Friedrich Wiese

Friedrich Wiese
Birth name	Heinrich Friedrich Wiese
Birth date	5 December 1892
Place of birth	Nordhastedt, Kreis Süderdithmarschen, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	13 February 1975 (aged 82)
Place of death	Gießen, Hesse, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Imperial German Army Freikorps Preliminary Reichswehr Police Heer
Years of service	1914–1918 1918–1919 1919 1919–1935 1935–1945
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands held	26th Infantry Division XXXV Army Corps VIII Army Corps 19th Army XI Army Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Battle of Kursk Battle of Smolensk (1943) Operation Dragoon Prague Offensive
Awards	Iron Cross German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Relations	∞ 6 March 1925 Gertrud Martha Johanna Ehlers (12 April 1901 – 17 October 1979)

Heinrich Friedrich Wiese (5 December 1892 – 13 February 1975) was a German officer of the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Preliminary Reichswehr, the Police and the Wehrmacht, finally General of the Infantry and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II.

Life (chronology)

• 1892 Born the son of District Committee Secretary (Kreisausschußsekretär) Daniel Marx (d. 26 July 1913) and his wife Mathilde, née Matthiessen
  • It is not known, why the general has the surname "Wiese". It is assumed that the mother remarried after the death of her husband, or perhaps even earlier, after a divorce, and that the new husband, a Wiese, adopted the children, including Friedrich. It also cannot be ruled out that the father officially changed his surname, but this is not documented anywhere.
• January 1904 to Easter 1910 Realgymnasium in Elmshorn (Obersekundareife)
• 3 May 1910 to 30 September 1913 Training to prepare for the middle civil service career (government supernumerary) at the royal district office in Cismar.
• 1 October 1913 to 3 August 1914 Assistant (Hilfsarbeiter) and supernumerary (Supernumerar; civil service candidate, until an official position becomes available) in the Schleswig government
• 4 August 1914 War volunteer with the Replacement Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment „von Manstein“ (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84; basic training
• 1914 to 1918 World War I
  • 14 September 1914 to 13 December 1918 Infantryman, Infantry Platoon Leader, Machine Gun Platoon Leader and Machine Gun Company Leader with the Infanterie-Regiment „von Manstein“ (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84, Reserve Infanterie-Regiment 65, Infanterie-Regiment "General-Feldmarschall von Hindenburg" (2. Masurisches) Nr. 147, XX. Armee-Korps, Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 437 and Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 374 (appointed leader of the 3. MG-Kompanie on 14 August 1917).
• 14 December 1918 Commanded to the Iron Division (Eiserne Division)
• 4 January 1920 to 31 August 1919 Officially transferred to the Iron Division as machine gun officer in the Volunteer Detachment von Borke (Freikorps in the Baltic States)
• 1 September 1919 Joined the Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 79
• 30 September 1919 Discharged as honorary 1st Lieutenant of the Reserves
• 1 October 1919 Joined the Department IV of the Ordnungspolizei (regular or order police) of Hamburg
  • On 26 March 1920, he achieved his Abitur at the Oberrealschule "vor dem Holstentor" in Hamburg; granted leave for school and studies.
  • Between 1920 and 1922, Wiese attended six semesters of lectures on national economics (Volkswirtschaftslehre) and law at the University of Hamburg.
• 1 April 1923 Appointed leader of the armored car company
  • He was involved in the suppression of the October riots of the communists in Hamburg in 1923.
• 1 April 1924 Head of Department Ib at the staff of the Chief of the Public Order Police in Hamburg
• 15 October 1931 to 8 March 1933 Commanded to the officer candidate training course as tactics instructor
• 1 May 1933 to 31 March 1934 Subordinate to the Senator of Internal Administration in Hamburg for the establishment of civil air protection for the Greater Hamburg air protection area
• 23 May 1934 Chief of Staff of the State Police Inspectorate (LPI) Hansa (Reichs-Zwischenbefehlsstelle; RZB)
• 3 September 1934 Sworn in to the Führer
• 15 October 1935 Major (Wehrmacht) with the staff of the II. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment 69
• 6 October 1936 Commander of the I. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment 116 in Gießen
  • Summer 1939 Siegfried Line (Westwall), May 1940 Western Campaign
• 24 September with effect from 20 September 1940 Führerreserve OKH
• 2 November 1940 Delegated with the leadership of the Infanterie-Regiment 430
• 30 November 1940 with effect from 27 November 1940 Commanded to the Infanterie-Regiment 39
• 10 December 1940 Appointed commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 39, subordinated to the 26. Infanterie-Division under Sigismund von Förster (until January 1941)
  • 12 April to 31 May 1942 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 26. Infanterie-Division for commander Walter Weiß who took over the VI. Armeekorps for General der Infanterie Bruno Bieler who had received leave.
  • 3 June to 28 June 1942 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 26. Infanterie-Division for commander Walter Weiß who had himself now received leave
  • 1 July to 29 August 1942 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 26. Infanterie-Division for commander Walter Weiß who took over the XXVII. Armeekorps for General der Infanterie Joachim Witthöft who had fallen ill
• 29 August with effect from 1 September 1942 Appointed commander of the 26. Infanterie-Division
  • 11 October to 4 November 1942 Granted leave, deputy leader during this time was Colonel Axel Schmidt (Arko 148)
  • he proved himself particularly well as a division commander in the difficult winter battles 1942/43
• 5. August 1943 Delegated with the leadership of the XXXV. Armeekorps
• 1 October 1943 Appointed commanding general of the XXXV. Armeekorps
  • General der Panzertruppe Josef Harpe, commander-in-chief of the 9th Army, gave on 1 March 1944 a written verdict on Wiese: "An exemplary leader with a straightforward, open character and a winning personality. Leads with clarity, verve and enthusiasm. Proven as a commanding general. Passes on his National Socialist attitude to his subordinates. Rating: Above average. Recommendation: Commander-in-chief of an army after having led his corps for some time."
  • 3 to 22 May 1944 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 9. Armee
• 25 June 1944 Führerreserve OKH
• 27 with effect from 29 June 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the 19. Armee (arrived at army headquarters on 2 July 1944 only four days before the Allied invasion of Normandy)
  • Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz, commander-in-chief of the Army Group (Heeresgruppe) G, gave on 21 September 1944 a written verdict on Wiese: "Clear leader personality. He quickly adapted to the fighting conditions in the West. Since the beginning of the enemy landings in the Mediterranean, General Wiese has led with his own vigour and mastered the rarely difficult withdrawal movements and breakthroughs through the narrow Rhone valley. When the 19th Army finally stands in a coherent defensive front in front of the western slope of the Vosges and the Belfort invasion gate, this is the result of the army leader's indomitable will. Rating: Above average (outstanding)."
• 13 with effect from 15 December 1944 Führerreserve OKH; His successor was General of the Infantry Siegfried Rasp.
  • On 17 December 1944, he was informed in written form by the Supreme Commander of the Upper Rhine, the Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler, who apparently did not care for the general, that the Führer had been proposed to replace him as commander of the 19th Army. The following reason was given: "After the fighting in Alsace so far, especially in the last few days, I consider you unsuitable to lead an army. In addition to other serious complaints, I see a particular failure on your part in the incredibly high number of officers and men who are allegedly missing. You have clearly not succeeded in imbuing the troops with the spirit that excludes dishonor. This applies to both the LXIII and the LXIV Corps. The Führer has approved your removal and transfer to the Führerreserve OKH. You want to hand over the leadership to General of the Infantry Rasp as your successor."
• 20 December 1944 Because of severe health problems, six-week spa stay in Kissingen
  • December 1944 His house in the Curtmannstraße 33, Gießen, was bombed and destroyed.
• 20 March 1945 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the VIII. Armeekorps subordinated to the 17. Armee
• 20 April 1945 Delegated with the leadership of the XI. Armeekorps
  • He surrendered to Red Army troops in the Olmütz area and was taken prisoner of war.

