Theodor von Watter

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Theodor von Watter

Theodor Freiherr von Watter (* 5. November 1856 in Gmund , † 22. January 1922 in Baden-Baden ) was a württembergischer General of Infantry in the First World War .

Life

Watter came from the old Pomeranian noble family of the von Watter . His cousin Oskar also took up the officer career, made it up to lieutenant general and was also awarded the Pour le Mérite order during the First World War.

Watter entered on April 6, 1874 as an ensign in the infantry regiment "Kaiser Friedrich, King of Prussia" (7th Württembergisches) No. 125 in Stuttgart . There he was promoted to second lieutenant on October 10, 1975 . As such, he served from March 1, 1877 to June 1, 1884 as an adjutant of the 2nd Battalion. In the meantime, Watter had become Prime Lieutenant on May 21, 1884 . From March 21, 1888 to May 4, 1890 he was assigned to the Great General Staff and then used Watter while being promoted to captain as a company commander in the infantry regiment "Grand Duke Friedrich von Baden" (8th Württembergisches) No. 126 in Strasbourg . After he had gained experience in military service there, he was transferred to the General Staff on September 23, 1891. From September 14, 1893, he was employed as first general staff officer in the general staff of the 31st Division and from June 18, 1895 in the same position in the 26th Division (1st Royal Württembergische) . As a major (since November 14, 1895) he was then on August 18, 1896, commander of the III. Battalion of the Grenadier Regiment "King Karl" (5th Württembergisches) No. 123 in Ulm . From April 21, 1898 Watter then acted as the first general staff officer of the XIII. (Royal Württemberg) Army Corps . After almost four years he was reassigned to the General Staff and at the same time he was assigned to the II Army Corps in Szczecin . It was here that he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 22, 1902, and from May 29, 1902, he was initially charged with running the Chief of Staff, before Watter was appointed chief on April 18, 1903. He left this post on April 21, 1905 and was promoted to colonel in command of the 6th Baden Infantry Regiment "Kaiser Friedrich III." No. 114, which was stationed in Constance . This regiment had u. a. to provide the guard company for Hohenzollern Castle . After two years of activity, on April 14, 1907, he took over the Grenadier Regiment "Queen Olga" (1st Württembergisches) No. 119 in Stuttgart. From March 24 to April 19, 1909 Watter was entrusted with the leadership of the 56th Infantry Brigade and was then appointed commander while being promoted to major general . Watter held this position until March 21, 1912. He was then transferred to Colmar to the 39th Division and initially charged with the command. A month later, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed division commander .

With the outbreak of World War I and mobilization , his division was involved in fighting for the first time near Mulhouse and Sennheim . A department was then able to take Thann . During the Battle of Lorraine on August 20, 1914, the division succeeded in pushing the French back on St. Léon. On August 30, 1914, Watter gave command of the division and was entrusted with the management of the XIV Army Corps . In association with the 6th Army , it took part in the battle of Arras and Lille . Then the corps went into positional warfare in Flanders and Artois . On March 9, 1915 Watters was replaced and his takeover as leader of the XIII. (Royal Wuerttemberg) Army Corps , which at that time was at Rawka - Bzura on the Eastern Front . From July 13, 1915, it then fought in the breakthrough battle on the Narew and Watter succeeded in taking the Różan fortress with its subordinate associations . In September 1915, the corps moved back to the Western Front and was initially used there in the autumn battle in Champagne . Then it was in reserve at Cambrai , where Watter was entrusted with training tasks. After intermittent battles on the Yser Canal, the Corps fought with the 1st Army in the Battle of the Somme . At the end of August, Watter, who had been General of the Infantry and Commanding General since August 18, 1916 , had to be pulled out of the front with his corps due to the fighting. For his achievements, Watter was awarded the Pour le Mérite by AKO on August 31, 1916. After the corps had supplemented its losses, it began again on the Somme from November 18, 1916 , before retreating to the Siegfried position in spring 1917 after further positional battles . It stayed here for the rest of the year. During the Battle of Cambrai , Watter was once again able to prove himself. Shortly before the start of the leadership offensive in March 1918, Watter had to resign from command due to illness. After restoring his health, he returned to the head of his corps in May 1918 and led it in the battle of Soissons . After the Battle of the Marne that followed, Watter was involved in permanent defensive battles against the advancing Allies until the end of the war and led his troops back home after the Armistice of Compiègne .

Watter then asked for his departure, which he was granted on December 20, 1918. At the same time he received permission to wear the uniform of the Grenadier Regiment "Queen Olga" (1st Württembergisches) No. 119.

Awards

literature

  • Hanns Möller: History of the knights of the order pour le mérite in the world war. Volume II: M-Z. Bernard & Graefe publishing house. Berlin 1935. pp. 471-474.
  • Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Christian Zweng: The knights of the order Pour le Mérite of the First World War. Volume 3: P-Z. Biblio Publishing House. Bissendorf 2011. ISBN 3-7648-2586-3 . Pp. 498-499.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Reichsarchiv (ed.): The World War 1914–1918. Volume 1: The border battles in the west. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1925, p. 162.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Ranking list of the Royal Prussian Army and the XIII. (Royal Württemberg Army Corps for 1914 , Ed .: War Ministry , Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1914, p. 97
  3. ↑ Otto von Moser : Die Württemberger in the world wars. 2nd expanded edition, Chr.Belser AG, Stuttgart 1928, p. 118.
  4. ↑ Otto von Moser: Die Württemberger in the world wars. 2nd expanded edition, Chr. Belser AG, Stuttgart 1928, p. 110 b.
  5. ↑ Otto von Moser: Die Württemberger in the world wars. 2nd expanded edition, Chr. Belser AG, Stuttgart 1928, p. 110 a.
personal data
SURNAME Watter, Theodor von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Watter, Theodor Freiherr von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Württemberg General of the Infantry in the First World War
DATE OF BIRTH November 5, 1856
PLACE OF BIRTH Gmuend
DATE OF DEATH January 22, 1922
Place of death Baden-Baden