Walter Ohmsen (7 June 1911 – 19 February 1988) was a highly decorated ''
Oberleutnant zur See
(''OLt zS'' or ''OLZS'' in the German Navy, ''Oblt.z.S.'' in the ''Kriegsmarine'') is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as Ranks and insignia of officers of NATO Navies, OF-1 in NATO.
The rank was ...
'' in the ''
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
'' during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. On 6 June 1944 the
Western Allies
Western Allies was a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It primarily refers to the leading Anglo-American Allied powers, namely the United States and the United Kingdom, although the term has also be ...
launched
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
, the
amphibious invasion of
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Ohmsen was the first German defender of
Fortress Europe
Fortress Europe () was a military propaganda term used by both sides of World War II which referred to the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, as opposed to the United Kingdom across the Channel.
World War II defences
In ...
to sight the invasion force. His battery engaged in heavy fighting and subsequently Ohmsen was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
(''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes'') for the defense of the
Crisbecq Battery against the
American 4th Infantry Division, which landed on
Utah Beach. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recognised extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Military service
Walter Ohmsen was born on 7 June 1911, in
Elmshorn
Elmshorn (; ) is a town in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is 30 km north of Hamburg on the small river Krückau, a tributary of the Elbe, and with about 50,000 inhabitants is the sixth-largest town in the sta ...
and joined the military service of the ''
Reichsmarine
The () was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the , existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as the ''Kriegsmarine'' (War Navy), a branch of the '' ...
'' of the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
on 1 April 1929 in
Stralsund
Stralsund (; Swedish language, Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German language, German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklen ...
. He became a ''Matrosengefreiter'' (
Seaman First Class) on 1 April 1933, and ''Bootsmannmaat'' (
Petty Officer Third Class
A Petty officer third class is a non-commissioned officer in some navies and coast guards.
By country
United States
Petty officer third class is the fourth enlisted rank in the United States Navy, U.S. Navy and the United States Coast Guard, ...
-
Coxswain
The coxswain ( or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the wiktionary:cockboat, cockboat, a ...
) on 1 September 1934. From 12 December 1934, until 1 January 1944, he was platoon commander, company commander then head of
telemetry
Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', 'far off', an ...
training at the Naval Artillery School in
Sassnitz
Sassnitz (, before 1993 in ) is a town on the Jasmund peninsula, Rügen Island, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The population as of 2012 was 9,498.
Sassnitz is a well-known seaside resort and port town, and is a gateway to th ...
. He had been promoted to ''Oberbootsmannsmaat'' (
Boatswain's Mate 2nd class) on 1 November 1935 and ''
Bootsmann
() is a naval rank used in some navies.
Finland
Germany
The German term ''Bootsmann'' translates to Boatswain, i.e. the senior crewman of the deck department.
In a military context, '' Bootsmann '' (Btsm or B) is the lowest Portepeeunterof ...
'' (Boatswain's Mate 1st class) on 1 September 1936. He served at sea on the German
battleship ''Schleswig-Holstein'', the training vessel
''Gorch Fock'', the training ship ''Carl-Zeiss'', the
torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...
''T-153'' and the
cruiser ''Königsberg''. He attained the rank of ''Stabsoberbootsmann'' (
Chief Boatswain's Mate) on 1 July 1940, and was awarded the
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross () was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit Cross was reissued in 1957 ...
2nd class with swords on 20 April 1941. During his assignment at the Coastal Artillery School he was promoted to ''Kriegsoffiziersanwärter'' (
Officer Candidate
Officer candidate or officer aspirant (OA) is a rank in some militaries of the world that is an appointed position while a person is in training to become an Officer (armed forces), officer. More often than not, an officer candidate was a civilia ...
) and became an officer attaining the rank of ''
Leutnant der Marineartillerie'' (
Ensign
Ensign most often refers to:
* Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality
* Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank
Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to:
Places
* Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada
* Ensign, Ka ...
of
Coastal Artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications.
From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...
) on 1 January 1942, and ''
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' (M.A.) (
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies.
United States
Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...
).
Normandy invasion
Ohmsen had taken command of the
Crisbecq Battery , also known as ''Marine Küsten Batterie "Marcouf"'' (Naval Coastal Battery Marcouf) or ''Seeziel Batterie "Marcouf"'' (Sea Target Battery Marcouf), on 1 February 1944. His command, including himself, consisted of three officers, 24
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
s and 287 men of the ''Kriegsmarine''. The unit was subordinated to the ''Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung'' 260 (M.A.A. 260—260th Naval Coastal Artillery Battalion). The battery's personnel was further augmented by members of the 6./''Grenadier-Regiment'' 919 (6th Company, 919th Grenadier Regiment) of the
709. ''Infanterie-Division'' (709th Infantry Division) for ground defense under the command of ''
Leutnant
() is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland.
