Date of birth:

November 3rd, 1914 (Kiel/Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)

Date of death:

October 27th, 2007 (Oelixdorf/Schleswig-Holstein,Germany)

Service number:

SS-Nr.: 291.007 // NSDAP-Nr.:

Nationality:

German

Promotions:
00.06.1936: SS-Mann
00.00.1939: SS-Sturmmann
01.06.1939: SS-Standarten-Junker
01.09.1939: SS-Standarten-Oberjunker
09.11.1939: SS-Untersturmführer
09.11.1940: SS-Obersturmführer
09.11.1941: SS-Hauptsturführer
21.06.1943: SS-Sturmbannführer

Career:
00.00.1931: Gymnasium, Meldorf
00.05.1931: Hitlerjugend
01.10.1932: Ausbildung Maurer
00.00.1932: Führer des Jungvolk-Fähnleins „Nord", Hitlerjugend
00.00.1934: Bauingenieur, Staasbauschule Eckernförde
00.06.1936: joined the SS
00.07.1936: SS-Mann, 9. Sturm 9, SS-Standarte 50
03.04.1937-00.10.1937: RAD, Flensburg
01.11.1937: SS-Schütze, 3. Sturm, SS-Standarte 2 "Germania", SS-VT
00.03.1938: campaign in Austria
04.05.1938-00.10.1938: lMG-Schütze, 11. Sturm, III. Sturmbann, SS-Standarte 3 "Der Führer", SS-VT
15.11.1938: SS-Junker, 7. Friedens-Junker-Lehrgang under SS-Hstuf Vinzenz Kaiser, Junkerschule Tölz
16.08.1939-10.10.1939: Zugführerlehrgang Dachau
23.10.1939: Zugführer, 2. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, Leibstandarte SS-"Adolf Hitler", Prague
00.05.1940: SS-Ustuf, campaign in the West
10.06.1940: WIA to his thigh near La Ferte-Milon, France
20.06.1940: WIA to the left hand in the fighting around Clermont-Ferrand airfield and evacuated to SS-Lazarett in Mecklenburg
09.09.1940: SS-Ustuf, Adjutant, I. Bataillon, SS-Infanterie-Regiment LSSAH, SS-VT, Metz
26.12.1940: SS-Ostuf, Adolf Hitler's visit to the LAH for Christmas, Metz
01.03.1941-00.04.1941: SS-Ostuf, Adjutant, I. Bataillon, SS-Infanterie-Regiment LSSAH, campaign in the Balkans - Klidi Pass
21.06.1941: SS-Ostuf, Adjutant, I. Bataillon, SS-Infanterie-Regiment LSSAH - campaign in Russia
00.06.1941: IIa, SS-Infanterie-Regiment LSSAH
08.08.1941: SS-Ostuf, Führer, 3. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment LSSAH - Black Sea, Berdjansk, Mariupol and Taganrog
12.10.1941: attack on the Mius river at Nikolajewka
15.10.1941: WIA for the 3rd time to the left upper shoulder near Nikolajewka
17.11.1941: SS-Hstuf, Führer, 3. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment LSSAH - Rostov, Don River
19.11.1941: WIA fo the 4th time to the head
21.11.1941: WIA for the 5th time by a Soviet sniper to the shoulder and evacuated by JU52 to theLazarett in Leignitz
23.01.1942: received the RK from Sepp Dietrich at Berlin Lichterfelde
00.02.1942: SS-Hstuf, Führer, 7. Kompanie, SS-Ausbildungs und Ersatz-Bataillon LAH
01.06.1942: SS-Hstuf, Chef, 1. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 1, SS-Division (motorisiert) LSSAH - Kharkov
00.07.1942: refit in France
00.01.1943: SS-Hstuf, Chef, 1. Kompanie, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1, 1. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division LSSAH - Battle of Kharkov
12.02.1943: severely WIA near Rogan and evacuated
20.03.1943: SS-Hstuf, SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Ausbildungs- und Ersatz-Bataillon I (Berlin)
00.06.1943: SS-Stubaf, appointed IIa, Adjutant, 12. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Hitlerjugend"
16.10.1943: joined the 12. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Hitlerjugend"
11.05.1944: SS-Stubaf, appointed to the Stab, Reichsführer-SS
01.06.1944: SS-Stubaf, Verbindungsoffizier Waffen-SS, Wehrmachtsführungsstab, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, Berghof, Obersalzberg then Rastenburg
30.08.1944-05.02.1945: SS-Stubaf, Erster Ordonnanzoffizier (O1), Fieldmarschall Walter Model, Heeresgruppe B
06.02.1945: SS-Stubaf, O1, RFSS Heinrich Himmler, Heeresgruppe Weichsel - Prenzlau
27.03.1945: SS-Stubaf, O1, General Heinrici, Heeresgruppe Weichsel - Prenzlau
27.05.1945: captured at Mariengaard near Felnsburg - British POW
00.02.1946: escaped from POW camp Neuengamme
01.09.1948: Hochbau-Ingenieur, Kiel
15.11.1952: Bauingenieur, Itzehoe
00.12.1977: Technischer Angestellter, Schleswig-Holstein

