Heinz-Joachim Werner-Ehrenfeucht

Heinz-Joachim Werner-Ehrenfeucht
Birth date	27 September 1894(1894-09-27)
Place of birth	Sorau, Niederlausitz, Province of Brandenburg, German Empire
Death date	13 February 1978 (aged 83)
Place of death	Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Resting place	Waldfriedhof Dahlem in Berlin (family grave site)
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army Freikorps Reichswehr Heer
Years of service	1913–1945
Rank	Generalmajor
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Iron Cross War Merit Cross Wounded Badge in Gold
Relations	∞ 1922 Johanna Helbig; 2 children

Heinz-Joachim Werner-Ehrenfeucht (27 September 1894 – 13 February 1978) was a German officer since 1914, finally Generalmajor (Major General) of the Heer of the Wehrmacht in World War II.

Military career (day, month, year)

Heinz-Joachim's father Generalmajor Max Werner-Ehrenfeucht

Although not the first commander, Oberst Werner-Ehrenfeucht is also known as the "Father of the Panzer-Regiment 201"

Heinz-Joachim Werner-Ehrenfeucht as Panzer officer at far left

• 1905 Cadet Corps Kadettenkorps
• 27 April 1913 Entered into the 4th Company/Infanterie-Regiment „von Lützow“ (1. Rheinisches) Nr. 25
• 1 October 1913 Kriegsschule Hannover
• 31 July 1914 Transferred to the 2nd Company/Infanterie-Regiment „von Lützow“ (1. Rheinisches) Nr. 25
• 1 September 1914 Transferred to the Ersatz-Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment „von Lützow“ (1. Rheinisches) Nr. 25
• 1 November 1914 Transferred to the Reserve-Bataillon/Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 257
• 27 March 1915 Adjutant of the II. Bataillon/Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 257
• 15 July 1915 Transferred to the II. Ersatz-Bataillon/5. Rheinisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 65
• 20 August 1915 Bataillonsadjutant of the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 332
• 15 August 1915 Transferred to the 83. Infanterie-Division
• 20 August 1915 Return to the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 332
• 1 November 1915 to 30 October 1916 Assigned to teach the officer candidate course (Lehrer an der Offiziers-Aspiranten Kursus) of the 83rd Infantry Division
• 15 June 1917 Intelligence Officer of the High Command of the Commander-in-Chief East (Nachrichtenoffizier der Obersten Heeresleitung beim Oberbefehlshaber Ost)

Freikorps

• 8 February 1919 Entered into the Freiwilligen-Bataillon Berlin of the Freikorps
• 22 February 1919 Adjutant of the I. Bataillon/Freiwilligen-Regiment Libau (VI. Reserve-Korps under Generalmajor Rüdiger von der Goltz)
• 21 July 1919 Transferred to the Flieger-Abteilung "Wirgolitsch" of the Kaiserlich Russische Westarmee

Reichswehr

• 5 August 1919 Company leader (MG-Kompanie)/Reichswehr-Jäger-Bataillon 5
• 10 September 1919 Company leader (3. Kompanie)/Reichswehr-Jäger-Bataillon 5
• 15 March 1920 Company leader (1. Kompanie)/Reichswehr-Jäger-Bataillon 5
• 9 September 1920 Company officer (Maschinengewehr-Kompanie)/Reichswehr-(Gebirgs-)Jäger-Bataillon 11 (Hirschberg/Schlesien) of the Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 11
  • 1 January 1921 Jäger-Bataillon 11 became part of the new 7. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment (Schweidnitz) as II. (Jäger-)Bataillon, still stationed in Hirschberg
• 14 November 1921 3. Kompanie/I. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 7 in Neiße, Upper Silesia (3rd and 4th Company were stationed here)
• 1 May 1923 in the Ausbildungs-Eskadron (training squadron in Ohlau) of the 11. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment
  • other sources state, he was transferred on 23 March 1922
• 1 October 1923 Leader of the Maschinengewehr-Eskadron/11. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment
• 27 April 1928 Commanded to the Army Sports School (Heeres-Sportschule)
• 1 October 1928 Transferred to the cavalry school
• 1 October 1930: Transferred to the 3rd (Badisches) Eskadron/18. Reiter-Regiment in Ludwigsburg under Rittmeister Friedrich Altrichter
• 1 May 1932 Commander of the 3rd (Badisches) Eskadron/18. Reiter-Regiment in Ludwigsburg
• 18 September 1934 Commander of the 8th Company/Schützen-Regiment 1
  • On 18 September 1934, his squadron was used to set up the 1st Rifle Regiment and Werner-Ehrenfeucht became company commander.

Wehrmacht

• 15 October 1935 Commander of the Panzerabwehr- or Panzerjäger-Abteilung 32 in Kolberg
• 15 April 1936 Infanterieschule Döberitz
• 8 February 1937 Grenzschutz-Schule
• 10 February 1938 Panzertruppeschule Berlin
• 15 October 1940 Commander of the Panzer-Abteilung 66
• 25 November 1940 Course at the Panzer-Lehr-Division
• 22 December 1940 Commander of the II. Bataillon/Panzer-Regiment 25
• 24 January 1941 Deputy commander of the Panzer-Regiment 25
• 1/4 February 1941 Delegated with the leadership of the Panzer-Regiment 201
• 27 February 1941 Commander of the Panzer-Regiment 201
• 30 March 1941 At the same time delegated with the leadership of the Panzer-Brigade 100 for a short time
• 16 November 1941 Deputy commander of the 23. Panzer-Division (Panzer-Regiment 201 became part of the division on 12 December 1941)
• 15 November 1942 Führerreserve OKH
• 20 March 1943 with effect from 1 April 1943 Commanded to the head of the training system (Chef des Ausbildungs-Wesens, OKH) of the replacement army (Ersatzheer)
• 1 November 1943 Leader of the 23. Panzer-Division until Generalmajor Ewald Kräber (1894–1969) arrived
• 19 November 1943 Head of the educational film department at the head of training in the replacement army (Chef der Abteilung Lehrfilm beim Chef des Ausbildungswesens im Ersatzheer)
• 11 to 19 March 1944 Commanded (kommandiert) for a short time to the 10th division leader course (10. Divisions-Führer-Lehrgang) in Hirschberg, which took place from 15 March to 20 April 1944

