Wilhelm Mohnke (March 15th 1911 - August 6th 2001), S Brigadeführer, was one of the 120 members of origin of the SS-Stabswache Berlin formed in March 1933. It will have also been one of the last generals faithful to Adolf Hitler.

Mohnke goes up to the face in the rows of the 1 {{Re}} division S '' Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler '', at the time of the countryside of Poland, then during the invasion of the Balkans. After several vain attempts to equip the Leibstandarte with an armor-plated component, it is transferred in a battalion of reserve, then named commander of a regiment of the '' 12 {{E}} Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend ''.

It is with this regiment that it takes part in the Bataille of Caen. Its qualities of command are worth to him to be decorated with the Croix of iron, on July 11th, 1944 1. It takes part in the majority of the combat of the battles of Normandy, then takes the command of its division of origin, the 1 {{Re}} division S Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, which takes part in Bataille of the Ardennes which begins the December 16th 1944.

It continues to fight until the last days of the war. During the Battle of Berlin, it orders the Kampfgruppe Mohnke , in charge of the defense of the governmental districts of Berlin, and in particular of the Reichstag, called Die Zitadelle ( the Citadel ).

Beginnings

Wilhelm Mohnke was born with Lübeck on March 15th, 1911 1. His/her father, of which it carries the first name, is cabinetmaker. After the death of this one, Mohnke works for a firm of glass and porcelain, and probably occupies of the administrative duties.

It joined NSDAP on September 1st, 1931 1 and between with the S two months later.

With the face

The Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler

Mohnke orders the 5th company of the 2nd battalion of the 1 {{Re}} division S Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler during the countryside of France; March 28th, 1940 1, it succeeds the commander of the battalion, wounded.

It is still with the head of this battalion that it takes part in the invasion of the Balkans; at the first day of the offensive, April 6th, 1941 1, it is seriously wounded at the time of an air attack in Yugoslavia. He is opposed to the decision doctors who want to cut down it by a leg but the gravity of its wound however requires the amputation of a foot. During its convalescence, it is decorated with the Croix of iron out of gold.

Mohnke is at the origin of the formation of a section of armoured tanks ( panzerabteilung ) Within Leibstandarte, beginning 1942, as of its return to the active service. It charges its assistant, lieutenant Ralf Tiemann to draw up a list of recruits, which quickly proves sufficient to constitute two companies. After having transformed this list into order of transfer, Mohnke submits it to the commander of division, Sepp Dietrich, on January 14th, 1942 1, at the moment when this one introduces his new wife to her officers. Taken by surprise, Dietrich yields to the pressure and sign the document, creating thus officially the armor-plated component of division. Undoubtedly following this not very elegant method, Mohnke is raised of its command and is transferred in a battalion from reserve on March 16th, 1942 1.

Division Hitlerjugend

September 1st, 1943 1: 16000 recruits resulting from Hitlériennes Youths and born in 1926 constitute the main part of manpower of the news 12 {{E}} Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend.

The Obersturmbannführer Mohnke is named with the head of the second regiment of division, the 26e regiment S of Panzergrenadier S (mechanized infantry).

The structure of this unit regiment is not very conventional. Whereas it is officially a regiment of panzergrenadiers, only its IIIe battalion has armoured tanks. It also comprises a complementary unit, the 15th Aufklärungskompanie (company of recognition) which has armored vehicles. This company contributes to make 26e regiment S of panzergrenadiers a frightening force of combat.

While the large one of the 12edivision carries out hard combat to preserve the control of the Poche of Cliff, during which its losses are estimated between 40 and 50% of its manpower, Mohnke places its Kampfgruppe (group of combat) at the East of the Dives.

Whereas the situation of the German troops in France worsens day in day and that the face approaches the the Seine, Mohnke is one of those which organize defense on Western bank of the Seine in order to prevent its crossing.

August 31st, 1944 1, Mohnke succeeds Theodor Wisch, casualty, as a commander of 12 {{E}} Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend. He is preferred with the Standartenführer Joachim Peiper, which however has a greater experiment of the combat but which is undoubtedly still regarded as too young person that to order a division.

