Heydrich's Chauffeur

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Schmauser
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Heydrich's Chauffeur

#1

Post by Schmauser » 23 Mar 2002, 17:05

Can anyone please tell me the first name of Heydrich's driver who was assassinated by Czech Agents on the 27th May 1942. I know he was an SS Oberscharführer and his surname was Klein.

~Regards Schmauser

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Helly Angel
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#2

Post by Helly Angel » 25 Mar 2002, 03:23

No, the driver of Heydrich was free these days. He has a substitute.
This substitute have not agility driving.


I don´t know if Klein was the titular or the substitute.


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MICHAELM82
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#3

Post by MICHAELM82 » 25 Mar 2002, 08:20

......According to Gestapo by Rupert Butler Klein was the driver of Heydrich's during the assasanation attempt.
Rttf.

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MICHAELM82
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#4

Post by MICHAELM82 » 25 Mar 2002, 08:43

This is from Gestapo by Butler:
"If he had ordered Klein to speed off he would undoubtedly have saved his life.But Heydrich made a fatal mistake.He shouted to Klein to stop.Klein jammed on the brakes and the Mercedes squeled to a halt, zigzagging past Kubis who at this point threw his bomb at the nearside front panel.
"Klein, built like a barge, could not move fast enough and Gabcik managed to out run him."

That is all said by Butler on Klein, no fist name, only rank and last name!I know there are a couple books on this subject that might provide his full name.There is also a two volume bio of Heydrich which might also list the name, the book is by Max Williams.
Cheers,
Rttf.

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Jeremy Dixon
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#5

Post by Jeremy Dixon » 21 Nov 2002, 23:30

[Can anyone please tell me the first name of Heydrich's driver who was assassinated by Czech Agents on the 27th May 1942. I know he was an SS Oberscharführer and his surname was Klein. ]

Yes Kleins first name is Hans. Information from two volume study on Heydrich by Ulric of England. Copies available from me if interested.[/quote]

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Schmauser
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#6

Post by Schmauser » 22 Nov 2002, 00:06

Thanks trbooks, I've waited ages for that info, :D

~Regards Schmauser

Potsdamerplatz
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#7

Post by Potsdamerplatz » 06 Aug 2007, 17:38

After the explosion, Klein set off on foot to chase the assassins but he was apparently a big man and very slow. Klein and Josef Gabcik exchanged pistol shots and Klein was wounded in the leg and collapsed on the ground, unable to pursue them any further.

Does anyone know what became of Klein after the day of the assassination attempt - was he blamed in any way for what happened and if so what was his fate?

Best regards.

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Plavá bestie
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#8

Post by Plavá bestie » 06 Aug 2007, 19:26

33 years old SS-Oberscharführer Johannes Klein was wounded by Josef Gabèík - one of Heydrich´s assassins and had an surgery in Bulovka-teaching hospital. After surgery was walking by canes and was recovering in mansion of K. H. Frank in Panenské Bøežany. He was never more normally walking.

Source: Heydrich by Jaroslav Èvanèara, page 124
The photo of Johannes Klein was scanned from a modern book and is therefore in breach of that book's copyright. It has to be deleted as it also places the forum in jeopardy of possible litigation.

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Max Williams
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#9

Post by Max Williams » 06 Aug 2007, 19:40

This photo is on page 144 of my Heydrich biography, volume 2. Johannes Klein was eventually promoted to SS-Untersturmführer and administered a SS driving school for the remainder of the war.
Max.

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#10

Post by Potsdamerplatz » 12 Aug 2007, 13:25

Thanks Max and Plava for the extra information.

I noticed this over at the Feldgrau forum last night. One of their members claims that Klein was possibly killed himself by left-wing vigilantes in Hamburg in the early 1990's:

http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24723

pzrmeyer2 says:
Now here's an interesting epilogue perhaps someone can verify: I recall that the initial story regarding Heydrich's driver, SS Sergeant Wolfgang Klein, was that he was killed some hours later while in pursuit of the gunmen. But later reports suggest that he was only wounded and survived the war to live in relative anonymity. So it came as a shock when I had heard that he was actually tracked down and murdered, allegedly by RAF-types, in Hamburg in the early 1990s. I recall being in Germany around that time, but now cannot find any references to verify this.
Does anyone have more information on whether this is true?

pzrmeyer2 is banned from Feldgrau so I have no way of contacting him to request more information and whether or not the story is true.

Best regards.

Max Williams
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#11

Post by Max Williams » 12 Aug 2007, 15:05

To my knowledge, this is either fiction or a different Klein. The Heydrich driver was Johannes Klein.
Max.

PF
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Photo of Klein

#12

Post by PF » 11 Jan 2008, 18:36

There is a photograph of Klein in car in Mollo's History of the SS.

bertberlin
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Re: Heydrich's Chauffeur

#13

Post by bertberlin » 20 Mar 2010, 14:56

Hello,

does anybody know, if Johannes Klein was the "Kraftfahrer des Chefs der Gestapo Prag" who in summer 1941 returned from the Eastern front and talked about the shooting of Jews in the Ukraine? Paul Thümmel ("René") reported about this person on July 27, 1941 in a ciphered message to the British MI. (see Anlage 1 zur Funkmessleitstelle der Orpo vom 4.3.1943, BArch, RW 5/436).

thanks for any help,

Bert

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