POW

• 9 May 1945 POW by the US Americans
• 21 April 1947 Released

Family

Heinz-Joachim was the son of Generalmajor Albert Heinrich Max Werner-Ehrenfeucht (b. 13 August 1852 in Posen; d. 16 April 1937) and his wife Marie, geb. Behr (b. 20 December 1866 in Köslin; d. 13 October 1938). His older brother was Regierungsbaumeister Hauptmann a. D. Dr.-Ing. Günther Werner-Ehrenfeucht (1889–1966), author of the books "75 Jahre Polensky & Zöllner, 1880–1955 – Ein Rückblick" (1955) and "Die Verkehrstruppen. Bruchstücke aus den Ranglisten für die Jahre 1906-1913 der Kgl. Pr. Armee und des XIII. Kgl. Württ. Armeekorps" (1959).

Marriage

On 12 June 1922, Leutnant Werner-Ehrenfeucht married his fiancée Johanna Helbig (d. 17 June 1972 in Karlsruhe). They had two daughters

• Brigitte Anna Marie, married Woods (b. 24 March 1923 presumably in Neiße, Upper Silesia; d. 21 December 2010 in Sierra Vista, Arizona)
• Ingrid, married Glennon (b. 9 October 1927 in Ohlau, Silesia; d. 7 January 2006 in San Antonio, Texas); three daughters

Promotions

• 27 April 1913: Fahnenjunker (officer candidate)
• 22 March 1914: Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
• 10 August 1914: Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) without Patent
  • 10 November 1914 Patent received
  • 1 July 1922 received rank seniority (RDA) from 10 November 1914
• 1 May 1924: Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
• 1 February 1929: Rittmeister
• 1 May / 1 June 1935: Major
• 1 February 1938: Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1 January 1941: Oberst (Colonel)
• 1 December 1944: Generalmajor

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 8 September 1914
  • 1st Class on 24 December 1916
• Fürstlich Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz (LK) on 5 June 1916
• Saxe-Meiningen Cross for Merit in War (Herzoglich Sachsen-Meiningsches Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege; SMK) on 11 August 1916
• Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary), 3rd Class with War Decoration (ÖM3K) on 6 March 1918
• Bavarian Military Merit Order (Königlich Bayerischer Militärverdienstorden, III. Klasse mit Schwertern), 4th Class with Swords (BMV4⚔/BM4⚔) on 20 April 1918
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918) in Mattweiß (Silver) on 10 May 1918
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg (Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz; HH) on 12 August 1918
• Awaloff-Cross of the Freiwillige Russischen Westarmee (Awalow-Bermondt-Armee) on 1 August 1919
• Russian Order of St. George, 3rd Class (awarded by the White movement under Admiral Alexander Kolchak) on 16 September 1919
• Baltenkreuz on 15 November 1919
• Russian Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd Class with Swords on 20 November 1919
• Silesian Eagle (Schlesisches Bewährungsabzeichen), 2nd Class on 3 March 1920
• Soldaten-Siedlungs-Medaille "Kurland" on 5 March 1920 (awarded by Generalmajor Fürst Awaloff)
• Medal of the Iron Divison (Eiserne Division) under Josef Bischoff on 5 March 1920
• Deutsches Turn- und Sportabzeichen' in Silver on 17 July 1928
• Bulgarian War Commemorative Medal 1915–1918 with Swords 16 February 1934
• Hungarian World War Commemorative Medal (Ungarische Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Medaille) with Swords on 8 March 1934
• Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer on 31 October 1934
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class
  • 4th to 2nd Class on 2 October 1936
  • 1st Class on 27 April 1938
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 2 or 20 September 1939
  • 1st Class on 3 July 1940
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1939) in Gold on 24 July or 1 August 1942
• Romanian Commemorative Medal for the Crusade Against Communism on 15 March 1943
  • Clasp "CAUCAZ" to the Commemorative Medal on 30 January 1944
• War Merit Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class with Swords
  • 2nd Class on 30 January 1944
  • 1st Class on 30 April 1945

Writings (excerpt)

• Reiter-Gruppen-Aufgaben, 1932
• Der neue Reiter, 1933
• Kavallerie-Fibel, Verlag Offene Worte, Berlin 1933
• Kämpfe Cheratte August 1914, 2006 (published privately by his descendants)

Further reading

• Max Werner-Ehrenfeucht (father)
  • Polnisch-Deutsches Handbuch für den deutschen Offizier, Sanitätsoffizier und Militärbeamten, 1894
  • Die Praxis des Kompagniechefs, 1905
  • Handbuch für den Einjährig-Freiwilligen und Reserveoffizier-Aspiranten der deutschen Infanterie, Jäger, Schützen und Pioniere – Ein Ratgeber in allen Lagen in und außer Dienst, vom Eintritt bis zur Beförderung zum Offizier, 1906 (2nd edition)
  • Handbuch für den Einjährig-Freiwilligen, Reserve- und Landwehroffizier der deutschen Fußtrupppen – Ein Ratgeber in allen Lagen in und außer Dienst beim Eintritt und beim Dienst als Offizier, 1912 (4th edition)