70 years ago on this date, September 21, 1944, Artur Phleps, an SS General, who was an Adolf Hitler Look-alike, was killed by Soviet guards. I will post information about him from Wikipedia and other links.
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Frontal portrait photograph of Artur Phleps, the author is unknown, however, given the caption in Kaltenegger's book states the photograph was taken on 29 November 1942, in Kraljevo, (which was in occupied Yugoslavia), it is highly likely that the photograph was taken by a German military photographer from 7th SS Division, and under German copyright law the copyright remains with the photographer until 70 years after his death. Given it is possible that the photographer survived World War II, it is reasonable to assume that the copyright period has not yet expired. |
Birth name | Artur Gustav Martin Phleps |
Nickname(s) | Papa Phleps |
Born | 29 November 1881 Birthälm, Transylvania, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Biertan, Romania) |
Died | 21 September 1944 (aged 62) Șimand, Romania |
Allegiance | Austro-Hungarian Empire Kingdom of Romania Nazi Germany |
Service/branch |
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Years of service | 1900–1944 |
Rank | SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS (Lieutenant General) |
Unit | SS Motorised Division Wiking |
Commands held | 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen V SS Mountain Corps |
Battles/wars |
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Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves German Cross in Gold |
Artur Gustav Martin Phleps (29 November 1881 – 21 September 1944) was an Austro-Hungarian, Romanian and German army officer who held the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS (lieutenant general) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. An Austro-Hungarian Army officer before and during World War I, he specialised in mountain warfare and logistics, and had been promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) by the end of the war. During the interwar period he joined the Romanian Army, reaching the rank of General-locotenent (major general), and also became an adviser to King Carol. After he spoke out against the government, he was sidelined and forcibly retired from the army. In 1941 he left Romania and joined the Waffen-SS as a SS-Standartenführer (colonel) under his mother's maiden name of Stolz. Seeing action on the Eastern Front as a regimental commander with the SS Motorised Division Wiking, he later raised and commanded the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen, raised the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian), and commanded the V SS Mountain Corps. Units under his command committed many crimes against the civilian population of the Independent State of Croatia, Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia and Italian governorate of Montenegro. His final appointment was as plenipotentiary general in south Siebenbürgen and the Banat, during which he organised the evacuation of the Volksdeutsche(ethnic Germans) of Siebenbürgen to the Reich. In addition to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, Phleps was awarded the German Cross in Gold, and after he was killed in September 1944, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.
Early life
World War I
Between the wars
World War II
SS Motorised Division Wiking
7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
V SS Mountain Corps
Death and aftermath
Awards
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