CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘A dumb vain man, who felt that he ought to be a Nazi but didn’t quite know what to do about it. He tried to make up for his lack of height by a certain snappishness of manner but was, nervertheless, not unpleasant.’ Sattler had not been keen on fighting to the last bullet at Cherbourg. After Schlieben refused to let him sail out from the almost encircled enclave by E-boat (see SRGG 949, 4.7.1944, TNA WO 208 4168), he surrendered his force of 400 to US troops a few days later, upon receipt of their ultimatum. Naval Group West considered Sattler’s conduct ‘a completely incomprehensible procedure undoubtedly contrary to Hitler’s instructions’ (see Neitzel, ‘Kampf um die deutschen Atlantik- und Kanalfestungen’, p. 390).
70. GENERALLEUTNANT HANS SCHAEFER
Born Triptis/Orla, 3.4.1892. Prot. Entered Army 28.2.1912. WWI: Leutnant, including Grenadier-Reg.10. Reichswehr: 1.4.1936 Oberst leutnant; 1.10.1938 Oberst. WWII 1.9.1939–2.2.1942 CO, Inf.Reg.127, Poland, and 251, Poland and France; 3.2.1942–31.12.1942 CO, 252.Inf.Div.; 1.4.1942 Generalmajor; 1.1.1943 Generalleutnant; 1.1.1943–5.6.1943 CO, 332.Inf.Div.; 28.7.1943 awarded German Cross in Gold; 14.4.1944 CO, 244.Inf.Div. and CO, Marseilles fortifications; 28.8.1944 PoW (US); to CSDIC (West) in France, camp near Marseilles, later Revin north of Charleville; 1.1.1945 Trent Park.
CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘Created a rather bad impression on arrival at No. 11 Camp. He appears to be self-centred and self-satisfied, adopting the air of a spoilt child. He seems not to be a good mixer and is rather intolerant. He appears to be anti-Nazi. He thinks steps should be taken to induce the Wehrmacht to give up the struggle; at the same time he does not believe any such approach has hope of success as long as the Wehrmacht remains one fighting whole.’
71. GENERALLEUTNANT KURT WILHELM VON SCHLIEBEN
Born Eisenach, 30.10.1894. Prot. WWI: 11.8.1914 entered Army, Leutnant, 3.Garde-Reg. zu Fuss; 1.8.1938 Oberstleutnant. WWII: 16.8.1939 – June 1940, adjutant to acting CO, XIII.Armeekorps; 15.8.1940–20.7.1942 CO, Schützen-Reg.108 (mot.); 1.8.1941 Oberst; 20.7.1942–31.1.1943 CO, 4.Schützen-Brigade; 1.2.1943–31.3.1943 acting CO, 208.Inf.Div.; 17.3.1943 awarded Knight’s Cross; 1.5.1943 General major; 1.4.1943–7.9.1943 CO, 18.Pz.Div.; from 12.12.1943 CO, 709.Inf.Div.; 1.5.1944 Generalleutnant; 21.6.1944 CO, Cherbourg fortifications; 26.6.1944 taken PoW at his Octeville command post; 1.7.1944–9.8.1945 Trent Park. Repatriated 7.10.1947. Died Giessen, 18.6.1964.
CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘With his pink complexion, round boyish face, huge bulk and lumbering gait he gives the appearance of an overgrown, mentally under-developed school-boy type who will bully his inferiors and toady to his superiors. At first very truculent. Polite firmness proved successful. Has more bluff that guts. Like most prisoners of war he is much inclined to self-pity. Conversation with him revealed colossal ignorance. He said the Russians were a primitive people who had really achieved little. Scotland was a completely unknown place to him. He asked if it were hilly or flat.’
72. GENERALLEUTNANT PAUL SEYFFARDT
Born Weilburg, 4.3.1894. Prot. Entered Army 27.1.1912. WWI: Inf.Reg.161, Western Front, finally Oberleutnant and regimental adjutant Reichswehr squadron cdr, Reiter-Reg.15 and 16. Reichswehr: 31.7.1937 Oberstleutnant, from 16.2.1939 Inf.Reg.111. WWII: 12.3.1940 CO, Inf.Reg.111; 17.1.1942 awarded Knight’s Cross; 19.7.1942 Oberst; 12.4.1942–4.11.1943 acting CO then CO, 205.Inf.Div.; 15.5.1943 Generalmajor; 21.1.1944 Generalleutnant; from 7.2.1944 CO, 348.Inf.Div., France; 7.9.1944 PoW Marbaix; 21.9.1944–25.10.1944 Trent Park. Died Baden-Baden, 20.9.1979.
