Hauptmann ‘Hanns’ Magold As a 21-year old Oberleutnant on the Russian front, Magold was wounded in the left thigh by enemy machine gun fire on August 5, 1942, seriously enough to be sent back to Germany for a five month convalescence and returning to active duty in late January 1943. Oberleutnant Magold led his battery throughout the fluctuating fighting around the Kharkov area during February 1943. Noted in the battalion battle reports Magold’s batterie passed through the village of Grigorovka and destroyed numerous enemy sled-columns packed with troops and supplies on Hill 188 and reached as far as Alexandrovska where subsequently Soviet tanks appeared. During this engagement Magold personally accounted for five of the seven T-34´s that his batterie destroyed. In an attack on the village of Stanovoye on the 14th of March 1943, Magold achieved the remarkable feat of destroying 14 out of 15 Soviet tanks that his batterie encountered. Oberleutnant Magold was recommended for the award of the Ritterkreuz, which was bestowed on him on April 3, 1943 and soon afterwards, Magold was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann. On January 16th 1944, Hauptmann ‘Hanns’ Magold took over command of StuG.Abt. GD from Major Frantz. However Magold would not see the year out and on September 15, 1944, OKH announced that Hauptmann ‘Hanns’ Magold had fallen in action at the head of his brigade at Luzagora near the Dukla Pass in Poland. His brigade buried him with full military honors at the German military cemetery outside Garlice, near Warsaw.
Leutnant Wilhelm Wegener Wegener also severed Sturmgeschütz Battery 640 during the invasion of France and in July of 1940 was awarded the Iron Cross second class for his actions and transferred to Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland before the French campaign had even concluded. In 1941 Wachtmeister Wegener crossed the Soviet border with Infantry Regiment GD and after heavy fighting around Yelnya was awarded the Iron Cross first class after notable engagements with the enemy. However Wegener was wounded in the autumn, but fortunately made a good recovery and by year’s end held the rank of Oberwachtmeister. In June of 1943 he was awarded the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross for his daring exploits during the counter attack at Kharkov in March of that year. After heavy fighting to take the villages of Scherustow and Iskrowka, Wegener being the 1st batterie commander took the initiative after the lead vehicle was destroyed and inflicted heavy losses for the Soviets by destroying three 122mm Howitzers, a 76mm anti-tank gun and two 45mm light anti-tank guns. Fighting on to Alexandrowka, he accounted for a further four enemy tanks, two 122mm guns, eight 76 mm guns, and six 45mm anti-tank guns at Stanowje, and when the GD StuG unit ran into heavy Soviet opposition, twelve tanks were personally destroyed by Wegener and his crew. Fighting to the last shell, Wegener hurried to the rear, rearmed and refuelled, and then returned to take on forty more enemy tanks and continuing the fighting until relieved by Tiger tanks in the evening. Wegener spent the remaining months of 1944 in Munich for officer training before being commissioned to the rank of Leutnant and returning to the field with 3rd batterie of StuG.Bde.GD however within a few short months at the start of 1945 Wegener was seriously wounded during the bitter defensive fighting around Poland and East Prussia and spent the remainder of the war recovering from his wounds.
Hauptmann Diddo Diddens Diddens is another legendary GD StuG Commander and as Leutnant his first command was with II. Zug II StuG Abt 185. Awarded the Knights Cross in March of 1942 for his actions during the winter campaign 1941-42 were he knocked out 35 soviet tanks. In the spring of 1942 Diddens transferred to ‘StuG Abt GD’ and took command of a batterie following GD on campaign all the way to Voronezh on the Don and by the end of 1942 Diddens was taking part in the bitter defensive battles around Rzhev. 1943 brought new campaigns for Diddens in the form of Kharkov, Kursk salient and the retreat to the Dneiper River which the by now Oberleutnant Diddens had built up a stern reputation as a formidable and skilful tank killer. By April 1944 Diddens was now in command of 1./StuG.Abt. GD and involved in the heavy fighting for Romania. Supporting attacks by II and III Pz.Gr.Rgt. GD in the woods between Barbatetsi and Vascani, north of Targul-Frumos, Didden’s 1./ Batterie knocked out 23 anti-tank guns and when confronted by a large amount of soviet tanks forming up in an assembly area, Diddens, while making a tactical withdrawal destroyed a further 2 anti tank guns and 3 tanks, earning himself a mention in the Wehrmacht communiqué on 27th April 1944. During early May Diddens continued to distinguish himself, but unselfishly and charismatically declaring that everyman in his unit had also earned the same recognition as he did and in so doing had all their names mentioned in the ‘order of the day’. 23rd of May saw elements Stug.Abt. GD pounded north of Zahorna by renewed Soviet tank attacks supported by Il-2 Stumovoks to which 1./StuG.Bde. GD moved to counter and retake Zahorna in an attack lead by Diddens & Rittmeister Gerhard Schroeder’s Pz. A.A GD in support and only managing to take Zahorna for a short period before a decisive counter attack by the Soviets thwarted the assault on point 181 and in the process seriously wounding both Diddens and Schroeder. Diddens almost died in the attack having lost his leg and on June the 15th whilst near deaths door at a military hospital he was awarded the oak leaves to his knights cross for his actions. Diddens was held in great admiration by his men and superiors and fortunately made a good recovery from his wounds, enough to eventually return to light duties in his local defence area.
