Heinz Greiner
{{Refimprove|date=October 2012}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Heinrich Greiner
| birth_date = {{birth date|1895|8|12|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|11|19|1895|8|12|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| image =
| caption =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| branch = Army (Wehrmacht)
| serviceyears =
| rank = Generalleutnant
| commands = 268th Infantry Division
362nd Infantry Division
| unit =
| battles = World War I
| awards = Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
| laterwork =
}}
Heinz Greiner (12 August 1895 – 19 November 1977) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.
Career
During Operation Barbarossa Greiner reached divisional level command. The division was destroyed in the Soviet Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944, along with much of Army Group Centre. Greiner was transferred to Italy where he took command of the 362nd Infantry Division. Losses were so heavy in the division in Italy that a bit of doggerel made the rounds:
:The division of Greiner
:Gets chopped ever finer
:Until roll call's a one liner
:That simply says: Greiner.Ellis, John. Brute Force p.115
Awards and decorations
- Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (4 December 1914) & 1st Class (25 November 1918){{sfn|Thomas|1997|p=220}}
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (4 October 1939) & 1st Class (20 October 1939){{sfn|Thomas|1997|p=220}}
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 22 September 1941 as Colonel (Oberst ) and commander of Grenadier Regiment 499.{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=168}}
- 572nd Oak Leaves on 5 September 1944 as Major-General (Generalleutnant) and commander of the 362nd Infantry Division{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=74}}
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist|25em}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{Cite book| title = Brute Force
| trans-title = Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War
| last = Ellis | first = John | year = 1990
| publisher = Viking | location = Osnabrück, Germany
| language = de
| url = https://archive.org/details/bruteforceallied00elli | url-access = registration | via = Internet Archive
| isbn = 978-067080773-4
}}
- {{Cite book| title = Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile
| trans-title = The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches
| last = Fellgiebel | first = Walther-Peer | year = 2000
| author-link = Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
| orig-year = First published 1986
| publisher = Podzun-Pallas | location = Friedberg, Germany
| language = de
| isbn = 978-3-7909-0284-6
}}
- {{Cite book| title = Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K
| trans-title = The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K
| last = Thomas | first = Franz | year = 1997
| publisher = Biblio-Verlag | location = Osnabrück, Germany
| language = de
| isbn = 978-3-7648-2299-6
}}
{{refend}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| before=Generalleutnant Erich Straube
| after=Unit disbanded
| title= Commander of 268th Infantry Division
| years=6 January 1942 – November 1943
}}
{{succession box
| before=None
| after=Generalmajor Max Reinwald
| title= Commander of 362nd Infantry Division
| years=November 1943 – 1 January 1945
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Subject bar
| portal1=Biography
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greiner, Heinz}}
Category:20th-century Freikorps personnel
Category:German Army personnel of World War I
Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States
Category:Lieutenant generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht)
Category:Military personnel from Bavaria
Category:Military personnel from the Kingdom of Bavaria
Category:Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves