One man of each rank is hanged

Objective research on factual information regarding German military related warcrimes.
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panzermahn
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One man of each rank is hanged

Post by panzermahn »

Hi all,

Paul Carell's book Scorched Earth (Ballantine books 1971) had this story (page 332-333):

"After the war, they picked out from their POW camps the German troops who had fought at Velikeye Luki (Battle of Velikeye Luki 1942-43- my note); took them back to the fortress and there tried them by court-martial. One man of each rank was sentenced to death--one general, one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, one captain, one lieutenant, one top sergeant, one sergeant, one senior corporal, one corporal and one private. On 29th January 1946, the men were publicly hanged in Lenin Suqare in Velikeye Luki. Among them were the commander of 277th Infantry Regiment and the former town commandant, company commanders, railway officials, junior commanders and rankers. All others who could be rounded up were sentenced to twenty or twenty-five years imprisonment. Only eleven of them survived to return to Germany between 1953 and 1955"

Does anyone knew what criminal acts that these men were charged for and were sentenced to death? Anyone knew who these men are?

Thanks
Panzermahn
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Doktor Krollspell
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Re: One man of each rank is hanged

Post by Doktor Krollspell »

Hello Panzermahn!

Among the germans hanged in Velikije Luki was Oberst Eduard Freiherr von Saß, who recieved the RK on 19.12.1942 as an Oberstleutnant commanding Grenadier-Regiment 277 (former Infanterie-Regiment 277). Oberst von Saß was hanged by the Soviets on 16.01.1946. Source: Veit Scherzer "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945" (2001).


Regards,

Krollspell
"Wie es eigentlich gewesen ist"
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
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Doktor Krollspell
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Re: One man of each rank is hanged

Post by Doktor Krollspell »

The town commendant of Velikije Luki was Generalleutnant Fritz-Georg von Rappard, who had recieved the RK on 20.10.1944 and the EL (no. 751) for commanding the 7. Infanterie-Division. Hanged in Velikije Luki on 29.01.1946. Source: Veit Scherzer "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945" (2005). See also the following link were it's stated that von Rappard was the town commendant and as such executed...

http://164.11.131.30/WCC/warcrimgenrls.htm

On the other hand, Generalleutnant Fritz-Georg von Rappard was also a former regimental commander of... exactly, the Infanterie-Regiment 277 between 1940 and 1942. The following website states that he was executed after the war because of reprisal partisan shootings in 1942...
Am 1. 6.1939 wurde er Oberst beim Stab des Infanterieregiments 18 in Bielefeld und am 1.1.1940 Kommandeur des Infanterieregiments 277 der neuaufgestellten 83. Infanteriedivision, das er im Westfeldzug führte. Im Januar 1942 wurde er mit seinem Regiment nach Welikie-Luki transportiert und dort zur Verteidigung eingesetzt.
Mit gleichzeitiger Beförderung zum Generalmajor übernahm von Rappard ab 1. November 1942 die Führung der 7. Infanteriedivision.
Am 1.5.1943 zum Generalleutnant befördert, wurde er für seinen Mut, gepaart mit persönlicher Führungskraft, im Juni 44 mit dem Deutschen Kreuz in Gold, im Oktober 44 mit dem Ritterkreuz und im April 45 mit dem Eichenlaub ausgezeichnet.
Bei der Kapitulation geriet er im Raum um die Weichselmündung in russische Kriegsgefangenschaft. Wegen einer Partisanenerschießung in Welikije-Luki wurde von Rappard von den Sowjets als Kriegsverbrecher angeklagt und verurteilt.
Am 29.1.1946 wurde er auf dem Leninplatz in Welikije-Luki durch Erhängen hingerichtet.
http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... tseite.htm


See also the following photographs source link for additional biographical information on Generalleutnant von Rappard. It seems that he never was a "Town Commendant" of Velikije Luki or...?

Fritz-Georg von Rappard
Image
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... ardFGv.htm


Regards,

Krollspell
"Wie es eigentlich gewesen ist"
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
panzermahn
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Re: One man of each rank is hanged

Post by panzermahn »

Hi Doktor Krollspell

As again, you always gave helpful replies! Many thanks and it is much appreciated. When I did some checks from US Army MIlitary History monograph (German Operations in Encircled Pockets), it seems it mentioned that the lieutenant colonel commanding the Infantry Regiment 277 did served during the Cholm encirclement (during which this Cholm encirclement which successfully defended by Germans which made Hitler thinks that encircled German pockets should defend to the last and would bring disastrous consequences for the Stalingrad and Velikeye Luki pocket)

Panzermah
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