Obstubaf. Christian Tychsen

[behblc]

Can anyone tell me exactly how Christian Tychsen died ?
Did he die of wounds following capture ?
At present I am unclear on what exactly happened to him , if any members can post up or send me details I would be very grateful.
Thank you to all in advance.

For me there is something about this particular man , he appears to have been a very brave , determined and resourceful soldier.
If he had been fortunate enough to have lived he could have contributed greatly to our knowledge and understanding of WW2 history.

[PanzerFlo]

He was killed while he halted with his Schwimmwagen at a crossroad. By a Sherman, if I remember correctly.

[frank savage]

Tychsen

Hi to all...
I know that fell in normandy as deputy divisional commander officer. Unlukely his kubelwagen was hit by an american tank, with his driver and a NCO. Badly wounded he met his death in an american hospital.
Someone keep his jackets and all its badge, as war souvenir.

Anybody knows the fate of the jacket?

cheers, frank

[fknorr]

According to Mark Bando in his book "Breakout", Tychsen was killed by an ambush by the 3rd Platoon of A Company, 41st AIR on the night of 28 July, 1944.

If anyone has Michael Beaver's 3-Volume set on "Uniforms of the Waffen-SS", there are at least two pieces of Tychsens included (an early Tunic, and an Overcoat). Do not quote me on this as I am not 100% sure of the exact items.

[stgeorge64]

A most interesting Waffen-SS commander. Posted here is my favourite photograph showing him alongside Eichenlaubtrager Johannes Muhlenkamp.

Regards Richard.

[behblc]

Thank you

When in Normandy a few years ago I used the ATB Panzers in Normandy for a guide visiting both his grave and the cross roads at which he was killed.
I have read conflicting accounts of his death , that he died in a field hospital and another that his body was looted of awards , jacket and any form of id by American troops.
His body was moved by local people and he was buried as being " unknown".
Subsquent research led to his body being identified.

He is a man I would like to know more about - to date I have Mark ( Yerger's) DK in Gold Vol II and Commanders of Waffen SS Vols 1 & 2 and hsi "Men of Steel Vol 2" which surrender some information about him .
Details of his death and subsequent events would be welcomed.
Just something about this man that interests me , exactly what I don't know . Certainly an outstanding soldier and leader.
Thanks to all who posted on this .

[fknorr]

He is a man I would like to know more about - to date I have Mark ( Yerger's) DK in Gold Vol II and Commanders of Waffen SS Vols 1 & 2 and hsi "Men of Steel Vol 2" which surrender some information about him

I believe that you have found out about as much information as you can about the man. If you look at "Das Reich" by Lucas, Tychsen is only mentioned in one paragraph in the appendix. I also VERY MUCH suggest Bark Bando's "Breakout" which may shed a bit more light on the circumstances about his death as he has spoken to/researched the folks more than likely responsible for Tychsen's death. I believe even Bando states that this is more than likely the way it happened, but no one is 100% sure. I have spoken to Bando before and he states that Yerger's bio of Tychsen is about the best out there. "Breakout" is out of print now but you may find it around somewhere.

[behblc]

Must look for it.

Fran thanks for your reply - I will take a look for the " Breakout" book.
The Lucas book oon DR I have a copy but just could not warm to it .

Thanks once again.

[behblc]

Fran , a long time since I have seen this thread. In the time now past I have obtained (at a price!) a copy of Mark B's "Break at Normandy" and it has given a clearer indication of where and how Christian Tychsen died.
Two years ago I had again the opportunity to visit his grave , what mark B has penned does seem to bear out the most likely set of circumstances , he drove into an American force , died of wounds and had his awards and uniform searched for war booty , this and the movement of his body led to his being buried as an "unknown" - the "short in an American hospital" never happened.

Mark B's "Breakout at Normandy" is being reprinted this year by Heimdal and will be out in June , MB has added much new information to the first edition along with about 30 photos and 8 maps.
(The publisher's refusal to print any maps in the first edition was a huge mistake).

Looking forward to it being in print, and God willing if I make it to Normandy again this year I will pick up a copy at the Tilly book fair .

[fknorr]

Mark B's "Breakout at Normandy" is being reprinted this year by Heimdal and will be out in June , MB has added much new information to the first edition along with about 30 photos and 8 maps.

Thanks for replying to this thread and keeping it alive.

Also, thanks for letting us know this book will be reprinted. I will have to add this to my library.

