Erik Hansen (general)

Erik Oskar Hansen (27 May 1889 – 18 March 1967) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

Erik Oskar Hansen
Born	27 May 1889 Hamburg
Died	18 March 1967(1967-03-18) (aged 77) Hamburg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Army
Years of service	1907–45
Rank	General of the Cavalry
Commands	4th Infantry Division 14th Panzer Division LIV Army Corps
Battles / wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Biography

Born in Hamburg, Hansen entered the army of Imperial Germany in 1907 as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet) in the 9th Dragoons. He was given command of the 4th Infantry Division in 1938. Promoted to generalleutnant^{[Note 1]} in August 1939,^[2] he led the division through the invasion of Poland and the French Campaign before it was withdrawn from the front in August 1940 for conversion to armour. Now designated the 14th Panzer Division, Hansen oversaw its initial training in armoured warfare.^[3]

Hansen was promoted to General der Kavallerie (General of the Cavalry)^{[Note 2]} before taking command of LIV Army Corps in 1941, operating on the Eastern Front.^[2] Soon afterwards, on 4 September 1941, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.^[4] In 1943, he commanded the German Military Mission in Romania in addition to being Military Commander, Romania.^[2]

On 25 August 1944,^[5] after King Michael's Coup, he was arrested by Romanian troops and held at the German Legation [ro] in Bucharest. He was taken by Soviet troops on 2 September 1944 together with the other captured German generals.^[6][7] He was held in the Soviet Union until 1955. On his return to Germany, he lived in Hamburg.^[2]

Notes

Footnotes

1. In the Wehrmacht, the rank of generalleutnant is equivalent to that of major general in the United States Army.^[1]
2. Equivalent to a lieutenant general in the United States Army.^[1]

Citations

1. Mitcham 2007, p. 257.
2. Mitcham 2007, p. 121.
3. Mitcham 2007, pp. 119–120.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 177.
5. Nicolae Jurca. "Serata de adio s-a contramandat". memoria.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 18 February 2024.
6. Florin Constantiniu (6 March 2012). "Generalului german Erik Hansen interogat de sovietici" (in Romanian).
7. Teofil Oroian. "Cum au răpit sovieticii prizonierii capturați de armata română". Historia. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

References

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of WWII and Their Commanders. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3353-3.

Military offices
Preceded by Generalleutnant Erich Raschick	Commander of 4th Infantry Division 10 November 1938 – 15 August 1940	Succeeded by Renamed 14th Panzer Division
Preceded by Previously 4th Infantry Division	Commander of 14th Panzer Division 15 August 1940 – 1 October 1940	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Heinrich von Prittwitz und Gaffron
Preceded by None	Commander of LIV Army Corps 1 June 1941 – 19 January 1943	Succeeded by Generaloberst Carl Hilpert