Anton Dostler (Munich, May 10, 1891 – Aversa, December 1, 1945) was a General of the Infantry in the regular German army during World War II. In the first allied war trial after the war, Dostler was tried and found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death by firing squad.
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Anton Dostler joined the German Army in 1910 and served as a junior officer during WWI. From the start of WWII to 1940, he served as Chief of Staff of the 7th Army. Subsequently, he commanded the 57th Infantry Division (1941-1942), the 163rd Infantry Division (1942) and the 42nd Army Corps (1943-1944). He was appointed to command the 75th Army Corps in January 1944.
On March 22, 1944, fifteen men of the U.S. Army, including two officers, landed on the Italian coast about 100 kilometres north of La Spezia, 250 miles behind the then established front. Their mission was to demolish a railroad tunnel between La Spezia and Genoa. Two days later, the group was captured by a party of Italian Fascista soldiers and members of the German Wehrmarcht. They were taken to La Spezia, where they were confined near the headquarters of the 135th Fortress Brigade, which was under the command of German Colonel Almers. The immediate, superior command was that of the 75th Army Corps, commanded by Dostler.
The captured U.S. soldiers were interrogated and one of the U.S. officers revealed the story of the mission. This information was then sent to Dostler at the 75th Army Corps. The following day (March 25), Dostler sent a telegram to the 135th Fortress Brigade ordering that the captured soldiers be executed. Officers at the 135th Fortress Brigade contacted Dostler in an attempt to achieve a stay. Dostler then sent another telegram ordering Almers to carry out the execution. Two last attempts were made by the officers at the 135th, including some by telephone. These efforts were unsuccessful and the fifteen Americans were executed on the morning of March 26, 1944. Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten, who refused to sign the execution order, was dismissed from Wehrmacht for insubordination.[1]
In the first Allied war trial, Dostler was accused of carrying out an illegal order, while Dostler maintained that he did not issue the order, but only passed along an order to Colonel Almers from supreme command. The trial found General Dostler guilty of war crimes.
He was sentenced to death and shot by a firing squad on December 1, 1945 in Aversa. The execution was photographed on black and white still and movie cameras. [2]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Oskar Blümm |
Commander of 57. Infanterie-Division 26 September 1941 – 9 April 1942 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Oskar Blümm |
| Preceded by General der Artillerie Erwin Engelbrecht |
Commander of 163. Infanterie-Division 15 June 1942 – 28 December 1942 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Karl Rübel |
| Preceded by General der Infanterie Franz Mattenklott |
Commander of XXXXII. Armeekorps 22 June 1943 – July 1943 |
Succeeded by General der Infanterie Franz Mattenklott |