Artur Phleps
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Artur Phleps, (29 November 1881 – 21 September 1944) was a German Waffen SS officer, responsible for the war crimes his units perpetrated.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Artur Phleps was born in Biertan (German: Birthälm), near Sibiu, Romania (also called german: Hermannstadt in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) - a region densely populated by the Germans, commonly reffered to as Transylvanian Saxons. He fought during the First World War in the Austro-Hungarian Army, serving in the rank of lieutenant colonel of the general staff.
After the war, and the dissolution of the Empire, Phleps settled in Romania and joined then newly-formed Romanian army. After working in the military academy in Bucharest, he received an appointment as the Lieutenant general of the mountain troops. [1]
Although successful in his new home, Phleps remained faithful to Germany. After the January 20, 1941 coup staged by the Iron Guard of Bucharest he escaped Romania for Germany.[citation needed]
[edit] German Service
[edit] 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
Under his mother's maiden name (Stolz), Phleps joined the staff of the SS Division "Wiking", and (after the death of the commander Hilmar Wäckerle), took the command of the "Westland" Regiment.[2]
Admitted by Heinrich Himmler to the SS, thanks to his organizaitonal skills Phleps was soon promoted to SS rank of Gruppenführer and tasked with the organization of a new SS unit out of volksdeutsche minorities in Yugoslavia, Hungary and Romania.
[edit] 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
Because of the national background profile of its soldiers and its specialized military character as a mountain unit, Phleps' new command was designed to operate in the Balkans. Given the racial mix-up of the Volksdeutsche minorities living in that area it consitute a significant breach of two of the Waffen SS policies, i.e. the racial selection policy and the volunteer-only recruitment principle.
Starting from 1943 the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen became participated in so-called "Banden- and Partisanenbekämfung" which involved numerous warcrimes against partisans and civilian population.[citation needed]
In recognition of his services on 21 June 1943 Phleps received Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, was promoted and entrusted with the entire Corps.
[edit] V. SS Gebirgskorps
In addition to the Prinz Eugen Division, Phleps' new command included other mountain units, such as the notoroius and undisciplined 13th Waffen SS Division Handschar. Faced with the stiff opposiiton from the Tito's partisans, Red Army aproaching and detoriating fighting quality of his troops, Phleps' last assignment showed no chances of success.
[edit] Death
In September 1944 Phleps (promoted to Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer) returned to Romania to fight against the oncoming Jassy-Chişinău Operation offensive led by Rodion Malinovsky.
While trying to personally get the overview of the situation, Phleps and his aides were captured by the Soviet units. While the exact details of his death are not fully known, it is suspected that he was captured by the troops unaware of his true identity, and then shot during a German air raid, probably to prevent escape.[citation needed]
Ironically, his disappearence was interpreted as absence without leave, and the arrest warrant was issued. After his personal belongings were recovered he was officially listed as killed in action[citation needed]
[edit] Legacy
Posthumously awarded oak leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, Phleps was chosen as the patron for the SS Freiwilligen Gebirgsregiment 13. This unit was also allowed to carry the special Cuff_title with his name. Although the band was manufactured, no war-time photos of it surfaced as for 2004.[3]
[edit] Triva
- See also Kurt Waldheim {Appeared in a wartime photograph with Artur Phelps}.
