Hartwig von Ludwiger
Encyclopedia
Gottlob Hartwig Alfred Michael von Ludwiger (known as Hartwig von Ludwiger) was a German high-ranking officer during World War II
and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Hartwig von Ludwiger was responsible for numerous atrocities committed throughout the Balkans
. After the war, he was executed by the Yugoslavs
as a war criminal.
, in 1895. He was the son of Bruno Gottlob von Ludwiger (1853–1915) and Adele Cäcilie von Ludwiger (1861-?). He had two older brothers and an older sister: Guido Gottlob von Ludwiger (1888 - ?) Friedrich Gottlob Hartwig Alexander von Ludwiger (1891 - ?) and Elisabeth Olga von Ludwiger (1887 - ?).
He also had two sons, both of whom were killed during World War II
; Gottlob Hanns-Jochen von Ludwiger (4 June 1921 - 23 September 1942) eventually reached the rank of Oberleutnant
and was killed south of Sinyavino
. Gottlob Klaus-Detlev von Ludwiger was born on 24 August 1923. He rose to the rank of Leutnant and fell near Toruń
, Poland
on 19 February 1945.
, as an officer candidate
. He fought in World War I
with the 11th Grenadier Regiment, after being commissioned a Leutnant on July 30, 1915. Von Ludwiger served in various platoons and companies as commander and participated in several well-known battles of the "Great War" in the Western Front
– the battle of Champagne
, the battle of Arras
, the battle of Somme, the battle of Flandres
and the battle of Maas
– earning the Iron Cross
1st Class for his bravery. He was also wounded in action
several times and was awarded the Wound Badge
in Silver.
in 1918, he was retained in the Reichswehr
. During the early 1920s, he was involved in the suppression of the Silesian Uprisings
. He rose to the rank of Leutnant (July 1925) and to that of Oberleutnant
(1930). Serving in various Infantry Regiments during the military mobilization following Adolf Hitler's rise to power, he was named commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment in 1936, having the rank of Major
. Two years later, on 1 April 1938, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant
.
. Following Operation Barbarossa
, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on 15 July 1941, after distinguishing himself "numerous times" in the area of Smolensk
in the early stages of the campaign, and was promoted to Oberst
on 1 September 1941. Due to the heavy casualties his regiment (and the division as a whole) suffered while fighting in the Moscow Offensive
, the 28th Infantry Division was moved to occupied France to refit as a Jäger
(literally "Hunter", the German equivalent of the Rifles
) Division on 1 December. The 28th Jäger Division
was sent back to the front in southern Ukraine
, where it participated in the heavy fighting
on the Crimean peninsula and especially in the Strait of Kerch
. Von Ludwiger was the 163rd officer to be awarded the Oak Leaves on his Knight's Cross for his actions during the battles on 23 December 1942. During his award ceremony, he met his future superior, Hubert Lanz
, and his future subordinate Harald von Hirschfeld
.
on 20 February 1943. The division was later (April 1, 1943) renamed to 104th Jäger Division
and von Ludwiger assumed his post on 3 March 1943, while within the next month, he was promoted to Generalmajor.
Von Ludwiger was quite active in the anti-partisan operations. In particular, he was placed in command of a unit consisting mainly of the 724th Jäger Regiment and a Bulgarian
regiment, designated Kampfgruppe
von Ludwiger (Battle Group von Ludwiger). Aided by the Italian
Taurinense Division
, Kampfgruppe Ludwiger was tasked with the obliteration of armed guerrillas in the area of Montenegro
, mainly Chetniks
and Tito's communist partisans. This campaign was launched on 20 May under the codename Fall Schwarz (Case Black). But, as partisans deliberately avoided open battles with the well-equipped German forces (at least in Ludwiger's sector), the overall action of the Kampfgruppe returned rather poor results. Subsequently, the unit was dissolved on 9 June and Ludwiger with his staff returned to Požarevac
.
Of course, Ludwiger didn't quit his activities concerning the suppression of partisans. But with chances of extermination of the partisan forces themselves being slim, in the meanwhile Ludwiger launched a terror campaign against the civilian population. Specifically, he implemented the typical 50:1 reprisals ratio, which ordered the execution of 50 civilian hostages for every German killed by partisan activity. As a result, in two months' time, from 1 April to 1 June, Ludwiger's superior, supreme commander of Military District Serbia
, General Paul Bader, was virtually flooded with Ludwiger's requests for reprisals, but he nevertheless authorized them. In total, 500 civilians were killed in reprisals for the murder of 8 German soldiers and 2 Serbian mayors from partisans, while numerous villages were looted and torched.
Upon completion of Operation Black, 104th Jäger Division was ordered to move to Western Greece
. While on march to Agrinio
, on 10 July, the 2nd Company of the division's Pioneer Battalion was ambushed near the Trichonida Lake by Greek guerrillas, who were reported to be dressed like British soldiers. Two officers and 16 soldiers were killed, while another 20 were wounded and several vehicles were destroyed. The next day, an officer was killed from a hand grenade tossed on his vehicle. Ludwiger, installing his headquarters in Agrinio
, applied to carry out his usual reprisal tactics against civilians, but this time his request was rejected from the staff of Army Group "E"
, as the Germans initially tried to maintain good relations with the Greek population. Despite this, German forces razed a village near Nafpaktos and executed 12 "suspicious gangsters".
After the Allied invasion of Sicily
, Italian forces signed an armistice
with the Allied troops. The Germans were prepared for this possibility and launched Operation Achse
to forcibly disarm Italian troops in southern France and the Balkans. The 1st Company of the 724th Battalion of Ludwiger's division was ordered to disarm the Italian garrison in Kefalonia
along with the 1st Mountain Division, something that resulted in one of the largest executions of POWs to be committed during World War II: the massacre of the Acqui Division
in September 1943.
Hartwig von Ludwiger was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1944. As of by August 1944, Ludwiger's forces continued the reprisals against the Greek population, now aided by SS divisions. Ludwiger wrote in his report that
In the meanwhile however, after the Soviets launched their large summer counteroffensive, Operation Bagration, the German forces in the Balkans faced encirclement. The Germans had evacuated most of mainland Greece by the end of October 1944, but with Romania
and Bulgaria
defecting to the Soviet Union
, Axis forces were stuck in bitter fighting in the northern Balkans, facing guerrilla forces now supported by the Red Army
. Towards the end of the war, on 29 April 1945, Ludwiger was promoted to General of the Infantry
and took command of XXI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps (XXI Mountain Army Corps).It must be noted that, due to the chaotic situation of the German forces in the Balkans during that period, it is possible that Ludwiger's promotion didn't receive official approval; For this reason, Lexicon der Wehrmacht indeed mentions a promotion to General der Infanterie, and so does Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
but without exact date, whilst Ludwiger's entry at Axis Biographical Research doesn't. Consequently, Hartwig von Ludwiger is encountered sometimes as Generalleutnant and sometimes as General der Infanterie.
Ludwiger and the surviving elements of his division, which had suffered heavy casualties in the Balkans, were captured towards the end of the war. His successor in command of 104th Jäger Division, Generalleutnant Friedrich Stephan was captured as well and was shot in Ljubljana
along with three other generals without trial from Yugoslav partisans in early June. Possibly von Ludwiger was captured by Red Army soldiers and was then handed over to the Yugoslavs on 13 May.
in Belgrade
(during the 6th Process of the Yugoslav war crimes trials of German officials) between 27 March and 4 April 1947, along with several German officers, such as Generalmajor Hans Gravenstein and SS-Brigadeführer
und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl von Oberkamp
, all of whom received the death penalty. Von Ludwiger was specifically indicted for
Found guilty of the charges, he was sentenced to death on 1 April 1947. It remains unclear whether he was executed by firing squad or by hanging
; the sources are contradictory. Nevertheless, he was executed in a prison at Belgrade; The exact date varies according to the source - possibly on 3 or 5 May, and less playsibly on 25 April.Lexicon der Wehmacht states that Ludwiger was shot [erschossen] on 5 May. In H. F. Meyer's Blutiges Edelweiß, citing the study Zur Geschichte der deutschen Kriegsgefangenen des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Die deutschen Kriegsgefangenen in Jugoslawien 1949-1953 by German historian Kurt W. Böhme, the date of the execution is 3 May, and by firing squad. According to Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
(p. 57), Ludwiger was "hanged" on 5 May. Like other German officers executed in Yugoslavia after World War II, the exact place and way of execution is obscure.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Hartwig von Ludwiger was responsible for numerous atrocities committed throughout the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. After the war, he was executed by the Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
as a war criminal.
Family
Hartwig von Ludwiger was born in Beuthen, SilesiaSilesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, in 1895. He was the son of Bruno Gottlob von Ludwiger (1853–1915) and Adele Cäcilie von Ludwiger (1861-?). He had two older brothers and an older sister: Guido Gottlob von Ludwiger (1888 - ?) Friedrich Gottlob Hartwig Alexander von Ludwiger (1891 - ?) and Elisabeth Olga von Ludwiger (1887 - ?).
He also had two sons, both of whom were killed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; Gottlob Hanns-Jochen von Ludwiger (4 June 1921 - 23 September 1942) eventually reached the rank of Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
and was killed south of Sinyavino
Sinyavino
Sinyavino is an urban locality in Kirovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located east of St. Petersburg and east from Kirovsk. Population: It was founded in 1930....
. Gottlob Klaus-Detlev von Ludwiger was born on 24 August 1923. He rose to the rank of Leutnant and fell near Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on 19 February 1945.
World War I
Hartwig von Ludwiger was called to the Reichsheer on 17 (or 19) August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as an officer candidate
Officer Candidate
Officer Candidate is a rank in some militaries of the world that is an appointed position while a person is in training to become an officer. More often than not, an Officer Candidate was a civilian who applied to join the military directly as an officer...
. He fought in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with the 11th Grenadier Regiment, after being commissioned a Leutnant on July 30, 1915. Von Ludwiger served in various platoons and companies as commander and participated in several well-known battles of the "Great War" in the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
– the battle of Champagne
First Battle of Champagne
The First Battle of Champagne was fought early in World War I in the Champagne region of France, between the French and German Empire armies. It was effectively the first significant attack by the Allies against the Germans since the construction of trenches following the so-called 'Race to the...
, the battle of Arras
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
, the battle of Somme, the battle of Flandres
Fifth Battle of Ypres
The Fifth Battle of Ypres is the unofficial name used to identify a series of battles in northern France and southern Belgium from late September through October 1918....
and the battle of Maas
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
– earning the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
1st Class for his bravery. He was also wounded in action
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
several times and was awarded the Wound Badge
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Silver.
Interwar period
After the capitulation of the German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1918, he was retained in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
. During the early 1920s, he was involved in the suppression of the Silesian Uprisings
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
. He rose to the rank of Leutnant (July 1925) and to that of Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
(1930). Serving in various Infantry Regiments during the military mobilization following Adolf Hitler's rise to power, he was named commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment in 1936, having the rank of Major
Major (Germany)
Major is a rank of the German military which dates back to the Middle Ages.It equates to Major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO.During World War II, the SS equivalent was Sturmbannführer....
. Two years later, on 1 April 1938, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
.
France, Soviet Union and Ukraine
On 1 March 1940, von Ludwiger was appointed commander of the 83rd Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division, with which he took part in the Invasion of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. Following Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 15 July 1941, after distinguishing himself "numerous times" in the area of Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
in the early stages of the campaign, and was promoted to Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
on 1 September 1941. Due to the heavy casualties his regiment (and the division as a whole) suffered while fighting in the Moscow Offensive
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
, the 28th Infantry Division was moved to occupied France to refit as a Jäger
Jäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
(literally "Hunter", the German equivalent of the Rifles
Rifleman
Although ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th century musketeers and streltsy, the term rifleman originated from the 18th century. It would later become the term for the archetypal common soldier.-History:...
