Poland 1939: KIA German officers

[Stauffenberg II]

Hi!

According to Volksbund Rittm. Hans-Jürgen Wagner (Ib 8. Div.) died on 28/09/1939:

Nachname: Wagner
Vorname: Hans-Jürgen
Dienstgrad: Major
Geburtsdatum: 09.09.1907
Geburtsort: Greifswald
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 28.09.1939
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Klinik Zamosc

[Bernd R]

Another one - Leutnant - for completion
Leuntant Oskar Wilhelm Kuno von Preußen (son of Prinz Oskar von Preußen [5th son of Kaiser Wilhelm II])
Zugführer i. d. 6./Inf.Rgt. 51 / 18. Inf.Div. , KIA on 5 Sep 1939 on the Widawka river, near Szczercow
found on a tour through the pages : http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=80947

Bernd

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Hi again,

Another one:

Commander of Panzer-Regiment 36. was KIA in the evening on 10th of September during combat with small group of Polish 7TP tanks - near Warsaw. Also 2 tanks from 1. kompanie of Panzer-Regiment 36. were destroyed during this combat.

Can anybody check this information / find more details on it?

Who was the commander of Panzer-Regiment 35. until 10th of September and who was its commander later?

Another one - Leutnant - for completion

Leuntant Oskar Wilhelm Kuno von Preußen (son of Prinz Oskar von Preußen [5th son of Kaiser Wilhelm II])
Zugführer i. d. 6./Inf.Rgt. 51 / 18. Inf.Div. , KIA on 5 Sep 1939 on the Widawka river, near Szczercow
found on a tour through the pages : http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=80947

Bernd

Another very important prince, who was KIA during the Polish campaign, was - also Leutnant - 23 years old - prince Wiktor IV Albrecht von Ratibor. He was the commander of a tank platoon from Panzer-Regiment 11. from 1. Leichte-Division.

He was KIA on 18th of September (in the evening, around 20:00), when his whole tank platoon (total only 3 Pz-35(t) tanks at this stage of the war) was destroyed during combat near Pociecha (in Kampinoska primeval forest).

Two Polish soldiers scored anti-Panzer victories during this combat:

- Podchorąży rez. Roman Orlik (from 71. armoured dyon of Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade) - commander of a TKS tankette with 20mm automatic gun - destroyed 2 Pz-35(t) tanks (including the tank of Leutnant von Ratibor).

- Uhlan Adam Furman (from AT platoon of 15. Poznanscy Uhlans Regiment) - destroyed 1 Pz-35(t) tank using type 36 calibre 37mm AT gun.

Polish cavalrymen (dismounted of course) also contributed to a victory in this combat.

Apart from those 3 Pz-35(t) tanks, also several German cars and trucks with ammunition were destroyed there.

Podchorąży rez. Roman Orlik (from 71. armoured dyon of Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade) - commander of a TKS tankette with 20mm automatic gun - destroyed 2 Pz-35(t) tanks (including the tank of Leutnant von Ratibor).

Also two other Polish tankettes participated in that combat (together with Orlik's TKS they were all part of one platoon - with 3 tankettes) - but these were tankettes with machine guns only.

Some of KIA from 8th Infanteriedivision:

Ib: Rittmeister Wagner (+ 20-9-1939)

Hi!

According to Volksbund Rittm. Hans-Jürgen Wagner (Ib 8. Div.) died on 28/09/1939:

Nachname: Wagner
Vorname: Hans-Jürgen
Dienstgrad: Major
Geburtsdatum: 09.09.1907
Geburtsort: Greifswald
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 28.09.1939
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Klinik Zamosc

Major is the same as Rittmeister?

I though that Rittmeister = Hauptmann.

Are you shure that it is the same Wagner?

If yes - then maybe he was wounded on 20th of September, and died on 28th.

=============================================

One more:

Most probably it is Panzer IV number I01 of commander of I battalion of Panzer-Regiment 1. from 1. Panzer-Division - so it seems that it was Panzer IV of Major Koppenburg or Major Dittmann?

But I also found information that Leutnant Jost was serving inside this Panzer IV - maybe someone is able to identify the exact unit and the exact date of his death? (I do not think he managed to survive):



Regards,

Domen

[Stauffenberg II]

Hi,

Rittmeister = Hauptmann is correct! Maybe we has posthumously promoted to Major? Or maybe the volksbund site has an error regarding the last rank?

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

What with those officers who were mentioned by me in my previous post?

I mean - the commander of Panzer-Regiment 36.:

Commander of Panzer-Regiment 36. was KIA in the evening on 10th of September during combat with small group of Polish 7TP tanks - near Warsaw. Also 2 tanks from 1. kompanie of Panzer-Regiment 36. were destroyed during this combat.

