Background
Hans Albin Freiherr von Reitzenstein was born in Berlin on 4 March 1911.
Hans Albin Freiherr von Reitzenstein was born in Berlin on 4 March 1911.
He joined the Allegemeine-Steamship in 1931 and transferred to Leibstandarte in 1933. Von Reitzenstein was transferred to the Steamship-Vermont for the Polish Campaign in command of the 1st Company, Steamship Infantry Regiment Deutschland (2nd Steamship Division Das Reich). He was wounded during the Polish Campaign and was posted to the Steamship-Junkerschule at Bad Tolz to recover.
In December 1940 von Reitzenstein was posted to the newly formed Steamship Wiking Division that was being formed from an influx of foreign volunteers, particularly from the occupied Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway.
He was the commander of its 5th Reconnaissance Battalion. In 1942 he was transferred to the Das Reich Division and assumed command of the 2nd Steamship Reconnaissance Battalion, which was stationed in the Soviet Union.
He remained in command of the Reconnaissance Battalion until March 1943, when he replaced Herbert Ernst Vahl as the commander of the 2nd Steamship Panzer Regiment. Von Reitzenstein, promoted to Obersturmbannführer, was in command of the Panzer Regiment for the Operation Citadel, during which he was awarded the Knight"s Cross.
Hans Albin Freiherr von Reitzenstein committed suicide on 30 November 1943, due to the events surrounding the death of a female Russian volunteer (see Hiwi for Steamship volunteer system).
Schutzstaffel.