▁up ▁until ▁then , ▁employed . ▁Meanwhile , ▁other ▁Brandenburg ers ▁sli pped ▁across ▁the ▁front iers , ▁in fil tr ated ▁behind ▁Polish ▁def ensive ▁positions ▁and ▁seized ▁cru cial ▁brid ges ▁across ▁the ▁river ▁V ist ula . ▁Hi ppel ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Ober st le ut nant ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁▁ ▁Although ▁B ata illon ▁E bb ing haus ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Poland , ▁it ▁had ▁performed ▁well ▁enough ▁to ▁be ▁reconst it uted , ▁under ▁its ▁old ▁Lehr ▁und ▁Bau ▁Kom pag nie ▁cod ename , ▁as ▁a ▁regiment ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁invasion ▁of ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁low ▁countries . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁Admir al ▁Can aris ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁push ▁Hi ppel ▁aside ▁and ▁take ▁a ▁direct ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁Brandenburg ers ' ▁operations ▁himself . ▁Hi ppel ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁North ▁Africa ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁where ▁he ▁commanded ▁a ▁German - A rab ▁unit ▁in ▁Tun is , ▁surrender ing ▁to ▁the ▁Al lied ▁troops ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁A xis ▁forces ▁in ▁Tun is ia ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁life ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁Hi ppel ▁returned ▁to ▁Germany ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁he ▁was ▁living ▁in ▁Em ming en ▁ab ▁E gg ▁in ▁Baden - W ür ttemberg . ▁He ▁died ▁on ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1