Kurt Treuhaupt

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class="fn" colspan="2" style="background-color: #B0C4DE; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" | Kurt Treuhaupt
colspan="2" style="background-color: #B0C4DE; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" |
colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; line-height: 1.5em;" | File:Kurt Treuhaupt.png
Birth name Kurt Treuhaupt
Birth date 16 April 1898(1898-04-16)
Place of birth Rummelsburg , Provinz Pommern, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 1978
Place of death West Germany
Allegiance File:Flag of the German Empire.svg German Empire
File:Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).png Weimar Republic
File:Flag of the NSDAP (1920–1945).svg National Socialist Germany
Service/branch File:Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
File:Freikorps Flag.png Freikorps
File:War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).png Reichswehr
File:Balkenkreuz.png Heer
Years of service 1914–1945
Rank Oberst
Commands held Panzergrenadier-Regiment 146
16. Panzer-Division
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Iron Cross, War Merit Cross, German Cross in Gold
Relations ∞ 1929 Ursula Heyer

Kurt Treuhaupt (1898–1978) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Oberst and leader of a Panzer division in WWII.

Career (chronology)

File:WW2 Norway 1940-06-19 Nikolaus von Falkenhorst Kurt Treuhaupt Ernst Volckheim Universitetsplassen Oslo.png
General der Infanterie Nikolaus von Falkenhorst, Commanding General of the Gruppe XXI, his Adjutant Major Kurt Treuhaupt (center) and Oberstleutnant Ernst Volckheim, Commander of the Panzer-Abteilung z. b. V. 40, in Oslo, Norway, 1940
  • 1 September 1914 War volunteer of the Grenadier-Regiment „Prinz Carl von Preußen“ (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 12
  • Unteroffizier II. Bataillon/Grenadier-Regiment „Prinz Carl von Preußen“ (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 12
  • 21 November 1916 Leutnant der Reserve (Reserve 2nd Lieutenant)
    • 20 December 1916 Orderly officer (Ordonnanzoffizier) in the staff of the I. Bataillon/Grenadier-Regiment „Prinz Carl von Preußen“ (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 12
    • 22 April 1917 Adjutant of the I. Bataillon/Grenadier-Regiment „Prinz Carl von Preußen“ (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 12
    • 20 July 1917 Commanded to the Fliegertruppe, trained as an observer (Beobachter)
    • 25 May 1918 18th Army Air Park
    • Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) 235/FA A 235
      • On 12 July 1918 the Kommandeur der Flieger der 1. Armee, Hauptmann Geyer, visited the Abteilung, which consisted of Abteilungs-Kommandeur Hauptmann von Boehm, Offizier zur besonderen Verwendung Lt. d. R. Deines; Flievo (Fliegerverbindungsoffizier): Lt.d.R. Rinck, 9 pilots: Lt. d. R. Rosenberg, Edzard, Mertens, Vizefeldwebel Becker and Fleck, Unteroffizier Langer, Gefreiter Poppe and Koppetsch (as of 15 July 1918 additionally Lt. d. R. Hildebrand) as well as 12 Beobachter: Lt. d. R. Warnecke, Hertle, Timm, Schulz, Treuhaupt, Möllenhoff, Wendland, Lambert, Estermann, Borchard, Lt. der Landwehr Knecht und Nicko.
  • 10 April 1919 Discharged
  • 1919 Grenzschutz Ost
  • 1920 to 1928 Member oft Pommerntreue
    • Like the Upper Silesian "Landesschützen Bund", the "Pommerntreue" was a private organization that emerged from the self-defence formations (Selbstschutz) against Polish terror of the post-war years and was treated by the Reichswehr as part of the military border protection.
  • 1925 Kreisleiter (district leader) in Lauenburg (Hinterpommern) as the successor of Leutnant a. D. Kohl, who was shot in a duel on 3 July 1925[1] by Bogislaw von Somnitz, Herr auf Freest (Kreis Lauenburg), who was in December 1925 convicted and sentenced in Stolp to two years and nine months imprisonment.[2]
  • Landesschutzangestellter (L-Angestellter)
    • Retired former officers were often employed as civilian employees of the (black) Reichswehr in 'state security matters' (L-Angestellte). From October 1, 1933, they served as so-called L officers (L = Landesschutz = state protection; not Landwehr) in command posts of the Reichswehr, continued to wear civilian clothes and had an 'a. D.' It was like a separate career with its own salary alongside the active officer corps.
  • 1 October 1933 Hauptmann a. D. (L-Offizier)
  • 1 May 1934 Active Hauptmann (Captain) of the Reichswehr with rank seniority (RDA) from 1 July 1933
    • 1 May 1934 in the I. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 5 (Stettin)
    • 1 October 1934 in the III. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 48 (Döberitz)
    • 15 October 1935 Commander of the 11. Kompanie/III. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 48 (Döberitz)
