Franz Mattenklott

Franz Mattenklott
Birth name	Franz Friedrich Hugo Mattenklott
Birth date	19 November 1884(1884-11-19)
Place of birth	Grünberg, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	28 June 1954 (aged 69)
Place of death	Braunlage, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army Freikorps Reichswehr Heer
Years of service	1903–1945
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands held	72nd Infantry Division XXXXII Army Corps Stellvertretendes Generalkommando VI. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Balkans Campaign Operation Barbarossa Siege of Sevastopol (1941–42) Battle of the Kerch Peninsula Ruhr Pocket
Awards	Iron Cross Order of the Crown of Romania German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations	∞ 1911 Hertha Staehle

Franz Friedrich Hugo Mattenklott (19 November 1884 – 28 June 1954) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry), division commander, army corps commander and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II.

Life

After completing his Gymnasium studies with Abitur, Franz Mattenklott applied to enter an infantry regiment in Metz, Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen. After successfully taking a written examination, Mattenklott entered service in the Prussian Army as an officer candidate of the 4. Magdeburgisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 67 on 28 December 1903. He received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in May 1905. On 1 July 1910, he advanced to the position of Adjutant of the regiment's 1st Battalion. On 1 October 1913, he was made Adjutant of the district command or Bezirkskommando Metz. On 2 August 1914, now a 1st Lieutenant, he returned to his regiment for WWI. On 22 August 1914, he was named company leader (Kompanieführer) and only 19 days later Adjutant of the regiment. In December 1916, after wounds and recovery, he was commanded to the General Staff of the Armee-Abteilung von Gronau (the former XXXXI. Reserve-Korps).

In March 1917, he was commanded to the General Staff of the 82. Reserve-Division, officially transferred to the General Staff 30 November 1917. On 7 January 1918, he was named Quartermaster in the General Staff of the XVI. Armee-Korps an was transferred to the General Staff of the XI. Armee-Korps in June 1918. On 18 August 1918, he was named chief of operations (Ia) of the 86. Infanterie-Division, at the same time he was a member of the General Staff of the Generalkommando zur besonderen Verwendung Nr. 54. On 1 October 1918, ge was transferred to the General Staff of the 2nd Army under General Adolph von Carlowitz. After demobilization, he transferred to the General Staff of the XX. Armee-Korps with the East Prussian Border Patrol (Grenzschutz Ost). On 1 October 1919, he joined the General Staff of the Freikorps Hasse (de), two days later, he was named company leader. As such, he took part in the border protection battles in Upper Silesia.

General Franz Mattenklott and Hungarian General Geza Ritter Lakatos, Edler von Csikszentsimon

Reichswehr

• 16 May 1920 General Staff of Command VI (Befehlsstelle VI), Breslau
• 1 October 1920 Kompanie-Chef im 7. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment, Schweidnitz
• 1 January 1923 General Staff of the 6. Division, Münster
• 1 October 1925 General Staff of the Artillery Commander (Artillerieführer) VI, Münster
• 1 February 1929 Tactics instructor at the Dresden Infantry School
• 1 February 1933 Commander of the I. Bataillon/4. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment, Kolberg
• 1 October 1934 Commander of the Infantry Regiment Stargard/Pomerania
  • renamed Infanterie-Regiment 25 in 15 October 1935

Wehrmacht

• 1.6.1936 Commander of Army Department 8 (Heeresdienststelle 8), Frankfurt
• 1.10.1936 Commander of Army Department 8 (Heeresdienststelle 8), Koblenz
• 1.7.1938 Commandant of the Border Command Trier
• 1.9.1939 Commander of the Border Guard Section Command 8
• 19.9.1939 to 31 December 1941 Commander of the 72. Infanterie-Division
  • 25 July to 4 September 1940 at the same time Commandant of Metz
    • Mattenklott was still at 72. Infanterie-Division on 27 July 1940 when he issued this Divisionstagesbefehl: "I have been appointed commandant of Metz with immediate effect and am returning to the location where I began my military career as a recruit 37 years ago." He actually left the division on 30 July 1940. He relieved Gneralmajor Viktor Adolf Benno Ferdinand Kuckein, commander of the Oberbaustab 11 (chief building staff), a technical unit, not really prepared to lead a command post. Mattenklott was succeeded by Colonel (later General) Friedrich "Fritz" Heinrich Johann Rossum.
  • 6 December 1941 Delegated with the leadership of the XXXXIV. Armee-Korps
    • The original plan was that Mattenklott was to replace Koch at XXXXIV. Armee-Korps but was to stay at 72. Infanterie-Division until the current battle had been completed. He was still at 72. Infanterie-Division when Heeresgruppe Süd decided on 12 December 1941 that he was to replace Hans Freiherr von Salmuth, who was sick, at XXX. Armee-Korps. Both 72. Infanterie-Division and XXX. Armee-Korps were informed of this decision on 12 December 1941. At some point, over the next couple of days, Mattenklott left 72. Infanterie-Division and arrived at XXX. Armee-Korps. The only solid piece of information of when, is that Generalleutnant Kurt Himer took over the deputy leadership of the 72. Infanterie-Division on 14 December 1941 until the new deputy leader Generalmajor Philipp Müller-Gebhard arrived on 18/19 December 1941.
• 1 January 1942 to 14 June 1944 Leader / Commanding General of the XXXXII. Armee-Korps succeeding Hans Graf von Sponeck
  • The order for Mattenklott to take over the XXXXII. Armeekorps dates 29 December 1941, as the war diary of the XXX Army Corps shows. Mattenklott's appointment as Kommandierender General XXXXII. Armee-Korps was announced on 11 January 1942 with effect from 1 January 1942, the day he probably arrived.
  • June to August 1942 known as “Gruppe Mattenklott“
  • 22 June to July 1943 furlough / leave
  • 14 to 24 November 1943 at the same time commander-in-chief of the “Armee-Abteilung Mattenklott“
  • 29 August 1942 - 27.04.1943 at the same time commander Crimea (Befehlshaber Krim)
  • 11 January to 17 february 1944 represented by Generalleutnant Theobald Lieb
• 15. March 1944 Commanding General of the new XXXXII. Armee-Korps z. b. V.
  • During the breakout from the Cherkassy pocket at the beginning of March 1944, the corps was broken up and then disbanded. The remainder was used to refresh the 88th Infantry Division.
• 14.6.1944 At disposal of the OKH (Oberkommando des Heeres
• 14.6.1944 Commanding General of the Deputy General Command VI. Army Corps and Commander in Military District VI (Kommandierender General des Stellvertretenden Generalkommandos VI. Armeekorps und Befehlshaber im Wehrkreis VI), Münster

