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Диддо Дидденс Diddo Diddens was born in Bunderhammrich in Ostfriesland on April 22nd 1917 a farmers son. He served as a Hitler Youth leader in his hometown and completing his compulsory six months R.A.D service, he joined the army. Commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve after the French campaign. First command was as commander of the II.Zug II./Sturmgeshtzabteilung 185. He was awarded the Knights cross on March 18th 1942 for his distinguished service during the winter fighting of 1941-42 knocking out 35 Soviet tanks. Diddens is said to have been very reluctant to leave StuG.Abt. 185 but luckily for Gd he did, to take over a platoon of Major Hans –Joachim Schipers newly formed “StuG.Abt GD” in the spring of 1942. Diddens and his platoon were with GD all the way to Voronezh, the Don and ending 1942 with the bitter defensive battles in and around Rzhev. Serving through 1943, Kursk, Kharkov and the retreat to the Dneiper river Oberleutnant Diddens built a reputation as a formidable and daring “Tank Killer”. By April 1944 Diddens was now in command of I./StuG.Abt GD and fighting in Romania. Diddens and his men supported an attack by II and III. Pz.Gr.Rgt GD in woods between Barbatetsi and Vascani, North of Targul-Frumos I. Batterie knocked out 23 anti-tank guns. Suddenly confronted by a large ammount of Soviet tanks in an assembly area, Diddens retreating back to the german lines knocked out a further 3 tanks and 2 anti-tank guns. This action was mentioned in a Wehrmacht communique of 27th April 1944. Between May 2- May 10 Diddens continued to distingiush himself but Characteristically insisted every soldier present had an equal share in the achievement by having their names published in an “order of the day”. The Soviets renewed their attacks on May 23rd North of Zahorna with heavy air support, an immediate counter thrust by StuG.Bde GD led by Diddens with Rittmeister Gerhard Schroeders Pz.A.A GD in support retook Zahorna but was then halted by overwhelming enemy forces. With Diddens and Schroeder seriously wounded the attack was called off. Diddens lay near death in an army hospital on June 15th after having his right leg amputated. Generaloberst Schrner visited to bestow on him the Eichenlaub to his knights cross, which his grave wounds, prevented him from receiving in person from Hitler. Schrner did everything possible to ensure that Diddens made a good recovery.He recieved letters wishing him well from his superiors, contemporaries and his men in GD. Eventually Diddens left hospital to resume light duties with local defences in his home town. http://www.grossdeutschland.net/Diddens.html