Heinrich Hannibal

Heinrich Hannibal (1889–1971) was a Waffen SS Brigadeführer (Major General) and Generalmajor of Polizei during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II.

Early life
Heinrich Hannibal was born on 19 November 1889 in Söllingen into a farming family. In 1905, he joined the Reichswehr and was stationed until 1907 in the Unteroffiziers school in Neubreisach, subsequently from 1907 to 1909 he was at the corporal school in Jülich. In April 1909, Hannibal was transferred to the 4th Lothringischen Infantry Regiment 136 in Straßburg.

World War I
Hannibal stayed with his regiment throughout World War I, taking part in numerous actions, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross I & II class and the Wound Badge in Silver.

Interwar period
In 1919 Hannibal was still in the Reichswehr and in July 1920, the now Leutnant Hannibal transferred to the Schutzpolizei in Ohrdruf. He attended the Police school in Düsseldorf and Magdeburg and subsequently became the commander in Bochum-South and from December 1935, in Dezernent and in Arnsberg. He moved in 1937, to Hamburg, until the start of World War II.

World War II
At the start of World War II Hannibal was the commander of the police recruit Battalion 3030 in Bremen. During this time he also joined the NSDAP (party number 952,252) and the SS (SS number 327,343). During the invasion of the Soviet Union in January 1942, he took up the post of section officer of police in Kherson (Southern Russia) and in April 1943 the command of the SS-Polizei-Schützenregiments 31. He was wounded during combat at Lida. He was awarded the Knight's Cross on 23 August 1944, for his achievements within the Kampfgruppe Gottberg. In January 1945 he was promoted to Brigadefuhrer and Major General of Police and assumed the leadership of a Kampfgruppe in the IV Army in East Prussia.

Post war
Heinrich Hannibal survived the war and died on 9 May 1971 in Hamburg.