72. Infanterie-Regiment

Mattenklott's units had a limited participation in the Battle of France in May–June 1940. [...] After a brief period of refitting in France, the 72nd Infantry Division was deployed to Bulgaria, then a member of the Axis powers, in the spring of 1941, in order to take part in the planned invasion of Greece, or "Operation Marita" (Unternehmen Marita). The division was placed under XVIII Mountain Corps (XVIII. Gebirgskorps) of General der Infanterie Franz Böhme, part of Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) Wilhelm List's 12th Army (Wehrmacht). All in all, Böhme's Corps consisted of four infantry divisions and a reinforced infantry regiment; this formidable force faced three Greek Divisions and the heavily fortified Metaxas Line along the mountainous region of the Greek–Bulgarian border. Mattenklott's division was given the objective of breaking through the defenses southwest of Nevrokop, proceeding further to the southwest until Serres and then turn to the north and attack Fort Roupel from behind, in order to capture the vital national road crossing the narrow valley known as the Rupel Pass. The invasion began on 6 April, and until the night, Mattenklott's troops had failed to punch through the Metaxas Line, suffering heavy casualties. However, during the following day, a breakthrough was achieved, but the advance towards Serres was retarded by the mountainous terrain. Most of the Greek forts continued to resist until 9 April, but as the main forces were isolated by the German advance to the west, they finally capitulated on the same day. Suming up his experiences from the battle, Mattenklott praised the Greek Army for its firm resistance and bravery.

Wehrmachtbericht (6 April 1944)

After days of harsh fighting through the Pripyat Marshes at rough terrain, units of the Army and the Waffen-SS under the High Command of Generaloberst Weiß and under the leadership of Generals of the Infantry Hoßbach and Mattenklott have broken the enemy ring at Kowel, thus freeing their comrades from encirclement.

Post-WWII

From 21 April 1945 to 4 July 1947, Mattenklott was a POW. During his captivity, Mattenklott wrote several historical manuscripts for the US Army, including a report on the Battle of Kursk. He testified in the High Command Trial in May 1948 as a defense witness for General Hans von Salmuth.

Death

Franz Mattenklott died in Braunlage in a health resort in the Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony on 28 June 1954, age 69, and is buried with his wife Hertha, who died at the old age of 95 in 1988, in the village cemetery of Braunlage. Their grave is only steps away from the resting place of Generaloberst of the Reichswehr August Wilhelm Heye.

Family

Franz was the son of the sugar factory director (Ober Pritschen) and lord of the manor (Gutsbesitzer) Captain (ret.) Dietrich Mattenklott and his wife Elfriede, née Duttenhöfer. On 6 July 1911, 2nd Lieutenant Mattenklott married his fiancée Hertha Staehle. Their son Hans-Joachim was born on 2 January 1913.

Promotions

• 28.12.1903 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
• 18.8.1904 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
• 18.5.1905 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Patent from 22.4.1905
• 22.4.1914 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
• 18.6.1915 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 1.2.1928 Major
• 1.10.1932 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1.10.1934 Oberst (Colonel)
• 15.3.1938 Generalmajor with rank seniority (RDA) from 1.3.1938
• 1.2.1940 Generalleutnant
• 1.1.1942 General der Infanterie with rank seniority (RDA) from 1.10.1941

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Brunswick War Merit Cross (Herzoglich Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz), 2nd and 1st Class (BrK1)
  • 2nd Class with the Frontline Service Horse Clasp on the ribbon (Bewährungsabzeichen auf dem Band; BrK2a)
• Hohenzollern Cross of Honor, 3rd Class with Swords (HE3⚔)
• Friedrich Order, Knight 1st Class with Swords (WF3a⚔)
• Silesian Eagle Order (Schlesischer Adler-Orden), II. and I. Grade
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (1934) with Swords
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class on 2 October 1936
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd and 1st Class
  • EK II on 24 December 1939
  • EK I on 13 March 1940
• Romanian Order of Michael the Brave (Militärorden „Michael der Tapfere“), 3rd Class on 19 September 1941
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 November 1941 as Generalleutnant and Commander of the 72. Infanterie-Division
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal on 10 July 1942
• German Cross in Gold on 26 September 1942 as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the XXXXII. Armeekorps
• Crimea Shield (Krimschild) on 12 October 1942
• Order of the Crown of Romania (Orden der Krone von Rumänien), Grand Cross with Swords on the ribbon for “Military Virtue” (bravery ribbon)
• Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) on 6 April 1944

Gallery

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Sources

• Guides to German Records Microfilmed at Alexandria, Virginia. Ed. by the American Historical Association, Committee for the Study of War Documents, 1969
• Günter Wegner: Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939, Volume 1, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1993
• General Mattenklott, forum.axishistory.com (Archive)