Theodor Scherer
Encyclopedia
Generalleutnant Theodor Scherer (September 17, 1889 – May, 1951) was a divisional commander in the Wehrmacht
in World War II
.
n schoolmaster in 1889.
He was commissioned into the army in 1910, and served in various machine gun
detachments throughout World War I
. He spent the next 15 years serving as a police officer before rejoining the army in 1935 with the rank of Oberstleutnant
.
In October 1941, Scherer was chosen - no doubt because of his police experience - to take command of Security Division 281. These security divisions were not frontline combat formations, but were lightly equipped for ensuring the security of the areas behind the front, which often contained partisan
s and Red Army
stragglers. Despite this modest divisional command, Scherer was to be in the right place at the right time to find fame in one of the most dramatic actions of the winter crisis of 1941 on the Eastern Front
.
Cholm is a small town on the Lovat River
, and one of the few areas of firm terrain
in a region with more than its fair share of swamp
land. By January 1942 the area was under severe pressure from the Soviet counter-offensive; the area held by the Wehrmacht
was gradually compressed into a perimeter barely a mile across, and by January 21 the town was completely surrounded. Inside this redoubt were a number of disparate units including elements of two infantry regiments, a battalion from a Luftwaffe
field regiment, a police reserve battalion
, transport units, and even some navy personnel from river craft, plus Scherer’s headquarters: in all, around 5,500 men.
This Kampfgruppe Scherer at first possessed no anti-tank guns; and artillery bombardments destroyed most of the houses, leaving the Germans without shelter in the bitter cold. The lack of cover was also important in that Russian snipers took a regular toll of German soldiers. Fortunately for Scherer, there was no flexibility to the Soviet tactics; the Germans were able to predict accurately where and when each new assault would be made, allowing them to concentrate their meagre resources in that particular sector. Crucially, they were also able to radio for supporting artillery fire from outside the pocket.
As the siege wore on, overwhelming pressure of numbers allowed the Soviets to capture and maintain a foothold in the town’s eastern outskirts. Ambushes were laid, and as the Soviet troops advanced through the narrow streets, in which their supporting tanks were unable to manoeuvre, they were scythed down or forced to withdraw in disarray.
Finally, on May 5, 1942, supported by a massive artillery barrage and Stuka dive bombers, a relief force broke through to the garrison, which by then numbered only 1,200 men still fit for action. For 107 days Scherer’s men had held off all enemy attempts to seize the town, although the Red Army had launched almost 2,000 individual assaults on the town.
For this achievement, Scherer was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on February 20, 1942 (while the siege was still underway). Hitler authorised the ‘Cholm Shield’ in memory of the battle and Scherer was awarded the Eichenlaub.
Scherer was given home leave to have the award presented to him by Hitler in person, then in June 1942 Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen replaced him at 281. In September he replaced Fürst in command of 34. Infanterie-Division. He was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 November and the following day he transferred to command of 83. Infanterie-Division
, replacing Sinzinger. This was deployed in Velikije Luki on the left flank of Heeresgruppe Mitte, with little contact to either flank. Hochbaum replaced him at 34. Infanterie.
’s LIX Armeekorps was entrusted with a rescue mission but had no units available. Accordingly, OKH ordered Heeresgruppe Nord to relieve the city but their attempt with 8. Panzer-Division (Erich Brandenberger
) failed two days later.
Further relief attempts went in with Jaschke’s 20. Infanterie-Division (Motorisiert), 291. Infanterie-Division (Goeritz) and remnants of Scherer’s division outside the pocket, all under Jaschke’s command, and 331. Infanterie-Division (Beyer) with supporting elements, under Heeresgruppe Mitte’s Chef des Generalstabes, Wöhler. These attacks were halted on 12 December. The German defenders in Velikije Luki were now desperate, as the Soviets had split them into three pockets. They held for four long weeks until finally a battle group broke through to them; however this was in turn encircled. Finally the city fell on 16 January 1943 as the few survivors broke out but less than 200 men made it to the German lines.
83. Infanterie was engaged in defensive fighting under Heeresgruppe Mitte through 1943, until transferred to Heeresgruppe Nord in the autumn. It was deployed on the Leningrad
front at the beginning of 1944. Heun replaced Scherer briefly in January, then permanently on 1 April that year.
In mid-April 1945 Scherer was transferred from a senior staff position at 4 Panzer-Armee to take over the defence of the Schwarzen Elster river line against the Russians, near the Elbe
, which was defended by XLVIII Panzer-Korps (Maximilian von Edelsheim
). He was later responsible for the southern sector of the Elbe under von Edelsheim.
Scherer was killed in a car accident at Ludwigsburg
in May 1951.
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in 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...
.
Early life
Theodor Scherer was born to a BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n schoolmaster in 1889.
He was commissioned into the army in 1910, and served in various machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
detachments throughout 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 spent the next 15 years serving as a police officer before rejoining the army in 1935 with the rank of Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant 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...
.
Army career
In 1940 he was given command of the newly formed Infanterie Regiment 507, which he led throughout the campaign in the West.In October 1941, Scherer was chosen - no doubt because of his police experience - to take command of Security Division 281. These security divisions were not frontline combat formations, but were lightly equipped for ensuring the security of the areas behind the front, which often contained partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
s and Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
stragglers. Despite this modest divisional command, Scherer was to be in the right place at the right time to find fame in one of the most dramatic actions of the winter crisis of 1941 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...
