Bruno Hinz
Encyclopedia
Bruno Hinz was a Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during World War II
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
.
Bruno Hinz joined the 10th Company, SS-Standarte Deutschland in Munich in October 1936 and was part of the forces connected with the Anschluss
of Austria
and the occupation of the Sudetenland
and the annexation of Memel.
At the beginning of World War II he was severely wounded in May 1940 during the Battle of France
and promoted to Unterscharführer
(Officer Candidate) in September 1940. From December 1940 to March 1941, he was assigned to the SS replacement battalion Germany. He was then selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Brunswick
.
After six months, training he was posted to the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
at the same time being promoted to Untersturmführer
(Second Lieutenant) and given command of the 2nd Company, SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Westland
. It was while in command of this company that he was awarded the German Cross in Gold in April 1943.
In September 1943 his company was in a defensive position on the Dnieper which allowed the 5th SS Panzer Division, to cross the Dnepr River, but during the battle Hinz was severely wounded. Sent to recuperate in the hospital in Germany he was promoted to Obersturmführer
(First Lieutenant) in November 1943 and awarded the Knight's Cross in December 1943 for this action.
After six months in hospital he returned to active service in February 1944 to took over command of the 2nd Company, 38th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
He was next in action in Normandy
, when cut off by the advancing allied forces near Saint-Lô
, he succeeded in guiding his men through the allied lines. For this he received the award of the Oakleaves for the Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944.
After being wounded again, he was temporarily sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tolz
as the school commander.
While at the school he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) in November 1944.
In January 1945 he was posted to the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
as a Battalion commander and in March 1945 was captured by the Americans and made a prisoner of war.
As well as being awarded the Wound Badge
in Gold, he was awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp
in Gold, which was only awarded 631 times during the war.
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
.
Bruno Hinz joined the 10th Company, SS-Standarte Deutschland in Munich in October 1936 and was part of the forces connected with the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the occupation of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
and the annexation of Memel.
At the beginning of World War II he was severely wounded in May 1940 during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and promoted to Unterscharführer
Unterscharführer
Unterscharführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the Schutzstaffel between 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives...
(Officer Candidate) in September 1940. From December 1940 to March 1941, he was assigned to the SS replacement battalion Germany. He was then selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
.
After six months, training he was posted to the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
The 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking was one of the elite Panzer divisions of the thirty eight Waffen SS divisions. It was recruited from foreign volunteers, from Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, The Netherlands, and Belgium under the command of German officers...
at the same time being promoted to Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
(Second Lieutenant) and given command of the 2nd Company, SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Westland
Westland (Nazi propaganda)
This article is about the Nazi propaganda term used for the Netherlands. For other uses, see Westland .Westland is the name which the government of Nazi Germany intended to replace that of the Netherlands with during its 1940-1945 occupation of that country...
. It was while in command of this company that he was awarded the German Cross in Gold in April 1943.
In September 1943 his company was in a defensive position on the Dnieper which allowed the 5th SS Panzer Division, to cross the Dnepr River, but during the battle Hinz was severely wounded. Sent to recuperate in the hospital in Germany he was promoted to Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
(First Lieutenant) in November 1943 and awarded the Knight's Cross in December 1943 for this action.
After six months in hospital he returned to active service in February 1944 to took over command of the 2nd Company, 38th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
He was next in action in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, when cut off by the advancing allied forces near Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, he succeeded in guiding his men through the allied lines. For this he received the award of the Oakleaves for the Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944.
After being wounded again, he was temporarily sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tolz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
as the school commander.
While at the school he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain) in November 1944.
In January 1945 he was posted to the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
The 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen was a German SS panzergrenadier division which saw action on the Western Front during World War II.-Formation and training:...
as a Battalion commander and in March 1945 was captured by the Americans and made a prisoner of war.
As well as being awarded the Wound Badge
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Gold, he was awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp
Close Combat Clasp
The Close Combat Clasp is a German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 for achievement in hand to hand fighting in close quarters. The Close Combat Clasp was worn above the upper left uniform pocket...
in Gold, which was only awarded 631 times during the war.
Further reading
- Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold. ISBN 3-9501307-3-X
- Dörr, Manfred. Die Träger der Nahkampfspange in Gold, Heer-Luftwaffe-Waffen-SS 1943 - 1945. ISBN 3-7648-2585-5
- Durante, Thomas M. (2007). The German Close Combat Clasp of World War II. ISBN 978-90-81230-11-7
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Per. The makers of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. 1939-1945, ISBN 3790902845
- Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 - 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham - Huppertz (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-20-3.
External links
- Picture of Hinz, http://news.webshots.com/photo/2241490420096466526jxtult