Bruno Hinz

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Bruno Hinz
Born 25 August 1915
Petersdorf
Died 28 February 1968(1968-02-28) (aged 52)
Munich
Buried at Munich Waldfriedhof
Field 48—Row 6—Grave 29
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen-SS
Years of service 1931–1945
Rank Hauptsturmführer
Unit 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
German Cross in Gold
Eastern Front
Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle bar
Anschluss Medal
Memel Medal
Wound Badge in Gold
Close Combat Clasp in Gold

Bruno Hinz (25 August 1915 — 28 February 1968) was a Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in the Waffen-SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[2][5]

References

  1. ↑ "ArchivalResearch". 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "awardecipients". 
  3. ↑ "fronkjemper". 
  4. ↑ "axishistory". 
  5. ↑ Berger 2004, p. 6.

Further reading

  • 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. 
  • 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 978-90-812301-1-7
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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. 
  • 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. 

External links

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