Alfred Becker
| Alfred Becker | |
|---|---|
Major Alfred Becker
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| Born |
20 August 1899 Krefeld, German Empire |
| Died | unknown |
| Allegiance | |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 21st Panzer Division |
| Commands held | Paris Baukommando Becker |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Alfred Becker (20 August 1899 – unknown) was a engineer and artillery officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. A mechanical engineer, he instituted a program of converting captured vehicles and weapons into usable instruments for the German army.
Becker converted the Hotchkiss plant near Paris into a vehicle modification and fabrication center which converted large numbers of captured French equipment to mobilize German guns, rocket launchers and mortars. In addition to creating the conversion program in France, Becker commanded a motorized assault gun battalion of the 21st Panzer Division.
At the start of the war Becker was called up to serve in the 227th Infantry Division with which he served in the Battle of France. In July 1940 following the victory in France, the 227th Division performed occupation, security and coastal defense duties along the Normandy coast near Le Havre. Using his engineering and manufacturing skills and the men from his battalion, Becker mobilized a complete battery of self-propelled artillery, making use of the under-carriages of the Vickers Mk.6 to motorize twelve of the battalion's 105 mm leFH 16 howitzers, and six of the 150 mm sFH 13, along with twelve more munitions carrying versions of the Mk.6.
Some use had already been made of undamaged French armoured vehicles, either as training vehicles or sent abroad to equip various Axis allied nations or used in police units. French tanks, built with a small, one-man turret mounting a small caliber gun, were of little value in 1942 for combat against such weapons as the Russian T-34. Their primary use to the German army up to this point had been as trophies, a symbol of their victory over France. Though lightly armoured and under-gunned by the combat standards of the day, these were fully tracked vehicles, a feature which Becker believed could be usefully exploited. In addition to the wrecked and captured French and British tanks, Becker also had access to a large number of soft-skinned half-tracked vehicles such as the SOMUA MCG and the smaller Unic P 107.
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