Josef Veltjens
Encyclopedia
Josef "Seppl" Veltjens (2 June 1894 - 6 October 1943) Pour le Mérite
, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
was a World War I fighter ace credited with 35 victories. In later years, he served as an international arms dealer, as well as a personal emissary from Hermann Göring
to Benito Mussolini
.
, Rhineland
, Imperial Germany, the son of a factory manager. He attended Humanisti High School in Berlin
, and later, the Technical University in Charlottenburg. His major was mechanical engineering, and his prime interest was internal combustion engines.
He enlisted in the Kaiserin Augusta Guards Regiment Number 4 on 3 August 1914. Four days later, he and his regiment were on the front lines. When his column was attacked by the French, Veltjens and three others tried unsuccessfully to defend it. The vehicles were set on fire. As a straggler, Veltjens joined Infantry Regiment Number 8. Promotion to Vizefeldwebel (Vice-Sergeant) rapidly followed. After several requests, he was posted to aviation training.
He was posted as a member of Flieger Abteilung 23 on 10 May 1916, to fly reconnaissance missions. He did so well, he was commissioned a Leutnant der Reserve (lieutenant in the reserves). He served there with another future ace, Rudolf Berthold. From there, he moved on to single seat fighters with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14
when Berthold was given its command.
Veltjens scored his first victory, over a Spad, on 14 April 1917. He was flying an Albatros D.III
at the time, with his own personal aircraft marking of a white barbed arrow pointed back from the scarlet nose down the length of the royal blue fuselage. By the first of June, he had downed three more Spads and a Farman. Berthold mentored him through this, but was very demanding in so doing.
Veltjens then was transferred to Royal Prussian Jasta 18 in August at the request of Berthold, its new commanding officer. This Jasta was then operating Albatros D.V
s or Fokker Dr.I
s. Veltjens first scored for them on 16 September 1917; he scored his ninth victory on 15 November to close out 1917.
He marked up his tenth win on 18 February 1918. He then was reassigned to Prussian Jasta 15 the following month. This was an interesting swap, in which Berthold took his pilots with him when he transferred; Jasta 15's pilots in turn became Jasta 18. The exchange meant Berthold, Veltjens, and the rest of the new Jasta 15 were now part of the prestigious Jagdgeschwader II. Jasta 15 would soon re-equip itself with World War I's best fighter, the Fokker D.VII
.
Veltjens rose to its command on 18 May, on the same day he scored his 13th victory. He was appointed to replace an officer suspected of conspiring to have the wounded Berthold removed as JG II commander. May also saw Veltjens awarded the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern on the 20th, as well as the First Class Iron Cross
.
By 10 August 1918, Veltjens' score had risen to 23. That day's fighting saw him score two more. It also marked the day Berthold collided with a British DH.4 and crashed into a house; he survived, but his injuries hospitalized him through war's end. Veltjens shot down two Caudron
s and an RAF SE.5a the following day.
Another Hauptmann (captain) was appointed to his command, but Veltjens was chosen to lead JG II into aerial combat. Berthold temporarily escaped the hospital on the 12th despite serious injuries and returned to resume command. The commander of two days surrendered his position. Then Berthold was ordered the following day to return to hospital and turn command of the entire Jagdschwader over to Veltjens, who promptly turned leadership of Jasta 15 over to his former pilot in FFA 23, his old friend Joachim von Ziegesar. Three days later, on 16 August, Veltjens received the Blue Max, as the Pour le Merite was nicknamed.
His victory total was 31 when he went on leave, leaving Oscar Freiherr von Boenigk in charge. Upon his return, he resumed command of JG II on 28 September, only to be bumped down to once again command Jasta 15 from 12 October through Armistice Day
. During this time, he raised his victory total to 35.
.
Following this was a spell as a merchant sailor with his own sailing ship, the Merkur, a 100 ton vessel. By helping the German Navy to rearm in secrecy, he drifted into arms dealing. This became his lifelong business. He supplied Atatürk for the establishment of the Turkish Republic, Chiang Kai-shek
for the unification of a nationalist China.
He joined both the Nazi Party and its Brown Shirts in 1929, as one of the early Nazis. This did not last long, as, after a face to face confrontation with Hitler in 1931, he resigned from the party and the SA. This put him on the black list of the SS, who repeatedly arrested him. His World War I comrade, Hermann Göring, managed to protect him.
In 1935 Mussolini requested arms from Germany to support him in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
, and Göring delegated the task of supply to Veltjens. The United Kingdom and France were actually the official allies of Italy at the time in order to stop Italy from getting too close to Germany, but refrained from supplying arms because both warring countries were members of the League of Nations
.