The battle of the Ardennes

See also: Battle of the Ardennes

The operation '' Wacht amndt Rhein '' is the large last offensive German. The 1 {{Re}} division S Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, unit of origin of Mohnke which took the command of it, must constitute the spearhead of the attack.

Attached to the IE Panzercorps S, the Leibstandarte , one of best divisions of the German troops, is nothing any more but the shade of itself. The severe losses which it underwent were compensated by the incorporation of very young soldiers, hardly trained before going up to the face. Moreover, German gasoline stocks are extremely reduced and Leibstandarte has only very few fuel reserves for its armored vehicles, which condition its capacity to be fought effectively. Mohnke however has a core of experienced and hardened officers. The operation is launched on December 16th, 1944 1.

The 17 in the morning, the Standartenführer Joachim Peiper and its group of combat seize a fuel depot of the American army with Büllingen. In the evening, the advanced elements of Leibstandarte start the combat with the 99e American division with Stavelot. The German advance appears slower than envisaged and it is slowed down by the destruction of bridges and gasoline depots by the troops American in retirement.

A new offensive is started on January 1st, 1945 1, but it is pushed back by the Allies which gathered their forces. The operation Wacht amndt Rhein finishes on January 27th, three days before the promotion of Mohnke to the rank of Brigadeführer.

The IE Panzercorps S is then transferred in Hungary where the German face crumbles. Mohnke is wounded there at the time of an air raid. It is then withdrawn from the face and affected in the reserve.

The battle of Berlin

See also: Battle of Berlin

After its convalescence, Monkhe is chosen by Hitler to ensure the defense of the district of the chancellery Berlin. It with this intention has a group of combat (`' Kampfgruppe'') of 69 battalions of the S, resulting from the regiment of guard of the 1 {{Re}} division S Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, battalions of reserve of this same division and units in charge of the close guard of the Führer and of Heinrich Himmler The troops of Monkhe, like those in charge of the defense of Berlin under the orders of the general Helmut Weitling, oppose a savage resistance to advanced of the Red Army , but they are the subject of April 20th, 1944 from May 1st to 8th 1944 1 of the most severe artillery bombardment of the second world war. They are exceeded soon by the number of the attackers.

The role of Monkhe in the execution, on April 29th, 1945 1 of Hermann Fegelein, S Gruppenführer and husband of the sister of Eva Braun remains not very clear. Captured whereas he deserted, Fegelein is shot at the request of Führer. If Monkhe ensures that it did everything to ensure marked true lawsuit in front of a council of war, this assertion is not confirmed by other witnesses.

After the suicide of Adolf Hitler, Monkhe is captured by the Soviet troops during its attempt to flee Berlin to go to the West.

A war criminal?

See also: Massacre of Baugnez

May 28th, 1940, of the elements of the 2° battalion of the regiment S Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, placed under the command of Mohnke, 80 British prisoners with Esquelbecq massacre. Mohnke is not continued for these facts in the immediate future post-war period because he is prisoner of the Russians until 1955. Its trace is found by the British and the file is reopened by German justice in 1988, but the prosecutor estimates that the evidence is insufficient to accuse it. In fact, the war crimes were current in this division of Waffen S since 1939 in Poland. One also allots to them the murder of 13 French prisoners of 110° R.I in Houlle (close to Watten) on May 26th, 1940. The general S, Sepp Dietrich, ordering unit knew about the murders and it can be regarded as person in charge of its exactions.

Its name is also mentioned in the Massacre of Baugnez made during the battle of the Ardennes by the 1 {{Re}} division S Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler and in the assassination of 35 Canadian prisoners of war in Fontenay Pesnel, by troops of the 12 {{E}} Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend, without legal continuations.

Post-war period

Monkhe is imprisoned by the Soviets after his capture, first of all with insulation, until 1949, then with the prison of Woikovo, from where it is released on October 10th, 1955 1.

After its release, he lives in Barsbüttel where he follows the occupation of salesman of commercial vehicles. He dies at eighty ten years, in a suburb of Hamburg, on August 6th, 2001 1.

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