Theodor von Hippel
| Theodor von Hippel | |
|---|---|
| Born |
19 January 1890 Thorn, Province of West Prussia, German Empire present-day Toruń, Poland |
| Died | 1 January 1977 (aged 86) Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany |
| Allegiance |
 Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 1914–18 1935–43 |
| Rank | Oberstleutnant |
| Commands held | Lehr-Regiment Brandenburg z.b.V. 800 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Iron Cross 1st Class |
Dr. Theodor-Gottlieb von Hippel (19 January 1890 – 1 January 1977) was the German Army and intelligence officer responsible for the formation and training of the Brandenburgers commando unit.
On October 18, 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, von Hippel volunteered for service in the Schutztruppe for German East Africa, where he served under General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck in the East African theatre, where Lettow-Vorbeck had conducted a guerrilla campaign against Allied colonial troops. Von Hippel was promoted to Unteroffizier in August 1915 and was named an officer aspirant on February 17, 1916. He was promoted to Feldwebel on April 1, 1916, but was wounded and taken prisoner of war 5 days later on April 6. On returning from imprisonment in India on December 20, 1920, he was released from military service with the character of Leutnant der Reserve.
In 1922, von Hippel earned a doctorate in state economics (Dr. rer. cam., Doktor der Staatswirtschaftskunde) from the University of Tübingen. Von Hippel reentered the Army in 1935 as an Oberleutnant in Pionier-Bataillon Brandenburg an der Havel, and was promoted to Hauptmann later that year. On November 1, 1937, he was transferred to the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service.
Inspired by the example of Lettow-Vorbeck, Hippel proposed that small, élite units, highly trained in infiltration and sabotage and fluent in foreign languages, could operate behind enemy lines, wreaking havoc on the enemy’s command, communication and logistical chains. He approached the Reichswehr, where his unconventional idea was rejected. Hel then approached the commander of Abwehr, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris who accepted Hippel's idea. Hippel was assigned to Section II, the Abwehr branch dealing with clandestine operations. Since the project was top secret, this unit was designated "Special Duty Training and Construction Company" (Lehr und Bau Kompagnie) to mask its true function.
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