Otto Paetsch

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Otto Paetsch
File:OttoPatsch.jpg
Born 3 August 1909
Rheinhausen, Germany
Died 16 March 1945 (1945-03-17) (aged 35)
Altdamm, Stettin
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen SS
Years of service 1931–45
Rank Standartenführer
Unit 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
German Cross in Gold
Wound badge in Silver

Otto Paetsch (3 August 1909 – 16 March 1945) was a Standartenführer (Colonel) in the Waffen SS who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves during World War II.[1][2]

Career

Paetsch was born on the 3 August 1909, at Rheinhausen. In his early life he studied Theology at Tübingen Evangelical college.[1]

In 1931 he volunteered for the SS and was posted to the Germania Regiment, promoted on 20 April 1936 to Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) and made a Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 15th Company, Germania Regiment, and promoted again in April 1940 to Hauptsturmführer (Captain) and given command of the 15th Company.[1]

Heinz Harmel with Karl-Heinz Euling (on right) and Paetsch in February 1945.

After the Battle of France the Germania Regiment was used as the basis of a new SS division 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking, which from June 1941 fought in Operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union, when he was given command of the Reconnaissance Battalion in December 1941.[1]

On 20 April 1942, he was promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major) and awarded the German Cross in Gold for bravery. He was made the commander of the 10th SS Panzer Regiment and promoted to Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel), 3 November 1943. From June 1944 he led his regiment in Normandy, and distinguished himself in the fighting in the Avranches area and the breakout from Falaise (Falaise Pocket) for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross.[1]

In the autumn of 1944 he fought at Arnhem (Operation Market Garden) against the British 1st Airborne Division, then in early 1945 in Lower Alsace and in early 1945 was involved in the fighting in Pomerania, where on 16 March 1945 at Altdamm, he was fatally wounded.[1]

For the successful fighting at the Hagenau bridgehead and at Stettin he was awarded a posthumous award of the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross in May 1945 and promoted to Standartenführer (Colonel).[1][2]

Awards

Notes

  1. According to Scherzer as commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 10.[6]

References

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Thomas 1998, p. 139.
  4. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 342.
  5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 332.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 581.
  7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 101.

Bibliography

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