Hans Cohausz

Hans Cohausz was a German military officer who served as a Generalleutnant in the Heer during World War II. He commanded the 16th Infantry Division and later the LXXXII Army Corps, seeing action on both the Western and Eastern Fronts. Cohausz was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award for military valor in Nazi Germany.

Biography

Hans Cohausz was born in 1890 in the industrial city of Duisburg, part of the Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire. He entered military service as a Fahnenjunker in 1909, joining the Prussian Army's 13th (1st Westphalian) Infantry Regiment. His early career was shaped within the rigid structure of the Imperial German Army, and he served with distinction throughout World War I, participating in major campaigns on the Western Front. Following the war and the dissolution of the German Empire, he continued his service in the scaled-down Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, holding various staff and command positions that solidified his reputation as a competent staff officer.

Military career

Cohausz's interwar career progressed steadily within the Reichsheer, where he served in roles such as a company commander and on the staff of the 7th Division. Following the rise of Adolf Hitler and the expansion of the Wehrmacht, he was promoted to Oberst and given command of an infantry regiment. At the outbreak of World War II, he participated in the Invasion of Poland and later the Battle of France. In 1942, he was appointed commander of the 16th Infantry Division, which was heavily engaged on the Eastern Front, fighting in brutal battles around Leningrad and during the Soviet Winter counteroffensive. In late 1944, he was given command of the LXXXII Army Corps, part of Army Group G, and led this formation during the Battle of the Bulge and subsequent defensive operations in the Saarland and Palatinate regions against the advancing Allied forces.

Awards and decorations

Throughout his lengthy military service, Hans Cohausz received numerous honors. His highest award was the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which he received on 17 March 1943 for his leadership of the 16th Infantry Division. Earlier in his career, he had been awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Class during World War I, and he received the clasps to these awards in 1940. Other notable decorations included the Wound Badge in black, the Eastern Front Medal, and the Cross of Honor for front-line combatants. He was also a recipient of the Wehrmacht Long Service Award, reflecting his decades of continuous service.

Later life and death

After the German Instrument of Surrender in May 1945, Cohausz was taken as a prisoner of war by American forces. He was held in various Allied internment camps before being released in 1947. Like many former Wehrmacht officers, he lived a quiet, private life in post-war West Germany. Hans Cohausz died in 1966 in the city of Bonn, the then-capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. His personal papers and military records are held in the archives of the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz.

Category:German military personnel of World War I Category:German Army generals of World War II Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Category:1890 births Category:1966 deaths