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SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke (March 15, 1911 - August 6 2001) was one of Hitler's last remaining generals. During the Battle of Berlin he commanded a Kampfgruppe charged with defending the Berlin government area, including the Reichstag, nicknamed Die Zitadelle (The Citadel).
Early life
Wilhelm Mohnke was born in Lübeck, Germany on 15 March 1911. His father, who shared his name with his son, was a cabinet maker. After his father's death he went to work for a glass and porcelain manufacturer, eventually reaching a management position. Mohnke joined the Nazi Party on 1 September 1931, and the SS two months later.
Service
Mohnke led 5th company of the 2nd Battalion Infantry Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler at the outset of the Battle of France in 1940, taking over command of 2nd Battalion on 28 March after the Battalion commander was wounded. It was around this time that Mohnke was allegedly involved in the murder of 80 British prisoners of war (POWs) of the 48th Division near Wormhoudt. Mohnke was never brought to trial for these allegations, and when the case was reopened in 1988 a German prosecutor came to the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.
Four years later, Mohnke's name was again mentioned in connection with war crimes, this time as the commander of 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), where units under his command were charged with the Malmedy massacre. It is also alleged that Mohnke was responsible for the murder of 35 Canadian POWs while with the Hitlerjugend at Fountenay le Pesnel.
He commanded the 2nd Battalion during the Balkan campaign, where he lost his foot in a Yugoslavian air attack on 6 April 1941. It was the decision of the medics that his leg would need to be amputated, but Mohnke overrode that decision. His wound was so grievous that they were still forced to take his foot. While recuperating he was awarded the German Cross in Gold due to the severity of his injury.
It was Mohnke who planted the seed for the formation of the LSSAH Panzerabteilung early in 1942 after returning to active service. He charged Ralf Tiemann as his adjutant, whose first official task was finding recruits. Tiemann than proceeded to compile a list, eventually with enough names to fill two companies. While the newly wed Sepp Dietrich presented his new wife to his officers on 14 January, Mohnke presented divisional commander Sepp Dietrich with his personnel list, which had in the mean time turned into transfer orders. Dietrich, who was caught unaware, finally relented to Mohnke's pressure and signed the paper. So was born the Panzerwaffe of the Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler". It was not to be though, and Mohnke was relieved of his command and transferred to the replacement battalion on 16 March 1942.
This is where he was to remain until the formation of 12th SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend". He was given command of SS-Pz. Gren. Rgt 2. Leading the young grenadiers in Normandy, SS-Pz. Gren. Rgt 26 was responsible for holding the brunt of the allied offensives from 10-20 June. This resulted in Mohnke being awarded the coveted Knight's Cross on 11 July 1944.
Following the breakout and escape from Falaise, Mohnke was one of the few to lead organized resistance on the western bank of the Seine. He led this Kampfgruppe until 31 August, when he replaced the injured Theodor Wisch
Mohnke led the LSSAH throughout Wacht am Rhine, and was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer on 30 January 1945. SS-Brigadeführer Mohnke was forced to relinquish command a short while later as he was again injured in an air raid; this time suffering ear damage. After recovery Mohnke was appointed the commandant of the Reichs Chancellery defence, where he formed Kampfgruppe Mohnke which fought in the Battle of Berlin in late April early May 1945. His Kampfgruppe consisted of 9 Battalions, including the remnants of 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne.
Near End and Post War
SS-Brigadeführer Mohnke was captured by the Soviets while leading a group of survivors in an attempt to break out from the bunker. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement until 1949, then transferred to the Generals prison in Woikowo, remaining in captivity until 10 October 1955. He worked as a dealer in small trucks and trailers following his release, living in Barsbuttel in Germany.
Despite a campaign, led by the British Member of Parliament Jeff Rooker, to prosecute him for his alleged involvement in war crimes during the early part of the war, Wilhelm Mohnke was able to live out his last few years in peace. He died in the coastal village of Damp, near Eckenförde in Schleswig-Holstein in August 2001, ninety years old. André Hennicke later played Mohnke in the film Der Untergang.
1911 births | 2001 deaths | German World War II people | Nazi leaders | SS generals
"Wilhelm Mohnke"