Date of birth:

April 26th, 1917 (Hohenwestedt/Province of Schleswig-Holstein/Kingdom of Prussia, Germany)

Date of death:

October 25th, 2000 (Lauenburg/Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)

Service number:

SS Nr.: 280.189 // NSDAP-Nr.:

Nationality:

German

22.09.1930-01.04.1936: member of the Hitlerjugend
01.04.1936: joined the NSDAP and entered the SS
20.04.1936: entered the SD then SD/KriPo as Kriminalkommissar
01.04.1939-25.09.1939: RAD
26.09.1939-15.05.1940: SS-VT - SS-Regiment "Germania"
16.05.1940-01.11.1941: posted to the 1./ SS-Regiment "Nordland"
20.04.1941: promoted to SS-Unterscharführer
01.11.1941-31.01.1942: selected to become an officer and posted to the SS-Junkerschule in Bad Tölz to follow the 5. Lehrgang for Reserve Officer Training Course
26.01.1942: promoted to SS-Oberscharführer
01.02.1942: Zugführer - posted to the 5th SS Panzer Regiment in the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking" on the Eastern Front
10.03.1942: Chef, Kradsch.Zug / SS-PzAbt.5 , SS-Division "Wiking"
20.04.1942: promoted to SS-Untersturmführer der Reserve
31.08.1943: Chef, 4.(StuG.)/ SS-PzRgt.5 , SS-PzDiv. "Wiking"
10.1943: Hein was complemented by Adolf Hitler for his outstanding defensive performance in the Battle of Kharkov
09.11.1943: promoted to SS-Obersturmführer der Reserve
09.1943-09.1944: Chef, 2./ SS-PzRgt.5 , SS-PzDiv. "Wiking"
Hein was involved in the Battle of Cherkassy in the area of Olschana. The division was surprised by a Soviet attack; he gathered two hastily repaired Sturmgeschütze and 25 Grenadiers and launched a counterattack which resulted in the destruction of three T-34 tanks, fifteen anti-tank guns and taking 200 prisoners. The unit held out against further Soviet attacks and maintained the German line until reinforcements arrived. For these actions he was awarded the Knight's Cross in May 1944.
09.1944-05.01.1945: Kdr., I./ SS-PzRgt.5 , SS-PzDiv. "Wiking"
05.01.1945: severely wounded in his lower leg in the fighting for Budapest and spent the rest of the war in hospital at Bad Aussee in Austria.
30.01.1945: promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer

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• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - MOONEY, PETER, Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles, Schiffer Military History, 2016.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - SCHNEIDER, J.W., Their Honor Was Loyalty!, Bender (R.James) Publishing, 1993.
  - WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 2009.
  - John P.Moore's Führerliste
  - Onderzoek via Panzer-Archiv Forum
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  - axishistory.com