Just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
in March 1936, Colonel Veltjens was contacted by Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera
, Infante of Spain, who lived in Portugal at the time. He asked him to assist with the supply of arms to the generals, who planned a Coup d'état
against the newly elected leftist alliance.
In late 1936, he was instrumental in founding a shipping company of three vessels to supply munitions to the Nationalists. His shipments could be as large as ten million rounds of ammunition at a time, or half a dozen fighter planes. He specialised in transporting high explosives, though once he shipped a brigade of 600 Irish Blueshirts to the war.
He was requested by the Soviets to also supply the Spanish Republicans. This deal was cut in Paris. However, the cargo was not arms, but a load of rocks, loaded in boxes and disguised by a layer of boxes with rifles on top. The shipment went through Stockholm
, where it was transferred to a Russian freighter, which took it to Gijon in the North of Spain. This operation got Veltjens into trouble with the Swedish government. The proceeds were, after costs, donated to a charity for German war widows of the Spanish Civil War, and to General Emilio Mola
's war chest. He later added a few more ships to his little fleet, which sailed under the Panamanian flag to disguise German involvement.
(The above version is the one that the Family Veltjens displays. However it does not seem to be accurate according to legal documents regarding the YORKBROOK- and ALLEGRO-shipments under dispute in legal procedures in Sweden for almost 20 years. Read further: http://matswerner.blogg.se/category/the-allegro-affair.html )
Veltjens was paid by both sides in British pounds sterling, which in that day was the next best thing to bullion. When Hitler later decided also to support Franco
, he did so in secrecy at first, but Veltjens was allowed by Göring to continue his private dealings, mainly because of his possession of tungsten
and molybdenum
necessary for the prompt production of his orders.
When Finland was about to be attacked by Red Russia in late 1939, Veltjens was approached by the Finns in the hope that he could help with the supply of arms. Finland was blockaded by Hitler and Stalin, and arms supplies where strictly prohibited by Hitler, however Veltjens was able to ship large quantities of arms and ammunition from various countries at extremely short notice, and Finland managed to keep the Russians at bay in their Winter War
. He received the highest Finnish decoration given to foreigners: the Commander Cross First Class with Swords of the Order of the White Rose
of Finland.
at the start of World War II.
In August, 1940, Veltjens, with the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), served as Göring's personal emissary in negotiations with Finland just before the Continuation War
. Despite his relatively low rank, he ended up dealing with Prime Minister Ryti
and Marshal Mannerheim
because of his close albeit secret prior relations with them before and during the Winter War
. These negotiations resulted in a trade-off; German troops would have unhindered transit through Finnish territory in exchange for German arms that the Finns could use against a threatened Russian encroachment.
As a result of the so-called Veltjens-Agreement in 1941, German troops moved into Finland beginning on 8 June 1941.
Oberst (colonel) Veltjens next assignment was as special plenipotentiary against black marketing in occupied Europe, beginning in May, 1942. It was his job to be sure only authorised German conglomerates bought the goods needed by Germany.
Later in 1943 during World War II, Veltjens also served as Göring's emissary to Benito Mussolini
in Salò
. His assignment was to negotiate the distribution of the Italian National Reserves of gold bullion, that had been removed from Rome to Milan by the SS. This involved its allocation as payment of Italy's debts on behalf of the various stakeholders, including the Kingdom of Italy
, the new Italian Social Republic
, Germany, and the Swiss National Bank
as the major creditor. Before his subsequent flight from Milan to Rome to finalise aspects of his negotiations, the pilot had been warned of the possibility of Allied fighters in the area, and elected to fly low across the Apennine Mountains
, however on 6 October 1943 the Junkers 52 crashed into Monte Cervellino, and Veltjens and all but one of the crew died as a result.
Veltjens was originally buried in Italy, but his body was later transferred home to Lübeck
, Germany.
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, 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....
was a World War I fighter ace credited with 35 victories. In later years, he served as an international arms dealer, as well as a personal emissary from Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
to Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
.
Early life
Josef Veltjens was born in GeldernGeldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
, Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, Imperial Germany, the son of a factory manager. He attended Humanisti High School in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and later, the Technical University in Charlottenburg. His major was mechanical engineering, and his prime interest was internal combustion engines.
He enlisted in the Kaiserin Augusta Guards Regiment Number 4 on 3 August 1914. Four days later, he and his regiment were on the front lines. When his column was attacked by the French, Veltjens and three others tried unsuccessfully to defend it. The vehicles were set on fire. As a straggler, Veltjens joined Infantry Regiment Number 8. Promotion to Vizefeldwebel (Vice-Sergeant) rapidly followed. After several requests, he was posted to aviation training.
