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'''Fridolin Rudolf Theodor Ritter und Edler von Senger und Etterlin''' (September 4, 1891 – January 9, 1963) was a German general during [[World War II]].
'''Fridolin Rudolf Theodor, [[Ritter]] und [[Edler]] von Senger und Etterlin''' (September 4, 1891 – January 9, 1963) was a German general during [[World War II]].


==World War II==
==Biography==
Born in 1891, Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin began his military career in 1910, serving in an artillery regiment and took part in Senger fought in the [[World War I]]. After the war served the ''[[Reichswehr]]'' of the [[Weimar Republic]]. He took part in the [[Battle of France]] in 1940. In October 10, 1942, Senger und Etterlin was given command of the [[17th Panzer Division]] in Southern Russia. In June 1943, during the [[Battle of Sicily]] he was German Liaison Officer to the Italian 6th Army, and commanded the German units on the island until 17 July 1943, when General [[Hans-Valentin Hube]]'s XIV Panzer Corps assumed command. In August 1943, he took command of the German forces on the islands of [[Sardinia]] and [[Corsica]]. He conducted the evacuation from all of these islands when the German position there became untenable. On October 8, 1943, he received the command of the [[XIV Panzer Corps]] in Italy.


===Early life===
⚫
During the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]], Senger und Etterlin fought at the [[Gustav Line]], which included [[Monte Cassino]]. The German position was only broken by the Allies in May, 1944.<ref>Fridd von Senger und Etterlin (sic) ''An Cosantoir'', n.d.</ref> There was an ironic twist to the battle: the monastery overlooking the town of Cassino which was destroyed by Allied bombing belonged to the [[Benedictine Order|Benedictines]], the order of which Senger was a lay member.<ref name="Majdalany46">Majdalany (1957), p. 46</ref> Before the battle General von Senger und Etterlin employed the transportation facilities of, among others, the Hermann Goering Panzer Division, to evacuate the treasures of the monastery.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}
Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin was born in [[Waldshut-Tiengen|Waldshut]], Germany, into an [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocratic]] [[Roman Catholic]] family. He began his military career in 1910, serving in an artillery regiment. After that he went to the [[University of Oxford]] as a [[Rhodes Scholar]].


===First World War===
⚫
Frido von Senger und Etterlin was one of the generals who opposed the principles of Nazism, and he refused to carry out Hitler's order to execute some 200 Italian officers taken prisoner after Italy switched sides.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dupuy|first1=Trevor N.|title=A Genius For War: The German Army General Staff, 1807-1945|date=1977|publisher=Prentice-Hall, Inc.|location=Englewood Cliffs, NJ|isbn=0-13-351114-6|page=282}}</ref>{{request quotation|1977 source for "one of the generals who opposed the principles of Nazism" is dated / potentially unreliable, depending on what this this is being sourced to in the book|date=June 2016}} Though he did not take part in the [[July 20 Plot]] to kill Hitler, his known anti-Nazi feelings resulted in his contribution to the defence of Cassino being played down by the German authorities.<ref name="Majdalany46"/>{{request quotation|1957 source for "known anti-Nazi feelings" is dated / potentially unreliable, depending on what this this is being sourced to in the book|date=June 2016}}
Senger fought in the [[World War I|First World War]], beginning it in 1914 as a second lieutenant and being promoted to lieutenant in 1918.
After the war he continued to serve in the ''[[Reichswehr]]'' as a squadron commander in the 18th Cavalry Regiment. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1924, to major in 1932, lieutenant-colonel in 1936, and colonel in 1939, while commanding the 22nd Cavalry Regiment.


==Post-war activities==
===Second World War===
During the [[Battle of France]], Senger und Etterlin commanded the ''Schnelle Brigade von Senger'' (Senger's Fast Brigade), and was part of the German commission for the French-Italian Armistice of 1940. On September 1, 1941, he was promoted to ''Generalmajor'' (brigadier-general).
⚫
In 1950, Senger und Etterlin was one of the authors of the [[Himmerod memorandum]] which addressed the issue of rearmament (''[[Wiederbewaffnung]]'') of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II. He wrote his memoirs, published in English as {{cite book| title=Neither fear nor hope: the wartime career of general Frido von Senger und Etterlin, defender of Cassino| first=Fridolin| last=von Senger und Etterlin| others=translated from the German by George Malcolm| year=1963| publisher=Macdonald| location=London}}. He was invited to the Konigswinter conferences by [[Lilo Milchsack]]. These annual conferences helped to heal the bad memories after the end of the [[Second World War]]. At the conference he worked with the politician [[Hans von Herwath]], future German President [[Richard von Weizsäcker]] and other leading German decision makers as well as British politicians like [[Dennis Healey]], [[Richard Crossman]] and the journalist [[Robin Day]].<ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/15th-august-1992/41/long-life Long Life: Presiding Genius], Nigel Nicholson, 15 August 1992, The Spectator, Retrieved 28 November 2015]</ref>


