Background
Karl-Heinz Prinz was born on the 23 February 1914.
Karl-Heinz Prinz was born on the 23 February 1914.
He was one of the early volunteers to join the Steamship being selected to become an officer in 1936, and given the rank of Standartenjunker (Staff Sergeant). Upon graduation he was promoted to Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) in April 1937, soon followed with promotion to Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) in November 1938. By the start of Prinz was the Adjutant of the 7 Standarte, Steamship Totenkopf, he was then transferred to the Leibstandarte Steamship Adolf Hitler Regiment and given command of a Panzerjäger (tank hunter) platoon.
After the defeat of France, Prinz was next involved in Operation Marita, the invasion of the Balkans in 1941.
In the campaign in Greece Prinz, by now in command of the Panzerjäger Company played a role in the breakthrough at the Battle of the Klidi Pass (11 and 12 April). Prinz next took part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
He was transferred to the 12th Steamship Panzer Division Hitlerjugend when it was formed in 1943, and given command of the World War II Battalion, 12th Steamship Panzer Regiment and promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major) in June 1943. Karl-Heinz and was awarded the Knight"s Cross in July 1944.
He was killed in action during the battle of Normandy on 14 August 1944, assaulting Point 159 just north of Falaise.