World War I Aerial Service
On 2 December 1915, at Johannisthal near Berlin, Veltjens soloed. On 15 December 1915, after three solo flights, he took his pilot exam. Without waiting for his official pilot's ticket, he took advantage of the confusion of the holiday season to take himself to Tergnier.He was posted as a member of Flieger Abteilung 23 on 10 May 1916, to fly reconnaissance missions. He did so well, he was commissioned a Leutnant der Reserve (lieutenant in the reserves). He served there with another future ace, Rudolf Berthold. From there, he moved on to single seat fighters with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14
Jagdstaffel 14
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 57 aerial victories during the war...
when Berthold was given its command.
Veltjens scored his first victory, over a Spad, on 14 April 1917. He was flying an Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
at the time, with his own personal aircraft marking of a white barbed arrow pointed back from the scarlet nose down the length of the royal blue fuselage. By the first of June, he had downed three more Spads and a Farman. Berthold mentored him through this, but was very demanding in so doing.
Veltjens then was transferred to Royal Prussian Jasta 18 in August at the request of Berthold, its new commanding officer. This Jasta was then operating Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....
s or Fokker Dr.I
Fokker Dr.I
The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...
s. Veltjens first scored for them on 16 September 1917; he scored his ninth victory on 15 November to close out 1917.
He marked up his tenth win on 18 February 1918. He then was reassigned to Prussian Jasta 15 the following month. This was an interesting swap, in which Berthold took his pilots with him when he transferred; Jasta 15's pilots in turn became Jasta 18. The exchange meant Berthold, Veltjens, and the rest of the new Jasta 15 were now part of the prestigious Jagdgeschwader II. Jasta 15 would soon re-equip itself with World War I's best fighter, the Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
.
Veltjens rose to its command on 18 May, on the same day he scored his 13th victory. He was appointed to replace an officer suspected of conspiring to have the wounded Berthold removed as JG II commander. May also saw Veltjens awarded the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern on the 20th, as well as the First Class 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....
.
By 10 August 1918, Veltjens' score had risen to 23. That day's fighting saw him score two more. It also marked the day Berthold collided with a British DH.4 and crashed into a house; he survived, but his injuries hospitalized him through war's end. Veltjens shot down two Caudron
Caudron
The Caudron Airplane Company was a French aircraft company founded in 1909 by brothers Gaston Caudron and René Caudron . It was one of the earliest aircraft manufacturers in France and produced planes for the military in both World War I and World War II...
s and an RAF SE.5a the following day.
Another Hauptmann (captain) was appointed to his command, but Veltjens was chosen to lead JG II into aerial combat. Berthold temporarily escaped the hospital on the 12th despite serious injuries and returned to resume command. The commander of two days surrendered his position. Then Berthold was ordered the following day to return to hospital and turn command of the entire Jagdschwader over to Veltjens, who promptly turned leadership of Jasta 15 over to his former pilot in FFA 23, his old friend Joachim von Ziegesar. Three days later, on 16 August, Veltjens received the Blue Max, as the Pour le Merite was nicknamed.
His victory total was 31 when he went on leave, leaving Oscar Freiherr von Boenigk in charge. Upon his return, he resumed command of JG II on 28 September, only to be bumped down to once again command Jasta 15 from 12 October through Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
. During this time, he raised his victory total to 35.
Between the Wars
Veltjens joined Freikorps Gerstenberg in the aftermath of Germany's loss. He was wounded thrice while commanding an armoured car in a January, 1919 assault on Spartakists (German communists) in BremenBremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
.
Following this was a spell as a merchant sailor with his own sailing ship, the Merkur, a 100 ton vessel. By helping the German Navy to rearm in secrecy, he drifted into arms dealing. This became his lifelong business. He supplied Atatürk for the establishment of the Turkish Republic, Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
for the unification of a nationalist China.
He joined both the Nazi Party and its Brown Shirts in 1929, as one of the early Nazis. This did not last long, as, after a face to face confrontation with Hitler in 1931, he resigned from the party and the SA. This put him on the black list of the SS, who repeatedly arrested him. His World War I comrade, Hermann Göring, managed to protect him.
In 1935 Mussolini requested arms from Germany to support him in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Italo-Abyssinian War
Two conflicts between Italy and Ethiopia are known as the Italo-Abyssinian War:* The First Italo-Abyssinian War of 1895–1896 resulted in a victory for the Ethiopians and internation recognition of their empire by the great powers of the time.* The Second Italo-Abyssinian War of...
, and Göring delegated the task of supply to Veltjens. The United Kingdom and France were actually the official allies of Italy at the time in order to stop Italy from getting too close to Germany, but refrained from supplying arms because both warring countries were members of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
.
Just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in March 1936, Colonel Veltjens was contacted by Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera
Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera
Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón, Infante of Spain, Duke of Galliera was a Spanish military aviator.-Early life:...
