Hans Schittnig

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Hans Schittnig
Hans Friedrich Oskar Schittnig, Wehrmacht.jpg
Hans Schittnig, signature 1922.jpg
Birth date 26 July 1894
Place of birth Gütersloh, Kreis Wiedenbrück, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 8 November 1956 (aged 62)
Place of death Munich, Bavaria, West Germany
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
War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1913–1945
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held Infanterie-Regiment 512
Infanterie-Regiment 65
1. Infanterie-Division
Division Nr. 463
Battles/wars World War I

World War II

Awards Iron Cross
Wound Badge (1918)
War Merit Cross (1939)
Relations ∞ 1921 Elisabet Popken
∞ 1941 Carola von Bergen

Johannes "Hans" Friedrich Oscar Schittnig (26 July 1894 – 8 November 1956) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Lieutenant General and divisional commander in World War II. He was a POW from 16 April 1917 to 11 March 1920 and again from May 1945 to 27 June 1947.

Life

Hans Schittnig as a Reichswehr officer
Hans Gollnick (left) visits the 12. Feld-Division (L) under Major General Hans Schittnig (right) on 29 May 1944 in Wasserburg
Hans Gollnick (center) visits the 12. Feld-Division (L) under Hans Schittnig (left), 29 May 1944 in Wasserburg.jpg
Hans Schittnig, WW2 II.jpg

After attending elementary school and the Gymnasium (from Easter 1904) in Gütersloh, where he achieved his Abitur on 22 March 1913, Schittnig joined the Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98 stationed in Metz, Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen on 7 April 1913. He was sworn-in on 8 June 1913. In the spring of 1914, he was commanded to the war school in Hannover. On 2 August 1914, the new Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130 was formed in metz. On 3 August 1914, Schittnig was transferred to this regiment (subordinated to the 66. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade/33. Reserve-Division) and was deployed to the field. The first fighting took place from 20 to 22 August 1914, the Battle of Lorraine (battle between Metz and the Vosges Mountains). On 22 September and again on 3 November 1914 (this time severe), he was wounded. He only returned to the field regiment on 22 April 1915. On 12 February 1916, he was transferred to the 33. Reserve-Division, on 9 March 1916, he was appointed company leader.

On 24 April 1916, he was transferred to the II. Replacement Battalion/Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130. On 8 August 1916, he fell ill, on 16 October 1916, he was wounded for a third time (artillery shrapnel lodged in upper thigh). On 13 December 1916, he was transferred to the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 73 (37. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade/19. Reserve-Division/X. Reserve-Korps/2. Armee). On 1 January 1917, Schittnig was appointed leader of the 12th Company/Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 73. On 16 April 1917, the first day of the Second Battle of the Aisne near Ferme d'Hurtebise, Chemin des Dames, Schittnig and others from his company were captured by the French during the positional warfare. It would take three years, until he was repatriated on 11 March 1920. As of 27 March 1920, after 16 days of leave, he served with the Reichswehr: Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 19, Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 110, Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 20, soon to be renamed 17. (Preußisch-Braunschweigisches) Infanterie-Regiment on 1 January 1921. On 12 April 1921, he was newly sworn-in.

  • 1 February 1926 Appointed commander of the 7th Company/17. Infanterie-Regiment
  • 1 October 1930 Appointed commander of the 4th (Machine Gun) Company/17. Infanterie-Regiment
  • 1 April 1934 Transferred to the staff of the 6th Division
  • 1 October 1934 Staff of the Military District Command VI

