Max Wünsche
Encyclopedia
Max Wünsche was a Obersturmbannführer
(Lieutenant Colonel) in the Waffen-SS
during World War II
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
. He went to school in Bautzen
and later attended Mercantile school.
He had an interest in agriculture
, joining the agricultural union in 1928 and was for a short time employed as an estate manager.
In November 1932 Wünsche joined the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth
), and in July 1933 he joined the SS where he attended the NCO
training course at Jüterbog
.
Wünsche was selected to be an officer and attended SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz
, graduating in 1936 he was promoted to Untersturmführer
(Second Lieutenant) in April and posted to the Leibstandarte as a platoon leader in the 9th Company.
In October 1938 he was assigned to the Begleitkommando des Führers (a bodyguard team of SS soldiers tasked with protecting the life of Adolf Hitler), as an Orderly Officer.
, for the invasion of Holland and the Battle of France
.
In December 1940 he was made the Adjutant to Sepp Dietrich
where he stayed during the invasion of the Balkans
, (Operation Marita) and the invasion of Russia
, (Operation Barbarossa
).
The LSSAH was attached to Army group South, for Operation Barbarossa and Wünsche would carry out reconnaissance flights in a Fieseler Storch flying over the Russian positions.
One flight on the 31 July, contributed to the capture of Novoarkhangelsk, which closed the Uman
pocket, trapping the encircled Russian Divisions.
(Assault Gun) Battalion, and was involved in stopping numerous Russian attempts to break through the German lines.
In March his battalion was the Corps reserve at the Muis
bridgehead and again prevented a Russian breakthrough.
On 1 June Wünsche returned to Germany to study at the Staff College, where he successfully completed the General Staff training course and was promoted to Sturmbannführer
(Major).
In September 1942 he returned to the LSSAH and resumed command of the Sturmgeschütz Battalion until October when he was given command of the I/Battalion, SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH which at the time was in the process of forming.
, at the same time inflicting heavy losses on the Russians.
On the 10th February they went on the attack in an attempt to relieve the encircled 1st SS Reconnaissance Battalion LSSAH still commanded by his old commander, Kurt Meyer.
On the 13th February Wünsche and his battalion succeeded in breaking through the lines to Meyer's beleaguered troops, saving them from destruction.
Together the two battalions formed a Kampfgruppe
(battle group) and continued the attack, defeating the Russian VI Guards Cavalry Corps by the 15th February, the same day that Kharkov was abandoned by the Russians. For these actions Wünsche was awarded the German Cross in Gold
.
On the 25th February Wünsche's Kampfgruppe located an enemy force approaching the Division's southern flank. Acting on his own, Wünsche carried out an attack encircling the Russians at Jeremejwka, destroying 52 heavy guns and causing over 900 casualties for the Russians. For this action he was awarded the Knight's Cross
on the 28 February 1943.
, which later became the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
(12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Youth), and take command of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment.
On 6 June 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy
(Operation Overlord
) on D Day and the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was committed to action on the 7 June. In the following battles Wünsche's Regiment was credited with the destruction of 219 tanks up to the beginning of July, which gained Wünsche the award of the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross.
The 12th SS Panzer was later trapped in what became known as the Falaise pocket
, on the night of 20 August, Wünsche, his adjutant SS-Hauptsturmführer Isecke, SS-Untersturmführer Fritz Freitag
and a wounded medical officer, escaped out of the pocket on foot. During the escape Wünsche was wounded in the calf and the Doctor was captured. On the 24 August, Isecke was captured, followed a short time later by the capture of Wünsche and Freitag.
Wünsche spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war
in camp 165 at Caithness
, Scotland
which was a special camp for high ranking German officers.
He married, had a family and became a manager of an industrial plant in Wuppertal
, until his retirement in 1980.
He died a few days short of his 81st birthday, on the 17 April 1995.
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Lieutenant Colonel) in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
Early life
Max Wünsche was born on 20 April 1914 in KittlitzKittlitz
Kittlitz is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
. He went to school in Bautzen
Bautzen
Bautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...
and later attended Mercantile school.
He had an interest in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, joining the agricultural union in 1928 and was for a short time employed as an estate manager.
In November 1932 Wünsche joined the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
), and in July 1933 he joined the SS where he attended the NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
training course at Jüterbog
Jüterbog
Jüterbog is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is located on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin.-History:...
.
Wünsche was selected to be an officer and attended SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
, graduating in 1936 he was promoted to Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
(Second Lieutenant) in April and posted to the Leibstandarte as a platoon leader in the 9th Company.
In October 1938 he was assigned to the Begleitkommando des Führers (a bodyguard team of SS soldiers tasked with protecting the life of Adolf Hitler), as an Orderly Officer.
World War II
In January 1940 he returned to the Leibstandarte, as a platoon commander in the 15th Motor Cycle Company under the command of Kurt MeyerKurt Meyer (Panzermeyer)
Kurt Meyer, nicknamed "Panzermeyer", served as an officer in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. He saw action in many major battles, including the Invasion of France, Operation Barbarossa, and the Battle of Normandy.Meyer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and...