On October 10, 1942, Senger und Etterlin was given command of the [[17th Panzer Division]] in Southern Russia. On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to ''Generalleutnant'' (major-general). In June 1943, during the [[Battle of Sicily]] he was German Liaison Officer to the Italian 6th Army (General Alfredo Guzzoni) defending Sicily, and commanded the German units on the island until 17 July 1943 when General der Panzertruppe Hans-Valentin Hube arrived in Sicily with his XIV Panzer Corps headquarters staff and assumed control of all German and, later, Italian troops on the island.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/General_der_Panzertruppe_Fridolin_von_Senger_und_Etterlin.htm|title=Island Farm Prisoner of War Camp: 198/Some of the Prisoners Held at Special Camp 11|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}</ref> In August 1943, he took command of the German forces on the islands of [[Sardinia]] and [[Corsica]]. He conducted the evacuation from all of these islands when the German position there became untenable. On October 8, 1943, he received the command of the [[XIV Panzer Corps]] in Italy, and on January 1, 1944, he was promoted to [[General der Panzertruppe]] (lieutenant-general of armoured troops).
⚫
Frido von Senger und Etterlin died in 1963. He was the father of [[Bundeswehr]] General and military author [[Ferdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin]] (1923–1987).

⚫
During the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]], Senger und Etterlin fought at the [[Gustav Line]], which included [[Monte Cassino]]. The German position was only broken by the Allies in May, 1944.<ref>Fridd von Senger und Etterlin (sic) ''An Cosantoir'', n.d.</ref> There was an ironic twist to the battle: the monastery overlooking the town of Cassino which was destroyed by Allied bombing belonged to the [[Benedictine Order|Benedictines]], the order of which Senger was a lay member.<ref name="Majdalany46">Majdalany (1957), p. 46</ref>

Before the battle General von Senger und Etterlin employed the transportation facilities of, among others, the Hermann Goering Panzer Division, to evacuate the treasures of the monastery.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}.

⚫
Frido von Senger und Etterlin was one of the generals who opposed the principles of Nazism, and he refused to carry out Hitler's order to execute some 200 Italian officers taken prisoner after Italy switched sides.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dupuy|first1=Trevor N.|title=A Genius For War: The German Army General Staff, 1807-1945|date=1977|publisher=Prentice-Hall, Inc.|location=Englewood Cliffs, NJ|isbn=0-13-351114-6|page=282}}</ref> Though he did not take part in the [[July 20 Plot]] to kill Hitler, his known anti-Nazi feelings resulted in his contribution to the defence of Cassino being played down by the German authorities.<ref name="Majdalany46"/>

===After the war===
⚫
After the war he wrote his memoirs, entitled ''Neither Fear nor Hope'' (which were translated into English), and he continued to write on military matters and theory. He was invited to the Konigswinter conferences by [[Lilo Milchsack]]. These annual conferences helped to heal the bad memories after the end of the [[Second World War]]. At the conference he worked with the politician [[Hans von Herwath]], future German President [[Richard von Weizsäcker]] and other leading German decision makers as well as British politicians like [[Dennis Healey]], [[Richard Crossman]] and the journalist [[Robin Day]].<ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/15th-august-1992/41/long-life Long Life: Presiding Genius], Nigel Nicholson, 15 August 1992, The Spectator, Retrieved 28 November 2015]</ref>

In 1950, Senger und Etterlin was one of the authors of the [[Himmerod memorandum]] which addressed the issue of rearmament (''[[Wiederbewaffnung]]'') of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II.

He took part in a BBC Radio discussion on the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]]. He was interviewed on the BBC TV programme ''[[Face to Face (British TV series)|Face to Face]]'' in 1960.

⚫
Frido von Senger und Etterlin died in [[Freiburg]]. He was the father of [[Bundeswehr]] General and military author [[Ferdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin]] (1923–1987).


==Awards==
==Awards==
* [[Iron Cross]] (1914)
** 2nd Class (28 June 1915)
** 1st Class (17 August 1917)
* [[Wound Badge]] (1914)
** in Black
* [[Order of the Zähringer Lion|Knight's Cross Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords]]
* [[Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918]]
* [[Wehrmacht Long Service Award]] 4th to 1st Class
* [[Iron Cross]] (1939)
** 2nd Class (20 May 1940)
** 1st Class (8 July 1940)
* [[German Cross]] in Gold on 11 October 1943 as ''[[Generalleutnant]]'' and commander of the German Wehrmacht on Corsica<ref>Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 442.</ref>
* [[German Cross]] in Gold on 11 October 1943 as ''[[Generalleutnant]]'' and commander of the German Wehrmacht on Corsica<ref>Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 442.</ref>
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves]]
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves]]
Line 41: Line 69:
** 439th Oak Leaves on 5 April 1944 as ''[[General der Panzertruppe]]'' and commanding general XIV. Panzerkorps
** 439th Oak Leaves on 5 April 1944 as ''[[General der Panzertruppe]]'' and commanding general XIV. Panzerkorps
* Mentioned in the [[Wehrmachtbericht]] on 5 October 1943
* Mentioned in the [[Wehrmachtbericht]] on 5 October 1943

===''Wehrmachtbericht'' reference===
{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
!Date
!Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording
!Direct English translation
|-
| 5&nbsp;October&nbsp;1943 || {{lang|de|''Unter Führung des Generalleutnants von Senger und Etterlin, der als letzter mit seinem Stabe die Insel verließ, ist hier in ständigen Kampf gegen nachdrängende Badogliotruppen, Gaullisten und Amerikaner und gegen eine starke feindliche Überlegenheit zur See und in der Luft erneut eine einzigartige Leistung vollbracht worden.''}}<ref>Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, pp. 575–576.</ref> || Under the leadership of Lieutenant-General von Senger and Etterlin, who was the last with his staff to leave the island, again achieved a unique accomplishment in constant battle against pursuing [[Pietro Badoglio|Badoglio]] troops, [[Gaullists]] and Americans, and against a strong enemy superiority at sea and in the air.
|}

==See also==
* [[Hitler Line|Senger Line]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}


==References==
==References==
{{Refbegin}}
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book| first=Fred| last=Majdalany| title=Cassino: Portrait of a Battle| publisher=Longmans, Green| location=London| year=1957}}
*{{cite book| first=Fred| last=Majdalany| title=Cassino: Portrait of a Battle| publisher=Longmans, Green| location=London| year=1957}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Fellgiebel
|first=Walther-Peer
|authorlink=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
|year=2000
|origyear=1986
|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile
|trans_title= The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches
|language=German
|location=Friedberg, Germany
|publisher=Podzun-Pallas
|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
|last1=Patzwall
|last1=Patzwall
Line 57: Line 114:
|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall
|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall
|isbn=978-3-931533-45-8
|isbn=978-3-931533-45-8
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Schaulen
|first=Fritjof
|year=2005
|title=Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann
|trans_title=Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color III Radusch – Zwernemann
|language=German
|location=Selent, Germany
|publisher=Pour le Mérite
|isbn=978-3-932381-22-5
}}
}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
Line 69: Line 137:
|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2
|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2
}}
}}
* {{cite book| title=Neither fear nor hope: the wartime career of general Frido von Senger und Etterlin, defender of Cassino| first=Fridolin| last=von Senger und Etterlin| others=translated from the German by George Malcolm| year=1963| publisher=Macdonald| location=London}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
|last=Thomas
|last=Thomas
Line 80: Line 149:
|isbn=978-3-7648-2300-9
|isbn=978-3-7648-2300-9
}}
}}
*''Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943'' (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
{{Refend}}
{{Refend}}


==External links==
{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-mil}}

Revision as of 07:45, 15 June 2016

Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin
Born(1891-09-04)4 September 1891
Waldshut, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire
Died9 January 1963(1963-01-09) (aged 71)
Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance German Empire(to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service / branchHeer
RankGeneral der Panzertruppe
Commands17. Panzer-Division
XIV. Panzerkorps
Battles / warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
RelationsFerdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin

Fridolin Rudolf Theodor, Ritter und Edler von Senger und Etterlin (September 4, 1891 – January 9, 1963) was a German general during World War II.

Biography

Early life

Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin was born in Waldshut, Germany, into an aristocratic Roman Catholic family. He began his military career in 1910, serving in an artillery regiment. After that he went to the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

First World War

Senger fought in the First World War, beginning it in 1914 as a second lieutenant and being promoted to lieutenant in 1918. After the war he continued to serve in the Reichswehr as a squadron commander in the 18th Cavalry Regiment. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1924, to major in 1932, lieutenant-colonel in 1936, and colonel in 1939, while commanding the 22nd Cavalry Regiment.

Second World War

During the Battle of France, Senger und Etterlin commanded the Schnelle Brigade von Senger (Senger's Fast Brigade), and was part of the German commission for the French-Italian Armistice of 1940. On September 1, 1941, he was promoted to Generalmajor (brigadier-general).

