(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Dr.rer.pol. Fritz Benicke
Born: 11 Aug 1894 in Charlottenburg
Died: 14 Mar 1975 in Starnberg
Doctorate In Political Science: 13 Jun 1922
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (00 Dec 1913); Fähnrich (22 Mar 1914); Leutnant (07 Aug 1914); Oberleutnant (22 Mar 1918); Hauptmann (01 Jun 1926); Major (01 Aug 1934); Oberstleutnant (01 Jan 1937); Oberst (01 Jan 1940); Generalmajor (01 Jul 1943); Generalleutnant (20 Jun 1944)
Career:
Entered Army Service (19 Jul 1913)
Fahnenjunker in the 20th Pioneer-Battalion (19 Jul 1913-19 Jan 1915)
Detached to the War School Hersfeld (15 Mar 1914-01 Aug 1914)
Transferred into the 77th Reserve-Pioneer-Regiment (19 Jan 1915-26 Apr 1916)
Company-Leader in the 77th Reserve-Pioneer-Regiment, At the same time, Temporarily Leader of the 376th Pioneer-Battalion (1917) and Pioneer-Commander of the 76th Reserve-Division (1918) (26 Apr 1916-13 Jan 1919)
Detached as Temporary 2nd General-Staff-Officer in the Staff of the 76th Reserve-Division (00 Aug 1918-00 Sep 1918)
Transferred into the 2nd Pioneer-Battalion (13 Jan 1919-28 Jan 1919)
Pioneer-Officer with Special Duties in the Staff of the 4th Infantry-Division, Border-Guards East (28 Jan 1919-31 Jan 1919)
Pioneer-Officer in the Staff of Border-Guard-Section Bromberg and Leader of the Pioneer-Company Bromberg (31 Jan 1919-08 Mar 1919)
Adjutant with District-Command Bromberg (08 Mar 1919-01 Apr 1919)
Transferred into the Staff of the Guards-Cavalry-Rifle-Division, later the 30th Reichswehr-Brigade (01 Apr 1919-28 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the Staff of the Infantry-Leader III (28 Oct 1919-17 Apr 1920)
At the same time, Detached to Reichswehr-Brigade von Dassel at East Prussia (27 Dec 1919-08 Apr 1920)
Transferred into the Staff of Military-District-Command III (17 Apr 1920-01 Oct 1920)
While retaining his previous post, was Transferred into the 5th Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-01 Jan 1921)
Transferred into the 9th Infantry-Regiment and detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of the 3rd Division (01 Jan 1921-01 Oct 1921)
At the same time, Detached to the 5th Artillery-Regiment (01 Jun 1921-01 Oct 1921)
While retaining his previous Command in the Staff of the 3rd Division, was transferred into the 4th Mounted-Regiment (01 Oct 1921-01 Oct 1924)
Detached to the 3rd Pioneer-Battalion (01 Oct 1922-01 Oct 1924)
Transferred into the 3rd Pioneer-Battalion (01 Oct 1924-01 Oct 1925)
Company-Chief in the 3rd Pioneer-Battalion (01 Oct 1925-01 Oct 1928)
Detached to Course for Machine and Motor Clientele (21 Nov 1927-11 Dec 1927)
Transferred into the RWM, on 21 May 1935 the RKM, WaA (01 Oct 1928-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of the 47th Pioneer-Battalion (15 Oct 1935-15 Mar 1940)
Commander of the 617th Special-Purpose-Pioneer-Regiments-Staff (15 Mar 1940-18 Dec 1940)
Pioneer Leader in Panzer-Group 1 (18 Dec 1940-05 Oct 1941)
Pioneer Leader of the 1st Panzer-Army (05 Oct 1941-05 Jun 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH and Detached to Division Leaders Course (05 Jun 1943-05 Nov 1943)
Detached to the Panzer Troop School (01 Aug 1943-20 Jul 1943)
General of Pioneers of Army-Group Centre (20 Jul 1943-31 Aug 1943)
Detached to the Panzer Troop School in Bergen (15 Sep 1943-15 Oct 1943)
Commander of the 25th Panzer-Grenadier-Division (05 Nov 1943-16 Apr 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (16 Apr 1944-01 May 1944)
Commander of the 41st Fortress-Division (01 May 1944-30 Jul 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (30 Jul 1944-01 Aug 1944)
Higher Pioneer Commander XI (01 Aug 1944-01 Dec 1944)
Commandant of the B1-Line in Military-District XXI – Fortress Upper Silesia (01 Dec 1944-08 May 1945)
In captivity (08 May 1945-1947)
Released (1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Deutsches Kreuz in Silber: am 26.01.1943 als Oberst und Pionierführer der 1. Panzerarmee
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Grossherzoglich Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern


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