, for the invasion of Holland and the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
.
In December 1940 he was made the Adjutant to Sepp Dietrich
Sepp Dietrich
Josef "Sepp" Dietrich was a German SS General. He was one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldiers and commanded formations up to Army level during World War II. Prior to 1929 he was Adolf Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard but received rapid promotion after his participation in the murder of...
where he stayed during the invasion of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, (Operation Marita) and the invasion of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, (Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
).
The LSSAH was attached to Army group South, for Operation Barbarossa and Wünsche would carry out reconnaissance flights in a Fieseler Storch flying over the Russian positions.
One flight on the 31 July, contributed to the capture of Novoarkhangelsk, which closed the Uman
Uman
Uman is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around , and serves as the self-governing administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion ....
pocket, trapping the encircled Russian Divisions.
Sturmgeschütz Battalion
In February 1942 Wünsche was given the command of the LSSAH SturmgeschützSturmgeschütz
Sturmgeschütz is a German word for "assault gun", usually abbreviated StuG. The vehicle was a leading weapon of the Sturmartillerie, a branch of the German artillery tasked with close fire support of infantry in infantry, panzer, and panzergrenadier units...
(Assault Gun) Battalion, and was involved in stopping numerous Russian attempts to break through the German lines.
In March his battalion was the Corps reserve at the Muis
MUIS
MUIS is an abbreviation for:*Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura*Mongol Ulsyn Ikh Surguuli, The National University of Mongolia...
bridgehead and again prevented a Russian breakthrough.
On 1 June Wünsche returned to Germany to study at the Staff College, where he successfully completed the General Staff training course and was promoted to Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major).
In September 1942 he returned to the LSSAH and resumed command of the Sturmgeschütz Battalion until October when he was given command of the I/Battalion, SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH which at the time was in the process of forming.
Kharkov
His new battalion's first action was at Kharkov, fighting in blizzard conditions, with temperatures below freezing, they fought a number of battles which ended on the 9 February, when they halted the Russian advance and held the town of MerefaMerefa
Merefa is a city in eastern Ukraine. It is located in the Kharkivsky Raion of the Kharkiv Oblast .The current estimated population is around 23,679 ....
, at the same time inflicting heavy losses on the Russians.
On the 10th February they went on the attack in an attempt to relieve the encircled 1st SS Reconnaissance Battalion LSSAH still commanded by his old commander, Kurt Meyer.
On the 13th February Wünsche and his battalion succeeded in breaking through the lines to Meyer's beleaguered troops, saving them from destruction.
Together the two battalions formed a Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
(battle group) and continued the attack, defeating the Russian VI Guards Cavalry Corps by the 15th February, the same day that Kharkov was abandoned by the Russians. For these actions Wünsche was awarded the German Cross in Gold
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
.
On the 25th February Wünsche's Kampfgruppe located an enemy force approaching the Division's southern flank. Acting on his own, Wünsche carried out an attack encircling the Russians at Jeremejwka, destroying 52 heavy guns and causing over 900 casualties for the Russians. For this action he was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
on the 28 February 1943.
Hitlerjugend Division
In June Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche was ordered to transfer to a new division forming in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which later became the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was a German Waffen SS armoured division during World War II. The Hitlerjugend was unique because the majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were generally veterans of the Eastern...
(12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Youth), and take command of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment.
On 6 June 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
(Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
) on D Day and the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was committed to action on the 7 June. In the following battles Wünsche's Regiment was credited with the destruction of 219 tanks up to the beginning of July, which gained Wünsche the award of the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross.
The 12th SS Panzer was later trapped in what became known as the Falaise pocket
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
, on the night of 20 August, Wünsche, his adjutant SS-Hauptsturmführer Isecke, SS-Untersturmführer Fritz Freitag
Fritz Freitag
Fritz Freitag was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was the commander of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division Galicia and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He committed suicide at the end of the war in May 1945.-Early years:Fritz Freitag was born on 28 April 1894,...
and a wounded medical officer, escaped out of the pocket on foot. During the escape Wünsche was wounded in the calf and the Doctor was captured. On the 24 August, Isecke was captured, followed a short time later by the capture of Wünsche and Freitag.
Wünsche spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in camp 165 at Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
which was a special camp for high ranking German officers.
Post war
He was released in 1948 and returned to Germany.He married, had a family and became a manager of an industrial plant in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, until his retirement in 1980.
He died a few days short of his 81st birthday, on the 17 April 1995.
Further reading
- Thomas M. Durante (2007), The German Close Combat Clasp of World War II, ISBN 978-90-81230-11-7
- Manfred Dörr, Die Träger der Nahkampfspange in Gold, Heer-Luftwaffe-Waffen-SS 1943 - 1945 ISBN 3-7648-2585-5
- Walther-peer Fellgiebel The makers of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, 1939–1945, ISBN 3790902845