Nickname: No information
Date of Birth: 25.08.1898 - Perleberg, Brandenburg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 19.06.1987 - Soltau, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Battles and Operations: World War I Eastern Front, Polish Campaign 1939, Western Campaign 1940, Operation Barbarossa, battles around Leningrad, defensive operations in the Baltic region, encirclement breakout west of Luga 1944, defense of the Fladder Canal 1945, final actions on the Western Front.
NSDAP-Number: No information
Religion: Protestant (evangelisch, as typical for many Prussian officers of his background; no specific confirmation found).
Parents: No detailed information available on parents.
Siblings: No information available.
Spouse: No information available.
Children: No information available.
Promotions:
Gefreiter (04.01.1916)
Unteroffizier (29.03.1916)
Fähnrich (19.02.1917)
Leutnant (13.04.1917)
Oberleutnant (01.02.1926)
Hauptmann (01.09.1933)
Charakter als Major (25.11.1937)
Major der Reserve (21.01.1939)
Major (01.03.1939)
Oberstleutnant (01.09.1941)
Oberst (01.03.1943)
Generalmajor (16.04.1945 / 17.04.1945)
Career:
Entered Army Service (01 Jun 1915)
War Volunteer in the 90th Fusilier-Regiment (01 Jun 1915-14 Nov 1915)
Transferred into the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (14 Nov 1915-29 Feb 1916)
Fahnenjunker in the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (29 Feb 1916-14 APR 1917)
Detached to Officer-Aspirants-Course at Döberitz (29 May 1916-26 Aug 1916)
Company-Officer in the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (14 Apr 1917-05 Aug 1917)
Ordinance-Officer with the Staff of the II. Battalion of the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (05 Aug 1917-24 Jan 1918)
Platoon and Company Leader in the 2nd MG-Company of the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (24 Jan 1918-23 Jan 1919)
Transferred into the I. Volunteer-Battalion of the 43rd Infantry-Regiment, later renamed III. Battalion of the 2nd Rifle-Regiment (23 Jan 1919-21 Feb 1920)
Detached to the Corps-War-School I, Gumbinnen (16 Oct 1919-18 Dec 1919)
Transferred to the Processing-Office of the 43rd Infantry-Regiment (21 Feb 1920-01 Mar 1920)
Granted leave (01 Mar 1920-31 Mar 1920)
Retired from Army Service (31 Mar 1920)
Reactivated to Army Service (01 Jan 1924)
Leutnant in the 1st Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1924-10 Jan 1924)
Company-Officer in the 1st Infantry-Regiment (10 Jan 1924-01 Apr 1928)
Detached to the 1st Pioneer-Battalion (01 Apr 1925-13 May 1925)
Detached to Officer Weapon School Course at Dresden (01 Oct 1925-15 Feb 1926)
Detached to the 1st Pioneer-Battalion (02 May 1927-28 Jun 1927)
Detached to the 1st Signals-Battalion (19 Jan 1928-07 Apr 1928)
Signals-Officer of the I. Battalion of the 1st Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1928-01 May 1928)
Company-Officer in the Training-Battalion of the 1st Infantry-Regiment (0 May 1928-01 Oct 1930)
Transferred into the 18th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1930-01 Jul 1933)
Company-Chief in the 18th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jul 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Company-Chief in Infantry-Regiment Paderborn (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Company-Chief in the 64th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1935-31 Jan 1937)
Retired from Army Service due to a Riding accident (31 Jan 1937)
Defence-Representative of General-Command III at the Factory Rheinmetall Borsig AG, Tegel, Berlin (02 Mar 1937-05 Dec 1938)
Erlaubnis zum Tragen der Uniform des Infanterie-Regiments 64 (25 Nov 1937)
Selection-Training with the Supplemental-Battalion of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (06 Dec 1938-21 Jan 1939)
Assigned to Complete a Test as Supplemental-Officer-Aspirant with the Supplemental-Battalion of the 16th Infantry-Regiment (03 Jan 1939-31 May 1939)
Entered Army Service as Supplemental-Officer (01 Mar 1939); Active-Officer (01 Sep 1941)
Employed again by the Army – Director of the NCO-Courses with the 16th Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1939-25 Aug 1939)
Commander of the I. Battalion of the 489th Infantry-Regiment (25 Aug 1939-10 Sep 1941)
Wounded (10 Sep 1941-16 Oct 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH – later 489th Infantry-Replacement-Battalion (16 Oct 1941-20 Dec 1941)
Commander of the Group Patrol-Service with the Wehrmachr-Commander Ukraine (20 Dec 1941-01 Aug 1942)
Commander of the Patrol-Services with the Wehrmacht-Commander Norway (01 Aug 1942-20 Dec 1942)
Commander of the Army-Patrol-Service for the Travel-Transport Centre (20 Dec 1942-01 May 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (01 May 1943-25 May 1943)
Commander of the 154th Grenadier-Regiment (25 May 1943-10 Oct 1943)
Taken ill, transferred back to Germany (10 Oct 1943-15 Oct 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Oct 1943-06 Dec 1943)
Commander of the 154th Grenadier-Regiment (06 Dec 1943-20 Jun 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (20 Jun 1944-21 Jul 1944)
Commander of the 529th Grenadier-Regiment (21 Jul 1944-01 Aug 1944)
Commander of Division-Group 299 (01 Aug 1944-01 Sep 1944)
Commander of the 529th Grenadier-Regiment (01 Sep 1944-15 Dec 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Dec 1944-16 Mar 1945)
