Rolf Wuthmann

Rolf Wuthmann
Birth date	26 August 1893
Place of birth	Cassel, Province of Hesse-Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	20 October 1977 (aged 84)
Place of death	Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Place of burial	Nordfriedhof Minden
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army Freikorps Reichswehr Heer
Years of service	1912–1945
Rank	General of the Artillery
Commands held	295 Infantry Division 112 Infantry Division IX. Army Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Poland Campaign Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Battle of the Caucasus Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Kursk Operation Bagration Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive Polotsk Offensive Kaunas Offensive Gumbinnen Operation Final battle for East Prussia Zemland Offensive
Awards	Iron Cross German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Rolf Fritz Carl Max Willy Wuthmann (26 August 1893 – 20 October 1977) was a German officer, finally General of the Artillery and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Life

Rolf Wuthmann as a young officer

From left to right: Generaloberst Ernst Busch, General Rolf Wuthmann and Generaloberst Alfred Keller, 13 October 1941

After six and half years at a Gymnasium and three years of cadet training, Rolf Wuthmann joined the Royal Prussian Army on 9 April 1912. He was transferred from the Royal Prussian Main Cadet Institute (Hauptkadettenanstalt in Groß-Lichterfelde) to the Altmark Field Artillery Regiment No. 40. He was sworn in on 24 April 1912. Since his regiment was in the Oschatz area during the imperial maneuvers at the time of the reporting date for the war school, he missed the fall course. On 18 December 1912, he was promoted to Fähnrich. His officer cadet father was the future General Joachim Lemelsen. From 22 January 1913 to 4 October 1913, he was assigned to the Potsdam War School. He was then employed as a battery officer in the 1st Battery of his regiment in Burg. Shortly before the mobilization for the First World War, he still belonged to the Altmärkisches Field Artillery Regiment No. 40. On 2 August 1914, he was transferred to the Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 6 with the mobilization and went as a battery officer with its 4th Battery in the field.

On 24 November 1915, he was appointed adjutant of the II. Battalion of the Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 6. On 28 January 1917, he was transferred to the 4th Battery as a leader in his regiment. On 15 February 1917, he was also given the position of commander of the 4th Battery. On 22 August 1917, he was wounded near Verdun and also suffered gas poisoning. On 30 October 1918, he was transferred to Artillery Commander 94 as an adjutant. After the war, he resigned to the Altmärkisches Field Artillerie Regiment No. 40 on 2 January 1919 as part of the demobilization. On 1 February 1919, he was commissioned to set up the 1st Volunteer Battery of the Altmärkisches Field Artillerie Regiment No. 40 and appointed its first leader. The 1st Volunteer Battery was deployed in the northeast border guard (Grenzschutz) with the Freikorps Yorck von Wartenburg (1st Guard Reserve Division). On 1 August 1919, he returned to Germany with his battery from the border guard in the Baltics. In 1919, he was accepted into the provisional Reichswehr. By renaming his battery on 6 September 1919, it became the 3rd Battery of the light Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 34. In the course of the army's reduction, this company-size battery was converted into a platoon on 26 October 1919 and with the 2nd Battery of the light Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 34 (8. Batterie/LGR Feldartillerie-Regiment) to the 11th Battery merged from the light Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 15. He was also sworn in as a battery officer on 26 October 1919. He was also deployed in the Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 15 of the Reichswehr Brigade 15 when the Reichswehr's 200,000-man transitional army was formed in mid-May 1920. On 15 May 1920, he was assigned to the staff of the I. Battalion.

On 1 June 1920, he was appointed adjutant of the I. Battalion of his regiment. From 10 June 1920 to 2 July 1920, he was admitted to Reserve Military Hospital II in Berlin-Tempelhof because of pneumonia and pleurisy. When the Reichswehr's 100,000-man army was formed, he was assigned to the 2nd Artillery Regiment on 1 October 1920. However, he remained in command of the Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 15 until 1 November 1920. On 2 November 1920, he arrived at the 7th Battery of the 2nd Artillery Regiment. On 22 November 1920, he was transferred to the 8th Battery of the regiment and on 1 December 1920 to the 9th Battery of the Regiment. On 1 January 1921, he was appointed adjutant of the III. Battalion appointed by this regiment in Itzehoe.

