Photo from Stecken's Wehrpas
showing him as an Oberleutnant.
ca. 21 December 1940
Born:
24 January 1915 in Münster (Westfalen).
Units
05.10.34-30.06.35 Landpolizei Duisburg-Hamborn
01.04.35-30.04.36 Luftkriegsschule Potsdam-Eiche
01.05.36-30.09.36 Flakartillerieschule Wüstrow
01.10.36-03.04.38 I./Flak Regiment 8
04.04.38-11.01.39 I./Flak Abteilung 88 (mot.) F88
12.01.39-18.09.40 I./Flak Regiment 32 (Berlin-Heiligensee)
19.09.40-30.11.41 Flak Lehr u. Versuchs-Abteilung - Flakartillerieschule I Rerik Mecklenburg
01.12.41-31.08.42 Luftkriegsakademie Berlin-Gatow
01.09.42-01.11.42 Stab Luftgau-Kommando II Posen
02.11.42-05.10.44 Stab-II. Luftwaffen Feld Korps
06.10.44-06.11.44 Stab-23. Flak Division
07.11.44-10.01.45 Stab-Division z.b.V.606
11.01.45-14.01.45 Chef der Technischen Luftwaffen-Rüstung
15.01.45-04.05.45 8. Fallschirmjäger-Division
05.05.45-10.07.46 Britische Kriegsfangenshaft
Rank
05.10.34 Fahnenjunker der Landespolizei
01.04.35 Fahnenjunker - Truppmeister
01.06.35 Fahnenjunker - Oberwachtmeister
01.08.35 Fahnenjunker Unteroffizer
01.04.36 Oberfähnrich
01.08.36 Leutnant
01.03.39 Oberleutnant
01.11.41 Hauptmann
01.07.43 Major i. Generalstab
01.01.57 Oberstleutnant
20.07.61 Oberst
19.08.64 Brigadegeneral
01.10.69 Generalmajor
Awards
14.02.39 Dienstauszeichnung IV. Klasse (Long Service Award 4th Class)
06.06.39 Spanien-Kreuz in Gold mit Schwerten (Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords)
26.04.40 Eiserne Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd Class)
28.06.40 Eiserne Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st Class)
30.01.41 Narvik Schild (Narvik Shield)
28.04.45 Ritterskreuz des Eisernes Kreuz (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross)
00.00.71 Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz (Great Bundes service Cross)
00.00.82 Deutsches Reiterkreuz in Gold (German Riders Cross in Gold)
Foreign awards:
04.05.39 Medalla de la Campana (Spanish Campaign Cross)
04.05.39 Cruz de Guerra (Spanish War Cross)
History
Under Construction
1934
5 October 34
Stecken is appointed Fahnenjunker der Landespolizei and joins the Duisburg-Hamborn State Police.
1935
where he was promoted to troop guard with effect from 1 April 1935. A few months later, however, he broke off his police career and moved to the Luftwaffe on July 1, 1935, where he also took up a course at the Air War School in Oak. Subsequently, Stecken moved to the artillery school in Wustrow to complete the course for future artillery officers.
1936
After its completion, Stecken was assigned to the 1st Division of Flak-Regtiment s 8 on October 1, 1936.
1937
1938
With effect from April 4, 1938, now assigned to the Flak Department (mot) 88, Stecken took part in the Spanish Civil War in the course of the Condor Legion. Here he was involved in the Ebro offensive, the first and second Mediterranean offensives, the subsequent Ebro defense sfights and the Catalonia offensive.
1939
In January 1939 he returned to Germany and was assigned to the 1st Division of the Flak Regiment 32 in Berlin-Heiligensee.
6 June 39
In recognition of his service with the Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War Oberleutnant Stecken is awarded the Spanien-Kreuz in Gold mit Schwerten (Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords). He is one of only 1,126 recipients of this deocration.
1940
3 April 40
German invasion of Norway
26 April 40
Eiserne Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd Class)
1941
3 0 January 40
In regcognition of his service at Narvik during the Norwegian Campaign Oberleutnant Stecken is awarded the Narvik Schild (Narvik Shield).
1942
1943
1 July 43
Stecken is promoted to the rank of Major.
1944
1945
11 January 45
Stecken is assigned to the staff of the
15 January 45
Major Stecken takes the position of Generalstabsoffizier (Ia.) of the 8. Fallschirmjäger-Division.
25/26 March 45
Opposed by units of the 51st Highland Division (154 Brigade) Major
7th Black Watch had suffered fairly heavy casualties in this engagement but they held their positions on the south side of the stream firmly although in very close contact with the enemy across the stream, who appeared to be holding the far bank in considerable strength. On the following night, when a bridgehead across the stream was established, one officer and fifteen other ranks, nine of whom were wounded, belonging to the company of 7th Black Watch which had attempted to force a crossing over the bridge, were found to be holding out in a house on the far bank and from which they had, for almost twenty-four hours, prevented German sappers from getting to the bridge in order to demolish it.
During 26th March any movement in the Empel area caused heavy enemy shelling and mortaring, and the enemy appeared to be very sensitive to any further advance being made along the axis of the Isselburg road. Throughout the day the enemy in the sector were given no rest and the slightest movement on their part was rewarded by heavy shelling by the Divisional artillery. Much use was made"of the Air Tentacle and about twenty targets were taken on, the majority being in close support of 7th Black Watch. A most remarkable performance by Typhoon rocket aircraft, which were carrying out the tasks called for by the Brigade, was a successful attack on an enemy S.P. gun sited only about 300 yards from the forward troops of 7th Black Watch.
