Rudolf Demme
Encyclopedia
Rudolf August Demme was a German
General
during World War II
.
in Thuringia
. He entered Army Service (Reserves) on September 15, 1914 as a volunteer in the 1st Recruitment-Depot of the 11th Pioneer Replacement Battalion. During the first years of World War I
he served in different units mostly as a pioneer. On August 9, 1917, still as a NCO he became a platoon leader in the 3rd Field Company of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion. From July 15, 1918 to the end of the war Demme served as a platoon leader in 402nd Pioneer Company as Leutnant. When the war was over he retired from the active service on December 21, 1918.
Some 18 years later, on January 5, 1937, Demme reactivated in Reserve Service of the reincarnated German Army but he became an active officer on November 1, 1941 in the rank of the Oberstleutnant. From January 27, 1937 to January 1, 1939, after the infantry training course with the Instruction Infantry regiment Döberitz, he was a Head Trainer for the Condor Legion
in Spain
. At the same time, as an experienced pioneer officer, he was detached to Selection course with the 43rd Pioneer Battalion.
From January 1 to June 8, 1939 he served as an Officer with Special Duties of OKW
– Service with the Chief of OKW, Special-Staff W.
In the dawn of World War II Demme was transferred to the Staff of Training Leader Aachen 1 (June 8 – August 26, 1939) and then to the Staff of the Commander of Fortifications at the Lower Rhine
until April 10, 1940. In following years Rudolf Demme was a commanding officer in 208th Pioneer Replacement Battalion (April 10, 1940 – July 8, 1941), 92nd Panzer Pioneer Battalion (July 8 – December 15, 1941) and 58th Panzer Pioneer Battalion (December 15, 1941 – October 15, 1942), then he was transferred to Revitalization Staff Centre.
On January 10, 1943 Demme became a Commander the 59th Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment of the 20th Panzer Division
and led his unit through the bloody battles on the Eastern front
until July 25, 1944 (Orel
, Brjansk, Mogilew, Witebsk, Newel
, Bobruisk, Cholm). He was promoted to Oberst on July 1, 1944. From July 25 to September 20, 1944 he was in Führer’s Reserve and, at the same time, he was detached to the 14th Division Leaders Course, after which he was delegated with the Leadership of the 17th Panzer Division
.
In Führer’s Reserve OKH from December 2, 1944 and just few days later he was delegated with the Leadership of the 132nd Infantry Division (December 10, 1944 - March 1, 1945). Demme became a Generalmajor and the Commander of the 132nd Infantry Division on the same day, March 1, 1945, and led his division through the Courland Pocket
until the end of the war.
Demme was captured by the Soviets on May 8 and he spent next the 10 years in Soviet captivity from which he was released on October 6, 1955. He died in Meckenheim
-Merl.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
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...
.
Biography
Demme was born in MühlhausenMühlhausen
Mühlhausen is a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Unstrut-Hainich district, and lies along the river Unstrut. Mühlhausen had c. 37,000 inhabitants in 2006.-History:...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. He entered Army Service (Reserves) on September 15, 1914 as a volunteer in the 1st Recruitment-Depot of the 11th Pioneer Replacement Battalion. During the first years of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served in different units mostly as a pioneer. On August 9, 1917, still as a NCO he became a platoon leader in the 3rd Field Company of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion. From July 15, 1918 to the end of the war Demme served as a platoon leader in 402nd Pioneer Company as Leutnant. When the war was over he retired from the active service on December 21, 1918.
Some 18 years later, on January 5, 1937, Demme reactivated in Reserve Service of the reincarnated German Army but he became an active officer on November 1, 1941 in the rank of the Oberstleutnant. From January 27, 1937 to January 1, 1939, after the infantry training course with the Instruction Infantry regiment Döberitz, he was a Head Trainer for the Condor Legion
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. At the same time, as an experienced pioneer officer, he was detached to Selection course with the 43rd Pioneer Battalion.
From January 1 to June 8, 1939 he served as an Officer with Special Duties of OKW
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
– Service with the Chief of OKW, Special-Staff W.
In the dawn of World War II Demme was transferred to the Staff of Training Leader Aachen 1 (June 8 – August 26, 1939) and then to the Staff of the Commander of Fortifications at the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
until April 10, 1940. In following years Rudolf Demme was a commanding officer in 208th Pioneer Replacement Battalion (April 10, 1940 – July 8, 1941), 92nd Panzer Pioneer Battalion (July 8 – December 15, 1941) and 58th Panzer Pioneer Battalion (December 15, 1941 – October 15, 1942), then he was transferred to Revitalization Staff Centre.
On January 10, 1943 Demme became a Commander the 59th Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment of the 20th Panzer Division
German 20th Panzer Division
The 20th Panzer Division was formed on 15 October, 1940 in Erfurt, Germany. As part of Adolf Hitler's plans to double the number of Panzer Divisions, the 19th Infantry Division and a number of other units were cannibalized for men and material, and then restructured into the 20th Panzer Division....
and led his unit through the bloody battles on the Eastern front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
until July 25, 1944 (Orel
Oryol
Oryol or Orel is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow...
, Brjansk, Mogilew, Witebsk, Newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
, Bobruisk, Cholm). He was promoted to Oberst on July 1, 1944. From July 25 to September 20, 1944 he was in Führer’s Reserve and, at the same time, he was detached to the 14th Division Leaders Course, after which he was delegated with the Leadership of the 17th Panzer Division
German 17th Panzer Division
The 17th Panzer Division was a formation of the German Army in World War II. It was formed on November 1940 from 27th Infantry Division. It took part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, and in the winter of 1941–42 participated in the abortive German attack...
.
In Führer’s Reserve OKH from December 2, 1944 and just few days later he was delegated with the Leadership of the 132nd Infantry Division (December 10, 1944 - March 1, 1945). Demme became a Generalmajor and the Commander of the 132nd Infantry Division on the same day, March 1, 1945, and led his division through the Courland Pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
until the end of the war.
Demme was captured by the Soviets on May 8 and he spent next the 10 years in Soviet captivity from which he was released on October 6, 1955. He died in Meckenheim
Meckenheim
Meckenheim is a town in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km south-west of Bonn.-References:...
-Merl.
Promotions
- GefreiterGefreiterGefreiter is the German, Swiss and Austrian equivalent for the military rank Private . Gefreiter was the lowest rank to which an ordinary soldier could be promoted. As a military rank it has existed since at least the 16th century...
: July 24, 1915 - UnteroffizierUnteroffizierUnteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
: September 22, 1915 - VizefeldwebelFeldwebelFeldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
: June 3, 1917 - Leutnant der Reserve: September 28, 1917
- Oberleutnant der ReserveOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
: October 1, 1938 - HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
: January 1, 1939 - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
: January 30, 1939 - OberstleutnantOberstleutnantOberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
: November 1, 1941 - OberstOberstOberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
: July 1, 1943 - Generalmajor: March 1, 1945
Decorations & Awards
- Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
: August 14, 1943, Oberst, Commander of the 59th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with OakleavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
: July 28, 1944, Oberst, Führer’s Reserve. - Tank Destruction Badge in SilverTank Destruction BadgeThe Tank Destruction Badge was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by an hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award...
: (1 kill), Oberst, Commander of the 59th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. - German Cross in GoldGerman CrossThe 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...
: September 20, 1942, Oberstleutnant, 92nd Panzer Pioneer Battalion.