Hinrich Ahrens
| Hinrich Ahrens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth date | 15 March 1921 |
| Place of birth | Eickedorf, Kreis Osterholz, Regierungsbezirk Stade, Province of Hanover, Free State of Prussia, German Reich |
| Death date | 31 December 2009 (aged 88) |
| Place of death | Grasberg-Eickedorf, Landkreis Osterholz, Lower Saxony, Federal Republic of Germany |
| Allegiance |  National Socialist Germany
|
| Service/branch |  Reich Labour Service (RAD) Heer
|
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Feldwebel |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Hinrich Ludwig Ahrens (15 March 1921 – 31 December 2009) was a German NCO of the Wehrmacht, finally Feldwebel of the Wehrmacht and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II. After the war, he was briefly a prisoner of war held by Belgian forces from 28 April to 14 September 1945. He was a lifelong member of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients.[1]
Contents
Life
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After eight years of compulsory school (Volksschule), Ahrens completed a three-year apprenticeship as a miller from 1936 to 1939, including attending vocational school. He then worked in his trade until 19 August 1940, when he began his compulsory service with the Reich Labor Service (RAD) in Nordholz (until 4 January 1941). During his time with the RAD, he was deployed, among other things, to France to build airfield facilities.
WWII
On 6 February 1941, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht and assigned to the 5th Company of the Hamburg Tank Destroyer Replacement Battalion 20. After completing his basic training, he was assigned to the 14th Company of the Infantry Regiment 301. On 9 August 1941, he was wounded for the first time. The regiment was renamed Grenadier Regiment 301 on 15 October 1942. Following the disbandment of the 206th Infantry Division (18 July 1944), he was transferred to the 13th tank destroyer (Panzerjäger) company of the Grenadier Regiment 1141.
During his act of bravery on 16 October 1944, he was wounded for the 7th time, or according to other sources, the 8th or 9th time, and only returned to the regiment on 28 December 1944. After receiving the Knight's Cross and a short leave at home, he returned to duty. However, sources differ on this point; some report that he was assigned to Training Company 22 in Oldenburg, while others state that he returned to his regiment in the Königsberg fortress. In February 1945, he was severely wounded again and was admitted to the reserve military hospital in Bremen on 26 February 1945. On 28 April 1945, while still in the hospital, he was taken prisoner of war by the Belgians, from which he was released on 14 September 1945 due to his poor health.
Knight's Cross
Hinrich Ahrens commanded a 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (Panzerabwehrkanone) crew during a major Soviet attack against his Division’s sector on the 16 October 1944. Positioned just to the north of Wirballen, he continued to fight with his Pak gun even after his entire crew had been wiped out by Soviet artillery fire. He inflicted heavy losses on the attacking Soviet infantry by firing high explosive rounds, and he continued to fight them off with hand grenades as the attackers pushed past him on either side and attacked from the rear. A group of ten enemy tanks then approached him. Ahrens knocked out the first one with the Panzerfaust and thereby forced the remainder to fall back.
After expending his ammunition, he resolved that the gun would not fall into the hands of the Red Army under any circumstances. He fought his way through the enemy ring back to his battalion command post, picked up some explosives and then headed back. Along the way, he was badly wounded in the thigh, however, he continued to storm forwards against the bewildered Soviets along with two other soldiers. He managed to blow up his gun and thereafter fight his way back to friendly lines with his two comrades. Ahrens’ bravery significantly contributed to the prevention of a Soviet breakthrough here. He would subsequently be awarded the Knight’s Cross in recognition of his actions.
Family
Hinrich was the son of Diedrich Ahrens (1889–1981) and his wife Helene, née Rademacher (1898–1985). He had five siblings, including brother Carsten Hinrich (1922–2012) and sister Meta Hermine Luise (b. 11 January 1924 in Eickedorf).
Promotions
- 6 February 1941 Panzerjäger (Tank Destroyer)
- 1 July 1942 Gefreiter (Private E-2/Lance Corporal)
- 1 November 1943 Unteroffizier (NCO/Corporal/Junior Sergeant)
- 28 December 1944 Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant) with effect from 1 December 1944
Awards and decorations
- Infantry Assault Badge in Silver on 7 November 1941
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black, Silver and Gold
- Black on 24 March 1942
- Silver on 2 August 1942
- Gold on 23 August 1943
- Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
- 2nd Class on 10 August 1942
- 1st Class on 29 November 1942
- Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal on 23 July 1942
- 4 Tank Destruction Badges (Panzervernichtungsabzeichen)
- 1st Badge on 7 February 1943
- 2nd Badge on 19 November 1943
- 3rd Badge on 19 November 1943
- 4th Badge on 18 November 1944
- Close Combat Clasp in Bronze on 10 August 1944
- German Cross in Gold on 7 April 1944 as Unteroffizier and Gunner in the 14th Company/Grenadier-Regiment 301/206. Infanterie-Division/LIII. Armee-Korps/3. Panzer-Armee/Heeresgruppe Mitte
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross am 9 January 1945 as Unteroffizier and Gunner (Geschützführer) in the 13th Company/Grenadier-Regiment 1141/561. Volks-Grenadier-Division/IX. Armee-Korps/3. Panzer-Armee/Heeresgruppe Mitte