Cheers

[Paul E]

A good indicator of Tychsen's character as a soldier can be found in accounts about him by Fritz Langanke some of which are recounted in Will Fey's Armour Battles of the Waffen SS , they feature the fighting in Normandy ,

regards

Paul

[Paul E]

A most interesting Waffen-SS commander. Posted here is my favourite photograph showing him alongside Eichenlaubtrager Johannes Muhlenkamp.

Regards Richard.

Richard this is most certainly not Muhlenkamp as by early 1941 he was with SS Panzer Regt 5 and this photo must be dated after March 1943,

regards

Paul

[GHP]

I just stumbled across this quote about Tychsen death on a different forum:

In 1995, from Captain John C. Bult of the 2d Armored MP Co., I purchased 1/2 dozen photos which were on Tychsen's person at the time of his demise, as well as a flatwire Das Reich cuffband taken from his tunic, and a small Mauser made .25 auto pistol and holster, which Tychsen wore on the rear of his belt. The location or disposition of his Soldbuch and dogtag are still unknown. As a result of the publication of my book, most of the medals Tychsen was wearing when ambushed have been located. The vet who got the medals was a tank driver in the 67th Armored Regiment of the 2d Armored Division and he died in 1992. A person who worked with this vet in a hardware store after WW2, wound-up with the medals. Before he died, the vet told that younger co-worker some details of the ambush. Tychsen's car tried to run a 2d AD roadblock during the St Lo Breakout and was shot up; it turned on it's right side and crashed. The vet in question was first to examine the bodies. He removed Tychsen's KC with oakleaves, discarding the ribbon, probably because it was bloody. He got all the medals and badges which were visible on the left chest, as Tychsen was lying on his right side. Then another GI turned the body over and snatched the DK in gold from Tychsen's right chest and held it up for all present to see. At that point, the other soldiers began a detailed search of Tychsen's person and removed everything except his tunic; more on that later. Lt John Cleveland of the CCB 2d AD traffic squad happened to be at the roadblock when the ambush took place. His job was to direct traffic for Combat Command 'B' and he evidently took the photos and cuffband and pistol during the group pilfering of the body. Since Cleve preferred Lugers and binoculars as souvenirs, he gave Tychsen's items to Captain Bult, his C.O. a week later. He tossed the pistol, photos and cufftitle on Bult's desk and said "I got these from a German colonel.. I almost missed the pistol because it was on his back, not on his side." In 1968, some friends of Tychsen's from Germany had exhumed several bodies of unidentified German officers, in search of his remains. They ID'd him by his dental work, which was unique and resulted from the Russian grenade wound in 1942, which left the horrible scars on his chin. Tychsen's black panzer tunic was exhumed with the body in 1968, still bearing a 4 pip rank collartab and one field grade shoulderboard. All other insignia and decorations were gone. The fact that his tunic was still present when the body was exhumed can be verified in an article in the SS Veterans' magazine 'Der Freiwillige'. The article is called 'The Search For Christian Tychsen', and was published in 1994. This contradicts what Jost Schneider wrote in his KC winners book, when he asserted that souvenir hunters removed Tychsen's tunic with all decorations. Tychsen was reburied under a stone with his name on it-prior to that, he had been listed as an unknown German officer. As to Tychsen's cap, I suspect the vet who got the KC picked it up and tossed the medals inside. I also suspect he later discarded the cap and kept only the metal skull, because one of those was in his effects, plus the following decorations: 1 bronze Infantry Asslt badge, 1 silver close combat bar, 1 Iron Cross 1st class, 1 black wound badge made of brass, with the paint deliberately removed to make it appear gold, and of course the RK with Eichenlaub, As to why Tychsen's body wound-up buried several miles away from the ambush site, it appears possible that the French residents of la Noraiserie, (the farm where the ambush took place), didn't want the body of a high ranking German officer found anywhere near their property. Because if German troops managed to re occupy the area, it would cause an unwelcome investigation. So they probably loaded the body on a farmcart and drove it to the Haut Vents crossroads at Cambry, France, and dropped it among other German bodies at a main road intersection...

I don't know if the above quote is the same or similar to Breakout at Normandy. The source provided was "...Peter has something to say about Tychsen death and his scars :...", but no link provided.

Regards,
--Guy

[Schnellmeyer]

As I am going to Normandy this year I would be very grateful if anybody could tell me in which Graveyard is Christian Tychsen buried in . I have been to La Cambe a few times but I have not seen Tychsen's grave there .

[Paul E]

Kriegsgräberstätte in Marigny.

Endgrablage: Block 5 Reihe 24 Grab 1196

cheers

Paul