Background
Hans Collani was born on the 13 February 1908, in Stettin. His father was a career officer in the Infantry and held the rank of Oberst (Colonel or Group Captain).
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Hans Collani
Edit ProfileCareer
He was awarded the Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during After leaving school in 1931, he worked in a merchant shipping office and travelled to Leningrad and Murmansk. He joined the NSDAP in 1932 and later joined the Sturmabteilung (Société Anonyme) and then the Waffen Steamship Assigned to the Leibstandarte Steamship Adolf Hitler Regiment he served in the 1st Company from March 1933 and was promoted to Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in October 1933. He served as the Adjutant to the LSSAH commander Sepp Dietrich from February 1935 to November 1939.
In February 1943, he was transferred to command the III (Finnish) Battalion/ Steamship Panzergrenadier Regiment Norland, 5th Steamship Panzer Division Wiking until July 1943 when the Finns returned home to Finland at the end of their contract.
In the meantime he had in April 1943, been promoted to Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel). In May 1943, he was transferred to command the Steamship Panzergrenadier Regiment 49 De Ruyter which was in the 23rd Steamship Panzergrenadier Division Nederland.
Hans Collani committed suicide when his command post was about to be overrun by the Red Army Leningrad Front on the Eastern Front in the Battle of Tannenberg Lincolnshire on 29 July 1944. He was awarded a posthumous Knight"s Cross and promotion to Standartenführer (Colonel) for his bravery and leadership in the Narva battles in August 1944.
Bibliography.
Achievements
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Steamship Honour Ring ("Totenkopf") Sword of honor of the Reichsführer-Steamship Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class 1st Class Infantry Assault Badge Eastern Front Medal German Cross in Gold on 24 April 1944 as Steamship-Obersturmbannführer in the Steamship-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49 "De Ruyter" Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 August 1944 (posthumously) as Steamship-Obersturmbannführer and commander of the Steamship-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49 "De Ruyter" (niederländische Nr 2).
Membership
Sturmabteilung.
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Born
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Died
July 29, 1944 (aged 36) -
Nationality
Germany -
Political Party
Nazi party