Erik Hansen (General)

Erik Hansen (1941)

Erik Oskar Hansen (born May 27, 1889 in Hamburg ; † March 20, 1967 ibid) was a German officer , most recently a general of the cavalry in World War II and commander of the German army mission in Romania .

Military life

Hansen joined the Dragoon Regiment "King Karl I of Romania" (1st Hannoversches) No. 9 on October 1, 1907 , to which he belonged until 1916. During the First World War he was employed as a regimental adjutant and rose to Rittmeister . From February 1917 until the end of the war he was deployed in various general staff positions.

He was then accepted into the Reichswehr and rose to lieutenant colonel by 1932 . Among other things, he was on the staff of the 1st Cavalry Division and as a teacher at the cavalry school in Hanover. In 1931 he was appointed First General Staff Officer (Ia) of the 1st Division . After the takeover of the Nazi party , he was in 1934 to Colonel in 1937 to Major General and in 1939 to lieutenant general promoted. At the end of 1938 Hansen became the commander of the 4th Infantry Division , which he led in the Polish and western campaigns .

In October 1940 Hansen became head of the German military mission in Romania . Shortly afterwards he was promoted to general of the cavalry. His staff later became the staff of the LIV. Army corps formed, which he commanded in the war against the Soviet Union until January 1943. The corps was at this time in the Army Group South (including on the Crimean ), as well as the Northern Army Group before Leningrad used.

On January 20, 1943 he was again head of the German military mission in Romania. In this position he was taken prisoner by the Soviets on August 26, 1944 , from which he was only released on October 10, 1955.

Awards

Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
Hanseatic Cross Hamburg
Clasp for the Iron Cross, 2nd and 1st class
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on September 4, 1941
German cross in gold on September 19, 1942
Military Order Michael the Brave III. and II. class

literature

Dermot Bradley (eds.), Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Brockmann: Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945. Volume 5: v. Haack-Hitzfeld. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1999, ISBN 3-7648-2422-0 , pp. 105-106.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehr Ministry , ES Mittler & Sohn . Berlin 1930, p. 123.
↑ ^a ^b Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 369.

personal data
SURNAME	Hansen, Erik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Hansen, Erik Oskar (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German officer, most recently general of the cavalry in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH	May 27, 1889
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH	March 20, 1967
Place of death	Hamburg

[Rangliste-1] Ranking list of the German Reichsheeres , Ed .: Reichswehr Ministry , ES Mittler & Sohn . Berlin 1930, p. 123.

[Scherzer-2] Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 369.