.
Cholm
Lovat River
The Lovat River is a river in Belarus and Russia. It flows out of Lovatets Lake in northwestern Belarus, and flows north through Pskov and Novgorod Oblasts of Russia into Lake Ilmen. Its main tributaries are the Kunya, Polist, Redya, and Robya Rivers....
, and one of the few areas of firm terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
in a region with more than its fair share of swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
land. By January 1942 the area was under severe pressure from the Soviet counter-offensive; the area held by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
was gradually compressed into a perimeter barely a mile across, and by January 21 the town was completely surrounded. Inside this redoubt were a number of disparate units including elements of two infantry regiments, a battalion from a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
field regiment, a police reserve battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, transport units, and even some navy personnel from river craft, plus Scherer’s headquarters: in all, around 5,500 men.
This Kampfgruppe Scherer at first possessed no anti-tank guns; and artillery bombardments destroyed most of the houses, leaving the Germans without shelter in the bitter cold. The lack of cover was also important in that Russian snipers took a regular toll of German soldiers. Fortunately for Scherer, there was no flexibility to the Soviet tactics; the Germans were able to predict accurately where and when each new assault would be made, allowing them to concentrate their meagre resources in that particular sector. Crucially, they were also able to radio for supporting artillery fire from outside the pocket.
As the siege wore on, overwhelming pressure of numbers allowed the Soviets to capture and maintain a foothold in the town’s eastern outskirts. Ambushes were laid, and as the Soviet troops advanced through the narrow streets, in which their supporting tanks were unable to manoeuvre, they were scythed down or forced to withdraw in disarray.
Finally, on May 5, 1942, supported by a massive artillery barrage and Stuka dive bombers, a relief force broke through to the garrison, which by then numbered only 1,200 men still fit for action. For 107 days Scherer’s men had held off all enemy attempts to seize the town, although the Red Army had launched almost 2,000 individual assaults on the town.
For this achievement, Scherer was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The 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...
on February 20, 1942 (while the siege was still underway). Hitler authorised the ‘Cholm Shield’ in memory of the battle and Scherer was awarded the Eichenlaub.
Scherer was given home leave to have the award presented to him by Hitler in person, then in June 1942 Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen replaced him at 281. In September he replaced Fürst in command of 34. Infanterie-Division. He was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 November and the following day he transferred to command of 83. Infanterie-Division
83rd Infantry Division (Germany)
The 83rd Infantry Division, , was a German military unit that fought in several notable actions during World War II.-Formation:The division was formed December 1, 1939, at Bergen, and consisted of reservists from the north of Germany .It had the following organisation:*Infanterie-Regiment...
, replacing Sinzinger. This was deployed in Velikije Luki on the left flank of Heeresgruppe Mitte, with little contact to either flank. Hochbaum replaced him at 34. Infanterie.
83 Infanterie
As Scherer took over 83. Infanterie, the Russians struck with the Third Shock Army. The division was quickly isolated in the city as the Russians bypassed it and by 20 November the city was encircled. Some 7,500 men from the division were trapped in the city itself. Von der ChevallerieKurt von der Chevallerie
Kurt Wilhelm Gustav Erdmann von der Chevallerie was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 1. Armee. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
’s LIX Armeekorps was entrusted with a rescue mission but had no units available. Accordingly, OKH ordered Heeresgruppe Nord to relieve the city but their attempt with 8. Panzer-Division (Erich Brandenberger
Erich Brandenberger
Adolf Robert Erich Brandenberger was a German General der Panzertruppe. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves....
) failed two days later.
Further relief attempts went in with Jaschke’s 20. Infanterie-Division (Motorisiert), 291. Infanterie-Division (Goeritz) and remnants of Scherer’s division outside the pocket, all under Jaschke’s command, and 331. Infanterie-Division (Beyer) with supporting elements, under Heeresgruppe Mitte’s Chef des Generalstabes, Wöhler. These attacks were halted on 12 December. The German defenders in Velikije Luki were now desperate, as the Soviets had split them into three pockets. They held for four long weeks until finally a battle group broke through to them; however this was in turn encircled. Finally the city fell on 16 January 1943 as the few survivors broke out but less than 200 men made it to the German lines.
83. Infanterie was engaged in defensive fighting under Heeresgruppe Mitte through 1943, until transferred to Heeresgruppe Nord in the autumn. It was deployed on the Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
front at the beginning of 1944. Heun replaced Scherer briefly in January, then permanently on 1 April that year.
Inspector of Coastal Defences
In mid-April 1944 Scherer was appointed Inspektor des Küstenschutzes beim Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber Ostland (Inspector of Coastal Defences in Ostland), under the Militärbefehlshaber, Kempf.In mid-April 1945 Scherer was transferred from a senior staff position at 4 Panzer-Armee to take over the defence of the Schwarzen Elster river line against the Russians, near the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
, which was defended by XLVIII Panzer-Korps (Maximilian von Edelsheim
Maximilian von Edelsheim
Konstanz Johann Georg Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords....
). He was later responsible for the southern sector of the Elbe under von Edelsheim.
Scherer was killed in a car accident at Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg urban district with about 87,000 inhabitants...
in May 1951.