Education
Kroh completed the parachutist-rifleman course and became a training director of the Stendal Parachute School.
Kroh completed the parachutist-rifleman course and became a training director of the Stendal Parachute School.
The Knight"s Cross of the and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Hans Kroh entered the Brandenburg-Havel Police School as a police cadet on 8 April 1926. On 1 October 1935 he became commander of the 2nd Company, General Göring Regiment and transferred to the Luftwaffe on April 1, 1936.
After a period of staff work, on September 1, 1940 he assumed command of I Battalion, 2nd Parachute Regiment.
During the Battle of Crete Kroh took command of Battle Group Sturm, whose objective was Rethymnon airfield, after Oberst Alfred Sturm was taken prisoner by the British Forces. Near Stavromenos and the oil refinery the paratroops held out against a vastly superior enemy force.
Following the bitter ten-day struggle, which occupied a large portion of the British-Greek armed forces, the battle group was relieved by mountain infantry. In Africa Kroh served as Iowa of the Ramcke Parachute Brigade.
lieutenant was Kroh who initiated the brigade"s escape through enemy territory following the German withdrawal from El Alamein.
In Russia on the Eastern Front Kroh and his regiment fought near Novo Andreyevka and Novgorodka. Near Butor the regiment eliminated a Russian bridgehead on the Dniepr. Kroh also saw action at Kirovograd, where Russian attacks were repulsed.
Hans Kroh commanded the 2nd Parachute Division in the Battle for Brest until he was captured in the Saint Pierre district of the city on 18 September 1944.
Hans Kroh joined the Bundeswehr on 1 June 1956 as Oberst. On 1 September 1957 he was promoted to Brigadegeneral.
One day later he took command of the 1st Luftlande-Division in Bruchsal. On 1 July 1959 he was again promoted to Generalmajor.
He retired on 1 October 1962.
He died in Braunschweig in 1967. Jg. 1 Knight"s Cross of the with Oak Leaves and Swords Bibliography.
Wound Badge in Black "Afrika" and "Kreta" Cuffband Luftwaffe Paratrooper Badge Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe Iron Cross 2nd Class (22 May 1940) 1st Class (22 May 1940) Medaglia d"Argento al Valor Militare (9 February 1942) German Cross in Gold on 24 December 1942 as Major in the I./Lw.Jg.Brig. 1 Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Knight"s Cross on 21 August 1941 as Major and commander I./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2 443rd Oak Leaves on 6 April 1944 as Oberstleutnant and commander of the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2 96th Schwerter on 12 September 1944 as Oberst and leader of the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division Great Cross of Merit (12 September 1962).