History
The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...
'' Geissler, which brought the overall manpower of the battery close to 400 men.

On 6 June 1944, at 5 a.m. Ohmsen was the first to sight the Allied invasion fleet through the battery
rangefinder
A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to Length measurement, measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, suc ...
. He immediately reported his observation to the ''Kriegsmarine'' headquarters at
Cherbourg
Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...
, which triggered the German alarm throughout installations on the Atlantic coast. The notification of the award of his
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
(''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes''), announced in the German newspapers on 15 June 1944, also referred to Ohmsen as the first person to report the invasion fleet off Normandy. At 5:52 a.m. he received the order to open fire on the ships, which were then away. At 5:55 a.m., Ohmsen's battery targeted and exchanged fire with the US cruisers
USS ''Tuscaloosa'' and
USS ''Quincy'' and the US battleship
USS ''Nevada''. At 6:30 a.m., the battery fired upon the US destroyer
USS ''Corry'' and sank her.

At 8 a.m., ''Nevada'' hit the foremost casemated gun. The US battleships
USS ''Texas'' and
USS ''Arkansas'', originally assigned to provide covering fire for the landing at
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors of the amphibious assault component of Operation Overlord during the Second World War.
On June 6, 1944, the Allies of World War II, Allies invaded German military administration in occupied Fra ...
, intervened to help silence the Crisbecq Battery. At 9 a.m. the concentrated fire of the three battleships put the second casemate out of action, when a shell from ''Nevada'' pierced the
embrasure
An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of Age of Gunpowder, gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions (merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a sp ...
, killing the entire crew. The remaining gun behind casemate No. 24, withstood the naval bombardment, but was incapable of reaching targets out at sea; the gun initiated fire at 11 a.m., directed to the beach facing WN 5 ''Widerstandsnest 5'' (Resistance Nest 5), away. It caused heavy losses among the Americans and hindered the landing of material and reinforcements at
Utah Beach.
The American 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment,
4th Infantry Division started their advance towards
Saint-Marcouf and the Crisbecq Battery at 7 a.m. on 7 June. After the first assault they succeeded in entering Saint-Marcouf but were stopped in front of the battery by the 75 mm Flak guns that had been repaired and were put in firing positions against ground targets. A German counterattack on the flanks of the American forces, supported by the
105 mm K331 (f) guns from the
Azeville battery forced
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Tom Shields to withdraw. Concurrent to this ground fighting, the artillery duel between the Crisbecq Battery and the Allied fleet continued. One of the
Škoda 210 mm gun K39/41 had been put back into service during the previous night. The gun was damaged once more and remained silent for the rest of the day. The Americans brought several field artillery guns in position during the afternoon and immediately started firing at the battery. Subsequently, the battery was subjected to harassing fire every night.
Ohmsen was awarded the
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
2nd Class (''Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse'') in the morning of 7 June 1944 for his defense of his strong point against the American attacks. On the evening of 7 June he received a phone call from Cherbourg with the information that he had been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (''Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse'') in addition to the earlier award. Ohmsen was wounded on the left hand during a bombardment of the battery in the afternoon of 8 June.
The American 1st Battalion started their second attack on the battery at 10 a.m. on 8 June and retook the village of Saint-Marcouf. At 1:30 p.m. after the naval artillery had prepared the attack with a 20-minute bombardment and rolling artillery fire the attack on the battery continued. The Americans succeeded in entering the battery perimeter. The Germans had fallen back in the shelters but the last 210 mm gun was destroyed. At 4 p.m., American forces started to blow up the shelters; seeing that his forces had been overwhelmed, Ohmsen ordered the Azeville Battery to fire on his own position with its four 105 mm guns to chase them away. The effect was immediate and the Americans fell back in disarray. Ohmsen took advantage of the situation and counterattacked with the support of ''Leutnant'' Geissler's 6th company, and pushed the Americans back to
Dodainville (roughly south southeast of the battery). American casualties reached 15% of the forces they had committed to the attack and 98 soldiers were taken prisoner.
By the morning of 11 June, Ohmsen had run out of ammunition and medical equipment for the wounded and all his guns were out of service. In the afternoon, he received a phone call from ''
Konteradmiral
(; abbreviated KAdm) is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German-speaking countries, equivalent to counter or rear admiral.
