Theodor Tolsdorff

Theodor Tolsdorff (3 November 1909 – 25 May 1978) was a Lieutenant General in the German Army and one of 27 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten) in the Second World War. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was wounded fourteen times during the war.

Early life
Tolsdorf went to school in Königsberg and later became a farmer. He continued his education to become an administrator of an estate in Lehnharten. Later on, in 1934, at the age of 25, he joined as a volunteer the 1st Infantry Regiment in Insterburg. On 1 June 1934 Tolsdorff was promoted from the ranks to Lieutenant.

Polish Campaign
During the Polish Campaign Tolsdorff led the 14th (anti-tank-gun) Company in the 22. Fusilier Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for actions against the Kamienna Góra bunker line. Soon afterwards he earned the Iron Cross 1st Class when he prohibited the enemy to break out when he attacked from close range. He was wounded in the shoulder at the end of the Polish Campaign.

French Campaign
Tolsdorff's unit was then transferred to the Rhineland as part of the army reserve. He participated in the French Campaign as his unit fought in Belgium and drove to the Flanders pocket, then south past Paris to the Saumur area.

Eastern Front
During the beginning of Russian Campaign Tolsdorff again was in charge of the 14th Company. Passing through Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania he assumed command of the battalion and again was severely wounded. While in the hospital he was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) and awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 December 1941. He returned to the front in April 1942 and participated in the heavy fighting for Schlüsselburg. After the heavy fighting at Leningrad and Lake Ladoga, Tolsdorff lost half of his right foot due to deep splinter injuries. For the outstanding success in closing the Volkhov pocket in June 1942, Tolsdorff received the German Cross in gold. On the closing days of the Volkhov battle he again was injured in the head by a bullet. Tolsdorff was forced to remain in the hospital until 20 September 1942. On 1 January 1943 Tolsdorff was promoted to Major and made commander of the 1st Battalion.

Tolsdorff returned to his unit during the defensive battles at Lake Ladoga. In July 1943 the third and most difficult battle at Lake Ladoga began. After successfully fighting off the Soviet attack for fourteen days and participating in counterattacks in the neighbouring sector and restoring the situation, Tolsdorff was awarded the Oak Leaves on 15 September 1943.

On New Year's Eve 1943 the 1st Infantry Division transferred to the southern sector in the Vinnitsa-Odessa area. Tolsdorff was now made in charge of the 1st Infantry Division's 22nd Infantry Regiment after its commanding officer, Oberst (Colonel) Ulrich Iffland, had been killed.

Again severely wounded by a shot in the stomach from close range, Tolsdorff managed to return to active duty within a few weeks. Tolsdorff was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) in the Lublin hospital. After recovering from his wounds Tolsdorff was ordered to attend the officer cadet school at Metz.

Back to the front in June 1944 Tolsdorff received the order to defend the city of Vilna. Tolsdorff held out long enough to evacuate the thousands of wounded from the city until relieve arrived from Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz. This action resulted in his promotion to Oberst and the awarding of the Oak Leaves with Swords on 18 July 1944.

In early August, when Tolsdorff received the Oak Leaves with Swords, Hitler personally ordered him to go to Hirschberg for division commanders training. At the beginning of September, after completion of the course, Tolsdorff received orders from the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) to go to Thorn (East Prussia), to oversee the formation of the 340th Volksgrenadier Division.

Western Front
In mid-November the unit transferred to the Aachen-Jülich area on the west to defend against US forces trying to cross the Rhine. In December the unit was withdrawn to make preparations for the Ardennes offensive. The division fought as part of the 5th Panzer Army under command of Hasso von Manteuffel. On 18 March 1945, Major General Tolsdorff received the Diamonds for personal bravery and his division's outstanding accomplishments. Tolsdorff received the Diamonds in Berlin, was promoted to Lieutenant General and ordered to take command of the LXXXII Panzer Corps, which was stationed in the Amberg area in Bavaria. On 8 May he surrendered in Austria to Lt. Carwood Lipton and Robert F. Sink of the 101st Airborne Division. Tolsdorff's convoy of thirty-one vehicles drove down from the mountains loaded with his personal baggage, liquor, cigars, cigarettes and his girlfriends. Private Edward Heffron took Tolsdorff's Luger pistol and a briefcase containing Iron Cross medals and a stash of pornographic pictures. The surrender of Tolsdorff is dramatized in the HBO TV series Band of Brothers in which a German general played by Wolf Kahler surrenders to Lipton played by Donnie Wahlberg.

After the war
On 9 May 1947 Tolsdorff was released from American captivity. He took on various jobs like truck driver and construction worker until on 7 December 1952 he was put under arrest. He faced charges for the execution of Hauptmann Franz Xaver Holzhey, an army captain and First World War veteran, on 3 May 1945. Initially he was sentenced to two and a half years. A federal court overturned the decision and ordered a retrial. On 24 June 1960 Tolsdorff was declared not guilty. The same year, Tolsdorff was hired by the German Asphalt AG and held a position of manager until 1969 when he took over the branch office in Dortmund. Tolsdorff retired on 31 December 1974. Following a serious accident in which Tolsdorff suffered a double skull fracture, he died on 25 May 1978 in Dortmund.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (22 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (23 October 1939)
 * Infantry Assault Badge (silver)
 * Wound Badge (gold)
 * Tank Destruction Badge
 * German Cross in Gold on 23 August 1942 as Hauptmann in the I./Infanterie-Regiment 22
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
 * Knight's Cross on 4 December 1941 as Oberleutnant and chief of the 14./Infanterie-Regiment 22
 * 302nd Oak Leaves on 15 September 1943 as Major and commander of the I./Füsilier-Regiment 22
 * 80th Swords on 18 July 1944 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 1067 and leader of the Kampfgruppe Tolsdorff
 * 25th Diamonds on 18 March 1945 as Generalmajor and commander of the 340. Volksgrenadier-Division
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (14 July 1944)