Date of birth:

June 28th, 1914 (Hildesheim/Hannover, Germany)

Date of death:

November 24th, 1981 (Hamburg, Germany)

Service number:

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

Nationality:

German

Major Hans Franz Bonertz
Promotions:
04.04.1934: Fahnenjunker
01.11.1934: Gefreiter
01.12.1934: Unteroffizier
01.06.1935: Fähnrich
25.10.1935: Oberfähnrich
20.04.1936: Leutnant - RDA 01.04.1936
31.03.1939: Oberleutnant - RDA 01.04.1939
15.02.1942: Hauptmann - RDA 01.03.1942
20.09.1944: Major - RDA 01.07.1944

Career:
00.00.1942: Hauptmann, Führer, III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 46, 30. Infanterie-Division
04.04.1942-18.07.1942: Kommandeur, Kampfgruppe Bonertz, 3. SS-Totenkopf-Division

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Awarded on:

April 4th, 1938

Awarded on:

1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 18th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

January 30th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 19th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Führer III. / Infanterie-Regiment 46 / 30. Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

March 27th, 1942

The following wartime excerpt describes why Bonertz was awarded the Knight’s Cross…

“Hauptmann Bonertz, the commander of the III./I.R. 46, was deployed with his Bataillon to the Saprudno—Pustynja area, at the time the most trying sector for the entire Division. Thanks to his skillful, tireless and at times dangerous reconnaissance sorties he succeeded in quickly obtaining a clear understanding of the enemy situation. The enemy had surrounded the village of Saprudno and was strongly aided by the dense forest terrain, and in this context they launched massive attacks on a daily basis with the support of artillery, aircraft and mortars. On the 21.03.1942 the 21st attack was defeated by Bonertz’s Bataillon, in all the time before that Hauptmann Bonertz repeatedly distinguished himself through his outstanding bravery. It was his energetic personality that ultimately decided the fate of this extremely important cornerstone for the Division’s position.”

• Photo 1: Norbert Beyerlein
• Photo: Beyerlein sammlung
  
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1992.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - das-ritterkreuz.de