It was believed that the enemy had opened the dam gates in the upper Rhine in an effort to make the Allied bridging and ferrying tasks more difficult and this had caused a considerable amount of temporary flooding in all the water ways in the district, including the stream at Empel. The Brigade' Commander accordingly decided that it would be necessary to use Buffaloes for the crossing of the stream and he decided that the crossing should be made to the east of the village where the approaches appeared to be more suitable than on the west side of the village. At the same time as the Brigade was to be making the assault crossing 43rd Division, on the left,. was to capture Millingen and advance eastwards to join up with 154 Brigade. 1st Black Watch were ordered to carry out the initial phase of the crossing and to capture the village of Empel and to join up with 43rd Division on the Empel-Millingen road. 7th Argylls were to cross immediately after 1st Black Watch, in order to enlarge the bridgehead and provide protection for the right flank while the route forward through Empel was being opened up to allow another Brigade to pass through.
The attack commenced at 21.00 hours on 26th March and the Brigade once again received excellent support and assistance from the Northamptonshire Yeomanry which provided and manned the Buffaloes used for the crossing. By 22.30 hours 1st Black Watch reported that they had captured Empe1 and that the bridge was still intact. At 23.00 hours 7th Argylls crossed, also in Buffaloes, and reached their objectives without much opposition. 1st Black Watch had considerable difficulty in dealing with three enemy S:P. guns in the area of the railway station at Empel. Shortly after midnight these guns attempted to make a dash northwards through the 7th Argylls position, but they were successfully engaged with PlATs. The following day all three guns were found knocked out and abandoned about a mile further north. By 02.00 hours on 27th March both Battalions had completed mopping up and were firm on their objectives. A considerable number of prisoners had been captured by both Battalions.
During the next two days the Brigade had an opportunity to reorganise and absorb its reinforcements while 152 and 153 Brigades developed the Divisional axis to and beyond Isselburg. About mid-day on 29th March the Brigade Commander was ordered to make a Brigade attack that night in order to capture the town of Dinxperlo with the object of opening up the roads leading north and north-east out of the town to enable the Guards Armoured Division to deploy and develop the Corps thrust northwards.
It was not believed that the enemy were holding Dinxperlo in any great strength but thorough planning was carried out for the Brigade attack. The attack was launched at 21.00 hours, all three Battalions taking part, and the town was captured with very little opposition, although some casualties were sustained from enemy shelling and mines.
At 06.00 hours on 30th March the Guards Armoured Division passed through the Brigade and began its advance northwards. Later in the day the Brigade was ordered to send out an infantry covering party to assist some tanks which had become ambushed by some German infantry armed with anti-tank grenades, and 7th Argylls detailed a company to carry out this task. Unfortunately, in completing this task, the Battalion lost one of the finest company commanders it ever had, Major . F. Corcoran, D.S.O., M.C., who was badly wounded.
By the evening of 30th March the Guards Armoured Division were reported to be making good progress and the Brigade became non-operational.
28 April 45
For his actions on the Lower Rhine front Major Stecken is awarded the Ritterskreuz des Eisernes Kreuz (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross) following the recommendation by General Meindl.
Deployed as an anti-aircraft officer in the Imperial Capital and Hamburg from 26 August 1939 to 10 March 1940, Stecken experienced the Polish and subsequent Western campaigns in his homeland. During the occupation of Norway, he was involved in the Battle of Narvik from 9 April to 10 June 1940. Back in Germany, Stecken was assigned to the Flak teaching and testing department from 19 September 1940 and attended the Flak Artillery School I in Rerik during his service there. From 1 December 1941, he began a war course at the Air War Academy in Berlin-Gatow. After his graduation, Stecken was appointed to the staff of Luftgau-Kommando II in Poznan, where he was sent to the General Staff of the Luftwaffe on 1 October 1942. After a relatively short time, he became a clerk in Staff II of the Luftwaffe Field Corps from 2 November 1942. On 1 July 1943 he was taken over to the General Staff of the Luftwaffe. Here, stecken was assigned to the 23rd Flak Division, which operationally led the anti-aircraft units in the rear front area of Air Fleet 6 on the Eastern Front. His deployment there lasted until October 1944 at the Vistula Arch and in the greater Warsaw area.
Subsequently, Stecken's command was commanded to the newly established division, e.g. V. 606, an alarm unit in the Netherlands on the Western Front. This consisted mainly of squaded personnel of the Luftwaffe, the army and the Volkssturm. A mixed artillery department was also integrated into their ranks. However, his deployment lasted only a short time and on 11 January 1945 Stecken was kept at the disposal of the Chief of The Technical Air Force Armament. A few days later, on January 15, 1945, Stecken was assigned to the 8th Paratrooper Division, whose deployment was scheduled for February 1945. With her, Stecken was involved in the defensive struggles at the bridgehead Wesel. Involved in further retreat battles, she had to retreat to the Bremen area by the end of March 1945. Stecken stood out here when, on the night of March 25, 1945, together with the 15th Panzergrenadier Division and hastily summoned scattered units under heavy artillery fire in the Empel-Millingen section, he was able to close a front gap in the main battle line and thus restore a contiguous front. On April 28, 1945, Stecken was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his fighting and personal bravery in front of the enemy. The 8th Parachute Division was located in the Menslage-Cloppenburg area in April 1945, where it was largely crushed by British units. The remnants withdrew to Lauenburg an der Elbe, where the division capitulated on 5 May 1945. On 10 July 1946, Stecken was released from British captivity.
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