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Rank:

SS-Schütze (Private)

Unit:

3. Sturm, SS-Standarte 'Germania', SS-VT

Awarded on:

March 2nd, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Zugführer, 2. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

November 9th, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Zugführer, 1. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

June 8th, 1940

awarded for his action near Dunkirk

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Zugführer, 2. Sturm, I. Sturmbann, LAH

Awarded on:

June 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

Adjutant, I. Bataillon, LAH, SS-VT

Awarded on:

October 3rd, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)

Unit:

Adjutant, I. Bataillon, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

July 12th, 1941

awarded for having led a small action to link up with the then cut-off III. Panzer-Korps, returning back to the LSSAH with key information

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Obersturmführer der Reserve (1st Lieutenant of Reserves)

Unit:

Führer, 3. Kompanie, LAH

Awarded on:

October 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Führer, 3. Kompanie, I. Bataillon, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

November 26th, 1941

WIA 10.06.1940 + 20.06.1940 + 15.10.1941 + 19.11.1941 + 21.11.1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

Führer, 3. Kompanie, I. Bataillon, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

January 12th, 1942

Heinrich Springer was a captain and commander commander in the LSSAH during the first battle of Rostov in late 1941. His company, with attached pioneers and signals men, was ordered to infiltrate the city in captured Russian uniforms and capture the railway bridge over the Don intact. With this they entered the city on the 20th, and managed to navigate the mayhem until they reached the bridge itself that evening. Springer ordered his men to open fire on a Russian locomotive that was coming out of the city towards the bridge and brought it to a halt. In the ensuring confusion, his men dashed across the bridge. The pioneers cut the detcords and his company overpowered the Russian guards, establishing a bridgehead on the far side (without suffering any losses!). His men were able to hold the bridgehead against increasing Russian pressure over the course of the night, all while being cut off from the rest of the division. Finally, on the morning of the next day, he was ordered to retreat from his bridgehead (exactly why is unknown). The Russians promptly destroyed the bridge once the Germans had left, and Springer was wounded the same day.

Nonetheless his actions at the bridge, though ultimately in vain, in themselves were impressive enough and Springer was given the Knight’s Cross while in the hospital.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Unit:

LAH

Awarded on:

May 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Awarded on:

September 3rd, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)

Awarded on:

September 1942

with swords

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Christian Habisohn
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - MOONEY, PETER, Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles, Schiffer Pub Ltd, 2008.
  - Personalakte
  - Mooney, P., Dietrich’s Warriors – The History of the 3. Kompanie/1st Panzergrenadier Regiment 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 2004
  - Heinrich-Springer.de
  - Axis Biographical Research
  - Heinrich Springer - Stationen eines Lebens in Krieg und Frieden - Zeitgeschichtliches Zeugnis des SS Sturmbannführers und Ritterkreuzträger der Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - Wehrmacht1945.de