Heinrich Petersen (Wehrmacht)

Heinrich Petersen
Nickname	Hein
Birth date	23 September 1911(1911-09-23)
Place of birth	Wenzingen, Kreis Fallingbostel, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	⚔ 7 August 1943 (aged 31)
Place of death	Iwanowski (Ivanovsky), Kursk, Soviet Union, Eastern Front
Allegiance	National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel (posthumously)
Battles/wars	World War II West Wall Battle of France Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Iron Cross Infantry Assault Badge Wound Badge Eastern Front Medal German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Heinrich "Hein" Petersen (23 September 1911 – 7 August 1943) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II.

Life

Invitation by the Reich Youth Leadership for 15 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 November 1942; first row: Generalleutnant Friedrich Herrlein, Reichsjugendführer Artur Axmann and Hauptmann Heinrich Petersen, in the second row, between the general and Axmann, Hauptmann Gotthard Eßbach. It is assumed that all 15 received the Golden HJ Honour Badge on this day.

It is mostly accepted that Heinrich Petersen joined the Reichswehr as an officer candidate and experienced the transition to the Wehrmacht in 1935. Another source states, he joined the police after his Abitur and at some point transferred to the Wehrmacht. On 1 October 1936, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant). As part of the general mobilization on 26 August 1939, he was transferred to the new Infanterie-Regiment 184 in Osnabrück where he would eventually be appointed company commander.

The regiment was transported by rail to the West Wall, where it was deployed in the combat facilities on the Saar in the Mettlach – Saarburg area. Here it received its baptism of fire in the successfully conducted battles near Perl on the three-country corner, had its first dead and wounded and received its first awards. From 26 January to 10 May 1940, the regiment was at the Grafenwöhr military training area. It was initially housed in the villages south of the camp and later in the camp itself. These months were filled with training and exercises up to the division level. Then they were transferred again by rail transport to the Saar, and at the start of the Western Campaign the battalions crossed the Luxembourg border near Winscheringen at 4:30 p.m. on 13 May 1940 and marched in the XII. Army Corps through Luxembourg and through southern Belgium and received operational orders in the Chiers position near Meix devant Virton in front of the Montmedy fortress. The situation here was characterized by trench warfare with heavy artillery fire and lively patrol activity. All units of the regiment were removed from their positions on 30 May 1940, and on 4 June 1940, through strenuous marches, they reached the Aboncourt – Vauzelles area east of Rethel via St. Marie, Plainevaux, Bouillon, Sedan. Here it received orders for immediate deployment on the Aisne. The Aisne became the fateful river of the Western Campaign for all soldiers in the regiment. On 9 June 1940, the battle for the crossing over the Aisne and the Ardennes Canal began at Armagne and Ambly-Fleury. After almost two days of costly attacks, the French regiments were thrown out of the strongly fortified positions of the Weygand Line. The severity of these battles is marked by the loss of 26 officers, 109 non-commissioned officers and 448 enlisted men of the regiment fallen and wounded. Immediate pursuit of the enemy began, and after restless marches and small vanguard battles, the regiment reached the Epinal area at the end of the French campaign on 25 June 1940. It remained as an occupation force in the Bourges area until June 1941 and was deployed there on the demarcation line.

After rail transport, the assembly of the 86th Infantry Division in East Prussia around Schierwind on the Lithuanian border ended. This was exceeded on 27 June 1941 at 5:00 a.m. The regiment's advance during Operation Barbarossa led via Maryampol and Vilna, initially to protect the southern flank of the attacking XXIII. Army Corps was deployed in the Dessna area. The major battle for the Polotsk Fortress began here on 13 July 1941. Captain Heinrich Petersen distinguished himself as commander of the I. Battalion. He was promoted to Major at the end of 1942 or early 1943, was appointed leader (Führer) of the Grenadier-Regiment 184 and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel posthumously with rank seniority from 1 August 1943.

Awards and decorations

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th Class
• West Wall Medal (Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen)
• Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
• Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen) in Silver
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 2 January 1942
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 February 1942 as Hauptmann (Captain) and Commander of the I. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment 184/86. Infanterie-Division

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