Werner Pötschke

Werner Poetschke (6 March 1914 – 24 March 1945) was a German SS-Sturmbannführer and battalion commander. He commanded SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH during the Ardennes Offensive and is considered to be the primary person responsible for the Malmedy massacre.

Biography Werner Poetschke was born in Brussels in 1914. In 1935 he entered the SS and served in the Leibstandarte. From March 1938 he was a platoon commander in the SS standard "Der Führer", with whom he participated in the Polish campaign and won the Iron Cross 1st class. In the French Campaign, he commanded a platoon in the 1st Company of the Reconnaissance Battalion with which he captured a bridge over the Maas–Waal Canal. In France he destroyed a motor cycle unit and six anti-tanks guns near Dissen. His evaluation by his superiors however was negative, they considered him to be overreckless and a bad people manager, and Poetschke was transferred to the division Das Reich. Werner Poetschke then took part in the Balkan campaign and in the battles on the Eastern Front for which he received the German Cross in Gold. From April 1942 he was commander of the 2nd company of the reconnaissance battalion of the SS division Das Reich. In early 1943 he was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the 1st Panzer Regiment of the SS Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" as commander of the 1st company. In August 1943, he was sent to Italy, and in December 1943 to Russia. Poetschke received the Knight's Cross in 1944.

Poetschke was characteristically described as unstable, impulsive, fickle and a hothead who had only contempt for the enemy and who was extremely hard on his own men. During the Battle of the Bulge, Poetschke was commander of the 1st SS Panzer Battalion that was part of “Kampfgruppe Peiper”. Poetschke was identified by various persons involved and eyewitnesses as the officer directly responsible for giving the order to execute the American prisoners near the Baugnez crossroads, which culminated in the Malmedy massacre. 783rd Oak Leaves on 15 March 1945 as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of the I.(schw)/SS-Pz.Rgt. 1 LSSAH Close Combat Clasp in Bronze Wound Badge in Gold Tank Destruction Badge