Heinz Werner

Heinz Werner
Born	2 December 1917 Berlin, Germany
Died	8 August 1978 (aged 60) Essen, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Sturmbannführer
Unit	2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Heinz Werner (2 December 1917 — 8 August 1978) was a Sturmbannführer (major) in the Waffen-SS who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Oak Leaves was a second award.

Werner was awarded his Knight's Cross while in command of the 3rd Battalion, 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment The Führer, 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.

Werner survived the war as a prisoner of the French government, released in June 1951. He died on 8 August 1978 in Essen.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 1st Class (28 May 1940)^[1]
  • 2nd Class (22 October 1941)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 29 May 1943 as SS-Obersturmführer in the 10./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer"^[2]
• Close Combat Clasp in Gold (April 1945)
• Wound Badge (1939)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944 as SS-Hauptsturmführer and leader of the III.(gepanzert)/SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 "Der Führer"^{[3][Note 1]}
  • (864th) Oak Leaves on 6 May 1945 as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of the III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 "Der Führer"^{[5][Note 2]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as leader of the III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 "Der Führer".^[4]
2. No evidence of the Oak Leaves being awarded can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "864" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Werner was a member of the AKCR.^[6]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 437.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 508.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 443.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 780.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 103, 482.
6. Scherzer 2007, p. 184.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7.
• 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.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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 (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.