Born in 1898, Mikosch volunteered for the army of
Imperial Germany in 1914. After two years service in World War I, he received a commission in an engineer battalion. After the war, he joined the police force where he remained for several years until he rejoined the
German Army in 1935 as an engineer. With the rank of
Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), he commanded the 51st Engineer Battalion which fought in the
Battle of Poland in 1939 and assisted in the
capture of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium on 11 May 1940. Shortly afterwards, he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Promoted to
Oberst (colonel) in 1942, Mikosch was commander of the 677th Pioneer Regiment, which took part in the
Battle of Stalingrad and saw him awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, and the following year, was temporary commander of the
10th Panzergrenadier Division from late July to late December, during which it fought in
Operation Citadel and the
Battle of Kiev. He then took command of the
13th Panzer Division on 23 December. His new command, which had been heavily engaged on the
Eastern Front, was withdrawn from the front and underwent a refit. During this time he was promoted to
Generalmajor (equivalent to the rank of
brigadier general in the
United States Army). On its return to the front, the 13th Panzer Division took part in the
Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket and the subsequent retreat to the
Bug River. After his period in command of the 13th Panzer Division ended in May 1944, Mikosch took up a post as commandant of the town of
Boulogne in France. He later commanded Higher Engineering Command XIII and then towards the end of the war, he was responsible for fortifications in East Prussia. Having been promoted to
Generalleutnant (equivalent to the rank of
major general in the United States Army) the previous month, he surrendered to the Soviet forces on 8 April 1945. He was held in the Soviet Union for over 10 years before being released. He later lived in Westphalia, where he died in 1993. ==Awards and decorations==