Paul Drekmann

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Paul Drekmann
Paul Drekmann.jpg
Major General Dipl.-Ing. Paul Drekmann
Birth name Johann Paul Friedrich Drekmann
Birth date 13 November 1893
Place of birth Harburg an der Elbe near Hamburg, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 9 March 1960 (aged 66)
Place of death Mülheim an der Ruhr, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1914–1945
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held 161. Infanterie-Division
252. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars World War I
Spanish Civil War
World War II
Awards Iron Cross
Imperial Order of the Red Arrows
War Merit Cross (1939)
German Cross in Gold
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work Graduate engineer

Johann Paul Friedrich Drekmann (13 November 1893 – 9 March 1960) was a German officer, finally Lieutenant General and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Life

Paul Drekmann, 1922.jpg
Generalmajor Paul Drekmann, signature I.jpg

Paul Drekmann was studying in his third semester at the Technical University when the First World War broke out for the Germans on 1 August 1914. On 4 August 1914, he joined the Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment No. 39 as a war volunteer in Düsseldorf.[1] After basic training, he went into the field to the Niederrheinisches Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 39 (subordinated to the 14. Reserve-Division) which was already fighting on the Western Front.

  • Detached to Officer-Aspirant-Course in Lokstedter Lager (20 May 1915-06 Aug 1915)
  • Transferred to the I. Replacement-Battalion of the 39th Fusilier-Regiment (07 Aug 1915-22 Aug 1915)
  • Company-Officer of the 6th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (22 Aug 1915-07 Oct 1916)
  • Company-Leader of the 8th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (07 Oct 1916-06 Nov 1916)
  • Company-Officer in the 7th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (06 Nov 1916-01 Dec 1916)
  • Detached to Training-Company in the 160th Infantry-Regiment (01 Dec 1916-12 Dec 1916)
  • Company-Officer in the 7th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (12 Dec 1916-22 Dec 1916)
  • Detached to the Assault-Battalion of the 15th Infantry-Division (22 Dec 1916-21 Jan 1917)
  • Company-Officer in the 7th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (21 Jan 1917-19 Feb 1917)
  • Company-Leader of the 7th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (19 Feb 1917-14 Mar 1917)
  • Company-Leader of the 6th Company of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (14 Mar 1917-25 May 1918)
  • Detached to Course at the Army-Gas-Protection-School (Heeresgasschutz) in Berlin (22 Oct 1917-27 Oct 1917)
  • Deputy Adjutant of the I. Battalion of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (25 May 1918-19 Jul 1918)
  • Detached as Adjutant to the Commission Of Inquiry with Army High Command 9 (19 Jul 1918-05 Oct 1918)
  • Adjutant of the III. Battalion of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (05 Oct 1918-09 Oct 1918)
  • Deputy Leader of the III. Battalion of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (09 Oct 1918-24 Oct 1918)
  • Adjutant of the III. Battalion of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (24 Oct 1918-11 May 1919)
  • Deputy Regiment-Adjutant of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (11 May 1919-08 Jun 1919)
  • Leader of the Economics-Company with the Processing-Office of the 160th Infantry-Regiment (08 Jun 1919-09Jul 1919)
  • Transferred into the Reichswehr Battalion Rheinland (09 Jul 1919-12 Sep 1919)
  • Transferred into the 19th Reichswehr Infantry-Regiment (12 Sep 1919-26 May 1920)
  • Transferred into the 14th Reichswehr Infantry-Regiment (26 May 1920-16 Jul 1920)
  • Temporary-Adjutant of the I. Battalion of the 14th Reichswehr Infantry-Regiment (16 Jul 1920-29 Aug 1920)
  • Leader of the Signals-Platoon and Signals-Officer of the 14th Reichswehr Infantry-Regiment (29 Aug 1920-01 Jan 1921)
  • Detached to Radio-Course (Funkkurs) with the 6th Signals-Battalion (25 Oct 1920-12 Nov 1920)
  • Signals-Officer with the Staff of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-01 Apr 1921)
  • Company-Officer in the 15th Company of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1921-01 Oct 1921)
  • Company-Officer in the 14th Company of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1921-01 Apr 1926)
  • Detached to Weapons-School-Course (Waffenschullehrgang) on the Troop-Exercise-Grounds Ohrdruf (01 May 1924-15 Aug 1924)
  • Detached to the Reichswehr Ministry (RWM)/WAA (Weapons Department) (01 Apr 1931-01 Apr 1932)
  • Transferred into the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1932-01 May 1932)
  • Company-Chief in the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 May 1932-01 Oct 1934)
  • Transferred into the Staff of the Training-Battalion of Infantry-Regiment Tübingen (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
  • Commander of the I. Battalion of the 75th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-15 Sep 1936)
  • Detached to the Reich War Ministry or RKM, Infantry Department of the Army Weapons Office/HWaA (15 Sep 1936-06 Oct 1936)
    • with the Infanterieabteilung/Heereswaffenamt (Wa Prüf 2) he was involved, among other things, in the development of the MG 42.
  • Group-Director in the Army-Weapons-Office/Gruppenleiter im Heereswaffenamt (Wa Prüf 2; Weapons Testing 2) (06 Oct 1936-16 Nov 1940)
  • Department head (Wa Prüf 2) in the Army Weapons Office (16 Nov 1940-20 Apr 1942)
  • Commander of the 34th Infantry-Regiment (23 Apr 1942-22 Feb 1943)
    • renamed Füsilier-Regiment 34 on 9 November 1942
  • Führerreserve (Leader Reserve)/OKH (03 Mar 1943-01 Jul 1943)
  • Führerreserve (Leader Reserve)/Army-Group-South for use as a Divisional-Commander
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 306th Infantry-Division (1 Jul 1943-17 Jul 1943)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 39th Infantry-Division (18 Jul 1943-27 Aug 1943)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of the 161st Infantry-Division (28 Aug 1943-01 Oct 1943)
  • Commander of the 161st Infantry-Division (01 Oct 1943-15 Nov 1943)
  • Delegated with the Leadership of Corps-Detachment A or Korps-Abteilung A (15 Nov 1943-01 Feb 1944)
  • Commander of Corps-Detachment A or Korps-Abteilung A (01 Feb 1944-27 Jul 1944)
  • Commander of the 161st Infantry-Division (27 Jul 1944-05 Sep 1944)
  • Führerreserve (Leader Reserve)/OKH (05 Sep 1944-01 Oct 1944)
  • Commander of the 252nd Infantry-Division (01/09 Oct 1944-25 Mar 1945)
  • Führerreserve (Leader Reserve)/OKH (25 Mar 1945-15 Jul 1945)
  • POW (15 Jul 1945-08 Jul 1947)

