panzer Troops von Saucken, was awarded the Diamonds with Oak Leaves and Swords to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in recognition of the exemplary conduct of his soldiers."[2]

He had negotiated with Marshal Rokossovsky the cessation of hostilities by the remaining German troops on the peninsula. Thanks to his language skills, von Saucken did not require an interpreter during the negotiations. The surrender of the German troops lasted until 14 May 1945.

  • 16 May 1945: Transported from Stettin to Moscow; initially for 32 months in the Lubyanka, partly in solitary confinement; also in NKVD Camp No. 48 Cherncy, Lezhnovo, and in the Special Hospital 3840 Shuya.
    • Like many other German prisoners in the Soviet Union, his intransigence led to his severe torture by MGB investigators (the predecessor of the KGB) that he later became wheelchair-bound upon release. He refused to sign a forged confession to alleged war crimes.
  • 10 May 1949: Routinely sentenced during a show trial to 25 years of forced labor in a GULAG by the MGB Military Tribunal in the Oryol Oblast (Orel Region). This was later converted to 30 months of solitary confinement, already served. He then spent the remainder of his imprisonment in the GULAG camp district OSERLAG (Ozernyj Lager/Tajšet) in Siberia.

Post-war and death

On 9 October 1955, von Saucken was liberated together with the last German prisoners of war as part of the return of the ten thousand negotiated by German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and was repatriated from the prisoner of war camp 5110/48 Woikowo to West Germany. After his return from Russian captivity, the family moved to Munich. There, von Saucken co-founded the "Sunday Painters' Guild" and devoted himself to his artistic interests. General Dietrich von Saucken died on 27 September 1980 in Pullach and was buried with military honors in the Munich-Solln Forest Cemetery.

Family

Dietrich von Saucken comes from an old East Prussian aristocratic family; he was born as the son of Landrat (the chief administrative officer of a district or Landkreis) and Regierungsrat (government council) Wilhelm Eduard Hans George Erich von Saucken (1858–1900) and his wife (∞ Tilsit 19 October 1888) Bertha Marie, née Westphal (1862–1928).[3] He had three siblings:

  • Rosette Marie Hildegard Susanne (1890–1975)
  • Wilhelm Eduard Adolf Hans (b. 25 June 1893 in Fischhausen), 2nd Lieutenant in the Grenadier-Regiment "König Friedrich Wilhelm I." (2. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3, ⚔ 18 May 1915 at Banya Carpathians in Galicia
  • Wilhelm Eduard Vollrad Jobst (1895–1950), during WWI in German South-West Africa, veteran of WWII

Marriage

On 27 July 1923 at Estate (Gut) Loschen, 1st Lieutenant von Saucken married his fiancée, his distant cousin (3rd grade) Wilhelmine Elfriede Salome Sophie Elisabeth von Saucken[4] (1903–1990). They had six children:

  • Wilhelm Bartusch Siegfried Hans Erich (b. 29 May 1924 in Allenstein), 2nd Lieutenant of the Wehrmacht, ⚔ 30 May 1944 in Stanca, Brăila, Romania
    • Hans von Saucken rests in the German war cemetery in Iasi; Final burial location: Block 1, Plot F, Row 45, Grave 5.
  • Freda Wilhelmine Marie Elisabeth Bertha (1926–2021); ∞ von Fournier
  • Wilhelmine Margarete Edelgard (1929–2024); ∞ Pfahler
  • Wilhelmine Susanne Karin Elisabeth (b. 14 July 1934 in Königsberg); ∞ Ministerialrat Dr.-Ing. Wilhelm Lutzenberger (1925–2017)
  • Wilhelm Dietrich Klaus Eckhart (1937–2022), lawyer (Munich) and baritone singer (singing 2014; singing 2016)
  • Wilhelmine Christa Sigrid Berta (b. 24 September 1940 in Angerburg); ∞ Eckehardt von Voss

Gallery

  • Brother Jobst

  • Daughter Freda

  • Daughter Edelgard

  • Son Klaus

Promotions

  • 1.10.1910 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 19.7.1911 (Fahnenjunker-)Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 18.8.1911 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
    • 17.5.1912 Certificate of maturity as a future officer
  • 19.6.1912 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
  • 18.8.1917 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 1.4.1925 Rittmeister
  • 1.5.1934 Major
  • 2.10.1936 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect and Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.10.1936
  • 1.6.1939 Oberst (Colonel)
    • 14 August 1940 received new RDA from 1 January 1938
  • 13.12.1941 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1.1.1942
  • 20.4.1943 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1.4.1943
  • 1.8.1944 General der Panzertruppe

Awards and decorations

Dietrich von Saucken, medal bar.jpg

Sources (Federal Archives)

  • BArch PERS 6/324
  • BArch PERS 6/300591

References

  1. ↑ Correct name: Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, Deutscher Uradel 21, 1920, p. 765
  2. ↑ Saucken, Dietrich von
  3. ↑ Wilhelm Eduard Hans George Erich von Saucken, in: Marcelli Janecki, Deutsche Adelsgenossenschaft (Hrsg.): Jahrbuch des Deutschen Adels. Dritter Band. W. T. Bruer’s Verlag, Berlin 1899, p. 392
  4. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, Teil A, 1942, p. 461
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