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Oberst Albrecht Wüstenhagen (October 19, 1892 – April 26, 1944)
Albrecht Wüstenhagen was the son of Otto Wüstenhagen and his wife Emma. On May 24, 1913, he joined the field artillery regiment King Karl (1st Württemberg) No. 13 as a cadet. On January 27, 1914, he was promoted to ensign and on August 8, 1914 to lieutenant. On July 16, 1916, he became a battalion adjutant of the 1st Battalion and on December 20, 1916 regimental adjutant in the 223rd Foot Artillery Regiment. On July 22, 1918, he married Margarethe Seyffert. The marriage produced two sons and a daughter. On October 26, 1918, he became so ill that he had to be admitted to a hospital. After his recovery, he became a reserve officer in the 24th Foot Artillery Regiment on July 2, 1919. After the end of World War I, he was discharged from military service on July 29, 1919.
After agricultural training, Albrecht Wüstenhagen became an agricultural official in Hecklingen in 1921 and in Klostermannsfeld in 1922. From 1923 he was estate administrator in Ermsleben. On June 1, 1935, he was accepted into the army as a captain (E) and adjutant in the field equipment administration IX. On November 1, 1936, he was activated and transferred to the 17th Artillery Regiment. From October 12, 1937, he was battery chief of the 9th battery and on April 1, 1938, he was promoted to major. On April 1, 1939, he became the commander of the 1st department of the 22nd Artillery Regiment and on May 1st, 1939, he became the commander of the 2nd department of the 30th Artillery Regiment. On December 1, 1940, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, on November 28, 1941, Commander of the Artillery Regiment 129. On April 1, 1942, he was promoted to colonel. On December 2, 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross. From September 25, 1943, he was in charge of the 110th Infantry Division. On December 1, 1943, he was promoted to major general and appointed commander of the 256th Infantry Division. On April 26, 1944, he fell southwest of Vitebsk. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general on June 1, 1944. (From Lexikon der Wehrmacht)
“During the weeks-long defensive battle near Rzhev Oberst Wüstenhagen has showed demonstrated heroic bravery on countless occasions. Through his actions in the foremost line, as well as the outstanding conduct of his Regiment’s artillery fire, he has had a decisive role in ensuring the holding of the Division’s defensive front against a tenfold superior enemy. In particular, his incredible leadership abilities and ruthless employment of his person were responsible for preventing an enemy breakthrough in the direction of Rzhev on the 24.08.1942. Following a three-hour artillery barrage the enemy’s 31st Army attacked with 5 rifle divisions and 2 tank brigades. They broke through a part of the frontline and began a steady assault against Bertinowo, a decisive piece of high ground and the lynchpin of the flank position of the 129. Infanterie-Division southeast of Rzhev (see sketch). In this major crisis Oberst Wüstenhagen personally intervened in the foremost line. On his own initiative he deployed the 1., 2., 4. and 5 Batterien for close combat against enemy tanks and organized a new line of resistance. Here he rallied straggling infantry elements, and by his unstoppable boldness and skillful leadership the enemy attack was brought to a halt. Where Oberst Wüstenhagen appeared, the infantry were able to gather new courage despite the overwhelming enemy artillery fire (enemy batteries of all calibers were being concentrated on this point). In the face of about 20 Katyusha rocket launchers, tank fire from about 30-40 enemy tanks and the fury of all infantry weapons, the friendly infantry were able to once again take up the defensive battle against the oncoming masses of Bolsheviks. Oberst Wüstenhagen was the soul of resistance (in the literal sense of the word) among the thin friendly ranks. By the evening of the day hundreds of dead Russians littered the battlefield. 10 tanks were destroyed by Wüstenhagen’s Batterien. The coordinated enemy attack by 5 rifle divisions and 2 tank brigades had been smashed. On this day the Artillerie-Regiment lost 6 officers plus 75 NCOs and men, as well as 6 light leFH 18 howitzers through enemy action. The victor of this day, Oberst Wüstenhagen, had prevented a strong Russian breakthrough aimed at the flank and rear of Rzhev as well as the interdiction of the railway line Saytschewka-Rzhev (vital for the XXVII. and VI. Armee-Korps). Details of the deed by Oberst Wüstenhagen have only now come to light following the cessation of hostilities due to the loss of many officers from his Regiment.” (From Traces of War)
Knights Cross of the Iron Cross formal award document issued to Oberst Albrecht Wüstenhagen on parchment with an integral blank front leaf, Führerhauptquartier, December 2, 1942. The ornately lettered document is executed in India ink and gold with a hand-inked signature of Adolf Hitler at the bottom. The parchment is just the slightest bit wavy, as is very common in such documents, but otherwise fine condition. Award documents for the Knight’s Cross are rare, even though Hitler granted over 7,000 of them. A severe backlog soon developed and, in the end, very few recipients of the award ever received their large formal award documents.
The document is part of a veteran bring-back that we proudly offer here for the very first time. The GI opted to bring 9 single formal documents in one red presentation leather folder (Mappe) which is offered in this auction (USA LOT US3-0100).
NAME
Knights Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross
DATE OF INSTITUTION
1. September 1939 as the third and new grade of the re-instituted Order of the Iron Cross
AWARD CRITERIA
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy and for outstanding merit in troop leadership. The awarding required the previous awarding of the two lower grades. The Knights Cross was solely awarded by the Führer upon the proposal of the soldiers unit and issued by the Heerespersonalamt. The Knights Crosses were stored at the Ordenskanzlei in Berlin, to be sent to the awardee after approval. There were no Knights Crosses stored at any level of the Wehrmacht before the end of April 1945.
MANUFACTURERS
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was produced by seven manufacturers, not including variations amongst the individual companies. The Knights Crosses can be found either unmarked (early Juncker and 3/4 Ring), with a silver content mark, with an LDO number (L/12 and L/52), and later on with the company’s Präsidialkanzlei number (2, 20, 65, and 4). Private sales were forbidden after October 1941.
AWARD NUMBERS
Accurate numbers are not known but the closest estimation is around 7,200, and most likely another couple of hundred on stock at the Präsidialkanzlei.
AWARD DOCUMENTS
The awardee received a preliminary document in A5 format and issued in the name of the Führer by the responsible personnel offices of the three branches of the Wehrmacht. The formal document (Große Mappe) was issued later and only until date of late 1942 / early 1943 due to the huge backlog.
WEARING METHOD
The Knights Cross was worn around the neck on a wider red white and black ribbon which came within the black award case of the Knights Cross.