Diedrich Lilienthal

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Diedrich Lilienthal (born June 21, 1921 in Moorhausen ; † August 28, 1944 in Baldone , Latvian SSR ) was a German sergeant in the Wehrmacht in World War II , after whom a barracks of the Bundeswehr was named.

Life

Lilienthal was called up on February 4, 1941, during the Second World War, to the 2nd Company of Panzerjäger Replacement Division 10. After four months of basic training, he was transferred to the 1st Company of Panzerjäger Department 290 of the 290th Infantry Division . He was not to leave this department until his death.

In December 1941 he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class for a scouting party in the Soviet Union . In 1942 he took part in a non-commissioned officer course and on December 1, 1942, he was promoted to non-commissioned officer . As a result, he was wounded several times by shrapnel. On February 15, 1943, Lilienthal succeeded in repelling a Soviet attack on his position. As a gun leader, he managed to destroy seven tanks and two 7.62 cm field cannons. The Soviet attack collapsed under defensive fire. Sergeant Lilienthal was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class for this.

The Red Army continued to attack the position on the following two days, wounding Sergeant Lilienthal, but remained with his gun. After three days, 18 destroyed Soviet tanks were in front of the NCO's position. Lilienthal was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 2, 1943 and promoted to sergeant major for this defensive performance .

Lilienthal was wounded six more times in the following months before he was seriously wounded by a shot in the stomach on August 14, 1944 and died 14 days later in the field hospital 329. His gravestone is in the cemetery of the Zionskirche in Worpswede , Osterholz district

In 1966 the Bundeswehr barracks in Delmenhorst- Adelheide was named "Lilienthal-Kaserne" and in 1970 it was renamed "Feldwebel-Lilienthal-Kaserne". Due to the traditional decree valid today , the rededication will take place in 2020.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Reinhard Müller: Warning Why does a barracks bear the name of Sergeant Diedrich Lilienthal? , in: FAZ , September 3, 2013, p. 8; FAZ archive
  2. ↑ 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. 507.
  3. ^ Esther Nöggerath: New name for Delmenhorster barracks . weser-kurier.de. October 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
personal data
SURNAME Lilienthal, Diedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German sergeant in the Wehrmacht
DATE OF BIRTH June 21, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Moorhausen
DATE OF DEATH August 28, 1944
Place of death Baldone , Latvian SSR