Now at the 304th Rifle Regiment, he took part in the Balkan campaign and contributed to the invasion of Southern Russia, was redeployed to Central Russia, and was promoted to full colonel by 1 January 1942. He was reassigned that same year and saw many appointments including the 11th Panzer Greanadier Brigade, Commander of the Rapid Troops XVII, 16th Panzer Division, commander of the Panzertruppen X, 178th Panzer Division and the 232nd Panzer Division, where he had since been promoted to major general. On 28 March 1945, he was severely wounded on the Raab river in Hungary. His recovery time surpassed his time in arrest by occupational forces.