Can anybody check this information / find more details on it?

Who was the commander of Panzer-Regiment 35. until 10th of September and who was its commander later?

As well as this man:

One more:

Most probably it is Panzer IV number I01 of commander of I battalion of Panzer-Regiment 1. from 1. Panzer-Division - so it seems that it was Panzer IV of Major Koppenburg or Major Dittmann?

But I also found information that Leutnant Jost was serving inside this Panzer IV - maybe someone is able to identify the exact unit and the exact date of his death? (I do not think he managed to survive):

Was Major Koppenburg or Major Dittmann KIA in Poland in 1939?

Is this really the Panzer IV of the commander of I battalion of Panzer-Regiment 1. from 1. Panzer-Division?:

If it really is his tank, then I suppose that this commander (Major Koppenburg or Major Dittman) was KIA - I don't think he could survive inside such a wreck.

[histan]

From the history of 4 Pz Div

Pz Regt 35 Oberstlt Eberbach 1.10.38 bis 26.7.41
I Abt Oberstlt Stenglein 1.10.38 bis 1.9.39 vew
I Abt Hptm von Lauchert 1.9.39 bis 17.11.42
II Abt Major Hochbaum 1.10.38 bis 30.4.40

Pz Regt 36 Oberst Breith 1.11.38 bis 15.2.1940
I Abt Major von Hillebrandt 1.11.38 bis Okt 39
I Abt Hptm Dr Günther Okt 39 bis etwa Aug 40
II Abt Major Seupel 1.11.38 bis 18.9.39 gef
II Abt Major Schmilauer Okt ? 39 bis 41

Neither Breith nor Eberbach were killed in the Polish camapign, both became highly decorated General der Panzertruppe.

Regards

John

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

It seems that there is some mistake on ww2 day by day then.

Because I found this info on ww2 day by day (daily reports - 10th of September).

But now I see that there is mentioned that some OBERLEUTNANT was killed in the evening on 10th of September (in the same combat two tanks from 1. company of Panzer-Regiment 36. were destroyed).

And you say that OBERST was the commander of Panzer-Regiment 36. - so it cannot be him.

So there is a mistake.

Maybe it is about the commander of 1. company of Panzer-Regiment 36.? - was there any Oberleutnant from Panzer-Regiment 36. who was KIA on 10th of September? - possibly the commander of 1. company of this regiment?

================================

What about the other one which I mentioned (look at the photo above) - was any of these Majors KIA?

[Stauffenberg II]

The only famous high ranking Panzer officers KIA in Poland 1939 were Dipl. Ing. Baumgart, Brunn and Seupel.

Neither Dittmann nor Koppenburg were KIA in Poland 1939.

[histan]

Can't help with the details but more from 4 Pz Div history that might help you.

Between 1 and 20 September it states that 4 Pz Div had 18 officers killed and 51 wounded broken down as follows:

Div Stab 4 officers wounded
Stab Pz Bde 3 officers wounded
Pz Regt 35 5 officers killed and 7 officers wounded
Pz Regt 36 3 officers killed and 11 officers wounded
SR 12 5 officers killed and 14 officers wounded
AR 103 1 officer killed and 5 officers wounded
AA7 1 officer killed and 4 officers wounded
Pz Abw Abt 49 2 officers killed and 1 officer wounded
3/Pi Btl 79 1 officer killed and 2 officers wounded

also IR 33 had 4 officers killed 1 officer missing and5 officers wounded.
Div history entry for 10:00 8.9.39 "der KdrII/33 Oberstleutnant Biermann fällt. Hptm v Meerkatz übernimmt das Btl, einige Täge später dann Major Dr Püschel."

Regards

John

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Neither Dittmann nor Koppenburg were KIA in Poland 1939.

And what about this Panzer IV from the photo above - it seems that it is Panzer IV of the commander of I battalion of Panzer-Regiment 1. from 1. Panzer-Division - so either Major Koppenburg or Major Dittmann (I don't remember exactly).

But I also found description that Leutnant Jost was serving in it - was any Leutnant Jost KIA in Poland?

Between 1 and 20 September it states that 4 Pz Div had 18 officers killed and 51 wounded broken down as follows:

Yes - but these are casualties of this division without casualties of attached units in periods when they were attached to the division.

