Hellmuth Becker
Encyclopedia
Hellmuth Becker was a SS-Brigadeführer (Brigadier General) und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
. He was also the commander of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf.
, Brandenburg
. In August 1920, he joined the Army in the 5th Infantry Regiment at Angermunde
.
In 1928 he was promoted to Stabsfeldwebel (Warrant Officer) in the 2nd Artillery Regiment at Szczecin
.
At the end of his service in 1933 he joined the SS and met Wilhelm Bittrich
and Hermann Prieß.
According to his personnel file, he joined his service on 01.01.1934 and on 17.06.1934 was appointed adjutant of the 74th SS-Standarte.
In 1935 Becker was transferred to the SS Totenkopf association "Bavaria" as the commander of the recruit training company, also being responsible for the units transport. In 1937 Becker was promoted to Sturmbannführer
(Storm Unit Leader/Major) and in 1938 was again promoted to Obersturmbannführer
(Senior Storm Unit Leader/Lieutenant Colonel).
Becker's unit was involved in the Anschluss
of Austria
and the occupation of the Sudetenland
.
the 1st SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment was upgraded into the new motorized division the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf. After the Battle of France
Becker was promoted to Standartenführer
(Regiment Leader/Colonel) and given command of the 1st Battalion,1st Infantry Regiment Totenkopf.
After the start of Operation Barbarossa
Becker assumed temporary Command of the Regiment, even after being wounded he remained in command and was officially appointed Regimental commander in August 1941. In September 1941 his command included a Motorcycle Battalion in a Kampfgruppe
during the battle of the Demyansk Pocket
, and for his performance during the battle was awarded the German Cross in gold.
With the conversion of the division to an Armoured Division in the autumn of 1942 Becker, was made commander of the 6th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, which after the death of Theodor Eicke
adopted his name as an honour title.
In the course of the war on the Eastern Front in 1943 Becker displayed his steadfastness and determination in key situations and on 7 September 1943 was awarded the Knight's Cross
.
The regiment in August 1943 was ordered to capture the city of Nikotowka and the heights 199 and 197. After heavy fighting Becker decided to attack with his reserve battalion by advancing in front of a neighboring Division, which was not involved in the attack. He succeeded in the seizure of height 197, and the rolling up of the other two positions. Due to the success of the attack the Division advanced to Mertschik, destroying two Russian divisions, two armored brigades and one motorised brigade. For his actions and command of the division during combat in 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross
.
In October, he was given command of the Division, until March 1944 when he assumed command of the 16th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
in Italy
and promoted to Oberführer
(Senior Leader/Brigadier General).
After Hermann Prieß was given the task of forming the XIII. SS Army Corps Becker was again in July 1944 given command of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and in September 1944 awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross for the Division actions in Romania
and the fighting around Grodno. He was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer (Major General) und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS. Becker was twice mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht
(radio report) on 1 January 1945 and 2 January 1945.
In the next few weeks, the Division was involved in fighting to the east of Warsaw
and Modlin
and in December moved to Hungary
for the battles around Budapest
.
to Vienna
, shortly before the surrender of German forces. They then attempted to surrender to the Americans, but the local U.S. commanders refused to accept their surrender and handed them over to the Russians.
In captivity Becker repeatedly looked out for his soldiers and became a problem for the guards. In November 1947 he was put on trial before a Soviet military court in Poltava
and sentenced to 25 years forced labor, rebuilding destroyed villages, where it is alleged that a fellow prisoner reported him for building a dud grenade in a brick wall, and in February 1953 was shot for the supposed sabotage.
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
. He was also the commander of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf.
Early life
Becker was born on 12 August 1902 in NeuruppinNeuruppin
Neuruppin is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. Located on the shore of Ruppiner See , it is the capital of the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin. Population: 32,800 .-Overview:...
, Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. In August 1920, he joined the Army in the 5th Infantry Regiment at Angermunde
Angermünde
Angermünde is a town in the district of Uckermark in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the Mündesee, 43 miles northeast of Berlin on the Berlin–Szczecin railway...
.
In 1928 he was promoted to Stabsfeldwebel (Warrant Officer) in the 2nd Artillery Regiment at Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
.
At the end of his service in 1933 he joined the SS and met Wilhelm Bittrich
Wilhelm Bittrich
Wilhelm Bittrich was an SS-Obergruppenführer and Waffen-SS General during World War II.-Overview:...
and Hermann Prieß.
According to his personnel file, he joined his service on 01.01.1934 and on 17.06.1934 was appointed adjutant of the 74th SS-Standarte.
In 1935 Becker was transferred to the SS Totenkopf association "Bavaria" as the commander of the recruit training company, also being responsible for the units transport. In 1937 Becker was promoted to Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Storm Unit Leader/Major) and in 1938 was again promoted to Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Senior Storm Unit Leader/Lieutenant Colonel).
Becker's unit was involved in the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the occupation of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
.
World War II
With the beginning of World War IIWorld 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...
the 1st SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment was upgraded into the new motorized division the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf. After 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...
Becker was promoted to Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
(Regiment Leader/Colonel) and given command of the 1st Battalion,1st Infantry Regiment Totenkopf.
After the start of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
Becker assumed temporary Command of the Regiment, even after being wounded he remained in command and was officially appointed Regimental commander in August 1941. In September 1941 his command included a Motorcycle Battalion in a Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
during the battle of the Demyansk Pocket
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
, and for his performance during the battle was awarded the German Cross in gold.
With the conversion of the division to an Armoured Division in the autumn of 1942 Becker, was made commander of the 6th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, which after the death of Theodor Eicke
Theodor Eicke
Theodor Eicke was a SS Obergruppenführer , commander of the SS-Division Totenkopf of the Waffen-SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. His Nazi Party number was 114,901 and his SS number was 2,921...
adopted his name as an honour title.
In the course of the war on the Eastern Front in 1943 Becker displayed his steadfastness and determination in key situations and on 7 September 1943 was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
.
The regiment in August 1943 was ordered to capture the city of Nikotowka and the heights 199 and 197. After heavy fighting Becker decided to attack with his reserve battalion by advancing in front of a neighboring Division, which was not involved in the attack. He succeeded in the seizure of height 197, and the rolling up of the other two positions. Due to the success of the attack the Division advanced to Mertschik, destroying two Russian divisions, two armored brigades and one motorised brigade. For his actions and command of the division during combat in 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
.
In October, he was given command of the Division, until March 1944 when he assumed command of the 16th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
The 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS was a Panzergrenadier formation of the Waffen-SS during World War II.-History:Formed in November 1943 when Volksdeutsche recruits were added to the Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS, which was used as the cadre in the formation of the new division...
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...
and promoted to Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
(Senior Leader/Brigadier General).
After Hermann Prieß was given the task of forming the XIII. SS Army Corps Becker was again in July 1944 given command of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and in September 1944 awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross for the Division actions in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and the fighting around Grodno. He was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer (Major General) und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS. Becker was twice mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht
Wehrmachtbericht
The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
(radio report) on 1 January 1945 and 2 January 1945.
In the next few weeks, the Division was involved in fighting to the east of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Modlin
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
and in December 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...
for the battles around Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Captivity
The division crossed the river DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, shortly before the surrender of German forces. They then attempted to surrender to the Americans, but the local U.S. commanders refused to accept their surrender and handed them over to the Russians.
In captivity Becker repeatedly looked out for his soldiers and became a problem for the guards. In November 1947 he was put on trial before a Soviet military court in Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
and sentenced to 25 years forced labor, rebuilding destroyed villages, where it is alleged that a fellow prisoner reported him for building a dud grenade in a brick wall, and in February 1953 was shot for the supposed sabotage.