Date of birth:

May 6th, 1916 (Langstadt-Dieburg/Hesse, Germany)

Date of death:

March 24th, 1998 (Darmstadt-Eberstadt/Hesse, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Promotions:
February 1st, 1936: Vormann RAD;
October 1st, 1937: Gefreiter;
June 1st, 1938: Unteroffizier;
November 1st, 1938: Feldwebel;
April 1st, 1939: Leutnant der Reserve (- RDA 1118);
December 31st, 1939: Leutnant (as from September 1st, 1939 - RDA 1903);
November 9th, 1941: Oberleutnant (as from December 1st, 1941 - RDA 344);
March 10th, 1943: Hauptmann (as from January 1st, 1943 - RDA December 1st, 1943, 318b);
September 20th, 1944: Major (as from July 1st, 1944 - RDA 78).

Career:
October 1st, 1935 - September 26th, 1939: RAD-Abteilung 6/254, Rheinheim;
October 13th, 1936: 12. (MG) Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 115, Worms;
August 12th, 1938 - October 18th, 1938: Reserve-Offiziers-Anwärter-Lehrgang, Infanterieschule Döberitz;
November 1st, 1938: MG-Zugführer, 8. (MG) Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 115, Worms;
?: Zugführer 8. (MG) Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 115;
November 1st, 1940 - January 18th, 1942: Führer 9. Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 115;
?: 5. Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 115;
January 19th, 1942 (February 13th, 1942 ?) - Ocotber 19th, 1942: Führer 2. (gepanzerte) Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 115;
November 28th 1942 (as from October 20th, 1942): Panzergrenadier-Ersatz-Bataillon 104, Landau;
December 5th, 1942 - April 18th, 1943: Umschulungslehrgang, Umschulungsverband B, Heidelberg;
April 20th, 1943 - September 30th, 1943: Panzergrenadier-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Bataillon 115, Darmstadt;
September 13th, 1943 - October 9th, 1943: Abteilungsführer-Lehrgang, Abteilungsführer-Schule der Panzertruppen, Paris;
October 1st, 1943: Führerreserve OKH;
October 26th, 1943: Führerreserve OKH, OB Süd z.v. Kompanieführer für Panzergrenadiere;
November 4th, 1943: Führer 10. Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 382;
December 29th, 1943: mit den Führung beauftragd der I. Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 129;
January 29th, 1944: Kompaniechef I. Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 129;
March 4th, 1944 - April 4th, 1944: Chef Stabs-Kompanie / I. Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115;
April 5th, 1944: Führer III. Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115;
?: Kommandeur III. Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115;
March 1st, 1945: Kommandeur I. Bataillon / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115;
March 4th, 1945: Führerreserve / Regiments-Führer-Lehrgang, Panzertruppenschule Bergen;
April 19th, 1945: mit den Führung beauftragd Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 29th, 1933

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 12th, 1934

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 17th, 1934

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 20th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 20th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

8. Kompanie, II. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 115, 33. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 22nd, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

November 28th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 16th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

January 21st, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 1st, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Schützen-Regiment 115, 15. Panzer-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

August 8th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 1st, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 17th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115, 15. Panzergrenadier-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

December 11th, 1944

Near the end of 1944 Major Dyroff would distinguish himself along with his Bataillon in the vicinity of Geilenkirchen. He and his men launched a counterattack into a heavily defended village, eliminated 8 Allied tanks in bitter urban combat, captured several anti-tank guns and took numerous prisoners. However the American forces were quick to recover and swiftly encircled the Bataillon and the village it had taken. Yet despite their best efforts they failed to crush the resistance in the village, and Dyroff’s Bataillon was able to hold out against Allied attacks for the entire day. The Germans finally pulled back to friendly lines in the evening hours while taking along all their captured weaponry and prisoners.

The steadfastness the Bataillon displayed here was not merely of local importance, as it tied down strong Allied forces and enabled the higher German leadership to create a new line of defense. Major Dyroff would later receive the Knight’s Cross for his actions here.

• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 2000.
  - Die Ritterkreuztraeger der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS