Yugoslav War Crimes Trials of German Officials

[Allen Milcic]

Mr. Thompson:

The information on Nikola Kalabic has for its source, unfortunately, only my memory of a mid-80's Yugoslav documentary on the topic of the Cetniks. I will try to substantiate this information, and I can also provide you with a full biography (including sources) of Draza Mihajlovic (with his date of capture, trial and execution dates).

I have a very substantial collection of books and documents pertaining to Croatian personas of the WW2 era (my area of research), and I will be able to provide sources for all information I submit. My only problem is time, which I never seem to have enough of. I will post as much and as often as possible, but please bear with me time-wise.

Kind regards.

[David Thompson]

croat -- I have the same problem. Please take whatever time is necessary for a good job.

[Allen Milcic]

Biography of General Milic, as promised:

MILIC, Lavoslav, General (Born in Karlovac, Croatia on October 19th, 1890 - Died in Zagreb, Croatia on August 18th, 1964)

Completed the Austro-Hungarian Military Academy at Wiener-Neustadt in 1911 with the rank of lieutenent. Seriously wounded during WW1 (1914) serving with the army of Austria-Hungary, and was physically capable thereafter only of service with the Quartermaster branch. He stayed on in the military of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats & Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), and gained the rank of General of the Quartermaster Corps. Upon the declaration of Croatian independence (April 10, 1941) as a result of the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, he joined the regular armed forces (Domobranstvo) of the newfound state. His initial duty was with the HQ of the Ministry of the Domobranstvo (MINDOM), and was placed in charge of the Economic and Administrative Directorate from 1941-1943. When the Ministry of the Domobranstvo was transformed into the Ministry of the Armed Forces (MINORS) in 1943, he became the head of the Administrative Section, where he remained till the end of the war. He received the rank of Lt.-General on February 19, 1944. In May 1945 he joins the retreat of the Croatian armed forces into Austria. Upon surrender to the British, he is extradited to Yugoslavia together with a large group of Croatian generals and politicians on May 17, 1945. The Military Tribunal of the City of Zagreb sentenced him on June 6, 1945 to 20 years in prison . He served 5 years of his sentence at the maximum security penitentiary in Srijemska Mitrovica, and was released due to his failing health. He died of natural causes in Zagreb.

Original Croatian text of the biography prepared by dr. Zdravko Dizdar of the Croatian Historical Institute, Zagreb, published in the book "Tko je tko u NDH" (Who is Who in the Independent State of Croatia), Minerva Books, Zagreb, 1997. Translation to English by Allen Milcic.

[David Thompson]

croat -- Thanks for the great details, and for the reference.

[K.Kocjancic]

(28) Trial held by the Military Court of the 4th Yugoslav Army at Ljubljana (10th Process) of German officers and Slovene officials; concluded 19 or 21 Jul 1947 (at least 14 defendants; 12 sentenced to death, 2 received prison terms)
Christl, Heinrich (death)
Doujack, Hermann (18 years imprisonment)
Fleckner, Hans (death)
Gerlach, Reinhard or Reinholdt (death)
Glaser, Helmut (death)
Hacin, Lovro (death; but see trial 9 above)
Hochsteiner, Walter (death)
von Hoesslin (Hößlin), Hans (death)
Hradetzky, Franz (18 years imprisonment)
Kuebler (Kübler), Ludwig (death)
Kuss, Leon (death)
Mueller, Franc (death)
Neubert, Guenther (death)
Rainer, Dr Friedrich (death)
Roesener (Rösener), Erwin (death)
Rozman, Dr Gregorij (in absentia)
Rupnik, Leon (death, but see trial 9 above)
? Stage, Kurt (death by hanging)
Vizjak, Milko (unknown prison term)
Josef Vogt (death)

Found some more info on this trial.
Trial lasted from 10. to 19.7.1947 in Ljubljana.

On 10.7.'47 (Monday) at 8.20 am, president of Court kapetan (Cpt.) Avgust Bračič started the trial.
Court:
- kapetan (Cpt.) Avgust Bračič (president),
- major Martin Šimić (judge),
- major Mirko Lokar (judge),
- secretery poročnik (Ltn.) Slavko Hafner
- major Stanko Klavs (substitute judge).

Military prosecutor of IV. Yugo. Army:
- major dr. Viktor Damjan,
- his adj. Jože Pavličič (representative of Public prosecutor of LRS)

Defendents (attorney):
- dr. Friedrich Rainer (dr. Jože Ilc),
- dr. Helmut Glaser (dr. Jože Čobal),
- Ludwig Kübler (dr. Vladimir Šuklje),
- Hans von Hösslin (dr. Ivan Stanovnik),
- Heinrich Christl,
- Hans Fleckner (dr. Vladimir Šuklje),
- Günther Neubert,
- Josef Vogt (dr. Jakob Petrovič),
- dr. Hermann Doujak (dr. Ivan Stanovnik),
- dr. Franz Hradetzky (dr. Vladimir Šuklje),
- dr. Wlather Hochsteiner (dr. Jože Čobal),
- Leo Kuss (dr. Ivan Stanovnik),
- Reinhold Gerlach (dr. Jože Čobal) and
- Franz Müller (dr. Lojze Vrtačnik).