Wehrmacht

  • 15 October 1935 Appointed commander of the I. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment 60
  • 6 October 1936 Appointed commander of the I. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment 79 in Münster
  • 12 October 1937 Head of the Personnel and Training Department of the Army Ordnance Depot (Heeresfeldzeugmeisterei) in Berlin
  • 10 November 1938 Group leader in the staff of the Field Ordnance Inspection at OKH
  • 5 July 1940 Appointed commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 512
  • 7 January 1942 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve
  • 8 May 1942 Appointed commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 65, subordinated to the 22. Infanterie-Division, as of 29 July 1942 known as 22nd (Airborne) Division
    • arrived at headquarters at the end of May 1942
  • 17 August with effect from 20 August 1942 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve
  • 18 December 1942 Appointed commander of the Feldzeugkommando III
    • The commanders of the field ordnance commands (Feldzeugkommandos) were in charge of all field ordnance depots within their respective areas. They were responsible for supplying the troops with weapons, equipment, and ammunition, and for their repair in the field ordnance workshops. They advised the commander of the military district on all matters affecting the troops and the field ordnance service. In particular, they were responsible for ensuring the provision of weapons, equipment, and ammunition to the subordinate field ordnance depots, following the instructions of the commander of the military district. The commanders of the field ordnance depots had the disciplinary authority of a regimental commander.
  • 15 May 1944 Commanded to the Army Group North for training (induction phase) as divisional commander
  • 26 May 1944 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 12. Feld-Division (L)
    • The Luftwaffe Field Division 12 (Luftwaffen-Feld-Division) was incorporated into the Army on 1 November 1943 near Novgorod in northern Russia. For clarity, postwar literature refers to the division as the 12th Field Division (L), although no official renaming took place. In April 1944, the division was reorganized into a new type of infantry division, and was subsequently merged with the 13th Field Division (L).
  • 5 July 1944 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the 121. Infanterie-Division (Army Group North)
  • 10 July 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the 121. Infanterie-Division
  • 28 July 1944 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve
  • 1 October 1944 Appointed commander of the 1. Infanterie-Division
  • 27 February with effect from 28 February 1945 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve
  • 25 March 1945 Appointed commander of the Division Nr. 463 as successor to Rudolf Habenicht
    • It is not known, when he arrived at headquarters and when the transfer of command took place. The division was placed at disposal of the Korpsgruppe "Moser" in April 1945.

Family

Hans was the son of Imperial Banker (Reichsbank branch Gütersloh) Emil Carl Joseph Schittnig (b. 4 March 1860 in Stettin; d. 1932 in Bielefeld-Bethel) and his wife (∞ 1893) Johanna Dora Wilhelmine, née Schaeffer (b. 28 September 1871 in Dortmund; d. 19 September 1931). One of his younger siblings, Werner (b. 13 August 1900 in Gütersloh), also served in the Imperial German Army for some months in 1918. In WWII, he was once again drafted into military service and was ⚔ on 14 November 1944 during the defensive battle in the Hürtgen Forest (Abwehrschlacht im Hürtgenwald).[1]

Marriages

On 21 June 1921 in Hameln, 1st Lieutenant Schittnig married his fiancée Elisabet Popken (b. 12 May 1898), daughter of the late merchant Johann Popken and hs wife Elisabet, née Raapke. Their daughter Gunhild was born on 22 February 1926 in Göttingen. The couple divorced in Berlin on 9 April 1931. In 1941, Colonel Schittnig married Carola "Cary" Margarete Vilma Elisabeth Thiele, née von Bergen (b. 22 December 1905). Carola, daughter of Administrative Court Director (Verwaltungsgerichtsdirektor) Georg von Bergen, was also divorced, she had been married to Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) Bert Ludwig Thilo Thiele (b. 23 February 1891; d. 1960), as of 14 July 1941 commander of the Artillerie-Regiment 234. Carola brought her son (b. 1927) from her first marriage with her.

  • Hans Schittnig, family.jpg
  • Familie Schittnig, Gütersloh, 1918.jpg
  • Hans Schittnig, family II.jpg

Promotions

  • 7 April 1913 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 21 May 1913 Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (Officer Candidate with Lance Corporal rank)
  • 16 June 1913 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 18 December 1913 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 10 August 1914 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) without Patent
    • 20 September 1916 received Patent as Leutnant from 20 November 1912
  • 15 July 1920 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with Patent from 22 March 1918
    • 1 July 1922 received Reichswehr Rank Seniority (RDA) from 22 March 1918
  • 6 April 1926 Hauptmann (Captain) with effect and RDA from 1 April 1926 (12)
  • 1 July 1934 Major (40)
  • 18 January 1937 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 January 1937 (30)
  • 30 September 1939 Oberst (Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 October 1939 (27)
  • 12 March 1943 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1 April 1943 (10)
  • 21 December 1944 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1 January 1945 (2)

Awards and decorations

Gallery

  • Hans Schittnig, Krimschild.jpg
  • Hans Friedrich Oskar Schittnig, KVK I. Klasse.jpg
  • Hans Friedrich Oskar Schittnig, Beurteilung, 15.2.1944.jpg
  • Hans Schittnig, WW2 I.jpg

Sources

  • German Federal Archives: BArch PERS 6/894 and PERS 6/300775

References

  1. ↑ Werner Schittnig rests in the German war cemetery in Wehr (Heinsberg district, North Rhine-Westphalia); final resting place: grave 57. Over ninety German soldiers who fell in war have their final resting place in the cemetery. A memorial for the fallen is located next to the church.
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