Background
Willi Hein was born in Hohenwestedt.
Willi Hein was born in Hohenwestedt.
He attended the local elementary and secondary schools and left in March 1933.
He obtained a position as a trainee salesperson from April 1933 to March 1936, then worked as a businessman from April 1939 to October 1939 on the island of Sylt. World World War II
After the outbreak of World World War II, Hein volunteered to join the Steamship-Vermont in September 1939 and was posted to the Steamship Regiment Germania and in May 1940 to the Steamship Regiment Nordland. He was selected to become an officer and posted to the Steamship-Junkerschule in Bad Tölz from 1 November 1941 to 31 January 1942.
After graduation he was promoted to Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) and posted to the 5th Steamship Panzer Division Wiking on the Eastern Front, as a platoon commander in the 5th Steamship Panzer Regiment.
In October 1943, Hein was complimented by Adolf Hitler for his outstanding defensive performance in the Battle of Kharkov. Hein was involved in the Battle of Cherkassy in the area of Olschana.
The division was surprised by a Soviet attack. He gathered two hastily repaired Sturmgeschütz and 25 Grenadiers and launched a counterattack which resulted in the destruction of three T-34 tanks, fifteen anti-tank guns and taking 200 prisoners.
The unit held out against further Soviet attacks and maintained the German line until reinforcements arrived.
Foreign these actions he was awarded the Knight"s Cross in May 1944. In September 1944 Hein was given command of the I.Battalion, 5th Steamship Panzer Regiment, shortly afterward on 5 January 1945 Hein was severely wounded in his lower leg in the fighting for Budapest and spent the rest of the war in hospital at Bad Aussee in Austria. His promotion to Hauptsturmführer was on 30 January 1945.
Willi Hein survived the war and died on 25 October 2000, in Lauenburg.