Seyffardt, who in August 1941 received the Infantry Assault Badge as regimental commander, was assessed on 7.11.1943 as follows: ‘Dashing personality, of pronounced leader-type nature. Knows how to transmit National Socialist philosophy to his subordinates. Outstandingly well proven at the front. Mentally well adjusted, physically still suffers from wound received in World War I, but tireless and pushes himself hard… additionally, as the result of a certain imbalance has the tendency to exaggerate things and does not always express himself truthfully in service reports.’
CSDIC (UK) opinion: This cousin of Feldmarschall Bock ‘now sees that one of the big mistakes made by the German Officer Corps was to have allowed themselves to become politically subservient to the Party’.
73. GENERALLEUTNANT CURT SIEWERT
Born Ratzeburgm 5.4.1899. Prot. WWI: 27.12.1916 entered Army, Grenadier-Reg.5, finally Leutnant. Reichswehr: 1936 General Staff Officer at OKH (including adjutant to C-in-C Army, Generaloberst von Brauchitsch); 1.4.1939 Oberstleutnant at General Staff. WWII: 1.12.1941 Oberst at General Staff; 1.2.1941–14.9.1943 Chief of General Staff XXXVIII.Armee Korps; 1.12.1943 Generalmajor; 29.2.1944 awarded Knight’s Cross; 1.7.1944 Generalleutnant; 15.9.1943–13.4.1945 CO, 58.Inf.Div., wounded, to Führer-Reserve; 4.5.1945 PoW Niendorf near Lübeck (British); 1.6.1945–8.8.1945 Trent Park. Repatriated 15.5.1948. 1957–30.9.1960 Generalmajor, Bundeswehr. Died Hannover, 13.6.1983.
Von Siewert’s only available assessment is dated 9.11.1938: ‘Determined, clear leader-type personality of firm character. Tactful, practical, modest. Suitable for any post at the front or General Staff.’
CSDIC (UK) opinion: Polite and cooperative, very intelligent and decent character, for many years friend of von Thoma. Typically for General Staff officer he blamed the Party (i.e. Hitler) for all negative occurrences. Expressed his readiness to work for Western Allies. Considered ‘anti-Nazi’, Siewert was prepared to discuss political matters and appeared anxious to learn the true facts about the full extent of German atrocities.
74. GENERALLEUTNANT MAXIMILIAN SIRY
Born Parsberg, 19.4.1891. RC. Entered Army 25.7.1910. WWI and Reichswehr: Artillery units. WWII: 1.4.1940–10.1.1942 Senior Artillery Commander 125; 12.1.1942–15.5.1943 CO, 246.Inf.Div.; 13.6.1942 awarded Knight’s Cross; 16.5.1943–14.2.1945 Senior Cdr, Coastal Artillery North; from March 1945 CO, 347.Inf.Div.; 10.4.1945 PoW (British), Latimer House. Died Fulda, 6.12.1967.
75. GENERALLEUTNANT KARL SPANG
Born Mergentheim, 22.1.1886. RC. Entered Army 21.8.1905. WWI and Reichswehr: Staff and field, artillery units, finally CO, Artillery-Reg.19; 1.4.1939, Commandant, Westwall Aachen. WWII: 24.9.1939 Commandant, Westwall Lower Rhine and CO, Div. Spang; 31.5.1940–15.9.1940 Führer-Reserve; 16.9.1940–15.11.1940 Stab AOK Staff, Army High Command 1; 16.11.1940–13.5.1941 CO, 337.Inf.Div. In April 1941 Spang was criticised by his 1a, Major Graf Pückler-Burghaus, as ‘suffering acutely from the fact that he had got only a rearward division to command and as he did not even have the clasp to his Iron Cross First Class he felt passed over.’ Also predisposed to nervousness, which led to Spang being relieved of command on 13.5.1941. 14.5.1941–7.12.1941 Führer-Reserve; 8.12.1941–30.12.1941 Commandant, Poltava; 31.12.1941–24.5.1942 Commandant, Crimean Isthmus; 25.5.1942–5.10.1942 Commandant, Rearward Army region 585; 6.10.1942–20.11.1942 Commandant, Rearward Army region, 593; 21.11.1942–30.12.1942 CO, Battle-Group Spang; 21.12.1942–14.1.1943 acting CO, Army Gr. Don and Commdg Gen. Security Forces; 15.1.1943–1.6.1943 Führer-Reserve; from 1.6.1943 CO, 266.Inf.Div.; 8.8.1944, PoW Brest (US); 12.8.1944–23.9.1944 Trent Park. Died Ellwangen, 29.8.1979.