Artur Phleps

[Meech]

I have found many photographs of this highly decorated soldier, but almost nothing on his biography. Can any one help or point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

[sylvieK4]

I found this on line:

"Artur Phleps (geboren 1881 in Birthälm, gestorben 1944 nördlich von Arad) war im I. Weltkrieg Stabshauptmann der k.u.k. Armee, machte danach in Rumänien eine steile Militärkarriere und brachte es bis zum Kommandierenden General der rumänischen Gebirgstruppen. 1941 trat er dem deutschen Heer bei und befehligte die 7. Freiwilligen-Gebirgsdivision "Prinz Eugen". Er organisierte die Flucht der Sachsen aus Nordsiebenbürgen"

The same site says Artur Phleps had a brother, Hermann, born 1876, died 1964 who was a professor of archaeology and art history.

http://www.sibiweb.de/orte/birthaelm/

You might want to check the A.B.R, too.

[Schmauser]

*SS Obergruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen SS
*3rd Höhere SS und Polizeiführer - H.S.S.P.F of the Schwarzes - Meer (Black Sea)
*1st Head of the 7th Waffen SS Freiwilligen Prinz Eugen Panzer Division
*Head of the 5th Waffen SS Mountain Korps

I know that he was captured by the Soviets in September 1944 and executed not soon after on the 21st.

~Regards Schmauser

[Marcus]

Welcome to the forum.

/Marcus

[Michael Miller]

Here's some information on Phleps (sources include his SS service record on microfilm at the National Archives, College Park, Maryland and Mark C. Yerger's "Waffen-SS Commanders, Krüger to Zimmermann").

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller
Axis Biographical Research


Artur Martin Phleps
(gen. Stolz)
SS-Obergruppenführer
und General der Waffen-SS


Born: 29. Nov. 1881 in Birthälm / Siebenbürgen.
Killed: 21. Sep. 1944 near Arad / Siebenbürgen
(Shot in captivity by Soviet troops)

NSDAP-Nr.: [Not a member as of 30. Jan. 1942]
SS-Nr.: 401 214
(Joined 30. Jun. 1941)

Promotions:
SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS: 21. Jun. 1943
SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS: 20. Apr. 1942
SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS: 30. Nov. 1941
SS-Oberführer: 30. Jun. 1941
SS-Mann: 30. Jun. 1941

Waffen-SS Assignments:
Höhere SS und Polizeiführer "Siebenbürgen":
16. Sep 1944 - 18. Sep. 1944
Komd.Gen. V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps:
4. Jun. 1943 - 21. Sep. 1944
Kdr. SS-Freiwilligen-Division "Prinz Eugen" (later SS-Freiwilligen-Division "Prinz
Eugen" [ultimately 7.SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division "Prinz Eugen"]:
1. Feb. 1942 - 21. Jun. 1943
Kdr. SS-Grenadier-Regiment "Westland"/SS-Division "Wiking":
Jul. 1941 - Jan. 1942
Assigned as "surplus" staff officer to SS-Division "Wiking":

Placed in reserves:
6 Aug. 1940
Placed at disposal of Romanian War Ministry:
1. Feb. 1940 Promoted Lt.General: 1. Jun. 1939
Corps Commander in charge of Romanian Mountain Troops (Bucharest, then in Straßburg am Mierisch):
1. Nov. 1937 -
Commander 21.Infantry-Division (Galatz, Southern Moldovia):
13. Oct. 1936 - 1. Nov. 1937
Commander 12.Infantry-Division (Ismail/South Bessarabia):
5. Jun. 1935 - 13. Oct. 1936
Inspector of Recruitment, 5th Territorial Command:
1935 -
Promoted Brigade General:
15. Apr. 1935
Commander 1. Mountain Brigade (Sinaia):
Sep. 1930-
Brigade commander in Constanza:
1. Apr. 1930 -
Commander, Calarasi Regiment Nr. 23:
1. Apr. 1929 -
Assigned to V.Corps Command (Kronstadt):
1925 -
Instructor at Advanced War Academy, Bucharest:
Assigned to Great General Staff, Bucharest:
15. May 1923 -
Promoted Colonel, with seniority from 1. Apr. 1919:
28. Jun. 1920
Chief of General Staff, 16.Siebenburgen-Romanian Infantry-Division:
1919 -
Entered Royal Romanian Army as Lt.Colonel (with seniority from 1. Nov. 1916):
1. Apr. 1919
Freikorps service:
Nov. 1918 - Feb. 1919
Promoted Oberstleutnant in k.u.k. General Staff Corps:
1. Nov. 1918
Chief of materiel group, Heeresgruppe Tirol:
____ - Nov. 1918
Generalstabschef der 72.Infanterie-Division, Siebenbürgen:
1916 -
Promoted Major in k.u.k. Generalstabskorps:
1. Aug. 1916
Assigned to Armee-Gruppe Baron Rohr von Denta and later to 10.Armee in
Kärnten (Carinthia), first as Generalstabschef des Etappenkommandos, then as
stellv.Quartiermeister:
1915 - 1917
Ib (2.Generalstabsoffizier) der 32.Infanterie-Division (Serbia & Galicia), then
assigned to Operationsbüro der 2.Armee (Poland):
1914 - 1915
Promoted Hauptmann in k.u.k. Generalstabskorps:
1. Nov. 1911. Hauptmann in
Gen.Stab. in Bosnia and Budapest prior to outbreak of WW I.
Assigned to Generalstab, 13.Infanteire-Brigade in Esseg, Slavonia:
Entered k.u.k. Generalstabskorps:
1. May 1908
Promoted Oberleutnant:
31. Oct. 1907
Attended Kriegsakademie, Wien:
1905 - 1907
Assigned to 11.ungarischen Feldjäger-Bataillon (Güns, later Triest):
1902- 1905
Commissioned Leutnant:
ca. 1901
Assigned to 3.Regiment der Tiroler Kaiserjäger, initially as Kadett-Offizierstellvertreter (Fähnrich):
18. Aug. 1900 - 1902
K.u.K. Kadettenschule, Preßburg:
1896 - 1900
Attended Unterrealschule in Hermannstadt:
1893 - 1896

