Rudolf Sieckenius

Rudolf Sieckenius

Sieckenius after the award of his Knight’s Cross
Born 16 May 1896
Ludwigsthal, Silesia (now Proczki, Poland)
Died 28 April 1945 (aged 48)
Märkisch Buchholz, near Berlin, Germany
Allegiance German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Landespolizei
Heer
Years of service 1914–45
Rank Generalmajor der Panzertruppe
Commands held 16 Panzer Division
263 Infantry Division
391 Sicherungs Division
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Generalmajor Rudolf Sieckenius (16 May 1896[1]– 28 April 1945) was a German soldier, most famous for his command of 16 Panzer Division during Operation Avalanche (Salerno Landings) in September 1943. Despite his widely acknowledged success, which almost resulted in the Allies being pushed back into the sea, Sieckenius was made a scapegoat by Hitler and sidelined until his death during the Battle of Berlin, when he commanded a reserve division (391 Sicherungs Division).

Early life

Sieckenius was born in Ludwigsthal (now Proczki in Poland) in Schlesien (Silesia) on 16 May 1896, the son of successful businessman, Alexander Sieckenius. As a youth, he studied accounting, maths and French at school, with a view to following his father into business. He had eight siblings, four brothers and four sisters.[2] He had just turned eighteen when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated.[3]

World War I

Sieckenius joined up immediately following the outbreak of World War I, enlisting in the 5th Foot Artillery Regiment of the 9th Silesian Infantry Division, during which time he took part in the Invasion of Lorraine. He would spend the best part of two years in the Cotes de Meuse before transferring to the cavalry and commencing officer training. Upon graduation in December 1916, he returned to the infantry, who were short of officers. He was commissioned as a platoon commander in the 154th Infantry Regiment, where he served in a number of well known actions between then and the end of the war. He was discharged from the Army on 20 October 1919 and returned to his family home in Silesia.[3]

Interwar period

On 29 April 1920, Sieckenius joined the local Silesian police (Landespolizei) and went on to serve with distinction for fourteen years. In 1934 he readily accepted an invitation to transfer back to the Army, as Hitler rearmed Germany. He joined the 11th Cavalry Regiment, initially based in Breslau and later in Stuttgart. On creation of the panzer regiments in late 1935, he transferred into the panzer branch and was appointed a company commander in 2nd Panzer Regiment (which he was later to command at Stalingrad) based in Weimar, where he spent a year. After a further year as ADC/Orderly Officer to the commander of 1st Panzer Division, Generalmajor Maximilian von Weichs, he was appointed to command the first battalion of 15th Panzer Regiment at Oppeln. After a falling out with the regimental commander, Oberstleutnant Streich, in January 1939 Sieckenius was transferred to command of the 66th Panzer Battalion (2nd Light Division).[4]

World War II

Poland and France

At the outset of the war Sieckenius served in the 2nd Light Division as commander of the 66th Panzer Battalion, the tank force of the division. Following the completion of the invasion of Poland the limited effectiveness of the light divisions caused the German High Command to order the reorganization of the four light divisions into full panzer divisions.[5] In October 1939 the 2nd Light Division became the 7th Panzer Division.[6]

The new division was under the command of Generalmajor Erwin Rommel. The panzer strength of the division was increased with the addition of the 25th Panzer Regiment. With the two battalions of the 25th Regiment, the total panzer strength of the division came to three battalions. Sieckenius remained in command of the 66th Panzer Battalion, and took part in the Battle of France. His battalion was reputed to be the only one able to keep up with the divisional commander.[7] The battalion remained in France until February 1941, when it was placed in reserve and returned to Gera, Germany. Here Sieckenius remained, refitting his battalion until he was transferred to the newly formed 16th Panzer Division in April. He joined the Division in Bucharest, where he took over command of the Division's 2nd Panzer Regiment. Prior to the war Sieckenius had served in this unit before as a company commander between October 1935 until October 1936. On assuming command the Regiment was moved forward to the Bug River to its assembly area for the start of Operation Barbarossa.

Russia

Invasion

Main article: Operation Barbarossa

The 16th Panzer Division crossed the River Bug immediately behind the 11th Panzer Division in the area of Sokal (in Poland in 1941, now in Ukraine), as part of the First Panzer Group (von Kleist) in von Rundstedt’s Army Group South. The First Panzer Group drove its armoured spearhead of 600 tanks right through the Soviet 6th Army with the objective of capturing Brody. On 26 June five Soviet mechanized corps with over 1,000 tanks mounted a counter-attack on the First Panzer Group. The Battle of Brody/Rovno was among the fiercest of the invasion lasting over four days; in the end the Germans prevailed, though the Soviets inflicted heavy losses on the First Panzer Group, and themselves suffered huge tank losses – up to 243 reported to have been destroyed by Sieckenius’ 2 Panzer Regiment, in what was the world’s largest tank battle before the Battle of Kursk. For this action Sieckenius was awarded the coveted Knight’s Cross. The Panzer Group moved quickly on, linking up with the 17th Field Army to encircle Uman and capturing 20 Soviet divisions and over 100,000 men, including two Army commanders, four corps commanders and eleven divisional commanders. Further swift advances were made, with Kiev being encircled on 16 September 1941 when Guderian’s XXIV Corps linked up with the First Panzer Group at Lokhvitsa, 120 miles east of Kiev. A further 450,000 soviet prisoners were taken, and four armies had ceased to exist. Complete breakthrough had now been achieved in the southern sector. Having been delayed by the Battle of Kiev, Hitler now focused his effort on Moscow (Operation Typhoon), to where the attention of Army Groups North and Centre were switched. Meanwhile in the south 16 Panzer Division, still under the First Panzer Group, advanced from Kiev, and encircled Soviet troops at Melitopol in October, then attacked east along the shore of the Sea of Azov toward Rostov at the mouth of the River Don - the gateway to the Caucasus. Although slowed by rains and Soviet defence, the Panzer Group reached Rostov on 17 November 1941, capturing the city (Battle of Rostov) four days later. A Russian counter-offensive on 27 November recaptured the city and pushed the Germans back to Taganrog, the first German reversal of the Eastern Front.

1942 Offensives

To follow (16 Jun 08)

Ranks & Promotions

Units/Formations

WW1

Police

Nazi Period

Campaigns & Battles

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ Axis History Forum gives the date as 18 August 1896
  2. ↑ Information provided by relative (29 May 2008).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mitcham, 2007, pp. 27 – 28
  4. ↑ Mitcham, 2007, pp. 28 – 29
  5. ↑ Rommel 1953, p. 6.
  6. ↑ Mitcham 2001, p. 80.
  7. ↑ Mitcham, 2007, p. 29
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Axis History Forum
  9. ↑ Mitcham, 2007, p. 35

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Oberst Hero Breusing		 Kommandeur of 2 Panzer Regiment (Pz Reg 2)
1 May 1941 – January, 1943 		Succeeded by
Oberst Hyazinth Graf von Strachwitz
Preceded by
Generalmajor Burkhart Müller-Hillebrand		 Kommandeur of 16 Panzer Division
5 May 1943 – 1 November 1943 		Succeeded by
Generalmajor Hans-Ulrich Back