Hinz, Bruno, born 25-08-1915 in Petersdorf, Sachsen, joined the 10th Company, SS-Standarte Deutschland 
under SS-Standartenführer Felix Steiner, 
in Munich in October 1936 and was part of the forces connected with the Anschluss of Austria and the occupation of the Sudetenland and the annexation of Memel. At the beginning of World War II he was severely wounded 
in May 1940 during the Battle of France and promoted to SS Unterscharführer 
in September 1940. From December 1940 to March 1941, he was assigned to the SS replacement battalion Germany. He was then selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Brunswick 
. After six months, training he was posted to the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking 
at the same time being promoted to SS Untersturmführer,
Second Lieutenant and given command of the 2nd Company, SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Westland. It was while in command of this company that he was awarded the German Cross in Gold 
in April 1943. In September 1943 his company was in a defensive position on the Dnieper which allowed the 5th SS Panzer Division, to cross the Dnepr River, but during the battle Hinz was severely wounded. Sent to recuperate in the hospital in Germany he was promoted to SS Obersturmführer 
, First Lieutenant, in November 1943 and awarded the Knight’s Cross in December 1943 for this action. After six months in hospital he returned to active service in February 1944 to took over command of the 2nd Company, 38th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, with the 38. SS-Grenadier-Division Nibelungen, under command of SS-Gruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille 
. He was next in action in Normandy, when cut off by the advancing allied forces near Saint-Lô, he succeeded in guiding his men through the Allied lines. For this he received the award of the Oak Leaves for the Knight’s Cross on 23-08- 1944. After being wounded again, he was temporarily sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz as the school commander.
under SS-Standartenführer Felix Steiner, in Munich in October 1936 and was part of the forces connected with the Anschluss of Austria and the occupation of the Sudetenland and the annexation of Memel. At the beginning of World War II he was severely wounded in May 1940 during the Battle of France and promoted to SS Unterscharführer in September 1940. From December 1940 to March 1941, he was assigned to the SS replacement battalion Germany. He was then selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Brunswick . After six months, training he was posted to the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking at the same time being promoted to SS Untersturmführer, Second Lieutenant and given command of the 2nd Company, SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Westland. It was while in command of this company that he was awarded the German Cross in Gold in April 1943. In September 1943 his company was in a defensive position on the Dnieper which allowed the 5th SS Panzer Division, to cross the Dnepr River, but during the battle Hinz was severely wounded. Sent to recuperate in the hospital in Germany he was promoted to SS Obersturmführer , First Lieutenant, in November 1943 and awarded the Knight’s Cross in December 1943 for this action. After six months in hospital he returned to active service in February 1944 to took over command of the 2nd Company, 38th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, with the 38. SS-Grenadier-Division Nibelungen, under command of SS-Gruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille . He was next in action in Normandy, when cut off by the advancing allied forces near Saint-Lô, he succeeded in guiding his men through the Allied lines. For this he received the award of the Oak Leaves for the Knight’s Cross on 23-08- 1944. After being wounded again, he was temporarily sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz as the school commander.
While at the school he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer, Captain, in November 1944. In January 1945 he was posted to the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen 
as a Battalion commander and in March 1945 was captured by the Americans and made a prisoner of war. As well as being awarded the Wound Badge in Gold 
, he was awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold, which was only awarded 631 times during the war.Death and burial ground of Hinz, Bruno.
Living in Munich after the war Hinz died, age 52, on 28-02-1968 and is buried on the Waldfriedhof of Munich, close by the graves of Hitler’s naval adjutant Karl von Puttkamer
Hugo Junkers, Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur Wehrmacht Operaties Staff, Ernst Detleffse, and Goering’s second wife Emmy Goering-Sonneman (did you know), SA leader, Franz Ritter von Epp, Generalmajor der Gebirgstruppe, Kommandeur der Jäger Regiment 100, Otto Schury and photographer, movie maker, Leni Riefenstahl, and SS Obergruppenführer, Kommandeur General II SS Panzerkorps, “Papa” Hausser, 
In February 1945, the II Panzer Corps was ordered to Hungary to take part in an offensive to recapture Budapest and the Hungarian oilfields. After a brief period of rest and reforming in Germany, the corps arrived near Stuhlweißenburg near Lake Balaton. After the remainder of Josef “Sepp” Dietrich’s 6th SS Panzer Army had assembled, the corps took part in Operation Frühlingserwachen, launched on 06-03-1945. In terrible conditions and against fierce Soviet resistance, the corps managed to advance only a few kilometers. After the failure of the offensive, the corps was involved in defensive battles alongside the I SS 
under SS Gruppenführer Herman Priess 
, who died old age 83, on 02-02-1985 in Ahrensburg and IV SS Panzer Corps under Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille, 
executing a fighting withdrawal towards Vienna. After the Soviets captured the city, the corps broke up and individual units attempted to break out to the American forces to the west. The survivors of the combat divisions, along with the majority of the corps personnel under now SS Obergruppenführer 
, Wilhelm Bittrich, 
managed to surrender to the Americans on 08-05-1945.