On October 10, 1942, Senger und Etterlin was given command of the 17th Panzer Division in Southern Russia. On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to Generalleutnant (major-general). In June 1943, during the Battle of Sicily he was German Liaison Officer to the Italian 6th Army (General Alfredo Guzzoni) defending Sicily, and commanded the German units on the island until 17 July 1943 when General der Panzertruppe Hans-Valentin Hube arrived in Sicily with his XIV Panzer Corps headquarters staff and assumed control of all German and, later, Italian troops on the island.[1] In August 1943, he took command of the German forces on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. He conducted the evacuation from all of these islands when the German position there became untenable. On October 8, 1943, he received the command of the XIV Panzer Corps in Italy, and on January 1, 1944, he was promoted to General der Panzertruppe (lieutenant-general of armoured troops).

During the Battle of Monte Cassino, Senger und Etterlin fought at the Gustav Line, which included Monte Cassino. The German position was only broken by the Allies in May, 1944.[2] There was an ironic twist to the battle: the monastery overlooking the town of Cassino which was destroyed by Allied bombing belonged to the Benedictines, the order of which Senger was a lay member.[3]

Before the battle General von Senger und Etterlin employed the transportation facilities of, among others, the Hermann Goering Panzer Division, to evacuate the treasures of the monastery.[citation needed].

Frido von Senger und Etterlin was one of the generals who opposed the principles of Nazism, and he refused to carry out Hitler's order to execute some 200 Italian officers taken prisoner after Italy switched sides.[4] Though he did not take part in the July 20 Plot to kill Hitler, his known anti-Nazi feelings resulted in his contribution to the defence of Cassino being played down by the German authorities.[3]

After the war

After the war he wrote his memoirs, entitled Neither Fear nor Hope (which were translated into English), and he continued to write on military matters and theory. He was invited to the Konigswinter conferences by Lilo Milchsack. These annual conferences helped to heal the bad memories after the end of the Second World War. At the conference he worked with the politician Hans von Herwath, future German President Richard von Weizsäcker and other leading German decision makers as well as British politicians like Dennis Healey, Richard Crossman and the journalist Robin Day.[5]

In 1950, Senger und Etterlin was one of the authors of the Himmerod memorandum which addressed the issue of rearmament (Wiederbewaffnung) of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II.

He took part in a BBC Radio discussion on the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was interviewed on the BBC TV programme Face to Face in 1960.

Frido von Senger und Etterlin died in Freiburg. He was the father of Bundeswehr General and military author Ferdinand Maria von Senger und Etterlin (1923–1987).

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
5 October 1943 [Unter Führung des Generalleutnants von Senger und Etterlin, der als letzter mit seinem Stabe die Insel verließ, ist hier in ständigen Kampf gegen nachdrängende Badogliotruppen, Gaullisten und Amerikaner und gegen eine starke feindliche Überlegenheit zur See und in der Luft erneut eine einzigartige Leistung vollbracht worden.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)[7] Under the leadership of Lieutenant-General von Senger and Etterlin, who was the last with his staff to leave the island, again achieved a unique accomplishment in constant battle against pursuing Badoglio troops, Gaullists and Americans, and against a strong enemy superiority at sea and in the air.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Island Farm Prisoner of War Camp: 198/Some of the Prisoners Held at Special Camp 11".
  2. ^ Fridd von Senger und Etterlin (sic) An Cosantoir, n.d.
  3. ^ a b Majdalany (1957), p. 46
  4. ^ Dupuy, Trevor N. (1977). A Genius For War: The German Army General Staff, 1807-1945. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. p. 282. ISBN 0-13-351114-6.
  5. ^ Long Life: Presiding Genius, Nigel Nicholson, 15 August 1992, The Spectator, Retrieved 28 November 2015]
  6. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 442.
  7. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, pp. 575–576.

References

  • Majdalany, Fred (1957). Cassino: Portrait of a Battle. London: Longmans, Green.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-22-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • von Senger und Etterlin, Fridolin (1963). Neither fear nor hope: the wartime career of general Frido von Senger und Etterlin, defender of Cassino. translated from the German by George Malcolm. London: Macdonald.
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
Military offices
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Rudolf-Eduard Licht
 Commander of 17th Panzer Division
10 October 1942 – 16 June 1943 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Walter Schilling
Preceded by
General der Panzertruppe Joachim Lemelsen
 Commander of 14. Armee
15 October 1944 – 24 October 1944 		Succeeded by
General der Artillerie Heinz Ziegler

Template:KCwithOL

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