Date of birth:

September 19th, 1887 (Stade/Lower Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

September 15th, 1973 (Wiesbaden/Hesse, Germany)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, German Reich)

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 12th, 1940

Details:
Had already received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 11th September 1914.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 17th, 1940

Details:
Had already received the Iron Cross 1st Class on 14th August 1916.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General der Artillerie

Unit:

Führer VII.Armeekorps

Awarded on:

June 14th, 1942

Details:
Award 134/27.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)

Unit:

Kommandierender General VII.Armee-Korps / 2.Armee / Heeresgruppe B

Awarded on:

February 1st, 1943

Action:
General der Artillerie Hell and his VII. Armee-Korps were involved in fierce defensive battles around Voronezh starting in the summer of 1942, however they managed to repel all enemy offensives while destroying a total of about 1000 Soviet tanks. In February 1943 Hell would lead his men to their new positions further west successfully during a hard fighting retreat that saw them break through Soviet encirclements twice. Hell would be awarded the Knight’s Cross in recognition of his leadership accomplishments during these battles.
Details:
1535th Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 12th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General der Artillerie (Lieutenant-General of Artillerie)

Unit:

Kommandierender General VII.Armee-Korps / Armeegruppe Wähler / Heeresgruppe Südukraine

Awarded on:

June 4th, 1944

Action:
Awarded for distinguishing himself with his Korps in early 1944. In this time the Korps’ most prominent achievement was its decisive contribution towards the relief of the Cherkassy pocket. During this battle it covered the right flank of the German relief spearhead, namely the III. Panzer-Korps.
Details:
487th Award.

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• Photo: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
  - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001