) Division on 1 December. The 28th Jäger Division
28th Jäger Division (Germany)
The 28th Jäger Division was a German military unit during World War II.-Background:The main purpose of the German Jäger Divisions was to fight in adverse terrain where smaller, coordinated units were...
was sent back to the front in southern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, where it participated in the heavy fighting
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula was a World War II offensive by German and Romanian armies against the Soviet Crimean Front forces defending the Kerch Peninsula, in the eastern part of the Crimea. It was launched on 8 May 1942 and concluded around 18 May 1942 with the near complete destruction of...
on the Crimean peninsula and especially in the Strait of Kerch
Strait of Kerch
The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula in the west from the Taman Peninsula in the east. The strait is to wide and up to deep....
. Von Ludwiger was the 163rd officer to be awarded the Oak Leaves on his Knight's Cross for his actions during the battles on 23 December 1942. During his award ceremony, he met his future superior, Hubert Lanz
Hubert Lanz
Karl Hubert Lanz was a German Army officer who rose to the rank of General der Gebirgstruppe during the Second World War, in which he led units in the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. After the war, he was tried and convicted for several atrocities committed by units under his command in the...
, and his future subordinate Harald von Hirschfeld
Harald von Hirschfeld
Harald von Hirschfeld was a German general who commanded the 78.Volks-Grenadier-Division/78 Sturm Division during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
.
Yugoslavia
Von Ludwiger was posted as commander of the 704th Infantry Division in YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
on 20 February 1943. The division was later (April 1, 1943) renamed to 104th Jäger Division
104th Jäger Division
104th Jäger Division was a German Infantry Division of World War II. It was formed in April 1943, by the redesignation of the 704th Infantry Division, which was itself formed in April 1941. The division served in Yugoslavia in May 1941 where it took part in anti-partisan and security operations in...
and von Ludwiger assumed his post on 3 March 1943, while within the next month, he was promoted to Generalmajor.
Von Ludwiger was quite active in the anti-partisan operations. In particular, he was placed in command of a unit consisting mainly of the 724th Jäger Regiment and a Bulgarian
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
regiment, designated Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
von Ludwiger (Battle Group von Ludwiger). Aided by the Italian
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
Taurinense Division
1 Alpine Division Taurinense
The 1st Alpine Division Taurinense was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army which specialised in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army consisting of both infantry and artillery units...
, Kampfgruppe Ludwiger was tasked with the obliteration of armed guerrillas in the area of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, mainly Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
and Tito's communist partisans. This campaign was launched on 20 May under the codename Fall Schwarz (Case Black). But, as partisans deliberately avoided open battles with the well-equipped German forces (at least in Ludwiger's sector), the overall action of the Kampfgruppe returned rather poor results. Subsequently, the unit was dissolved on 9 June and Ludwiger with his staff returned to Požarevac
Požarevac
Požarevac is a city and municipality in eastern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Braničevo District of Serbia...
.
Of course, Ludwiger didn't quit his activities concerning the suppression of partisans. But with chances of extermination of the partisan forces themselves being slim, in the meanwhile Ludwiger launched a terror campaign against the civilian population. Specifically, he implemented the typical 50:1 reprisals ratio, which ordered the execution of 50 civilian hostages for every German killed by partisan activity. As a result, in two months' time, from 1 April to 1 June, Ludwiger's superior, supreme commander of Military District Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, General Paul Bader, was virtually flooded with Ludwiger's requests for reprisals, but he nevertheless authorized them. In total, 500 civilians were killed in reprisals for the murder of 8 German soldiers and 2 Serbian mayors from partisans, while numerous villages were looted and torched.
Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. While on march to Agrinio
Agrinio
Agrinion is the largest city and municipality of the Aetolia-Acarnania peripheral unit of Greece, with 96,321 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its capital is the town of Mesolonghi. The settlement dates back to ancient times...