  • 1 April 1937 Major
    • 12 October 1937 Chef der 3. Kompanie/I. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment 27 (Güstrow)
    • 10 November 1938 in the staff of the Kommandantur von Stettin
    • 26 August 1939 Adjutant of the Kommandeur der Ersatztruppen (Replacement Troops) II[3]
    • 28 October 1939 Adjutant of the XXI. Armeekorps under Nikolaus von Falkenhorst
    • 1 March 1940 Adjutant of the Gruppe XXI (the renamed XXI. Armeekorps )
  • 1 September 1940 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
    • 19 December 1940 Adjutant of the Armeeoberkommando Norwegen under Nikolaus von Falkenhorst
    • 20 May 1941 Commander of the Wachbataillons (Guard Battalion) z. b. V. Oslo
    • 25 February 1942 Commander of the new Schützen-Regiment Oslo
  • 1 April 1942 Oberst (Colonel)
    • 19 May 1942 Commander of the Schützen-Regiment 146 (the renamed Schützen-Regiment Oslo)
    • 5 July 1942 until the beginning of December 1944 Commander of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 146 (the renamed Schützen-Regiment 146)
      • February/10 May 1944 to 1 June 1944 Divisionsführer with the 25. Panzer-Division, which was then called Kampfgruppe "Treuhaupt" (alongside Kampfgruppe "Graf Strachwitz"); The Division under Hans Tröger had been almost destroyed in February 1944 and Treuhaupt lead the rest until Generalmajor Oswin Grolig arrived on 1 June 1944. Tröger took over the leadership of the 17. Panzer-Division, but was still officially commander of the 25. Panzer-Division until 10 May 1944.
      • 25 May 1944 Tasked with the housing and new formation of the 25. Panzer-Division as tactical reserve of the Wehrmachtbefehlshaber in Dänemark as "Aufstellungsstab 25. Panzer-Division": "Until the division staff is able to work, Colonel Treuhaupt will take over the commanded tasks related to accommodation and deployment of the division. All parts of the division that have arrived and are still to be supplied are subordinated to him." Additionally Major Schmuckle from the staff of the 233rd Reserve Panzer Division and Captain von Gember, Vorkommando-Führer of the Panzer-Verband Norway, were added to the Aufstellungsstab. Headquarters is ordered to be Hobro (Denmark).[4]
    • June/July 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the Panzer-Brigade 103 (XXXX. Panzerkorps/3. Panzerarmee/Heeresgruppe Mitte) during formation until commander Werner Mummert arrived.
    • 5 February 1945 Kampf-Kommandant of Liegnitz (Silesia)
      • The fortress of Liegnitz fought under Colonel Treuhaupt on 8 and 9 February 1945 with high losses, but in vain with vastly inferior forces compared to the enemy by age, suitability and armament. The bravery of individuals stands out all the more.[5]
    • 20 March 1945 Führerreserve OKH (II)
    • 5 April 1945 Commanded to the 18th Division Leader Course (18. Divisions-Führer-Lehrgang in Ohrdruf, then moved to Bad Wiessee) along with Generalmajor Robert Bader, Generalleutnant Hugo Beißwänger, Generalmajor Gerhard Fritz Kühne, Oberst Wilhelm Eugen Fischer, Oberst Ernst-Joachim Bradel and others.
    • 24 April 1945 Delegated with the leadership of the 16. Panzer-Division mit der Führung derbeauftragt
      • In January 1945, the division was entrapped once more with the start of the Soviet Vistula–Oder Offensive but managed to reach German lines. After a short rest and resupply in February 1945 it fought in Silesia and Sudetenland. Commander Generalmajor Dietrich von Müller was caputered by Czech terrorists in April 1945 and later handed over to the Red Army. Oberst Dr. Albrecht Aschoff, senior colonel, took over the division (charged with the deputy leadership), but was relieved of his command five days later due to a "charge of defeatism". With the German surrender on 8 May 1945, the division under Treuhaupt attempted to reach American lines, with some parts succeeding in doing so but mostly being handed back to the Soviet forces.

Family

Kurt was the son of landowner (Gutsbesitzer) Paul Treuhaupt (d. 21 January 1903) and his wife Klara, née Schmolinske (d. 28 October 1931).

Marriage

On 17 May 1929, Kreisleiter Leutnant a. D. Treuhaupt married his fiancée Ursula Heyer. They had two daughters born 1930 and 1931. Ursula survived her husband and last lived as a widow in Hamburg (Semperstraße 7).

Awards and decorations (excerpt)

Writings (selection)

  • Wo liegen die Unzulanglichkeiten der einjahrigen Dienstpflicht bei den Schutzenkompanien?, in "Militär-Wochenblatt", 18 June 1936
  • Nachtübungen für Infanterie, in "Militär-Wochenblatt" Nr. 46, 1938
  • Der Schnellschuß und seine Probleme [The quick/overhasted shot and its problems], 1938
  • Angriff durch Wälder [Attack through Forests], in "Militär-Wochenblatt", 28 April 1939
  • Grenzschutz Ost, 1955 (Sammlung Oberst Dieter von Kleist)

References