17th Division-Leaders-Course (13 Feb 1945-15 Mar 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKH (16 Mar 1945-01 Apr 1945)
Delegated with the Leadership of Division 490 (01 Apr 1945-17 Apr 1945)
Commander of the 490th Infantry-Division (17 Apr 1945-08 May 1945)
In British captivity, from March 1946 was Commander of POW-Group Behrend (08 May 1945-15 May 1947)
Released (15 May 1947)
Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 1914 2. Klasse (09.06.1917)
Eisernes Kreuz 1914 1. Klasse (04.11.1918)
Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militär-Verdienstkreuz II. Klasse (02.01.1918)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Schwarz
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918 (21.01.1935)
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. und III. Klasse (02.10.1936)
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (12.05.1940)
1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (10.06.1940)
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (29.07.1942)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber (29.07.1942)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber (20.04.1943)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Gold (02.02.1944)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #353 (15.07.1941) as Major and Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 489 / 269.Infanterie-Division. On 22 June 1941, Behrend’s battalion formed part of the assault forces targeting fortified Soviet positions southeast and east of Tauroggen (modern Tauragė, Lithuania) in the Baltic sector. The attack was scheduled after a heavy artillery preparation, but Behrend made a bold decision at approximately 3:05 a.m. to advance early. He exploited the thick morning fog combined with the dense dust and smoke from the German barrage, which obscured visibility and disrupted Soviet defensive coordination across a roughly 10-kilometer-deep fortified zone.
Leading from the front, Behrend’s troops surged forward in the limited visibility. Within 30 minutes they seized the critical railway viaduct over the Jeziorupa River, maintaining momentum despite sniper fire and grenade attacks from scattered Soviet defenders in the town’s outskirts. By 6:30 a.m.—just over three hours into the assault—the battalion had cleared the southern sector of Tauroggen, overrun and neutralized a Soviet motorized battery (forcing the crew to abandon two guns), and pushed to the northeastern edge of the town. They fully secured the eastern portion, creating a vital breach.
This rapid penetration enabled Kampfgruppe Badinski (attached to the 1. Panzer-Division) to exploit the gap and advance deeper, accelerating the German momentum in the northern thrust toward Leningrad. Behrend’s initiative, personal leadership under fire, and skillful use of terrain and weather conditions turned a standard assault into a decisive breakthrough against prepared defenses. The recommendation for the Knight’s Cross highlighted how his actions prevented a stalled attack and opened the path for larger forces.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #421 (06.03.1944) as Oberst and Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 154 / 58.Infanterie-Division. In early February 1944, during heavy defensive fighting in the Leningrad sector, Behrend’s regiment became isolated from the main body of the 58. Infanterie-Division. A full Soviet division launched intense assaults while partisan forces simultaneously severed rear supply lines and retreat routes, encircling the regiment behind enemy lines for three days in harsh winter conditions.
Behrend maintained unit cohesion amid relentless attacks. He integrated the attached Aufklärungs-Abteilung 158 as a vanguard for counter-maneuvers, using aggressive local counterattacks to seize key terrain and disrupt Soviet coordination. His forces fought their way into Potschap village, securing about three-quarters of it before fresh Soviet reinforcements arrived and halted further progress. Rather than risk annihilation in a static defense, Behrend orchestrated a skillful disengagement. Under cover of darkness on or around 13 February 1944, the regiment executed a night crossing of the Pljussa River, evading detection and linking up with German lines while preserving most of its fighting strength.
This breakout prevented the total destruction of the regiment despite overwhelming odds, partisan harassment, and severed communications. The award recognized Behrend’s calm command, tactical adaptability, and success in extricating his men from a near-hopeless encirclement west of Luga.
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (18.04.1945)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #148 (26.04.1945) as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 490. Infanterie-Division. In mid-April 1945, Behrend assumed command of the hastily formed 490. Infanterie-Division, an improvised unit with regular troops, Volkssturm, and limited heavy weapons. It defended positions along the Fladder Canal against advancing U.S. armored forces. Facing severe shortages of ammunition, fuel, and anti-tank guns, Behrend stressed decentralized leadership and close-quarters anti-tank tactics using Panzerfausts from canal banks and urban cover.