, on 10 July, the 2nd Company of the division's Pioneer Battalion was ambushed near the Trichonida Lake by Greek guerrillas, who were reported to be dressed like British soldiers. Two officers and 16 soldiers were killed, while another 20 were wounded and several vehicles were destroyed. The next day, an officer was killed from a hand grenade tossed on his vehicle. Ludwiger, installing his headquarters in Agrinio
Agrinio
Agrinion is the largest city and municipality of the Aetolia-Acarnania peripheral unit of Greece, with 96,321 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its capital is the town of Mesolonghi. The settlement dates back to ancient times...
, applied to carry out his usual reprisal tactics against civilians, but this time his request was rejected from the staff of Army Group "E"
Army Group E
Army Group E was a German Army Group active during World War II.Army Group E was created on 1 January 1943 from the 12th Army...
, as the Germans initially tried to maintain good relations with the Greek population. Despite this, German forces razed a village near Nafpaktos and executed 12 "suspicious gangsters".
After the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
, Italian forces signed an armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
with the Allied troops. The Germans were prepared for this possibility and launched Operation Achse
Operation Achse
Operation Achse , also called Operation Alaric, were the codenames of the German plans to forcibly disarm the Italian armed forces after their expected armistice with the Allied forces...
to forcibly disarm Italian troops in southern France and the Balkans. The 1st Company of the 724th Battalion of Ludwiger's division was ordered to disarm the Italian garrison in Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
along with the 1st Mountain Division, something that resulted in one of the largest executions of POWs to be committed during World War II: the massacre of the Acqui Division
Massacre of the Acqui Division
The Massacre of the Acqui Division , also known as the Cephalonia Massacre , was the mass execution of the men of the Italian 33rd Acqui Infantry Division by the Germans on the island of Kefalonia, Greece, in September 1943, following the Italian armistice during the Second World War. About 5000...
in September 1943.
Hartwig von Ludwiger was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1944. As of by August 1944, Ludwiger's forces continued the reprisals against the Greek population, now aided by SS divisions. Ludwiger wrote in his report that
In the meanwhile however, after the Soviets launched their large summer counteroffensive, Operation Bagration, the German forces in the Balkans faced encirclement. The Germans had evacuated most of mainland Greece by the end of October 1944, but with Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
defecting to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Axis forces were stuck in bitter fighting in the northern Balkans, facing guerrilla forces now supported by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. Towards the end of the war, on 29 April 1945, Ludwiger was promoted to General of the Infantry
General of the Infantry (Germany)
General of the Infantry is a rank of general in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht - the second-highest regular rank. The same rank spread to the Imperial Russian Army and the Defence forces of Finland between the world wars...
and took command of XXI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps (XXI Mountain Army Corps).It must be noted that, due to the chaotic situation of the German forces in the Balkans during that period, it is possible that Ludwiger's promotion didn't receive official approval; For this reason, Lexicon der Wehrmacht indeed mentions a promotion to General der Infanterie, and so does Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
Walther-Peer Fellgiebel was a German officer in the Wehrmacht, serving during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
but without exact date, whilst Ludwiger's entry at Axis Biographical Research doesn't. Consequently, Hartwig von Ludwiger is encountered sometimes as Generalleutnant and sometimes as General der Infanterie.
Ludwiger and the surviving elements of his division, which had suffered heavy casualties in the Balkans, were captured towards the end of the war. His successor in command of 104th Jäger Division, Generalleutnant Friedrich Stephan was captured as well and was shot in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
along with three other generals without trial from Yugoslav partisans in early June. Possibly von Ludwiger was captured by Red Army soldiers and was then handed over to the Yugoslavs on 13 May.
Trial and execution
After being held in a POW camp, von Ludwiger was put on trial before a Yugoslavian court-martialCourt-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
(during the 6th Process of the Yugoslav war crimes trials of German officials) between 27 March and 4 April 1947, along with several German officers, such as Generalmajor Hans Gravenstein and SS-Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl von Oberkamp
Karl von Oberkamp
SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl Ferdinand Reichsritter von Oberkamp was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who commanded the 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division Prinz Eugen, 38. SS-Division Nibelungen and the V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps...
