Gerhard Hein

Gerhard Hein
Born	9 July 1916 Klein Paniow
Died	6 June 2008 (aged 91) Harrislee
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Oberstleutnant of the Reserves
Commands held	SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of the Bulge Operation Frühlingserwachen
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Gerhard Hein (9 July 1916 – 6 June 2008) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant of the Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (23 June 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (27 June 1940)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (?)
  • in Silver (?)
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Silver (15 July 1944)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 3 September 1940 as Unteroffizier of the Reserves and Zugführer (platoon leader) in 10./Infanterie-Regiment 209^[2]
  • 120th Oak Leaves on 6 September 1942 as Leutnant of the Reserves and leader of 5./Infanterie-Regiment 209^[3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 261.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 181.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 55.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards