Nickname: None
Date of birth: 17 August 1890 - Göttingen, Niedersachsen (German Empire)
Date of death: 14 April 1969 - Oldenburg, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Battles / wars / operations: World War I, World War II (Norway, Lapland, Eastern Front)
NSDAP number: N/A
SS number: N/A
Religion: Unknown
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Spouse: Ilse Vissering (cousin of Wilhelm Keitel)
Children: Iris Ilse Inka Auguste Helene Martha Blonay Kreysing (daughter)
Promotions:
01.10.1909 Fahnenjunker
01.08.1910 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
01.02.1911 Fahnrich
18.08.1911 Leutnant
01.09.1914 Oberleutnant
01.07.1920 Hauptmann
01.02.1931 Major
01.03.1934 Oberstleutnant
01.01.1937 Oberst
01.10.1940 Generalmajor
01.11.1941 Generalleutnant
01.04.1943 General der Gebirgstruppe
Career:
Entered Army Service (23 Feb 1909)
Fahnenjunker in the 10th Jäger-Battalion (Goslarer Jäger) (23 Feb 1909-01 Apr 1915)
Leader of the MG-Company in the 10th Jäger-Battalion (01 Apr 1915-00 May 1916)
Severely wounded at Verdun (00 May 1916-18 Oct 1918)
Commander of the 10th Reserve-Jäger-Battalion (18 Oct 1918-09 Nov 1918)
Selected as Labourer & Soldier Advisor of Goslar Garrison (09 Nov 1918-15 Oct 1919)
Company-Leader in Jäger-Battalion von Kirchheim (Freikorps) (15 Oct 1919-01 Nov 1919)
Company-Leader in the 10th Reichswehr-Jäger-Battalion (01 Nov 1919-01 Oct 1920)
Company-Chief in III. Battalion of the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-01 Apr 1929)
Adjutant of Command-Office Oppeln (01 Apr 1929-01 Jan 1934)
Commander of III. Battalion of the 16th Infantry-Regiment, Oldenburg (01 Jan 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of I. Battalion of the 16th Infantry-Regiment, Oldenburg (15 Oct 1935-06 Oct 1936)
Commander of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (06 Oct 1936-23 Oct 1940)
Commander of the 3rd Mountain-Division (23 Oct 1940-08 Aug 1943)
Commanding General of XVII. Army-Corps (01 Nov 1943-10 Dec 1944)
Commander-in-Chief of the 8th Army (28 Dec 1944-08 May 1945)
After the surrender he broke from Znaim (South Moravia) in an adventurous 24 mile march to Göttingen (08 May 1945-01 Jun 1945)
In British Captivity (01 Jun 1945-1948)
Released (1948)
Postwar worked with Red Cross
Awards and decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (1914)
Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (1914)
Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern
Hanseatenkreuz Hamburg
Bayerischer Militar-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern
k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
Spange zum EK II: 24.10.1939
Spange zum EK I: 24.10.1939
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (29 May 1940) as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 16 / 22.Infanterie-Division. This decoration recognized his leadership during the early stages of the Western Campaign in France. Specifically, he identified a potential enemy flank attack at an early point and implemented rapid, decisive countermeasures that halted the advance of an entire enemy division. His actions demonstrated bold command and prevented a significant threat to his unit's position.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #183 (20 January 1943) as Generalleutnant and commander of 3. Gebirgs-Division. This award stemmed from his division's defensive stand at Millerovo on the middle Don River during the Eastern Front operations in late 1942. Facing overwhelming Soviet forces, Kreysing's mountain troops held firm against attacks from two, and later three, enemy corps. This resistance tied down substantial Soviet resources, allowing time for the German army to establish a new defensive line in the sector. Even after being encircled, Kreysing orchestrated a breakout and subsequently relieved a nearby strongpoint under siege, contributing to the overall stabilization of the front.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #63 (13 April 1944) as General der Gebirgstruppe and commanding general of XVII. Armeekorps. This award honored his role in the prolonged defense of the Zaporozhye and Nikopol bridgeheads from late 1943 into early 1944 on the Eastern Front. Under his command, the corps engaged in intense combat around Nikopol from 5 November 1943 to 15 February 1944, repelling multiple Soviet breakthrough attempts through both defensive and offensive actions. These efforts resulted in heavy enemy losses, including the capture or destruction of 1,754 tanks, 533 artillery pieces, numerous other weapons, and the downing of 56 aircraft by ground forces. The defense played a key part in maintaining German positions in the Dnieper region against superior Soviet numbers.
Finnisches Freiheitskreuz I. Klasse mit Stern und Schwertern
Erwahnung im Wehrmachtbericht (18 February 1944)
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Hans Kreysing (17 August 1890 - 14 April 1969) was a German general who served in both World Wars, rising to the rank of General der Gebirgstruppe during World War II. He commanded various infantry and mountain units, including the 3rd Mountain Division and later corps and army-level formations on the Eastern Front. Kreysing was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest military decorations in Nazi Germany, awarded for his leadership in defensive operations against Soviet forces. Born in Gottingen in the German Empire, he entered military service in 1909 and participated in campaigns across Europe, from the Alps to the Arctic and the steppes of Russia. After the war, he worked with the Red Cross and lived in West Germany until his death in Oldenburg.
