Adler
Banned
February 1943: After the fall of Stalingrad Stalin ordered to execute the Operation Stern. It was aimed to enclose and destroy the Heeresgruppen A, B and Don. A kind of Superstalingrad. The Soviets were advancing and Manstein already had a plan to make a counterstrike. However, therefore he had to retreat in some parts. Especially Charkow. Here Hitler vetoed that. He wanted to keep Charkow. Manstein needed the forces there and on February 16th indeed the SS units defending Charkow retreated. Hitler was furious. Instead of flying to Poltawa, where he was going to meet Col. Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz, he flew to Manstein to Saporoschje.
What Hitler didn't know: Strachwitz, although member in the SS, was there to arrest and likely kill Hitler as part of Operation Walküre. As Plan B a bomb in a bottle of Cognac was smuggled into the Fw 200 of Hitler. Because the British detonator did not cope with the low temperatures the bomb did not explode...
And here is the PoD: 17.02.1943: Hiter wants to fly to Saporoschje, but only after he visited Strachwitz. He wanted to let Manstein wait for him and to show him, who is the Gröfaz (Größter Feldherr aller Zeiten, biggest general of all times).
"Mein Führer, Sie sind verhaftet!"
The flight was long from Berlin to Poltawa. Hitler was glad to have landed. He was not glad about the war situation however. The Soviets were advancing. And Manstein wanted to retreat. Retreat! That was nearly treachery. He needed to talk to him. But not now. Now he wanted to talk to the Panzergraf, Strachwitz.
Hitler departed the plane and looked to the runway where Strachwitz stood in his SS uniform, and not the normal Wehrmacht uniform. There were also about two dozens other soldiers in SS uniforms waiting.
Hitler left the gangway. Behind him his adjutant Schmundt and Prof. Dr. Morell, Hitler's personal physician, followed.
Strachwitz saluted Hitler with the so called German Greeting.
Strachwitz said: "Heil mein Führer. Sie sind verhaftet!"
Hitler at first was stunned and then loughed. After a moment he said: "Strachwitz, you have humor. You perfectly knew what I now needed! I won't forget that!"
Strachwitz did not change his face and calmly replied: "This is no joke. This is serious, Herr Hitler!"
Hitler stopped loughing immediately as he saw the soldiers were aiming at him with their MPs and rifles.
What then came was not totally clear. The official report by Strachwitz and most historians agree, that Hitler wanted to take his Browning pistol. So also the other soldiers testified. Morell said, Hitler was shot at once by all, as it looked like an execution. Schmundt said, it was one soldier who lost his nerves and then all fired at Hitler.
The result was however clear. Hitler was hit by no less than 88 bullets. The hits in the neck meant even that he was decaptivated when he fell on the ground. However, except a hit between the eyes the head itself was not hit.
Strachwitz later said, he wanted to arrest him and not to execute him. But, he added, that would have come later. That commentary, and some others, lead to speculations, that the arresting was not really planned.
Strachwitz at once called Berlin and told them Hitler landed safely. The next call was another number in Berlin. "Operation can resume, problem solved." Then he broke all telephone and FT lines. For the next six hours no one could reach Poltawa airport.
Schmundt and Morell were arrested as well as the pilots of the Fw 200 and the escorting fighters.
So Operation Walküre started. And soon rumors spread the SS murdered Hitler.
TBC
Adler
What Hitler didn't know: Strachwitz, although member in the SS, was there to arrest and likely kill Hitler as part of Operation Walküre. As Plan B a bomb in a bottle of Cognac was smuggled into the Fw 200 of Hitler. Because the British detonator did not cope with the low temperatures the bomb did not explode...
And here is the PoD: 17.02.1943: Hiter wants to fly to Saporoschje, but only after he visited Strachwitz. He wanted to let Manstein wait for him and to show him, who is the Gröfaz (Größter Feldherr aller Zeiten, biggest general of all times).
"Mein Führer, Sie sind verhaftet!"
The flight was long from Berlin to Poltawa. Hitler was glad to have landed. He was not glad about the war situation however. The Soviets were advancing. And Manstein wanted to retreat. Retreat! That was nearly treachery. He needed to talk to him. But not now. Now he wanted to talk to the Panzergraf, Strachwitz.
Hitler departed the plane and looked to the runway where Strachwitz stood in his SS uniform, and not the normal Wehrmacht uniform. There were also about two dozens other soldiers in SS uniforms waiting.
Hitler left the gangway. Behind him his adjutant Schmundt and Prof. Dr. Morell, Hitler's personal physician, followed.
Strachwitz saluted Hitler with the so called German Greeting.
Strachwitz said: "Heil mein Führer. Sie sind verhaftet!"
Hitler at first was stunned and then loughed. After a moment he said: "Strachwitz, you have humor. You perfectly knew what I now needed! I won't forget that!"
Strachwitz did not change his face and calmly replied: "This is no joke. This is serious, Herr Hitler!"
Hitler stopped loughing immediately as he saw the soldiers were aiming at him with their MPs and rifles.
What then came was not totally clear. The official report by Strachwitz and most historians agree, that Hitler wanted to take his Browning pistol. So also the other soldiers testified. Morell said, Hitler was shot at once by all, as it looked like an execution. Schmundt said, it was one soldier who lost his nerves and then all fired at Hitler.
The result was however clear. Hitler was hit by no less than 88 bullets. The hits in the neck meant even that he was decaptivated when he fell on the ground. However, except a hit between the eyes the head itself was not hit.
Strachwitz later said, he wanted to arrest him and not to execute him. But, he added, that would have come later. That commentary, and some others, lead to speculations, that the arresting was not really planned.
Strachwitz at once called Berlin and told them Hitler landed safely. The next call was another number in Berlin. "Operation can resume, problem solved." Then he broke all telephone and FT lines. For the next six hours no one could reach Poltawa airport.
Schmundt and Morell were arrested as well as the pilots of the Fw 200 and the escorting fighters.
So Operation Walküre started. And soon rumors spread the SS murdered Hitler.
TBC
Adler
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