Max Seela
 | This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2012) ) |
Max Seela | |
|---|---|
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross German Cross in Gold |
Max Seela (15 July 1911 – 31 July 1999) was a lieutenant colonel (Obersturmbannführer) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Career
Max Seela was born in 1911 at
NSDAP
number was 147,126. In September 1935 he joined the SS Pioneer Battalion.
By October 1939 Seela had been given command of a company in the pioneer battalion of the
SS Division Totenkopf. He was awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class, in May 1940 and the Iron Cross, 1st class, in June 1940. He took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) and was awarded the German Cross
in Gold in December 1941.
Seela was awarded the Knight's Cross in May 1942, while he was a Lovat River.
In July 1942, Seela was given command of the 3rd SS Pioneer Battalion Totenkopf until April 1944 when he was appointed commander of the
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
.
On 8 May 1945, Seela surrendered to the American forces. He died in Ratingen, at the age of 88 on 31 July 1999.
Awards and decorations
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (3 May 1942)
- German Cross in Gold (26/12/1941)
- Iron Cross of 1939
- 1st Class (22 June 1940)
- 2nd Class (31 May 1940)
- General Assault Badge (1941)
- Wound Badge of 1939 in Black (1941)
- Anschluss Medal (1938)
- Sudetenland Medal (1938) with "Prague Castle" clasp (1939)
- Service Award of the NSDAPin Bronze and in Silver
- German Reich Sports Badgein Bronze (1 December 1938)
- SA Sports Badge in Silver (1 December 1936)
- Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-SS(1 December 1936)
- SS Honour Ring(1 December 1937)
- Julleuchter of the SS (16 December 1935)
- Honour Chevron for the Old Guard (February 1934)
References
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Henschler, Henri; ISBN 978-0-8117-2905-5.
- Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
- Sydnor, Charles W. (1990). Soldiers of Destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933-1945. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00853-1.
