Degen, Hans

Date of birth:: February 18th, 1899 (Rosenheim/Bavaria, Germany)
Date of death:: November 18th, 1971 (Bad Tölz/Bavaria, Germany)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Promotions:
February 1st, 1942 Oberst;
January 1st, 1944 Generalmajor;
September 20th, 1944 Generalleutnant.

Career:
1916: Armee;
November 10th, 1938 - January 15th, 1941: Ia 2.Gebirgs-Division;
January 15th, 1941 - July 2nd, 1942: Chef des Generalstab, VI. Armeekorps;
July 16th, 1942 - October 25th, 1943: Chef des Generalstab, Gebirgskorps Norwegen;
November 1st, 1943 - February 6th, 1945 Kommandeur 2. Gebirgs-Division;
May 2nd, 1945 - October 15th, 1947: Amerikaans POW.

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Spanienkreuz, Bronze

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: May 31st, 1939

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberst im Generalstab (Colonel in General Staff)
Unit:: Stab Generalkommando VI.Armeekorps (Staff General Commande VI.Armeekorps)
Awarded on:: March 12th, 1942

Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: 1942

Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und Waffen-SS

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: February 5th, 1945

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Generalleutnant (Major-general)
Unit:: Kommandeur 2.Gebirgs-Division
Awarded on:: March 11th, 1945

Awarded for his actions while fighting in the Colmar-Neubreisach area in early 1945. Here Degen distinguished himself while fulfilling his task of holding the northern and southern fronts of the Breisach corridor, and by doing so he was able to stop the French 1st (Bethouard) and 2nd (Monsabert) Corps from making contact. A hostile breakthrough was prevented, and until he himself was heavily wounded he furthermore ensured that the bulk of his Division was able to cross over the Rhine river at the Neuenburg-Mühlheim bridge.