Max Hansen

Max Hansen
Birth date	31 July 1908(1908-07-31)
Place of birth	Niebüll, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	7 March 1990(1990-03-07)
Place of death	Niebüll, Schleswig-Holstei, Germany
Allegiance	National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1933–1945
Rank	SS-Standartenführer
Unit	1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
Commands held	8th Company LSSAH II./1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment LSSAH 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment LSSAH
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knights Cross with Oakleaves German Cross in Gold Close Combat Clasp in Gold

Max Hansen (31 July 1908 – 7 March 1990) was a German officer of the SS and Waffen-SS, at last SS-Standartenführer (Colonel) and recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves as well as one of only 98 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold in World War II.

Life

SS-Sturmbannführer Max Hansen in 1943

Early life

Hansen was born on the 31 July 1908 at Niebüll, Germany. Before joining the SS he was apprenticed to a locksmith. His older brother Christian „Cissy“ Johann Hansen also joined the SS

Military career

On 1 March 1931, Hansen joined the NSDAP (NSDAP-Nr.: 478 376) and on 1 August 1931 the SS (SS-Nr.: 27 813). He served in the 3rd Sturm 3/II. Sturmbann/SS-Standarte 50 until 9 May 1933, when he was transfered to the Leibstandarte of the SS-Verfügungstruppe. By 1939 was the commander of the 12th Company in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. In 1941, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold and promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major). He was given command of the II./1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment LSSAH.

It was whilst commanding this battalion during the Third Battle of Kharkov on 28 March 1943 that Hansen was awarded the Knight's Cross. His battalion broke through to Red Square in Kharkov, conducted house-to-house fighting and opened the way to the city centre, so that the northern part of Kharkov could be taken.

Hansen later went on to command the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment LSSAH. With his regiment he took part in the Ardennes Offensive and the offensive in Hungary, Operation Spring Awakening in 1945 during which he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

Death

Max Hansen died in the town of his birth on 7 March 1990.

SS-Promotions (day, month, year)

SS

• 1.8.1931 SS-Anwärter
• 1.7.1932 SS-Mann
• 1.4.1933 SS-Unterscharführer
• 1.12.1934 SS-Scharführer
• 1.3.1935 SS-Oberscharführer
• 9.11.1936 SS-Untersturmführer
• 20.4.1938 SS-Obersturmführer

Waffen-SS

• 9.11.1940 SS-Hauptsturmführer der Waffen-SS (mit RDA vom 1.11.1940)
• 9.11.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer der Waffen-SS
• 20.4.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer der Waffen-SS
• 17.4.1945 SS-Standartenführer der Waffen-SS

Awards and decorations

• DLRG badge of the German Life Saving Association (Abzeichnen der Deutschen Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft)
• SS-Zivilabzeichen (No. 96,167)
• SS-Julleuchter (de)
• Ehrendegen „Reichsführer-SS“
• German Olympia Honour Badge, 2nd Class
• DRL/Reich Sports Badge (Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen) in Bronze
• SA Sports Badge (SA-Sportabzeichen) in Bronze
• Medal to Commemorate the 13 March 1938 on 2 March 1939
• Sudetenland Medal with the Prague Castle Bar on 12 June 1940
• SS Long Service Award (SS-Dienstauszeichnung), 2nd Grade for 12 years

WWII

• Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 8 November 1939 (Poland campaign)
  • 1st Class on 7 May 1940
• General Assault Badge (Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen) in Silver on 30 October 1940
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black, Silver and Gold
  • Black in November 1941
  • Silver on 20 April 1942
  • Gold on 25 August 1942
• War Merit Cross (1939) (Kriegsverdienstkreuz), 2nd Class with Swords
• Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen) in Bronze on 11 March 1942
• Bulgarian Military Order for Bravery, 4th Class, 1st Grade with Swords (Bulgarischer Militärorden für Tapferkeit, IV. Klasse, I. Stufe mit Schwertern) on 6 July 1942
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
• Order of the Crown (Romania), 5th Class (Knight's Cross) with Swords (Orden der Krone von Rumänien, V. Klasse mit Schwertern)
• Close Combat Clasp (Nahkampfspange) in Silver and Gold
  • Silver on 7 September 1943
  • Gold on 12 March 1945 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander (Kommandeur) of the SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 1 „LSSAH“
• German Cross in Gold on 26 or 29 December 1942 as SS-Hauptsturmführer and coammnder (Chef) of the 14th company/Leibstandarte SS „Adolf Hitler“
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 28 March 1943 as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander (Kommandeur) of the II. Bataillon/SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 1 „LSSAH“/Heeresgruppe Süd
    • nominated by his commander Fritz Witt
  • Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945 (835th award) as SS-Standartenführer and commander (Kommandeur) of the SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 1 „LSSAH“/I. SS-Panzer-Korps

Further reading

• Agte, Patrick. Michael Wittmann and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the SS
• Berger, Florian. Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold. Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2004. ISBN 3-9501307-3-X.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. Panzers in Winter
• Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives], Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag, Jena 2007 ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• Max Hansen @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht