Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin

Infobox Military Person
name=Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin
lived=4 September 1891 – 9 January 1963
placeofbirth=Waldshut
placeofdeath=Freiburg


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
flagicon|Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Heer
serviceyears=
rank=General der Panzertruppe
commands=17. Panzer-Division
XIV. Panzerkorps
unit=
battles=World War I
World War II
awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
laterwork=

Frido von Senger und Etterlin (4 September 1891 – 9 January 1963) was a German general during World War II.

Frido von Senger und Etterlin was born in Waldshut, Germany, into an aristocratic Roman Catholic family. He started his military career in 1910, serving in an artillery regiment. After that he went to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He participated in World War I as a lieutenant.

After World War I, he continued to serve in the Reichswehr as a squadron commander of 18th Cavalry Regiment. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1927, to lieutenant-colonel in 1936 and to colonel in 1939, while commanding the 22nd Cavalry Regiment.

During the Battle of France, von Senger und Etterlin commanded the "Schnelle Brigade von Senger" and was part of the German commission for the French-Italian Armistice of 1940. On September 1, 1941, he was promoted major-general.

In October 10, 1942, von Senger und Etterlin received the command of the 17th Panzer Division in Southern Russia. On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant-general. In June 1943 he received the command of the German forces in Sicily during the Battle of Sicily. In August 1943, he also commanded German formations on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. He successfully conducted the evacuation from all of these islands when the German position there became untenable. On October 8, 1943, he received the command of the XIV Panzer Korps in Italy, and on January 1, 1944, he was promoted General der Panzertruppen.

During the Battle of Monte Cassino, von Senger und Etterlin was responsible for the very successful defense of the Gustav Line, which included Monte Cassino. The German position was only broken by the Allies in May, 1944. [http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=121587]

Frido von Senger und Etterlin was one of the generals who opposed the principles of Nazism, but unlike many of his fellow anti-Nazis he was not implicated in the plot to kill Hitler.

After the war he wrote his memoirs, entitled "Neither Fear nor Hope" (which were translated into English), and he continued to write on military matters and theory.

Post-war he took part in a BBC Radio discussion on the Battle of Monte Cassino with Dan Davin, who had also been a Rhodes Scholar, and Desmond (Paddy) Costello, who like Davin had been in Freyberg’s Intelligence team.

In 1959 Frido von Senger und Etterlin wrote "Die Deutschen Panzer" an illustrated encyclopaedia of WWII German armoured vehicles. This book has become the prime reference book for German armour enthusiasts.

He was interviewed on the BBCTV programme Face to Face in 1960.

Frido von Senger und Etterlin died in Freiburg.

Awards

* Eisernes Kreuz 2. and 1. Klasse
* Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub
** Ritterkreuz (8 Feb 1943)
** Eichenlaub (5 Apr 1944)

ee also

* Senger Line

References

* Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
* "Neither fear nor hope: the wartime career of general Frido von Senger und Etterlin, defender of Cassino" - translated from the German by George Malcolm (1963, Macdonald, London)