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Knight's Cross

On the morning of 2 January 1942, after several failed frontal attacks against the reinforced Infanterie-Regiment 39, the Soviet Red Army infiltrated through wooded and swampy terrain considered impassable by the Germans and were able to completely surround the Regiment. The situation seemed hopeless for the regiment, since no telephone connection existed and the German radios failed in the bitter cold. And so Colonel Wiese, the commander of the regiment, decided to break out of the encirclement and rejoin his division in order to avoid being annihilated. His command skills proved essential in successfully executing this move and thus saving his troops from destruction. For his actions on this day he was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Oak Leaves

Awarded for his successes as commanding general of the XXXV. Armee-Korps (9th Army/Army Group Center) up until the end of 1943. His superiors recognized him for both his energy and willingness to personally intervene in the front lines and thus remedy critical situations. He particularly distinguished himself in the following actions:

• His masterful evacuation of the Gomel bridgehead against overwhelming pressure.
• Defeating all Soviet breakthrough attempts in December 1943 in the area southwest of Shlobin.

Promotions

Army

• 4.8.1914 Kriegsfreiwilliger (War Volunteer)
• 7.7.1015 Unteroffizier (NCO/Corporal/Junior Sergeant)
• 21.10.1915 Vizefeldwebel (Vice Sergeant/Staff Sergeant)
• 6.11.1915 Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves) with Patent
• 30.9.1919 Charakter als Oberleutnant der Reserve (Honorary 1st Lieutenant of the Reserves)

Police

• 1.10.1919 Polizei-Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant of the Police) with Rank Seniority from 25 November 1913
• 1.10.1920 Polizei-Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant of the Police)
• 1.2.1923 Polizei-Hauptmann (Captain of the Police) with Rank Seniority from 25.11.1921
• 1.7.1933 Charakter als Polizei-Major (Honorary / Brevet Major of the Police)
• 1.10.1933 Polizei-Major (Major of the Police)

Wehrmacht

• 15.10.1935 Major with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.9.1935
• 31.5.1938 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect from 1.6.1938
• 13.5.1941 Oberst (Colonel) with effect from 1.6.1941
  • 28.6.1942 received new RDA from 1.7.1940
• 29.8.1942 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1.9.1942
• 21.1.1943 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1.1.1943
• 8.10.1943 General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry) with effect and RDA from 1.10.1943

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 15 February 1916
  • 1st Class (29 September 1918)
• Wound Badge (1918) in Black
• Medal of the Iron Division (Eiserne Division) under Josef Bischoff
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords on 22 December 1934
• Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class
• Sudetenland Medal
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 3 June 1940
  • 1st Class on 16 June 1940
• German Cross in Gold on 18 February 1942
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal in August 1942
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 14 February 1942 as Colonel and Commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 39/26. Infanterie-Division
  • 372nd Oak Leaves on 24 January 1944 as General der Infanterie and Commanding General of the XXXV. Armee-Korps/9. Armee/Heeresgruppe Mitte

Writings

• Betrachtungen und Beurteilungen des Oberbefehlshabers der 19. Armee, General der Infanterie a. D. Friedrich Wiese, 1948
  • I. Teil: Die 19. Armee in Südfrankreich bei Invasion und der Rückzug aus der Burgundischen Pforte vom 1. Juli bis 15. Sept. 1944
  • II. Teil: Die 19. Armee in der Burgundischen Pforte, in den Vogesen und im Elsaß von Mitte Sept. bis 18. Dez. 1944

Gallery

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External links

• Wiese, Heinrich Friedrich, lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de