Rudolf Sieckenius

Generalmajor Rudolf Sieckenius (16 May 1896 – 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. He had just turned eighteen when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated.

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.

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).

Poland and France
Sieckenius took part in the Invasion of Poland with his battalion, focused in the south of the country. The invasion was over very quickly and on return, as a result of lessons identified in Poland, the 2nd Light Division converted to the 7th Panzer Division (Generalmajor Erwin Rommel), with Sieckenius’ battalion renaming as the III Battalion (Abteilung) of the 25th Panzer Regiment. As the Commander of this battalion, Sieckenius took part in the Battle of France, with his battalion reputed to be the only one able to keep up with the Divisional commander. The battalion remained in France until February 1941. In February 1941 the battalion returned to Gera in Germany, where Sieckenius remained, refitting, until reappointed to 16 Panzer Division in April. He joined the Division in Bucharest, where he took over command of the 2nd Panzer Regiment, in which he had served as a company commander between the wars (Oct 1935 – Oct 1936). On assuming command the Regiment moved immediately to the Bug River, its start line for Operation Barbarossa.

Invasion
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

 * 22 August 1914 – Gefreiter (Private)
 * 27 December 1916 – Leutnant (Second Lieutenant)
 * 29 April 1920 – Leutnant (Polizei) (Second Lieutenant of Police)
 * 1923 – First Lieutenant (of Police)
 * 1928 – Captain (of Police)
 * 27 May 1934 – Rittmeister (Captain of Cavalry)
 * 1 March 1936 – Major
 * 1 October 1939 – Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
 * 1 February 1942 – Oberst (Colonel)
 * 1 June 1943 – Generalmajor (Major General)

WW1

 * 22 August 1914 – 5th Foot Artillery Regiment of 9th (Silesian) Infantry Division (as Private soldier)
 * September – December 1916 – Officer training
 * 27 December 1916 – Platoon Commander, 154 Infantry Regiment (9th Infantry Division)
 * November 1917 – Battalion Adjutant, 154 Infantry Regiment
 * 20 October 1919 – discharged from Army

Police

 * 29 April 1920 – joined Silesian Landespolizei
 * 1920-1934 – In Police service

Nazi Period

 * 27 May 1934 – rejoined Army - I Sqn, 11th Reiter (Cavalry) Regiment
 * 1 April 1935 – Chief Staff Officer, 7th Reiter (Cavalry) Regiment
 * October 1935 – Kommandeur, 6 Panzer Company of 2 Panzer Regiment
 * 6 October 1936 – Orderly Officer to 1 Panzer Division
 * October 1937 – Kommandeur, I Battalion of 15 Panzer Regiment (Abt I/15 Pz Reg)
 * 10 November 1938 – Kommandeur, 66 Panzer Battalion (Pz Abwehr Abt 66) of 2 Light Division
 * October 1939 – Kommandeur, 3 Battalion/25 Panzer Regiment (Abt III/25 Pz Reg) (same battalion, renamed; 2 Light Division became 7 Panzer Division)
 * 1 May 1941 – Kommandeur, 2 Panzer Regiment (Pz Reg 2) of 16 Panzer Division
 * Jan 1943 – Wounded, medical treatment in Germany
 * 5 March 1943 – Kommandeur, 16 Panzer Division (relieved of command 1 November 1943)
 * 21 May 1944 – Kommandeur, 263 Infantry Division
 * 1 October 1944 – Kommandeur, 391 Sicherungs Division

Campaigns & Battles

 * 1914-1918 Western Front
 * Battle of Lorraine (August 1914)
 * Cotes de Meuse (September 1914 – September 1916, February – April 1917)
 * California Plateau (May – September 1917)
 * Second Battle of the Aisne (September – December 1917)
 * Battle of Picardy (March 1918)
 * Third Battle of the Aisne (May – June 1918)
 * Second Battle of the Marne (August - October 1918)
 * 1939 Polish Campaign
 * 1940 Battle of France
 * 1941-1943 Eastern Front
 * Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)
 * Battle of Brody (Sokal-Krystinopol) (awarded Knight’s Cross) (June - July 1941)
 * Battle of Uman (July – August 1941)
 * Battle of Kiev (August – September 1941)
 * Battle of Rostov (September – November 1941)
 * Second Battle of Kharkov (May 1942)
 * Caucasus Offensive (June – August 1942)
 * Battle of Stalingrad (July 1942 – February 1943)
 * 1943 Italian Campaign
 * Salerno Landings (September 1943)
 * 1945 Battle of Berlin

Awards

 * Wound Badge in Silver
 * Panzer Badge
 * Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Eastern Front Medal)
 * Iron Cross First Class
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (17 September 1941)