On 1 October 1923, he was sent to Stettin for Course I of the secret general staff training (Führergehilfenausbildung) with the 2nd Division of the Reichswehr. In the spring of 1924, he was a regular member of the 8th Battery of the 2nd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment in Itzehoe. On 27 August 1924, with effect from 1 October 1924, he was reassigned to the 2nd Division in Stettin for Course II of the secret general staff training. In the spring of 1925, he was a regular member of the 9th Battery of the 2nd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment in Itzehoe. On 5 September 1925, his command to Stettin was abolished with effect from 30 September 1925. From 17 April 1926 to 18 April 1926, he took part in the training trip to Northern Bavaria. In the spring of 1926, he was again a battery officer in the 8th Battery of the 2nd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment in Itzehoe. On 14 September 1926, he was commanded to the Reichswehr Ministry (RWM) in Berlin with effect from 1 October 1926, keeping his previous uniform. According to the order of 16 September 1926, he then belonged to the Army Statistical Department (T 3) at the Troop Office (TA).

From 8 June 1927 to 30 September 1927, he was assigned to the 12th (Saxon) Cavalry Regiment with his horse. On 6 September 1927, he was transferred back to the 2nd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment with effect from 1 October 1927 and, while retaining his previous uniform, was commanded to the 9th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment in Potsdam. His service was regulated by the head of the troop office and the command was equivalent to a transfer. On 1 February 1928, he was promoted to captain. As such, he once again belonged to the 8th Battery of the 2nd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment in Itzehoe. On 10 September 1928, he was reassigned to the RWM with effect from 1 October 1928. This command was equivalent to a transfer. It was used in the Army Department (T 1) in the Troop Office (TA). On 11 September 1928, he received permission to wear the uniform of the command staff officers with effect from 1 October 1928. On 15 January 1929, he was transferred to the Army Department (T 1) of the RWM in Berlin.

On 29 August 1931, he was transferred to the 5th Battery of the 3rd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment with effect from 1 October 1931. From there he was assigned to the staff of the 6th Division of the Reichswehr in Münster, retaining his previous uniform. This command was equivalent to a transfer. On 7 March 1932, he was transferred to the 1st Battery of the 6th (Prussian) Artillery Regiment in Münster (Westphalia) with effect from 1 April 1932. His official duties remained unchanged and he also kept his previous uniform. On 31 August 1933, its use was repealed with effect from 1 October 1938. On 1 October 1933, he succeeded Captain Friedrich Mühlmann as commander of the 3rd Battery of the 6th (Prussian) Artillery Regiment in Münster (Westphalia). On 2 August 1934, he was re-sworn in to the Führer and Chancellor Adolf Hitler. On 1 October 1934, he was appointed commander of the II. Battalion of the Münster Artillery Regiment in Oldenburg. On 8 August 1935, he was transferred to the 5th Department of the Army General Staff in Berlin with effect from 20 September 1935.

On 16 July 1937, he was assigned to the Transport Department of the Royal Hungarian General Staff from 23 August 1937 to 31 August 1937. On November 23, 1938, he was appointed 1st General Staff Officer (Ia; Chief of Operations) of the new Army Group Command 6 in Hanover with effect from 24 November 1938. On 8 December 1938, he was again assigned to the 5th Department of the Army General Staff from 13 to 20 December 1938. During the mobilization for World War II in the late summer of 1939, he was appointed Ia of the 4th Army when the staff was renamed on 26 August 1939. He then performed this function during the Polish Campaign and the Western Campaign.

