Hanns-Heinrich Lohmann

Hanns Heinrich Lohmann (24 April 1911 – 25 May 1995) was an Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel), in the Waffen SS during World War II, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.

Early life
Hanns Heinrich Lohmann was born on 24 April 1911 in Gütersloh. After he finished school he joined the Sparkasse bank in 1929. He also had an interest in athletics, training at the sports schools at Korbach and Essen. During this time he also worked part-time as a police officer in Münster. In January 1935 under orders from the Reichsführer SS, he joined the SS and was posted to the IV Battalion, SS Regiment Deutschland. In May 1935 he was promoted to the rank of Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) and made a platoon leader.

In November 1935 he fractured his left ankle in a sporting accident. After recovering from the injury in 1936, he was promoted to Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) and posted to the SS-Junkerschule, at Bad Tölz as a lecturer, holding the position of Adjutant from 1937 and completing the Company commanders course at the same time. In November 1938 he was posted to the Deutschland Regiment and was promoted to Hauptsturmführer (Captain).

World War II
Between 1939 and 1940 he was on the staff of the army General staff, before returning to the SS Junkerschule at Bad Tölz for three months as the director of training.

In June 1941 he was given command of the new Regiment "Westland", "Wiking" Division, which was just being formed and took part in the invasion of Russia, (Operation Barbarossa). In the spring of 1942 Lohmann caught Malaria. Returning to duty in October 1942, he was given command of the I. Battalion, SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment "Nordland", still in the "Wiking" Division which was now fighting in the Caucasus.

The division was involved in some heavy fighting in the Kotenikovo and Simovniki region. They subsequently covered the retreat of Army Group A from the Cacasus. For his part in these actions Lohmann was awarded the German Cross in Gold and promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major) in February 1943.

In May 1943, Lohmann's regiment was being rested in the Grafenwöhr training area, and then was assigned to the 11th SS Division "Nordland". During this time, Lohmann was given command of the III. Battalion, "Norge" Regiment. This should have been an armoured battalion, but due to a lack of equipment and a shortage of SdKfz 251 armoured half tracks, they remained a motorised battalion and saw service in Italy after the Italian surrender and Croatia.

In August 1943, Lohmann was sent on a training course for armoured troops in Paris and on his return the division was relocated to the Oranienbaum sector of the Siege of Leningrad. Lohmann's battalion was involved in the defence of the retreating Sponheimer Group along the Leningrad–Narva Highway and he was wounded on 2 February 1944. It was for his battalion's actions during this time that Lohmann was awarded the Knight's Cross and a promotion to Sturmbannführer (Major).

After he was released from hospital in April 1944 he spent the summer at Bad Tölz on a regimental commanders training course. He was then posted to the Wachbattalion, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, in Berlin.

At the end of October 1944, he was posted to the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps and given command of the 49th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment De Ruyter part of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland, which was in the Kurland region.

Lohmann was promoted to Obersturmbannführer in January 1945, and joined what was left of his regiment in the Gollnow area.

He was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross by order of Generalleutnant Unrein who at the time was the commander of the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps in February 1945.

Post war
Lohmann survived the war and died in his home town on 25 May 1995.