Hans Gollnick
Hans Gollnick | |
---|---|
Born |
Gut Gursen in West Prussia | 22 May 1892
Died |
15 February 1970 77) Hamburg | (aged
Allegiance |
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Service/branch | Heer |
Years of service | 1913–45 |
Rank | General der Infanterie |
Commands held |
36. Infanterie-Division 36. Panzer Grenadier Division |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Hans Gollnick (22 May 1892 – 15 February 1970) was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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.
Career
Gollnick was born at Gut Gursen in West Prussia as the son of Paul Gollnick, lord of the manor of Gursen, and Elisabeth Peglow descendant from the Ducal house of Pomerania.
Gollnick entered military service on 22 March 1912, and served in World War I as a Leutnant. At the beginning of World War II, Gollnick was commander of Infanterie-Regiment 76 in the Skirmish of Krojanty. During the war, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in 1942, and promoted to General on 1 October 1943. In January 1945 he escaped to Denmark, and was a British POW from January 1946 for a month until 5 February.
Gollnick died in Hamburg.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1914)
- Wound Badge (1918) in Black
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st class
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 21 November 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of the 36. Infanterie-Division (mot.)[2][3]
- 282nd Oak Leaves on 24 August 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 36. Panzergrenadier-Division[2][4]
- Eastern Front Medal
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 26 February 1945
Hans Gollnick was recommended for the Swords to the Knight's Cross for his defensive efforts in East Prussia in April 1945. However, the request was not processed before the war ended.[5]
Wehrmachtbericht reference
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
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26 February 1945 | Im Samland haben Verbände des Heeres, unter Führung des Generals der Infanterie Gollnick, mit wirkungsvoller Unterstützung durch die Luftwaffe und Einheiten der Kriegsmarine, in sechstägiger Angriffsschlacht starke Teile von 2 Sowjetarmeen geschlagen, den Gegner im entschlossenen und schwungvollen Angriff nach Nordosten zurückgeworfen und damit die unterbrochene See-, Straßen- und Bahnverbindung zur Festung Königsberg wieder hergestellt.[6] | In Samland units of the Army, under the command of General of Infantry Gollnick, with effective support from the Air Force and units of the Navy, in a six-day offensive battle have defeated two strong Soviet armies and repulsed the enemy in decisive and sweeping attack to the northeast, and thus restored the broken maritime, road and rail link to the fortress Königsberg. |
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
- 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.
- Prerdovich (1978). Generalität des deutschen Heeres.
- Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color I Abraham – Huppertz] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1.
- 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.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
External links
- "Hans Gollnick". Lexikon der Wehrmacht (in German). Retrieved 9 January 2014.
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by Generalleutnant Otto-Ernst Ottenbacher |
Commander of 36. Infanterie-Division 15 October 1941 – 1 August 1943 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Rudolf Stegmann |
Preceded by General der Infanterie Gerhard Matzky |
Commander of XXVIII. Armeekorps 20 May 1944 – 25 April 1945 |
Succeeded by none |
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