Heinz Greiner

Heinz Greiner (12 August 1895 – 19 November 1977) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Heinrich Greiner
Born	(1895-08-12)12 August 1895
Died	19 November 1977(1977-11-19) (aged 82)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Army (Wehrmacht)
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands	268th Infantry Division 362nd Infantry Division
Battles / wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Career

During Operation Barbarossa Greiner reached divisional level command. The division was destroyed in the Soviet Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944, along with much of Army Group Centre. Greiner was transferred to Italy where he took command of the 362nd Infantry Division. Losses were so heavy in the division in Italy that a bit of doggerel made the rounds:

The division of Greiner

Gets chopped ever finer

Until roll call's a one liner

That simply says: Greiner.^[1]

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (4 December 1914) & 1st Class (25 November 1918)^[2]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (4 October 1939) & 1st Class (20 October 1939)^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 September 1941 as Colonel (Oberst ) and commander of Grenadier Regiment 499.^[3]
  • 572nd Oak Leaves on 5 September 1944 as Major-General (Generalleutnant) and commander of the 362nd Infantry Division^[4]

References

Citations

1. Ellis, John. Brute Force p.115
2. Thomas 1997, p. 220.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 168.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 74.

Bibliography

• Ellis, John (1990). Brute Force [Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Viking. ISBN 978-067080773-4 – via Internet Archive.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [First published 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.

Military offices
Preceded by Generalleutnant Erich Straube	Commander of 268th Infantry Division 6 January 1942 – November 1943	Succeeded by Unit disbanded
Preceded by None	Commander of 362nd Infantry Division November 1943 – 1 January 1945	Succeeded by Generalmajor Max Reinwald