Kreysing was born on 17 August 1890 in Gottingen, Lower Saxony, then part of the Province of Hanover in the German Empire. Little is documented about his early family life, but he pursued a military path from a young age. He entered the Imperial German Army on 23 February 1909 as a Fahnenjunker, an officer candidate, and was assigned to the Hannoversches Jager-Bataillon Nr. 10. His training progressed steadily, with promotions to Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier on 1 August 1910, Fahnrich on 1 February 1911, and Leutnant on 18 August 1911. When World War I erupted in 1914, Kreysing served in various theaters, including the mountainous regions of South Tyrol, the Balkans in Serbia, and operations in Greece. His frontline service earned him several decorations, such as the Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class in 1914, the Knight's Cross of the Royal Prussian House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords, the Hamburg Hanseatic Cross, and the Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords. These awards reflected his performance in infantry and mountain warfare, skills that would define his later career.
Following the armistice in 1918, Kreysing remained in the reduced Reichswehr, the interwar German military force limited by the Treaty of Versailles. He continued his professional development, receiving promotions to Oberleutnant on 1 September 1914 (retroactive from wartime), Hauptmann on 1 July 1920, Major on 1 February 1931, Oberstleutnant on 1 March 1934, and Oberst on 1 January 1937. During this period, he held various staff and command positions, adapting to the evolving doctrines of the German army as it secretly rearmed under the Weimar Republic and later the Nazi regime. By the late 1930s, Kreysing was positioned for senior roles, and at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, he commanded Infanterie-Regiment 16 within the 22nd Infanterie-Division. His unit participated in the invasion of Poland, where he demonstrated effective leadership in mobile warfare. Kreysing married Ilse Vissering, and they had a daughter, Iris Ilse Inka Auguste Helene Martha Blonay Kreysing, born on 11 September 1925 in Norderney, Lower Saxony.
In the early phases of World War II, Kreysing's regiment played a key role in the Western Campaign against France in 1940. As Oberst, he led Infanterie-Regiment 16 with distinction, particularly in identifying and countering an enemy flank attack that threatened to advance an entire division. His quick decision-making and bold countermeasures halted the threat, earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 May 1940. He also received the Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class on 24 November 1939 for earlier actions. Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 October 1940, Kreysing took command of the 3rd Gebirgs-Division on 23 October 1940, a unit specialized in mountain and arctic warfare. Under his leadership, the division deployed to Norway and Lapland, participating in operations against Allied forces and supporting the invasion of the Soviet Union in the far north. His command extended into the harsh conditions of the Arctic Front, where logistical challenges and extreme weather tested his strategic abilities.
Kreysing's tenure with the 3rd Mountain Division shifted to the Eastern Front in late 1941, where it engaged in intense combat against Soviet armies. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 November 1941, he received the Finnish Liberty Cross 1st Class with Swords on 26 October 1941 for cooperative efforts with Finnish allies. In late 1942, during the defensive battles around Millerovo on the middle Don River, his division held against overwhelming Soviet assaults from two, and later three, enemy corps. Despite encirclement, Kreysing orchestrated a successful breakout and relieved a besieged strongpoint, tying down significant Soviet resources and allowing German forces to stabilize a new defensive line. This resilience earned him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 20 January 1943, the 183rd such award. He commanded the division until 10 August 1943, overseeing operations that highlighted his expertise in defensive warfare under adverse conditions.
In November 1943, Kreysing assumed command of the XVII Army Corps on the Eastern Front, promoted to General der Gebirgstruppe on 1 April 1943. His corps defended the Zaporozhye and Nikopol bridgeheads from late 1943 into early 1944, engaging in prolonged heavy fighting around Nikopol from 5 November 1943 to 15 February 1944. Under his direction, the corps repelled multiple Soviet breakthrough attempts through a combination of defensive stands and counterattacks, inflicting heavy losses including over 1,700 tanks destroyed or captured, hundreds of artillery pieces, and numerous aircraft downed. He was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 18 February 1944 for these efforts. This defensive success led to the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 13 April 1944, the 63rd award of its kind. Kreysing briefly stepped down from corps command in April 1944 but returned from 25 May to 28 December 1944.
On 28 December 1944, Kreysing took over the 8th Army, leading it through the final months of the war in defensive actions against advancing Soviet and Allied forces. The army surrendered in Austria in May 1945, marking the end of his active military service. Postwar, Kreysing avoided major denazification proceedings and worked with the Red Cross, contributing to humanitarian efforts in the reconstruction of Germany. He lived quietly in West Germany until his death on 14 April 1969 in Oldenburg at the age of 78. Throughout his career, Kreysing accumulated long-service awards, including the Wehrmacht Long Service Awards for 4, 12, 18, and 25 years, and the Front Fighter's Cross of Honor, underscoring his decades of dedication to the German military.
Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Kreysing
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34541/Kreysing-Hans.htm
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/people/Hans-Kreysing/6000000053046672095
https://books.google.com/
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/KREYSING_HANS.html
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Hans_Kreysing
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