Hans Von Luck - Early Life

Early Life

Luck was born in Flensburg, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, into a Prussian family with old military roots, going back to the 13th century. Members of his family had fought with, among others, Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War. Luck's father, Otto von Luck, broke tradition by serving as a Naval officer during World War I and taking part in the Battle of Jutland. Following his father's death from the Spanish flu in 1918, Luck's adoptive father brought him up in the "Prussian" manner. On 1 April 1917 Luck enrolled in the Monastery School in Flensburg, studying the classic languages such as Latin and Greek. This gave him a remarkable comprehension of foreign languages, having gained a strong command of English, French, and Russian before the war. During the war, he was able to communicate with French and British soldiers. Later, during his imprisonment, he was able to use his knowledge of Russian to negotiate his release.

In 1929, after taking his Abitur, Luck started his career as an Army officer, serving as a cadet in a Silesian cavalry regiment. He was unexpectedly transferred to the 1st Motorized Battalion in East Prussia after a short while, something Luck regretted, perceiving the cavalry as the elite force. He soon found the future Panzerwaffe to be to his liking, however. In 1931/32 Luck attended a nine month course, led by Erwin Rommel, at the infantry school in Dresden, to complete his commission as a junior officer. In the autumn of 1932 Luck was promoted to Leutnant, and in 1933 his unit were equipped with their first scout cars, marking the first step towards becoming an armoured reconnaissance battalion. On 30 June 1934 Luck's unit took part in the Night of the Long Knives, arresting several Sturmabteilung members in Stettin.

In 1936 Luck assumed command over the third company in the 8th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion, stationed in Potsdam. Here he spent much time working under the personal supervision of General Heinz Guderian, who was responsible for forming the doctrines for the new German armoured force. Luck spent the next years serving in various armoured units, and traveled extensively around Europe when on leave. In 1939 he was posted to the 2nd Light Division, serving with the 7th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion.