The defendant Kuntze assumed command in the Southeast on 27 October 1941, a month which exceeded all previous monthly records in killing innocent members of the population in reprisal for the criminal acts of unknown persons. On 9 October 1941, 2200 Communists and Jews were shot in reprisal for 22 German soldiers of the 521st Army Signal Communication Regiment murdered at Topola; on 18 October 1941, 1736 men and 19 Communist women were shot in reprisal for German losses sustained in the fight for Kraljevo; on 19 October 1941, 182 men were shot to death in Meckovac and 1600 men from Valjevo were shot to death in reprisal for 16 Germans killed and 24 wounded; on 21 October 1941, 2300 Serbs of various ages and professions were shot to death; on 27 October 1941, 101 arrestees were shot to death with further killings to be carried out after more arrestees had been turned in; and on 28 October 1941, 2200 Serbs were shot for 10 German soldiers killed and 24 wounded in action. It seems highly improbable that Kuntze could step into the command in the Southeast in the midst of the carrying out and reporting of these reprisal actions without gaining knowledge and approval. Reports made to the defendant Kuntze, shown in the evidence, reveal that on 29 October 1941, 76 persons were shot in reprisal in Serbia; on 2 November 1941, 20 persons were shot to death near Loznica; on 2 November 1941, 125 persons were shot to death at Valjevo; and on 27 November 1941, 265 Communists were shot as a reprisal measure at Valjevo. Under date of 31 October 1941, the commanding general in Serbia, General Boehme, recapitulated the shootings in Serbia in a report to Kuntze as follows: "Shootings - 405 hostages in Belgrade (total up to now in Belgrade 4750), 90 Communists in Camp Sabac, 2300 hostages in Kragujevac, 1700 hostages in Kraljevo." In a similar report under date of 30 November 1941, General Boehme reported to Kuntze as follows: "Shot as hostages (total) 534 (500 of these by Serbian auxiliary police)." Many other similar shootings are shown by the record. Included was a report covering the whole period of the resistance movement up to and including 5 December 1941, wherein it is shown that 31338 reprisal prisoners were to be shot on the basis of the 100 to 1 order, that 11164 had been shot and that 20174 remained to be shot in reprisal to fulfill the quota fixed on the 100 to 1 basis.
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With reference to the alleged mistreatment of Jews and other racial groups within the area commanded by the defendant Kuntze during the time he was Deputy Armed Forces Commander Southeast, the record shows the following: On 3 November 1941, the chief of the administrative staff, an official subordinate to General Boehme, who was in turn subordinate to the defendant Kuntze, ordered the immediate arrest of all Jews and gypsies as hostages and the deportation of their wives and children to an assembly camp near Belgrade. On 4 November 1941, a detailed report concerning the shooting of Jews and gypsies between 27-30 October 1941, is shown in the war diary of the 433d Infantry Regiment [704th Infantry Division]. (NOKW-905, Pros. Ex. 143.) [Document reproduced in section VB.] The lurid details of the shooting of these 2200 persons is graphically recited in this report. A report under date of 5 December 1941 containing the notes of the Armed Forces Commander Southeast (Kuntze) made on a tour of inspection says in part:On 4 February 1942, the 704th Infantry Division reported to General Bader that it had delivered 161 partisans, 17 Jews, and 2 Jewesses to the SD-Belgrade. On 19 March 1942, General Bader reported to the defendant Kuntze that 500 Jews had been transported from Metrovica to Semlin. On 10 March 1942, General Bader reported to Kuntze that in the Jewish camp of Semlin there were 5780 persons, mostly women and children. On 20 April 1942, General Bader reported to the defendant Kuntze that in the concentration camps there were 182 hostages, 3266 reprisal prisoners, and 4005 Jews."All Jews and gypsies are to be transferred into a concentration camp at Semlin (at present there are about 16000 people there). They were proved to be the bearers of the communication service of the insurgents."
NMT judgment against General der Pioniere Walter Kuntze, Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals vol. XI
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