Austria-Hungary
In the Austro-Hungarian '' K.u.K. Kriegsmarine'' (1849 to 1918) there were the flag of ...
'' (Counter Admiral or Rear Admiral)
Walter Hennecke, who instructed him to escape with the survivors. Leaving 21 wounded German soldiers and 126 American prisoners behind, Ohmsen and 78 men broke through the American encirclement and reached the German lines at
Aumeville, roughly away.
On 12 June, the soldiers of the
9th Infantry Division, who had come ashore the previous day, readied themselves for an attack on the battery. At 8:30 a.m., the men of the 2nd Battalion of the
39th Infantry Regiment started their attack but found only an empty battery. The fighting over the battery took a heavy toll on both sides, 307 German soldiers died to defend it and about as many Americans died to take it.
On 14 June, Ohmsen and his men reached the
Morsalines battery, where he was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Ohmsen and his men were subsequently assigned to an infantry company and took part in the final days of the
Battle of Cherbourg
The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II. It was fought immediately after the successful Allied landings on 6 June 1944. Allied troops, mainly American, isolated and captured the fortified port, which was ...
. Ohmsen was taken
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
in Cherbourg on 26 June by the American forces. He was released on 15 March 1946.
Later life
After World War II, Ohmsen initially worked as a government employee of the
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
agricultural ministry. He ran for public office as a candidate of the
Schleswig-Holstein-Block in the 1954
Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein
The Schleswig-Holstein Landtag is the state parliament of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It convenes in the state's capital Kiel and currently consists of 69 members of five parties. The current majority consists of a coalition of th ...
election. During an election speech, he disparaged the
Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein . Ohmsen was immediately dismissed without notice from his position in the agricultural ministry for insulting the Minister-President.
He rejoined the military service of the ''
Bundeswehr
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
'' on 16 March 1956, as a ''
Kapitänleutnant
, short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( or ''lieutenant captain'') is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the modern German . The rank is rated Ranks and insignia of NATO navies' officers, OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to i ...
'' (Captain Lieutenant) of the ''
Bundesmarine
The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...
'' (German Federal Navy). He was promoted to ''
Korvettenkapitän
(; ) is the lowest ranking Field officer, senior officer in the German navy.
Germany
Korvettenkapitän, short: KKpt/in lists: KK, () is the lowest senior officer military rank, rank () in the German Navy.
Address
The official manner, in li ...
'' (Corvette Captain) on 15 November 1957, and ''
Fregattenkapitän
() is the middle ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies.
Austro-Hungary
Belgium
Germany
, short: FKpt / in lists: FK, is the middle Senior officer military rank, rank () in the German Navy.
It is the equivalent o ...
'' (Frigate Captain) on 13 August 1965 and retired on 30 September 1967.
From 1968 to 1978, Ohmsen was one of the organizers of the
sailing at the Summer Olympics
Sailing (sport), Sailing (also known as yachting until 2000) has been one of the Olympic sports since the 1896 Summer Olympics, Games of the I Olympiad, held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Despite being scheduled in the first Olympic program, the ra ...
events and of numerous other larger sailing regattas and events. From 1970 to 1978, he also served as a member of the consultative council of the city of
Kiel
Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...
and was involved in the support of war victims. For these services he received the Freiherr-von-Stein commemorative medal and
Federal Cross of Merit
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
2nd Class (''Bundesverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse''). The father of three daughters, Walter Ohmsen died in Kiel on 19 February 1988.
Awards and decorations
*
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
(1939)
** 2nd Class (7 June 1944)
** 1st Class (7 June 1944)
*
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross () was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit Cross was reissued in 1957 ...
2nd Class with Swords (20 April 1941)
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
on 14 June 1944 as ''
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' (
M.A.) and chief of the Marinebatterie "Marcouf" (Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 260)
*
Freiherr-von-Stein commemorative medal
*
Federal Cross of Merit
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
2nd Class
Promotions
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
* Penrose, Jane (2004). ''The D-Day companion: leading historians explore history's greatest amphibious assault''.
Osprey Publishing
Osprey Publishing is a British publishing company specializing in military history formerly based in Oxford. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company p ...
. .
*
*
External links
Der Spiegel 36/1954BBC h2g2 - the Defenders' Story*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohmsen, Walter
1911 births
1988 deaths
People from Elmshorn
Military personnel from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
Kriegsmarine personnel
German Navy personnel
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States
German Party (1947) politicians
Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians
Reichsmarine personnel
Military personnel from Schleswig-Holstein