, all of whom received the death penalty. Von Ludwiger was specifically indicted for
Found guilty of the charges, he was sentenced to death on 1 April 1947. It remains unclear whether he was executed by firing squad or by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
; the sources are contradictory. Nevertheless, he was executed in a prison at Belgrade; The exact date varies according to the source - possibly on 3 or 5 May, and less playsibly on 25 April.Lexicon der Wehmacht states that Ludwiger was shot [erschossen] on 5 May. In H. F. Meyer's Blutiges Edelweiß, citing the study Zur Geschichte der deutschen Kriegsgefangenen des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Die deutschen Kriegsgefangenen in Jugoslawien 1949-1953 by German historian Kurt W. Böhme, the date of the execution is 3 May, and by firing squad. According to Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
Walther-Peer Fellgiebel was a German officer in the Wehrmacht, serving during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(p. 57), Ludwiger was "hanged" on 5 May. Like other German officers executed in Yugoslavia after World War II, the exact place and way of execution is obscure.
Awards
List of notable decorations and awards presented to Ludwiger throughout his military career:- Iron Cross 2nd ClassIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
on 2 July 1915 - Iron Cross 1st ClassIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
on 14 May 1917 - Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of HohenzollernHouse Order of HohenzollernThe House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
with Swords - Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Silver (1918) - Duchy of Saxony-Meiningen Honour Cross for War Service
- Order of the Silesian Eagle 2nd Class
- Order of the Silesian Eagle 1st Class
- Honour Cross for CombatantsHonour Cross for CombatantsThe Honour Cross for Combatants was one of three versions of the Cross of Honor to be awarded.- Recipients :* Walther von Brauchitsch* Wilhelm Keitel* Günther von Kluge* Erwin Rommel* Albert Kesselring* Erwin von Witzleben* Erich von Manstein...
- Wehrmacht Service Award IV Class, 4 years
- Wehrmacht Service Award III Class, 12 years
- Wehrmacht Service Award II Class, 18 years
- Wehrmacht Service Award I Class, 25 years
- Clasp to the Iron CrossClasp to the Iron CrossThe Clasp to the Iron Cross was a metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I. It was displayed on the uniforms of many high ranking officers during World War II as most had also served in World War I...
1st Class (17 September 1939) - Clasp to the Iron CrossClasp to the Iron CrossThe Clasp to the Iron Cross was a metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I. It was displayed on the uniforms of many high ranking officers during World War II as most had also served in World War I...
2nd Class (18 October 1939) - Infantry Assault BadgeInfantry Assault BadgeThe Infantry Assault Badge was a German war badge awarded to Waffen SS and Wehrmacht Heer soldiers during WWII. This decoration was instituted on December 20th 1939 by the Oberstbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch...
in Silver (?) - Eastern Front MedalEastern Front MedalThe Eastern Front Medal, , more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front during the period November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942...
(?) - Crimea ShieldCrimea ShieldThe Crimea Shield was awarded to German soldiers under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein who fought and conquered Crimea in between September 1941 and July 1942....
- Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
with Oak Leaves- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 July 1942 as OberstleutnantOberstleutnantOberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 83 - 163rd Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as OberstOberstOberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
and commander of Jäger-Regiment 83
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 July 1942 as Oberstleutnant
Sources
- Hartwig von Ludwiger at Lexicon der Wehrmacht
- Axis Biographical Research
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Elite of the Third Reich:The Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference", Helion and Company Limited 2003
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939 - 1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2
- Hartwig von Ludwiger's family members at Geni.com
- Verlustliste Jäger-Regiment (Schlesisches) Nr. 83 Hirschberger Jäger
External links
- Colored picture of Hartwig von Ludwiger taken during his Oak Leaves awarding ceremony
- Pictures of Hartwig von Ludwiger at Axis History Forum
- Yugoslav War Crimes Trials of German Officials at Axis History Forum
- Brief information on Ludwiger's life and awards at "Generale des Heeres"
- Ludwiger's entry at German Knight's Cross Holders Database (with photo)
