Dietrich Friedrich Eduard Casimir von Saucken ( German: Dietrich Friedrich Eduard Kasimir von Saucken ; May 16, 1892 - September 27, 1980 ) - German General of the Tank Forces (1944), the last of 27 awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds , and the only person whose decision to award this award was not made by Hitler.
| Dietrich von Saucken | |||||||||||||||||||
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| him. Dietrich von sacken | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of Birth | May 16, 1892 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of Birth | Fishhausen East Prussia , Kingdom of Prussia German Empire | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | September 27, 1980 (88 years old) | ||||||||||||||||||
| A place of death | Pullah im Isartal , Bavaria , Germany | ||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation |  German Empire Weimar Republic Third Reich | ||||||||||||||||||
| Type of army |  Tank forces | ||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1910-1945 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Tank General | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commanded | 4th Panzer Division 2nd army | ||||||||||||||||||
| Battles / wars | World War I
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| Awards and prizes | German Empire
Third Reich
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Content
- 1 Beginning of a military career
- 2 World War II
- 3 Eastern Front
- 4 Awards
- 5 Literature
Beginning of a military career
He entered the military service on October 1, 1910 as a fan-cadet (candidate for officer). In June 1912 he received the rank of lieutenant.
In World War I, he commanded a company, was awarded the Iron Crosses of both degrees, as well as the Austrian and Prussian orders. In 1918, seriously wounded, received a gold patch for being wounded.
After the war he continued to serve in the Reichswehr , since 1925 - captain . In 1936, promoted to lieutenant colonel, appointed commander of a cavalry regiment.
World War II
Since June 1939 - Colonel, participated in the Polish and French campaigns, received the bar for the Iron Cross (rewarding). In November 1940 he was appointed commander of the 4th Rifle Brigade.
Eastern Front
Commanding a brigade, forced the Dnieper . In December 1941 he was appointed commander of the 4th Panzer Division , from January 1, 1942 - Major General . On January 3, he was seriously wounded in the head by a fragment of a shell; on January 6, 1942 he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Until the end of August 1942 - in hospitals and on leave of injury, then until the end of May 1943 - the head of the school of motorized troops.
Since April 1943 - Lieutenant General . On May 31, 1943, he again headed the 4th Panzer Division (on the central section of the Eastern Front). In August 1943 he was awarded the Oak Leaves (No. 281) to the Knight's Cross, in January 1944 - Swords (No. 46) to the Knight's Cross with the Oak Leaves.
From May 1944, he was the commander of the 3rd Panzer Corps , from June to October 1944, he was the commander of the 39th Panzer Corps (from August 1944, after a tactical victory over the Soviet troops at Warsaw , with the rank of general of the tank troops). Then the commander of the tank corps "Great Germany" and from March 1945 - the commander of the 2nd Army . From April 1945 - commander of the army of East Prussia .
May 8, 1945 was awarded Diamonds (No. 27) to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. From the same day in Soviet captivity. He was sentenced by a Soviet court to 25 years in prison. He was released in 1955.
Rewards
- 2nd Class Iron Cross (October 19, 1914) ( Kingdom of Prussia )
- 1st Class Iron Cross (May 23, 1916)
- Royal Order of the Hohenzollern House Knight's Cross with Swords ( Kingdom of Prussia )
- 3rd Class Military Merit Cross with swords ( Kingdom of Bavaria )
- Cross "For Military Merit" ( Austria-Hungary )
- Breastplate "For the wounded" (1918) in gold
- Honorary Cross of the First World War 1914/1918 with swords (1934)
- Medal “For the length of service in the Wehrmacht” from 4th to 1st grade
- Buckle to the Iron Cross 2nd class (September 13, 1939)
- Buckle to the Iron Cross 1st class (October 3, 1939)
- Cross “For Military Merit” 2nd and 1st grade with swords
- Medal "For the Winter Campaign in the East 1941/42"
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds
- Knight's Cross (February 6, 1942)
- oak leaves (No. 281) (August 22, 1942)
- swords (No. 46) (January 31, 1944)
- diamonds (No. 27) (May 8, 1945)
- Breastplate “For a tank attack” in silver (75 days in combat)
- Breastplate "For the wounded" (1939) in gold
- Mention in the Wehrmachtbericht (December 3, 1943, July 5, 1944, May 9, 1945)
Literature
- Florian Berger. Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 1999. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5