It states that 4. P-D had got 27 KIA, 1 MIA and 67 WIA officers together with casualties of attached units in periods when they were attached to the division - the remaining ones (so casualties of attached units in periods when these units were attached to 4. Pz.Div.) are broken down as follows:

I.R.33 - 4 KIA, 1 MIA, 5 WIA officers (as you already stated)
LAH - 5 KIA, 9 WIA officers
Le.Flakabt.77 - 2 WIA officers

Pz Regt 35 5 officers killed and 7 officers wounded

Pz Regt 36 3 officers killed and 11 officers wounded

Yes, I also have got this data - but thanks for this advice. It really may help in establishing their surnames - good point.

It states that between 1st and 20th of September P-R 35. lost 43 KIA, 9 MIA, 81 WIA and P-R 36. lost 42 KIA, 19 MIA and 62 WIA.

But according to memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach, his regiment (P-R 35.) lost 64 killed soldiers and officers during the Polish Campaign (unfortunately he does not specify the exact number of killed officers).

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Pz Regt 35 5 officers killed and 7 officers wounded

Pz Regt 36 3 officers killed and 11 officers wounded

Yes, I also have got this data - but thanks for this advice. It really may help in establishing their surnames - good point.

It states that between 1st and 20th of September P-R 35. lost 43 KIA, 9 MIA, 81 WIA and P-R 36. lost 42 KIA, 19 MIA and 62 WIA.

But according to memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach, his regiment (P-R 35.) lost 64 killed soldiers and officers during the Polish Campaign (unfortunately he does not specify the exact number of killed officers).

================================================================

Pz Regt 35 5 officers killed and 7 officers wounded

But according to memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach, his regiment (P-R 35.) lost 64 killed soldiers and officers during the Polish Campaign (unfortunately he does not specify the exact number of killed officers).

However, I found out that - in his memories - Oberstleutnant Eberbach - commander of Panzer-Regiment 35. - mentions ranks and surnames of some of those KIA / WIA officers from his regiment:

On 1st of September he mentions that:

KIA:

- Hauptmann Buz
- Leutnant Lohr

WIA:

- Oberstleutnant Steng­lein (commander of I. battalion) - heavy wounds
- Oberleutnant Snahovich

He also states that on 1st of September - during the battle of Mokra - his regiment lost 15 KIA and 14 WIA - this includes 2 KIA officers and 3 WIA officers.

He also mentions that this officer was WIA during the battle of Mokra:

Stab Pz Bde 3 officers wounded

- Oberleutnant Ritzmann (communication officer in 5. Panzer-Brigade)

Oberstleutnant Eberbach writes, that he personally replaced him as the communication officer in 5. Panzer-Brigade, after Ritzmann was WIA.

On 9th of September he mentions that:

KIA:

- Oberleutnant Morgenroth (commander of 8. company)

WIA:

- Leutnant Class - heavy wounds

He also mentions in his text the following officers of the regiment whose tanks were destroyed in Warsaw on 9th of September but they were neither WIA nor KIA and they weren't also captured (they escaped):

- Oberstleutnant Eberbach (he himself - he was in one Panzerbefehlswagen B 01 together with General von Hartlieb)
- Oberleutnant Guderian (son of Heinz Guderian)
- Oberleutnant Riebig
- Leutnant Esser
- Leutnant Lange (commander of 1. company)

On 9th of September the regiment lost 8 KIA and 15 WIA during the battle of Warsaw - according to the German data which I found. I don't know how many of them were officers. The regiment also lost some POWs on 9th of September in Warsaw but all of them were later recaptured when Warsaw surrendered to the Germans.

On 10th of September the whole tank platoon from 5. company (it had got only 2 tanks at that stage of the war) was destroyed by Polish artillery. All soldiers were killed or captured. Only 1 soldier from this platoon was recaptured when Warsaw surrendered to the Germans.

On 16th of September he mentions that:

KIA:

- Leutnant Diebisch

WIA:

- Leutnant Cossel - heavy wounds

On 16th of September the regiment lost 16 KIA, 14 MIA (total 30 dead) and 19 WIA during the battle of Ruszki - according to the German data which I found. I don't know how many of them were officers.

================================================

Pz Regt 36 3 officers killed and 11 officers wounded

In his memories Oberstleutnant Eberbach mentions that on 18th of September:

Commander of one of battalions of Panzer-Regiment 36. was KIA (he does not precise which one - but there were only two of them so it shouldn't be hard to establish it).

===========================

Edit:

In his memories Oberstleutnant Eberbach mentions that on 18th of September:

Commander of one of battalions of Panzer-Regiment 36. was KIA (he does not precise which one - but there were only two of them so it shouldn't be hard to establish it).

It is probably about Oberstleutnant Günther Seupel - commander of II./Panzer-Regiment 36. - KIA in Śladów in Kampinoska primeval forest, near the river Vistula.

