| August Schmidthuber | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 May 1901 Augsburg |
| Died | 19 February 1947 (aged 45) Belgrade (Executed) |
| Allegiance | Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Waffen SS |
| Rank | SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS |
| Commands held | SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 14 "Skanderberg" 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | German Cross in Gold EK I EK II |
August Schmidthuber was an SS-Brigadeführer of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen from 20 January 1944 to 8 May 1945, and the 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) from May 1944 onwards.
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August Schmidthuber was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, the son of a minor government official. After finishing basic military training in the Reichswehr in Ulm in 1919, he signed up for 12 years military service on 5 May. He was initially assigned to the Schützen Regiment (rifle regiment) Number 42. From 16 June 1919 until the beginning of October, Schmidthuber served with the 9th Company of his regiment and then spent nearly a year in 3 company.
At the same time, beginning in May 1919 to mid-June, he also entered the ranks of the Freikorps, Major Franz Ritter von Epp. Schmidthuber then transferred to Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment (mountain hunters) Number 19 and on 1 October 1922 was appointed to the rank of Gefreiter (private). He remained in the regular German army until 4 May 1931, when he left as an Oberfeldwebel (sergeant major).
After leaving the army Schmidthuber worked as a brewer and became active in politics in Bavaria, joining the Bayerische Volkspartei (Bavarian People's Party). During the presidential elections, he stood for the district of Lindau but did not win. He then joined the NSDAP and on 16 July 1933 entered into the SA. In the SA he was part of the SA Gruppe Hochland and served first as the deputy director of SA schools in the region, and then later also as a director.
In parallel with the educational work in these posts, Schmidthuber was a member of the training command of the SA. However, on the 17 May 1935 he joined the SS where he was appointed SS Obersturmführer and immediately attached to the SS-Verfügungstruppe. Initially he commanded the 7th platoon of SS-1 Standarte and commanded troops there until early February 1936, when he was transferred to the SS Germania Regiment. Here he led the 1st Company until 1 May 1936. On 13 September 1936 Schmidthuber was promoted to SS Hauptsturmführer and transferred to the regimental staff of SS Germania. He remained there until mid-November 1937, where the company is responsible for training noncommissioned officers, until the end of February 1938.
On 30 January 1939 Schmidthuber was promoted to the rank of SS Sturmbannführer and put in command of the 1st SS battalion regiment Germania. On 21 June 1941 he was promoted to SS Obersturmbannführer and a year later he became the commander of the SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 14 "Skanderberg" of 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen.
On 20 April 1943 Schmidthuber was promoted to SS Standartenführer (Colonel) and from 17 April 1944 until 20 January 1945, served as a commander of the 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian). On 21 June 1944 he was promoted to SS Oberführer.
With regard to his peace keeping / anti-partisan activities in Kosovo during the war, the scholar Bernd Fischer noted :
"Schmidthuber of the SS "Skanderbeg" issued orders to increase the burning of villages and killing of people. In keeping with these orders, between 19 September and 23 October 131 NLM prisoners....were shot or hanged in Kosovo."[1]
Following the German evacuation of Albania Schmidthuber was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS on 20 January 1945 and replaced SS Brigadefuhrer Otto Kumm as commander of the remnants of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen to 8 May 1945.
He was executed on February 27, 1947 in Belgrade by the Communist Yugoslav government for his role in killing civilians of that country.
Friday, 30 August 1946:
I will remind you as well of the deposition given by the SS Major General August Schmidthuber, describing how, on the order of the commander of the 1st SS Battalion, SS-Hauptsturmführer Richard Kaaserer, peaceful citizens were locked up in a church in Krivaya Reka, and then the church building was blown up.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Commander of SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 14 "Skanderberg" April 15, 1942 - November 28, 1943 |
Succeeded by SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Dietsche |
| Preceded by SS-Brigadeführer Josef Fitzthum |
Commander of 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) May 1, 1944 - January, 1945 |
Succeeded by SS-Obersturmbannführer Alfred Graf |
| Preceded by SS-Brigadeführer Otto Kumm |
Commander of 7. SS-Freiw.GebirgsDiv "Prinz Eugen" January 20, 1945 - May 8, 1945 |
Succeeded by none |