Sylvester Stadler

Sylvester Stadler

SS-Sturmbannführer Sylvester Stadler
Nickname(s) Vestl
Born (1910-12-30)30 December 1910
Fohnsdorf, Duchy of Styria, Austria-Hungary
Died 23 August 1995(1995-08-23) (aged 84)
Augsburg-Haunstetten, Bavaria, Germany
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen-SS
Years of service 1935–1945
Rank Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Sylvester Stadler (30 December 1910 – 23 August 1995) was a SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS, a commander of the 2nd SS Division Das Reich, 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen and a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords. A subordinate unit under his command committed Oradour-sur-Glane massacre.

Early life

Stadler was born in Fohnsdorf, Austria-Hungary, on 30 December 1910 and trained to become an electrician before joining the Schutzstaffel (SS) in 1933. In 1935 and 1936 he attended officer's school at the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz, Bavaria. He became a company commander in June 1939, and a battalion commander in March 1942.

Oradour-sur-Glane massacre

In May 1943, Stadler was made commander of the Panzer-Grenadier regiment Der Führer (part of the elite 2nd SS Division Das Reich). On 10 June 1944, part of Der Führer regiment, led by SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Diekmann, committed the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, killing 642 villagers. Stadler ordered a court martial for Diekmann; the latter was killed in action before he could face trial. Command of Der Führer passed to SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Weidinger on 14 June, who had been with the regiment for familiarisation purposes,[1] as Stadler prepared to become commander of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen.

Hohenstaufen

On 10 July 1944, Stadler was appointed commander of Hohenstaufen; it fought in Poland, France, at the Eastern Front, in Normandy, at the Falaise pocket), at Arnhem ("Operation Market Garden"), in the Ardennes offensive and in Hungary. He surrendered his division to the U.S Army in Austria in May 1945.

Military decorations

Stadler was wounded severely several times. His personal bravery won him the Close Combat Clasp in Gold as a divisional commander in 1944. In 1943, Stadler was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after the German recapture of Kharkov – a strategically located city south of Kursk in the Soviet Union – during Spring 1943. The Knight's Cross was upgraded with Oak Leaves following the Battle of Kursk (the Eichenlaub – Nr. 303 – was presented to Stadler personally by Adolf Hitler). The award was upgraded once more just before the end of the war with Swords (Schwertern – Nr. 152), presented to him by Sepp Dietrich.

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
16 July 1944 In den Kämpfen um Caen haben sich die 9. SS-Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen" unter Führung von SS-Standartenführer Stadler und die 10. SS-Panzerdivision "Frundsberg" unter Führung von SS-Oberführer Harmel zusammen mit Truppen des Heeres durch besondere Tapferkeit ausgezeichnet.[11] In the battle for Caen, the 9th SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen" led by SS-Standartenführer Stadler and the 10th SS-Panzer-Division "Frundsberg" led by SS-Oberführer Harmel, together with troops of the Army, have distinguished themselves by showing exceptional bravery.

Personal life and death

Stadler married in 1936 and had three sons. He died on 23 August 1995 in Augsburg-Haunstetten, Bavaria.

Notes

  1. ↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives, also not mentioned by the order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). According to Fellgiebel, the award was presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich, which would make it an unlawful presentation. Fellgiebel is referring to Hermann Buch, the former IIa (personnel administration) of the 2. SS-Division "Das Reich", and Wilhelm Kment, the adjutant of Heinrich Himmler and liaison officer to the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office), as sources. Buch reported on 25 June 2004 that he hadn't to do anything with this case. Stadler himself claimed that Dietrich proposed him on 22 March 1945, even though the 9. SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen" was not subordinated to the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "152" was assigned by the AKCR. The date might have been taken from Ernst-Günther Krätschmer.[10]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.oradour.info/appendix/dasorder.htm Order of Battle for Das Reich as of June 1944
  2. 1 2 Thomas 1998, p. 338.
  3. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 716.
  4. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 406, 505.
  5. ↑ Von Seemen 1976, p. 324.
  6. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 72.
  7. ↑ Von Seemen 1976, p. 37.
  8. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 48.
  9. ↑ Von Seemen 1976, p. 20.
  10. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 176.
  11. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 164.

Biblioaphy

  • Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6. 
  • Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Waffen-SS]. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9. 
  • Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color III Radusch – Zwernemann] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-22-5. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
  • Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4. 
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
SS-Standartenführer Thomas Müller		 Commander of 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
10 July 1944 – 31 July 1944 		Succeeded by
SS-Oberführer Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock
Preceded by
SS-Oberführer Walter Harzer		 Commander of 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
10 October 1944 – 8 May 1945 		Succeeded by
none
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.