During fierce fighting, Behrend personally engaged an Allied tank at close range and destroyed it with a Panzerfaust. This act of individual bravery rallied his troops and disrupted an enemy breakthrough. As U.S. forces pressed and encircled parts of the division, Behrend organized a coordinated breakout. Infantry assaults supported by Panzerfaust teams destroyed 14 Sherman tanks—most in close-quarters ambushes—inflicting disproportionate losses on the superior armored columns. The actions allowed elements of the division to withdraw successfully and even launch a counterattack that temporarily recaptured the Sage airfield.
These efforts delayed the Allied advance in northwest Germany through resourceful, determined resistance despite overwhelming material inferiority. The division earned special mention in the Wehrmachtbericht on 18 April 1945 for its “exemplary steadfastness.” The Swords recognized Behrend’s personal courage, inspirational leadership, and tactical success in the final desperate defensive battles.
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Hermann-Heinrich Behrend was a German general during World War II who rose to the rank of generalmajor in the Heer. Born on 25 August 1898 in Perleberg, Brandenburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, he became a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest decorations awarded by Nazi Germany. His military career spanned both world wars, marked by consistent frontline leadership, tactical initiative, and resilience in encirclement situations. Behrend served primarily on the Eastern Front during the Second World War before commanding a division in the final defensive battles in northwest Germany. He died on 19 June 1987 in Soltau, West Germany, at the age of 88.
Behrend enlisted as a war volunteer in the Imperial German Army on 1 June 1915 at the age of sixteen, joining Füsilier-Regiment 90 and deploying to the Eastern Front. After a brief period with Infanterie-Regiment 43, he gained rapid promotions through demonstrated competence under fire, advancing to gefreiter in January 1916, unteroffizier in March 1916, fähnrich in February 1917, and leutnant in April 1917. He served in various roles including company officer, ordinance officer, and machine-gun platoon and company leader. His World War I service earned him the Iron Cross second class in June 1917 and first class in November 1918, along with the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross second class in January 1918 and the Wound Badge in black. After the armistice he participated in volunteer formations before retiring from active service in March 1920.
Reentering the Reichswehr in January 1924 as a leutnant with Infanterie-Regiment 1, Behrend undertook extensive training and staff roles, including signals and pioneer detachments and officer courses in Dresden. He progressed steadily through company commands in several infantry regiments, reaching hauptmann in September 1933. A riding accident forced his temporary retirement in January 1937, after which he worked as a defense representative at Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in Berlin. Recalled to service in 1939 as a supplemental officer, he directed noncommissioned officer courses before assuming command of the first battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 489 in the 269th Infantry Division upon mobilization.
During the 1939 Polish Campaign and 1940 Western Campaign, Behrend earned clasps to both classes of the Iron Cross. His most notable early World War II action came on the opening day of Operation Barbarossa, 22 June 1941. As major commanding his battalion on the left flank near Tauroggen in Lithuania, Behrend advanced ahead of schedule at around 3:05 a.m. to exploit morning fog and the dust of the German artillery barrage. His troops rapidly penetrated ten kilometers of fortified Soviet lines, seized a key railway viaduct over the Jeziorupa River within thirty minutes, cleared the southern sector of the town despite sniper and grenade resistance, and neutralized a motorized battery. By 6:30 a.m. they had secured the eastern part of Tauroggen, enabling a larger kampfgruppe breakthrough. For this decisive leadership from the front he received the Knight's Cross on 15 July 1941 as the 353rd recipient.
Behrend was wounded near Krasnogvardeisk in September 1941 and later held various staff and security commands in Ukraine and Norway. Promoted to oberst, he took command of Grenadier-Regiment 154 in the 58th Infantry Division in late 1943. In early February 1944 west of Luga his regiment became encircled for three days by a full Soviet division while partisan forces cut supply lines. Behrend maintained cohesion, integrated reconnaissance elements for counterattacks, secured much of Potschap village, and executed a nighttime breakout across the Pljussa River under darkness. This successful extrication preserved the regiment's fighting strength and earned him the Oak Leaves on 6 March 1944 as the 421st recipient, presented personally by Adolf Hitler later that April.
In April 1945 Behrend was promoted to generalmajor and assumed command of the improvised 490th Infantry Division on the Western Front. Positioned along the Fladder Canal with limited resources and mixed troops including Volkssturm, the division faced advancing American armored forces. Behrend emphasized close-quarters anti-tank defense with Panzerfausts. He personally destroyed an Allied tank at close range during intense fighting, rallied his men, and organized a breakout that accounted for fourteen Sherman tanks destroyed mostly by infantry ambushes. Elements of the division temporarily recaptured Sage airfield in a counterattack. These actions, which delayed the enemy advance despite overwhelming odds, brought him the Swords on 26 April 1945 as the 148th recipient and a mention in the Wehrmachtbericht. Captured by British forces at the end of the war, Behrend was released from captivity in May 1947 and lived quietly afterward, working as a farmer in the Soltau area.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann-Heinrich_Behrend
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/B/BehrendHH.htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28334/Behrend-Hermann-Heinrich.htm
https://grokipedia.com/page/hermann_heinrich_behrend
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor/BEHREND_HERMANN.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
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