, Infante of Spain, who lived in Portugal at the time. He asked him to assist with the supply of arms to the generals, who planned a Coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the newly elected leftist alliance.
In late 1936, he was instrumental in founding a shipping company of three vessels to supply munitions to the Nationalists. His shipments could be as large as ten million rounds of ammunition at a time, or half a dozen fighter planes. He specialised in transporting high explosives, though once he shipped a brigade of 600 Irish Blueshirts to the war.
He was requested by the Soviets to also supply the Spanish Republicans. This deal was cut in Paris. However, the cargo was not arms, but a load of rocks, loaded in boxes and disguised by a layer of boxes with rifles on top. The shipment went through Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where it was transferred to a Russian freighter, which took it to Gijon in the North of Spain. This operation got Veltjens into trouble with the Swedish government. The proceeds were, after costs, donated to a charity for German war widows of the Spanish Civil War, and to General Emilio Mola
Emilio Mola
Emilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain was a Spanish Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War. He is best-known for having coined the term "fifth column".-Early life:...
's war chest. He later added a few more ships to his little fleet, which sailed under the Panamanian flag to disguise German involvement.
(The above version is the one that the Family Veltjens displays. However it does not seem to be accurate according to legal documents regarding the YORKBROOK- and ALLEGRO-shipments under dispute in legal procedures in Sweden for almost 20 years. Read further: http://matswerner.blogg.se/category/the-allegro-affair.html )
Veltjens was paid by both sides in British pounds sterling, which in that day was the next best thing to bullion. When Hitler later decided also to support Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, he did so in secrecy at first, but Veltjens was allowed by Göring to continue his private dealings, mainly because of his possession of tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
and molybdenum
Molybdenum
Molybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
necessary for the prompt production of his orders.
When Finland was about to be attacked by Red Russia in late 1939, Veltjens was approached by the Finns in the hope that he could help with the supply of arms. Finland was blockaded by Hitler and Stalin, and arms supplies where strictly prohibited by Hitler, however Veltjens was able to ship large quantities of arms and ammunition from various countries at extremely short notice, and Finland managed to keep the Russians at bay in their Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. He received the highest Finnish decoration given to foreigners: the Commander Cross First Class with Swords of the Order of the White Rose
Order of the White Rose
The Order of the White Rose of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor,...
of Finland.
World War II
Veltjens was recalled into the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
at the start of World War II.
In August, 1940, Veltjens, with the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), served as Göring's personal emissary in negotiations with Finland just before the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
. Despite his relatively low rank, he ended up dealing with Prime Minister Ryti
Risto Ryti
Risto Heikki Ryti was the fifth President of Finland, from 1940 to 1944. Ryti started his career as a politician in the field of economics and as a political background figure during the interwar period. He made a wide range of international contacts in the world of banking and within the...
and Marshal Mannerheim
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces during World War II, Marshal of Finland, and a Finnish statesman. He was Regent of Finland and the sixth President of Finland...
because of his close albeit secret prior relations with them before and during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. These negotiations resulted in a trade-off; German troops would have unhindered transit through Finnish territory in exchange for German arms that the Finns could use against a threatened Russian encroachment.
As a result of the so-called Veltjens-Agreement in 1941, German troops moved into Finland beginning on 8 June 1941.
Oberst (colonel) Veltjens next assignment was as special plenipotentiary against black marketing in occupied Europe, beginning in May, 1942. It was his job to be sure only authorised German conglomerates bought the goods needed by Germany.
Later in 1943 during World War II, Veltjens also served as Göring's emissary to Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
in Salò
Salò
Salò is a town and commune in the Province of Brescia in the region of Lombardy on the banks of Lake Garda. The city was the capital of Italian Social Republic from 1943 to 1945, with the ISR often being called the "Republic of Salò" .-History:Salò was founded in the Roman period as Pagus...
. His assignment was to negotiate the distribution of the Italian National Reserves of gold bullion, that had been removed from Rome to Milan by the SS. This involved its allocation as payment of Italy's debts on behalf of the various stakeholders, including the Kingdom of Italy
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...
, the new Italian Social Republic
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
, Germany, and the Swiss National Bank
Swiss National Bank
The Swiss National Bank is the central bank of Switzerland. It is responsible for Swiss monetary policy and for issuing Swiss franc banknotes.The names of the institution in the four official languages of the country are: ; ; ; ....
as the major creditor. Before his subsequent flight from Milan to Rome to finalise aspects of his negotiations, the pilot had been warned of the possibility of Allied fighters in the area, and elected to fly low across the Apennine Mountains
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
, however on 6 October 1943 the Junkers 52 crashed into Monte Cervellino, and Veltjens and all but one of the crew died as a result.
Veltjens was originally buried in Italy, but his body was later transferred home to Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, Germany.