Ernst Sieler

Ernst Sieler
Born	22 August 1893 Altenburg
Died	6 October 1983 (aged 90) Bernau
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1913–45
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	304th Infantry Division LIX Army Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Soviet Vistula–Oder Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Ernst Sieler (22 August 1893 – 6 October 1983) was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the LIX. Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Sieler surrendered to the Soviet forces in the course of Red Army's Vistula–Oder Offensive. He was held in the Soviet Union as a war criminal until 1955.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (14 September 1914) & 1st Class (1 July 1916)^[1]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (11 May 1940) & 1st Class (23 May 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 23 February 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 304. Infanterie-Division^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 12 September 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 46^[3]
  • 502nd Oak Leaves on 24 June 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 304. Infanterie-Division^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 321.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 444.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 325.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 71.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Stockert, Peter (2012). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 6 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 6] (in German) (3rd ed.). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.