He has been already mentioned before for several times in this thread.

===========================

Edit:

This thread is only about KIA German high ranking officers or also about Soviet ones? Because I have got some Soviet ones.

[Bernd R]

Hi Domen121,

let's keep this topic for Germans according to the initial intention (ABR) of Stauffenberg II

I was thinking about compiling a list of all high ranking officers KIA during (resulting from) the Wehrmacht operations in Poland 1939.

For Soviet casualties I suggest to make a topic in the Soviet Union at War forum or eventually to add those info to respective threads in the Eastern Europe forum if it matches quite good to an existing topic.

regards
Bernd

PS: great and interesting efforts here by you I'd like to say, thanks !

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Thanks Bernd !,

Btw - I found some more KIA high ranking officers:

Hptm. von Kienitz - commander of 4.Kp / Kradschtz.Btl.1 - KIA in the night 16./17.Sept. during the battle of Kiernozia (as well as Hptm. von Kockeritz - commander of 8.Kp / Panzer-Regiment 1. - KIA during the same battle but on 16th of September) - here is the thread about this battle:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 5&t=146348

And one more (but I'm not shure if he hasn't been mentioned yet):

Commander of 2./A.A.3 - Rittmeister von Prittwitz und Gaffron - KIA 2.Sept.39 at Rozana (stomach-shot).

Also commander of 6./KSR.4 from 1. Leichte-Division - Rittm.Kempf - was KIA on 09.09.1939 in Ryczywół.

And commander of Schtz.Brig.6 from the same division - Oberst Frhr.v.Esebeck - was heavily WIA on 5.Sept.1939 at the river Widawka by Polish artillery fire.

I also found more info on Hauptmann von Lany from 3. Panzer-Division - KIA on 3. Sept. - who has been already mentioned in this thread.

He was the commander of 3./Schtz.Rgt.3 - and he was KIA during the battle of Polskie Łąki on 3rd of September.

There must have been a fierce battle in Polskie Łąki, because I have seen some photos of completely destroyed German Panzer IV from this village (photos come from Ebay and Polish Odkrywca Forum) - also destroyed German motorcycle can be seen in the photos:

From "Panzer'39 wrecks - part four" thread on Forum Odkrywca:

http://www.odkrywca-online.pl/panzer39- ... 44359.html





There are also more photos of this completely destroyed Panzer IV.

There is a short description of some events which took place during this battle in "Panzer packen Polen", Berlin 1940, page 43 (but nothing is mentioned about quantity of German casualties suffered during that battle).

And on ww2 day by day I found the following short description:

"Daily reports" section - 3rd of September 1939:

"The II./P.R.6 continues towards Lakowicze and destroys a enemy supply-column at Krapjewitce. Behind Polskie-Laki the tanks encounter enemy cavalry and AT-guns. 11:00 2./P.R.6 encounters the first polish tank on the road Rozana – Bledno which is destroyed by two rounds at 300m."

================================

And here some KIA and WIA high ranking officers from 19. Infanterie-Division:

- General Karl von Oven - commander of Inf.Rgt.59 - WIA 18.9.1939 at Stefanow
- Hauptmann Nebe - commander of II./IR.59 - KIA 18.9.1939 at Stefanow

And these two ones who have been already mentioned before as far as I remember:

- Hptm.Haupt - commander of 6.Kp from II./Inf.Rgt.73 - KIA 1.Sept.39 at Napoleon
- Oberstlt.Hoehne - commander of I.Battalion / Inf.Rgt.73 - WIA 1.Sept.39 at Napoleon by artillery fire; he dies at the transport back

And here some other (not so high ranking - but also very important) officers of this division, who were KIA or WIA during the Polish Campaign:

- Olt.Hedde - Rgts.Nachr.Offz of Inf.Rgt.59 - WIA 18.9.1939 at Stefanow

Commanders of 10.Kp from II battalion / IR.59 who were KIA or WIA in Poland:

- Oberleutnant Lieff - commander of 10.Kp / II. battalion / IR.59 - KIA 2. Sept.1939 at the Warthe – headshot
- Eisenbeis (Leutnant) - commander since 3.9 - WIA at Adamowa Góra near Ruszki on 17. Sept.39 by stomach shot from a sniper; died on 18. Sept.39
- Ofw.Euhus - commander since 17.9 until 21.9 (WIA or KIA ?)
- Olt.Marx - commander between 21.9 and 24.9 (WIA or KIA ?)
- commander since 24.9 - ???