Sentences:
a) death by hanging:
- Rainer,
- Kübler,
- Fleckner,
- Vogt,
- Hochsteiner,
- Gerlach and
- Müller.

b) death by firing-squad:
- Glaser,
- Hösslin,
- Christl,
- Neubert and
- Kuss.

Sentences were carried out on 18.8.'47 in the morning.

Doujak was sentenced to 18 years of prison with inforced labour. After 5 years he was released and turned to Austria on 31.10.'52.

Hradetzky was senteced to 16 years with inforced labour and on 30.7.'52 released.

We don't know if Rainer was really hanged, because there are some data that he was still alive until end of '49.

[hardi]

(14) Trial by the Voivodina Supreme Court of Yugoslavia of Hungarian military officials for massacres at Novy Sad and Baka, concluded 31 Oct 1946 (at least 9 defendants; all sentenced to death)
Deak, Laszlo (death)
Feketehalmy-Czeydner or Fekethaimi Zeidner, Ferenc (Franz) Vitez (death by hanging)
Graszy or Grassy, Joszef (death by hanging)
Szombathyeli, Ferenc (death by firing squad)
Zoldi, Dr. Marton (death by hanging)

Hi,

Two pics on Grassy (1945) and Zöldy (1945).
They weren't the fittest guys

Cheers,

janos

[Georg_S]

Hi guys -

I think I can add some information to this thread.

Thirty-eight German members of the SS Handschar Division were extradited to Yugoslavia after the war. They were tried in Belgrade from 22-30 August 1947. I have published some research on that division and interviewed a number of these men or their families. One of them, Alfred Schrader, is on your list. He was living in or near Berlin in the early 1990s but was blind.

One of the men told me that of the thirty-eight, only ten were charged with specific offenses. Another officer, Otto Kruse, was supposed to be extradited but Kruse swallowed a spoon (!) before the British could hand him over. He was rushed to a British military hospital and avoided extradition. Undaunted, the Yugoslav officer in charge of the extradition simply selected another captive Handschar officer, Robert Ehlers, and sent him in Kruse's place!

At trial, all of the men were found guilty. Ten were executed:

R. Baumeister
W. Eipel
K. Luetkemueller
B. Luetjens
H. Masannek
J. Paelmke
W. Schmidt
W. Schreer
E. Schwerin
K. Weber

The others received long prison terms. One man, Wilhelm Mahn, died in captivity, but from what the others told me, it does not seem like he died from an type of mistreatment; they said that Mahn had lost a son in the war and had simply given up on life. All of the men were released by 1953.

There was also the case of Halim Malkoc, a Handschar imam. He was sentenced to death in Bihac for his role in quelling a mutiny in SS-Geb.Pi.Btl. 13 in France. He was found guilty and executed on 7 March 1947.

I know of one Prinz Eugen officer who was executed in Yugoslavia after the war, Jochen Krah.

I hope this information is helpful!

Best regards,

George Lepre

Old thread:

But I wonder if someone can give me info if the W Eipel also the one who earlier served by SS-Geb.Div "Nord" and if so, canb someone give the info when SS-Ostuf Eipel served by a SS-Totenkopf standarte. I have a photo of SS-Stubaf v. Steuben, SS-Ostuf Eipel and SS-Hstuf Georg Ahlemann, when they travelled by boat with SS-T.-St.6 to Norway. 1940.

Best reg.

Georg

[David Thompson]

Georg -- The Dienstaltersliste der Waffen-SS as of 1 Jul 1944 lists the assignment of SS-Sturmbannfuehrer d.R. Walter Eipl, DOB 3.9.1893, SS-Nr. 254629, as:

13.W.Geb.Div.SS"Ha" (gestr.); (hs.) IX.SS-Geb.A.Korps.

That's all the information I have on the fellow.

[Georg_S]

Thanks David, I think I will ask the question on SSuPol.forum.

Best. Reg

Georg

[DAISY'S DAD]

Hi,

I know this is an old topic of discussion, but I've only just come across it.

Included in the last 43 German POW's to be returned from Yugoslavia is 'Bruno Becker 8/5/94 gen.intend'. His correct name was Dr. Benno Becker, I know because he was my grandfather.

Daisy's dad.

[David Thompson]

Thanks, Daisy's Dad.

[Researcher]

Hi Daisy's Dad,

Do you know if he was put on trial and what for ?
I heard that these 43 prisoners (including Generals Vierow and Neuhausen) were all sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.

regards
Researcher

[dylan]

Dr Benno Becker born in Dresden 8/05/1894
GenLuit.-Intendant bei der IVa Abt. des obersten Kommandanten fur den Sudost,
bei der militarischen gruppe F und E .
Trial date 18/11/1949 death sentence
Prison Mitrovica.

All captured high ranking officers guilty or not are sentence to death or with some luck to life.

dylan.

[David Thompson]

Thanks, dylan.

[Researcher]

Does anyone have any information on Generalleutnant Von Stockhausen (1891- ?) or Oberst Erich Klein (1896 - ?)

regards
Researcher