German Decorations & Awards:
~ Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuz: 4. Jul. 1943 as SS-Gruf.u.Gen.Lt.d.W-SS, Kdr. SS-Freiw.Geb.Div. / Heeresgruppe E, Balkan Front
~ Eichenlaub (Nr. 670 / Posthumous): 24. Nov. 1944 as SS-OGruf.u.Gen.d.W-SS, Kom.Gen. "Korpsgruppe Siebenbürgen"
~ Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: 20. Jun. 1944
1939 Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse: 26. Jun. 1941
1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse: 10. Jul. 1941
1914 Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse: 27. Jan. 1917
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Bronze: 7. Jan. 1943
Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”: 12. Sep. 1942

Austro-Hungarian Awards:
Signum Laudis in Bronze mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern: 13. Oct. 1914
Signum Laudis in Silber mit Kriegsdekoration: 15. Mar. 1916
Militär-Verdienst-Kreuz III. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwerter: 3. Jul. 1915
Eisernen Krone Orden III. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwerter: 30. Apr. 1917
Franz-Josef Orden (Offizier-Kreuz) mit Schwerter: 8. Jul. 1918
Ehrenzeichen Rotkreuz mit Kriegsdekoration: 23. Oct. 1915
Verwundetenmedaille (for wound received 19. Aug. 1914Rotkr)

Romanian Awards:
Star of the Romanian Officer’s Cross with Swords on Military Service Ribbon: 12. Mar. 1920
Commemorative Cross of the 1919 Campaign
Czechoslovakian War Cross: 1. Mar. 1928



Other Awards:
Czechoslovakian War Cross: 1. Mar. 1928
Order of the Iron Trefoil 1st Class (Independent State of Croatia)

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hi,
I've read somewhere that he was killed in a plane crash... It's difficult to imagine a corps commander captured by some enemy... Any further particular about this ?
Willab

[Waland66]

Here you see a color picture of Artur Phleps:


Regards
Paal
http://www.samba66.com

[Marcus]

Paal,

I don't think I've seen a color photo of him before, thanks for sharing it.

/Marcus

[Phil V]

Willfried Abenaschon wrote

Hi,
I've read somewhere that he was killed in a plane crash... It's difficult to imagine a corps commander captured by some enemy... Any further particular about this ?
Willab

It is thought that Phleps died in a plane crash on 21 September 1944 whilst enroute from Montenegro to Transylvania. He was one his what to form a front against the advancing Russian Army.

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hi,
Wonderful pic of this very talented general !
It's very strange that there is no precision about his death which didn't occured at the far end of the conflict...
Any children ?
Willab

[Mark C. Yerger]

The color photo in original form is Phleps with Otto Kumm. His son served in the war, and was (I believe) a dentist postwar and is still alive as far as I know. His full bio and numerous photos are in vol.2 of my book "Waffen-SS Commanders." Excellent commander overlooked by many historians, one of the few who joined the Waffen-SS after having served as a General rank officer previously.

Mark Yerger

[Michael Miller]

Here are a few more notes; info. is from Phleps' SS file, as well as that of his son, SS-Obersturmführer Dr. med. Reinhard Phleps.

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller

* Married on 30. Apr. 1916 to Emilie Erber (born 4. May 1891 in Hohenmanthen; member of the NS-Frauenschaft). Two sons (Dr. med Reinhard Phleps, born 16. Feb. 1917; served as Unterarzt in 15.Infanterie-Regiment, 4. Nov. 1941 - 18. Oct. 1942; later transferred to Waffen-SS [SS-Nr. 467 463(V); commissioned SS-Untersturmführer, 9. Nov. 1943 and promoted SS-Obersturmführer, 9. Nov. 1944; assigned to “Prinz Eugen” Division, 9. Nov. 1943 - 10. Jan. 1945 and to Feldkommandostelle RF SS: 10. Jan. 1945 -) and , born 12. Sep. 1921).
* On 13. November 1944, SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 13 of the “Prinz Eugen” Division was granted the name and cuff title “Artur Phleps”.
* Fell into Soviet captivity on 21. Sep. 1944 when his command car crossed accidentally into Soviet territory.

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hello,
You are really unbeatable !
Any possibility to know which soviet unity came accross him ?
Where does his son live ?
Willab

[Martin Månsson]

Phleps also had one daughter who lived in Sweden (Stockholm) for many years. She's now dead since some years ago, I have a copy of a letter written by her. I know that she and her brother made carefully investigations to find the grave of their father, don't know if they succeeded though.

Best
Martin

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hello Martin,
Didn't she give you news from her brother ?
Did she learn anything new about her dad ?

Artur Phleps had an incredible career ! Phleps was already captain before WWI ! Particularly, he's the only person I know who was a lieutenant-colonel before 11/11/18 !!! Even von Blomberg, von Hammerstein-Equord (Commander-in-Chief of the Heer when Hitler became Chancellor) born in 1878 didn't reach this rank ! The same for the oldest of all, von Rundstedt, born in 1875 !!!
Very early in his career, he seems to have been very capable. He joined the Generalstabskorps of the imperial Austria before 1914... Amazingly, he only got two stars in ... 1940 ! It's not impossible that he was able to lead an army, may be an army group... Was he perceived suspiciously by the romanian high command ?

Any picture of him as romanian general ?

:roll: Willab