Friedrich Köchling

Friedrich Köchling (born June 22, 1893 in Ahaus ; † June 6, 1970 in Coesfeld ) was a German officer , most recently a general of the infantry in World War II .

Life

Koechling was born the son of the invoice Council Georg Koechling (* 1865 in Ahaus) and his wife, acquired in February 1912 at the High School Coesfeld a high school and entered on March 1, 1912 as an officer cadet in the eighth Lothringische Infantry Regiment. 159 and was there on 19 November 1912 Ensign appointed, and on August 18, 1913 Lieutenant promoted. With the outbreak of the First World War and the mobilization , he was transferred with the regiment to the western front and initially used as a company commander. From October 3, 1915 to January 15, 1917 he served as an adjutantin the 2nd battalion of his regiment and was promoted as such to first lieutenant on October 5, 1916 . He then worked as a machine gun officer in the regimental staff until mid-May 1917, before he was employed as a regimental adjutant. Koechling was from July 10 to Oct. 5, 1918 as aide to AOK 9 commanded, then to the war as a company commander used and then for the return of the troops in the garrison Mülheim as commander of III. Battalion deployed. After he was demobilized in Burgsteinfurt in mid-February 1919 , he joined the Schulz Freikorps formed from parts of the regiment .

Köchling was taken over into the provisional Reichswehr on October 1, 1919 and belonged to the Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 14 for one year. He was then transferred to the 16th Infantry Regiment in Oldenburg . After his promotion to captain , he commanded the 8th MG company of his regiment from February 1, 1924. With his promotion to major on October 1, 1933, he joined the staff of the 1st Battalion. For another year he acted as commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Oldenburg Infantry Regiment, from which the 58th Infantry Regiment was formed. Köchling led the III. Battalion until September 1, 1938, in the meantime was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1936 and then transferred to the upper command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) until November 10, 1938 . There he was initially special commissioner of the OKW to the Reich Youth Leadership and from September 17, 1938 to the beginning of October 1938, liaison officer and military advisor of the OKW to the Sudeten German Freikorps . He was made colonel on January 1, 1939 , and made available until August 26, 1939.

Shortly before the start of the Second World War, he was appointed commander of the 287th Infantry Regiment, which he led during the campaign in the west and then in Russia . On April 10, 1942, Köchling was entrusted with the leadership of the 254th Infantry Division , appointed its commander on May 1, 1942 and promoted to major general on June 1 in this capacity . After his replacement on September 5, 1942, he was assigned to the Führerreserve for over a year , promoted to Lieutenant General there on January 1, 1943 , and appointed Commander Crimea from October 15 to December 1, 1943. He was then commissioned to run the XXXXIV until February 15, 1944 . Army Corps and then until March 15, 1944 with the leadership of XXXXIX. Mountain Corps . In the meantime, Köchling had been promoted to General of the Infantry on February 1, 1944. From June 25th to September 21st, 1944 he acted as commanding general of the Xth Army Corps and then in the same function with the LXXXI. Army Corps . On April 13, 1945, Köchling became a prisoner of war in the United States , from which he was released on June 30, 1947.

Awards

Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
Wound badge (1918) in silver
Clasp for the Iron Cross, 2nd and 1st class
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on July 31, 1942
German cross in gold on November 2, 1941

literature

Dermot Bradley : The Generals of the Army 1921–1945 Volume 7 Knabe-Luz ; Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf 2004; ISBN 3-7648-2902-8 , pp. 52-53
Erich Stockhorst: 5000 people. Who was what in the 3rd Reich . Arndt, Kiel 2000, ISBN 3-88741-116-1 (unchanged reprint of the first edition from 1967).

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehrministerium , Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Berlin 1925, p. 160
↑ ^a ^b Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 454.

personal data
SURNAME	Kochling, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German officer, most recently General of the Infantry in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH	June 22, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH	Ahaus
DATE OF DEATH	June 6, 1970
Place of death	Coesfeld

[Rangliste1925-1] Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehrministerium , Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Berlin 1925, p. 160

[Scherzer-2] Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 454.