• 26 August 1939 Ia of the 4th Army
• 15 November 1940 Chief of the General Staff of the 16th Army
• 16 January 1942 Führerreserve OKH (Chef TranspWes)
• 1 February 1942 General for special assignment with the Chief of Transport (General z. b. V. beim Chef des Transportwesens) in the Army High Command
• 1 April 1942 Tasked with carrying out business as Chief of the General Staff of the 15th Army
• 2 May 1942 Delegated with the leadership of the 295th Infantry Division
• 1 June 1942 Commander of the 295th Infantry Division
• 14 November 1942 Führerreserve OKH (Chef TranspWes)
• 1 December 1942 Plenipotentiary General of Transport South Russia
• 16 May 1943 Führerreserve OKH (VI)
  • Holiday or sick leave representation (Urlaubs- /Krankenvertretung) for the Chief of Transport
• 22 June 1943 Commander of the 112th Infantry Division
• 3 September 1943 Führerreserve OKH (HPA)
• 22 November 1943 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the XXIII. Army Corps
• 3 December 1943 Delegated with the leadership of the IX. Army Corps
• 1 February 1944 Commanding General of the IX. Army Corps
• 20 April 1945 Ordered to defend the island of Bornholm with the remnants of a Grenadier Regiment and small parts of the IX Army Corps
• 4 to 6 May 1945 Transport to Bornholm
• 9 May 1945 Soviet POW
• 9 October 1955 Return to Germany

Evaluations

• "Exemplary work in never shaking his calm. The army's leadership measures were decisively influenced by his personality, which completely dominated things." – 2 September 1940, Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge, Commander-in-Chief of the 4th Army

• "His tough nature allowed him to serve day and night at the head of the command department without any difficulty and to get through crisis situations with calm and firmness. He contributed significantly to the rapid, sweeping successes of the 4th Army. His constant optimism and his humorous nature are a calming element, especially in critical times. Worthy of a special award." – 4 October 1940, Lieutenant General Kurt Brennecke, Chief of the General Staff of the 4th Army

• "Iron nerves. Outstanding in his mental resilience and physical resistance. Stimulating and agile in organizing and improvising. Distinctive persistence. Fully proven. Army chief who is also ideally suited as a troop leader based on his talents, performance and toughness. Rating: Fills in very well. Recommendation: Division commander, head of an army group." – 19 January 1942, Generaloberst Ernst Busch, Commander-in-Chief of the 16th Army

• "Special orders finished to complete satisfaction." – 1 April 1942, General of the Infantry Rudolf Gercke, Chief of Transport

• "Only known to me personally. He got quickly incorporated again. Clear, confident, determined, very well-mannered, quick, precise worker, amiable comrade, absolutely recognized by the staff. Rating: Fills in very well. Recommendation: division commander." – 10 April 1942, Generaloberst Curt Haase, Commander-in-Chief of the 15th Army

• "I knew him from before as a particularly energetic and prudent general staff officer." – 22 April 1942, Lieutenant General Carl Hilpert, Chief of General Staff of Army Group D

• "Clear personality with an energetic character. Represents National Socialist ideas. Proven in front of the enemy as commander of the 295th Infantry Division. Mentally and physically quite well-disposed. Attacks every task energetically but methodically and carries it out with great hard work and clear will. A certain amount of practice has naturally been lacking in its reuse in transport. So far, it has been fully proven in all positions, but it is suitable for use in the general staff and in troop leadership in accordance with its rank. An assessment of the leadership of the division deployed in the 6th Army area was no longer available. Persistent energy, good organization, great manpower Rating: Above average. Recommendation: Not an option in transport at the moment. In troop leadership, Commanding General of an army corps." – 1 March 1943, General of the Infantry Rudolf Gercke, Chief of Transport

• "Only subordinated for a very short time. He had his stricken division firmly in his hands and led it very confidently and carefully. Rating: Division commander above average. Recommendation: Commanding General." – 27 December 1943, General der Panzertruppe Walther Nehring, Commanding General of the XXIV Panzer Corps

• "Fresh, energetic personality who approaches all tasks in a carefree, enthusiastic manner. Tactically well educated, thinking and acting on a larger scale, energetic and goal-oriented, faced with difficult situations right from the start of his corps leadership, he has proven himself well as commanding general." – 1 March 1944, Generaloberst Georg-Hans Reinhardt, Commander-in-Chief of the 3rd Panzer Army

Bornholm, May 1945

As a result of separate surrender negotiations with British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery on 4 May 1945, a partial surrender of Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein came into effect on 5 May, which enabled British troops to occupy Bornholm without resistance. But the British never came, because the Red Army also wanted Bornholm, which Captain at Sea Gerhard Kurt von Kamptz (1902–1998), commandant of the island since April 1945, rejected. From 4 to 6 May 1945, small parts of the IX Army Corps was evacuated to Bornholm, as was parts of the 252nd Infantry Division. 16,000 German Soldiers and c. 30,000 German refugees from the east were now on the island. The commander of the Grenadier-Regiment 7 wrote in his post-war memoirs:

We were moved eastwards across the Vistula and expected to be deployed against the Russians attacking on the spit. On 5 May 1945, during a reconnaissance of the expected battle area, the regimental commanders were ordered to the division commander (Georg von Unold), who asked: "What do you want: stay here, go to Hela or further away?" We thought he was joking. But it was serious: we were ordered to load up in Nickelswalde at 8 p.m. to Hela, destination Bornholm. This would not have gained much, but it would have taken us a little further west. Only the 252nd Artillery Regiment had to stay behind and was deployed soon after. Years later we heard that our artillery had fired its last shells at the Russians up until one minute before the ceasefire began. We were only allowed to take our small arms, including light machine guns, with us. All other equipment and the horses were left behind [...] The completely overloaded ferry barges of the Kriegsmarine set off in the dark. When it got light, we arrived in Hela and had to leave the quays as quickly as possible because of the constant danger of Russian air attacks. The commanding general (General of Artillery Rolf Wuthmann), division commanders and regimental commanders heard from the German Navy how things should proceed. It was said that the overloaded barges could not be sailed across the open sea, and part of the division had to remain behind in Hela for the time being. Then Colonel von Unold finally said to me: "You will stay here with your regiment. It should not look as if I favor the home regiment. Make sure that you follow as soon as possible with your regiment and all other parts of the division." All other units were the divisional fusilier battalion, the engineers, tank destroyer, signal department, and finally the supply troops of the supply regiment, all together almost two thirds of the division [...] Towards evening (6 May 1945) warships, three destroyers and the auxiliary cruiser Hansa, arrived in the roadstead off Hela. It was actually possible to accommodate all the remaining units of the division on them, and a few more that had sneaked in between [...] On the high seas I was called to the commandant, who told me that the convoy had been given a new destination: no longer Bornholm, but Copenhagen. These units escaped Soviet captivity. Corps staff, division staff and all units of the 252nd Infantry Division that had landed on Bornholm were taken prisoner here by the Soviets. [...] What the division was actually supposed to do on Bornholm without any heavy weapons was never discovered. No archive has any files from the last days of the war that could say anything about this.

The first Soviet air raids on the island took place on 7 and 8 May 1945. The Soviet air raids caused severe damage to the towns of Rønne (90% destruction) and Nexö, 6 ships and 20 fishing boats sunk. 3,000 people each lost their homes in Rønne and Nexø. 10 Danes and an unspecified number of Germans and refugees from the Baltic states were killed. Only the evacuation of Rønne and Nexø by the Germans on 6 May 1945 prevented a Russian mass murder of civilians. The Soviets landed around 10,000 soldiers on the island on 9 May 1945. They justified this by saying that the Danish island of Bornholm was east of the Allied demarcation line. The Western Allies did not react to Stalin's breach of the treaty: according to the agreement, all of Denmark was to be occupied by the British until the German troops were disarmed. The Germans, but also the Danes, were betrayed by the British, just like they betrayed the Cossacks at Lienz. The reason for the Soviet occupation of Bornholm was the island's important strategic location at the entrance to the Baltic Sea. Stalin wanted to control this at all costs.

The end of the Soviet occupation of Bornholm on 5 April 1946 was due to the guarantee of the Western powers to grant the Soviet Union free access to the Baltic Sea and was initiated by a letter from Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov, who promised a Soviet withdrawal in the event of absolute Danish sole control of Bornholm.

Family

Rolf's brother Gerichtsassessor Leutnant d. R. Walt(h)er Fritz Adolf Willy Wuthmann was wounded with the Uhlans in October 1914 and later transferred to the Fliegertruppe as an observer.

Rolf was the son of field artillery Colonel Louis Ernst William "Willy" Carl Achatz Wuthmann (b. 27 August 1857 in Osterode; d. 28 March 1923) and his wife Emma Clementine Hermine Caroline, née Leonhardi.

Walt(h)er Wuthmann (brother)

Walt(h)er Fritz Adolf Willy Wuthmann (b. 6 August 1886 in Minden) was Rolfs beloved older brother. After Gymnasium and Abitur, he, who imitated his grandfather (judge), started his law studies in Heidelberg as a member of the Corps Vandalia and completed his mandatory military service as a one-year volunteer (Einjährig-Freiwilliger) with the Ulanen-Regiment „König Karl" (1. Württembergisches) Nr. 19 in Ulm. He completed his studies, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves in 1913 and was appointed court Assessor (probationary judge) in 1914.

When WWI broke out, he was reactivated by his regiment and deployed. In October 1914, he was wounded. At Christmas 1914, he celebrated with the former regimental commander Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin. He was then transferred to the Fliegertruppe and trained as an aerial observer and then served with the Field Aviation Detachment 25 (Feldflieger-Abteilung 25).

Death

After a heavy air battle on 8 September 1915, the plane returned to the airfield near Stenay and crashed within sight: the propeller had been shot in the fight. The pilot, Offizierstellvertreter Adolf Schmidt (b. 1 June 1892), was also ⚔.

Marriage

On 17 September 1926, 1st Lieutenant Wuthmann received permission from the regiment to announce his engagement. On 9 February 1927, he received permission to marry. On 25 May 1927 in Minden, he married Irmgard Margarete Karla Leonhardi (1904–1982), daughter of the commercial councilor and merchant Friedrich Heinrich Leonhardi. From 8 June 1927 to 30 June 1927, he was granted leave to Austria and Italy (honeymoon trip with his bride).

Children

• Cordt-Jürgen (b. 13 July 1929 in Berlin)
• Dorothea (b. 29 March 1931 in Berlin)

Promotions

• 9.4.1912 Charakter als Fähnrich (Honorary Officer Cadet)
• 18.12.1912 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
• 20.11.1913 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 26.9.1922 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with effect from 1.10.1922 and Rank Seniority (RDA) from 20.6.1918
• 1.2.1928 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 14.8.1934 Major with effect from 1.8.1934
• 18.1.1937 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1.1.1937
  • 20.3.1939 received new Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.10.1936
• 31.7.1939 Oberst i. G. (Colonel in General Staff) with effect and RDA from 1.8.1939
• 24.1.1942 Generalmajor ohne RDA (Major General without Rank Seniority) with effect from 1.2.1942
  • 8.4.1942 received Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.4.1942
• 15.5.1943 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.3.1943
• 20.2.1944 General der Artillerie (General of the Artillery) with effect from 1.2.1944

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 21 September 1914
  • 1st Class on 24 May 1916
• Wound Badge (1918) in Black (for his wound on 22 August 1917)
• Baltic Cross (Baltenkreuz) on 13 January 1920
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords on 30 October 1934
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class
• Hungarian Order of Merit, Commander's Cross on 5 May 1939
  • Acceptance approval on 31 July 1939
• Anschluss Medal on 12 June 1939
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 12 September 1939
  • 1st Class on 28 September 1939
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 26 January 1942 as Oberst i. G. and Chief of the General Staff of the 16th Army
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 August 1944 as General der Artillerie and Commanding General of the IX. Army Corps

Sources

• German Federal Archives (Military Section)
  • BArch PERS 6/403
  • BArch PERS 6/301421

External links

• Wuthmann, Rolf, Bundesarchiv (Abteilung Militärarchiv)
• General der Artillerie Rolf Wuthmann (1893–1977)
• Wuthmann, Rolf Fritz Carl Max Willy, lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de (Archive II)