Studies

  • Detached for studies at the Technical College Hanover (1 April 1926)
  • Detached for studies at the Technical College Berlin-Charlottenburg (1 October 1926)
    • Transferred to the 7th Infantry Regiment while retaining previous position at university (1 October 1927)
    • Transferred into the 2nd (Prussian) Cavalry Regiment in Osterode (East Prussia) while retaining previous position at university (1 April 1928 to 1 April 1931)
    • 4th, later 6th Squadron
  • 1931 After successful exams, received the degree (title) Diplom-Ingenieur[2]

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Awarded for his leadership of the 252. Infanterie-Division during the fighting for the Wkra position in early 1945. His Division’s achievements merited a mention in a Wehrmachtbericht supplement on the 8 February 1945:

“The Silesian 252. Infanterie-Division under the command of Generalleutnant Drekmann [...] has distinguished itself through its steadfastness in the heavy fighting along the Vistula river during the time period 31 January to 2 February 1945.”

Drekmann received the Knight’s Cross for this achievement as well as further successes in the days which followed. On the 4 February 1945, there was another offensive success near Zappeln, and the danger to the corps’ flank at Bellno was also eliminated. Further successes were achieved during the attack against Schwenten, and the road north of this village was recaptured. The distillery at Sarten was recaptured on the 5 February 1945, and subsequently the Soviets were forced to reorganize their forces.[3]

Promotions

Paul Drekmann, personnel file I.jpg
  • 4 August 1914 War Volunteer (Kriegsfreiwilliger)
  • 13 July 1915 Gefreiter (Private E-2/Lance Corporal)
  • 20 July 1915 Unteroffizier (NCO/Corporal/Junior Sergeant)
  • 23 July 1915 Vizefeldwebel (Vice Sergeant)
  • 7 August 1915 Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves)
  • 7 March 1917 Leutnant (active 2nd Lieutenant)
    • 1921 received Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 April 1914
  • 1 July 1923 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 1 April 1928 Rittmeister
  • 1 February 1935 Major
  • 1 October 1937 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 1 October 1940 Oberst (Colonel)
    • later received new Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 April 1940
  • 1 October 1943 Generalmajor (Major General)
  • 1 May 1944 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General)
    • another source states 20 July 1944 with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 May 1944

Awards and decorations

Paul Drekmann, personnel file II.jpg

External links

References

  1. ↑ Generalleutnant Dipl.-Ing. Paul Drekmann (Archive)
  2. ↑ In German an engineer's degree is called Diplom-Ingenieur (abbreviated Dipl.-Ing.), only succeeded by the title Dr.-Ing. The degree is acquired by studying at a technical university or university, which usually lasts five years.
  3. ↑ Drekmann, Dipl.Ing., Paul
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