Alfred Becker

Who is Alfred Becker?

Alfred Becker was a German engineer and artillery officer who served during the First and Second World Wars. He was born in Krefeld. A mechanical engineer, he was best known for being the primary person responsible for converting captured vehicles and weapons into usable instruments for the German army. Using his organizational and engineering skills, he converted the Hotchkiss plant near Paris into a vehicle modification and fabrication center. There he and the men from his artillery command converted large numbers of captured French equipment to mobilize German guns, rocket launchers and mortars. Becker was Germany's expert at acquisition and conversion of captured military equipment.

In addition to creating the conversion program in France, Becker was at the same time the commanding officer of the Sturmgeschütz-Abt. 200, a motorized assault gun battalion of the 21st Panzer Division. He commanded this unit during its re-equipment in 1944, through the battles fought in Normandy and the retreat across France and Belgium, until his capture in Alsace on the French/German border in December 1944.