Some officers from 5.Kp of Infanterie-Regiment 73. - II. battalion:

- Leutnant Simons (Kp.Chef, KIA 16.Sept.at the Bzura)
- Uffz.Fontaine (Kompaniemelder, KIA 16.Sept.at the Bzura)
- Leutnant Kreuser (Zugsführer 5.Kp., KIA 16.Sept.at the Bzura)

Commander of 10.Kp from III. battalion / IR.73:

- Olt.Heesch (KIA in the night 25./26.Sept.39 in a attack on FortIIa at Warschau)

And commander of 11.Kp of the same battalion:

- Olt.Grün (WIA 16.Sept.39 at Konstantynow; dies from his wounds 2 weeks later)

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Another one:

Commander of 1. Kompanie / Panzer-Regiment 7. - Hauptmann Walther - gefallen bei Mlawa (01.09.1939) - during the third, failed, massive German Panzer-infantry attack on Mława.

First of those failed massive Panzer-infantry attacks was made by 45 - 50 tanks supported by 10 (ten) battalions of infantry. It started around 12:30. It was repulsed by direct fire of 3 Polish AT guns, 1 75mm artillery gun and 6 AT rifles + machine guns and infantry - with support of indirect fire of two batteries of light artillery (which fired a total of circa 120 rounds by indirect fire while repulsing this attack).

Second German massive attack started very soon after the first one failed, and was made by 20+ tanks and strong infantry forces. It was repulsed mainly by Polish I. battalion of 80 infantry regiment, supported by direct fire of a few AT guns as well as both direct and indirect fire of two batteries - 1. and 6./20 pal - of light artillery. Poles lost 1 AT gun knocked out while repulsing this attack, fortunately nobody of the crew was killed or wounded.

I don't know how many tanks participated in the third massive attack, but certainly the whole 1. Kompanie of I./Panzer-Regiment 7 participated in it, as well as the whole 4. Kompanie of this battalion. But most probably even much more of German armoured forces participated in it, because it was probably even stronger than the first massive attack. Tanks were attacking the area around the hill 192 (there were 5 Polish betonbunkers in this area). They had got strong support of infantry - 11. Infanterie-Division and III. battalion of SS Regiment "Deutschland". This attack started around 14:45 / 15:00 and ended around 16:45 with German withdrawal. Hauptmann Walther was KIA by the end of this attack. It was repulsed mainly by Polish artillery - direct and indirect fire - and by direct fire of AT rifles.

In the evening the Germans repeated massive attack once again - around 18:30. Around 20 German tanks and AFVs with strong infantry support attacked part of position "Czubatka", which was defended by one Polish infantry company (9./III./79. IR) supported by one platoon of cyclists (total 50 men), supported by two AT platoons (up to 6 AT guns). After only 15 minutes of fierce combat this fourth - and last on that day - massive attack was repulsed. German men losses during it were 12 KIA + several dozen WIA. Poles lost 2 lightly wounded.

During the whole first day of the battle of Mława Panzer-Regiment 7. suffered the following casualties:

- I./Panzer-Regiment 7. - 39 tanks (including at least 7 completely destroyed)
- II./Panzer-Regiment 7. - 33 tanks (including at least 7 completely destroyed)

Tank crews of I. battalion / Panzer-Regiment 7. lost 15 KIA on 1st of September (including 1 officer - Hauptmann Walther, 3 Unteroffiziere & 11 Mannschaften) and 19 WIA (including 1 officer, 4 Unteroffiziere and 14 Mannschaften).

I don't know what were casualties among tank crews in II. battalion of this regiment during that day.

First German tank which was knocked out on that day during the battle of Mlawa - Panzer I - was knocked out in the early morning - after 4:00 - by Polish patrol under command of Franciszek Sławuta.

It was probably the first tank knocked out in the Second World War.

Many German tanks were also knocked out during that by strong Polish indirect artillery fire on German columns - which were marching and gathering themselves before the attack - which started around 6:30 and lasted for several hours - and was carried out mainly on the area around Kuklin - Białuty - Napierki - Iłów (mainly on roads in this area), where the German tanks from Panzer-Regiment 7. were advancing and gathering before their first attack on Mlawa.

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

And here some KIA and WIA high ranking officers from 19. Infanterie-Division:

Two more from this division - I think they were not listed yet:

Commander of III. battalion from Infanterie-Regiment 74. - Major von Germerdonk - KIA on 16th of September.

Hauptmann von Schmeling-Diringshofen - commander of 1.Kp. / I. / IR 73. - WIA on 17th of September, later died of wounds.

And one more from 44. Infanterie-Division this time:

Major Greifeneder (KIA middle September 1939) - commander of 12.Kp from III. / Infanterie-Regiment 131.