Werner Pötschke
Encyclopedia
Werner Herman Gustav Pötschke (6 March 1914 – 24 March 1945) was a German
SS
officer during World War II
, eventually rising to the rank of Sturmbannführer
.
in Belgium
on 6 March 1914. He joined the SS in 1935 with SS number 288 965, attached to the SS Disposal unit before being posted in 1938 to the SS-Standard "Der Führer" as a platoon commander.
in charge of a platoon of the reconnaissance company of the SS Regiment "Der Führer".
By 1940 and the start of the Battle of France
he was in command of the 1st Company, Reconnaissance Battalion, SS-Verfügungstruppe
.
In 1941 he took part in the Balkans campaign and fought from June 1941 in Russia.
In April 1942 he was given command of the 2nd SS Reconnaissance Battalion SS Division "Das Reich
", being awarded the German Cross in gold in November.
In April 1943, he was transferred to command the I Battalion, SS Panzer Regiment 1 "LSSAH" in Grafenwöhr
and Erlangen
, also seeing service in August 1943 in Italy
.
From December 1943 he was back in Russia and for his achievements in the cauldron of the Kamanets-Podolsky battle
was awarded the Knights Cross.
In November 1944 he was promoted to SS Sturmbannführer and given command of the SS Panzer Regiment 1 "LSSAH", which led the German attack during the Ardennes offensive.
After the failure of that attack the Division was moved to Hungary
and for his performance at the Gran
bridgehead on 15 March 1945 was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross. Later that month while fighting to the south of Veszprem
as a result of wounds to the lower extremities by mortar shells during a commanders' briefing on 23 March, he was seriously wounded and died of his wounds on 24 March 1945.
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...
SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
officer 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...
, eventually rising to the rank of Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
.
Early life
Pötschke was born in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 6 March 1914. He joined the SS in 1935 with SS number 288 965, attached to the SS Disposal unit before being posted in 1938 to the SS-Standard "Der Führer" as a platoon commander.
World War II
In 1939 he was involved in the invasion of PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in charge of a platoon of the reconnaissance company of the SS Regiment "Der Führer".
By 1940 and the start of 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...
he was in command of the 1st Company, Reconnaissance Battalion, SS-Verfügungstruppe
SS-Verfügungstruppe
The SS-Verfügungstruppe was formed in 1934 as combat troops for the NSDAP. By 1940 these military SS units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS....
.
In 1941 he took part in the Balkans campaign and fought from June 1941 in Russia.
In April 1942 he was given command of the 2nd SS Reconnaissance Battalion SS Division "Das Reich
Das Reich
Das Reich is the name of:* a German SS-division, see 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich* a national socialist newspaper, see Das Reich * the main work of German right-wing intellectual Friedrich Hielscher...
", being awarded the German Cross in gold in November.
In April 1943, he was transferred to command the I Battalion, SS Panzer Regiment 1 "LSSAH" in Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
and Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
, also seeing service in August 1943 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
From December 1943 he was back in Russia and for his achievements in the cauldron of the Kamanets-Podolsky battle
Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket
The Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, also known as Hube's Pocket, was a Wehrmacht attempt on the Eastern Front of World War II to evade encirclement by the Red Army....
was awarded the Knights Cross.
In November 1944 he was promoted to SS Sturmbannführer and given command of the SS Panzer Regiment 1 "LSSAH", which led the German attack during the Ardennes offensive.
After the failure of that attack the Division was moved to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and for his performance at the Gran
Gran
-Places:*Gran, the historical German name for Esztergom, a city and primatial seat of Hungary.*Gran, Norway-Other:*Widely used, predominantly British abbreviation for grandmother*Gran children's animation from the early 80's...
bridgehead on 15 March 1945 was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross. Later that month while fighting to the south of Veszprem
Veszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
as a result of wounds to the lower extremities by mortar shells during a commanders' briefing on 23 March, he was seriously wounded and died of his wounds on 24 March 1945.
Commands
- 1st Company SS-Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion Das Reich. (SS-Hauptsturmführer)
- 1st Company SS-Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH. (SS-Hauptsturmführer)
- 2nd SS-Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion Das Reich (SS-Hauptsturmführer)
- I/Battalion SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH (SS-Sturmbannführer)
- SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH (SS-Sturmbannführer)
See also
- Waffen SS
- 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf HitlerThe Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...
- 2nd SS Division Das Reich2nd SS Division Das ReichThe 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich was a Waffen-SS division during World War II. It is considered to be an elite formation amongst the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS....
- List of Knight's Cross holders 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler