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Reiner Stahel
Rainer Joseph Karl August Stahel (sometimes wrongly written as Reiner; 15 January 1892 – 30 November 1955) was a German military officer and war criminal. He is best known for his retreat from Vilna and the command of the garrison of Warsaw during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Arrested by the NKVD in Romania, he spent the rest of his life in Soviet captivity.
Stahel was born in Bielefeld. On 1 April 1911, he joined the 1. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130 of the Prussian Army.
He fought with the German Army during World War I. By the end of the war, he had moved to Finland and joined the Finnish Army participating in the Finnish Civil War.
In 1933 he went to Nazi Germany where he worked at the Ministry of Aviation.
Stahel participated in the German invasion of the Soviet Union as commander of Flakregiments 34 (June 1941), Flakregiment 99 (April 1942) and 4th Luftwaffe Field Division (September 1942). During the Battle of Stalingrad, Stahel conducted defensive actions at the head of Kampfgruppe Stahel. On 21 January 1943, he was promoted to major general and then transferred to Air Fleet 4.
At the end of May 1943, he was appointed commander of the new 22nd Flak Brigade in Italy and entrusted with protecting the Strait of Messina. Following the German retreat from Sicily and Italy's surrender, Stahel was made the military commander of Rome in September 1943.
In July 1944, he commanded the Vilnius garrison in the Vilnius offensive and was able to postpone the seizure of that city by the Red Army. For his efforts, on 28 July 1944, he was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross and promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
Stahel was transferred to Warsaw, where he was to defend the city against the advancing Red Army. However, the Soviet offensive was halted. Instead, on August 1, the Warsaw Uprising was started by the Polish Home Army. On the uprising's first day, Stahel was surrounded in his headquarters in the Saxon Palace, and he lost control of the situation. On August 4, command over Nazi forces in Warsaw was given to Waffen-SS commander Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski and Stahel's pocket was subordinated to the new commander. By August 7, the Kampfgruppe Meyer, which was part of SS-Sonderregiment Dirlewanger reached Stahel's positions in the city centre, although he did not resume his command over the city's garrison.
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Reiner Stahel
Rainer Joseph Karl August Stahel (sometimes wrongly written as Reiner; 15 January 1892 – 30 November 1955) was a German military officer and war criminal. He is best known for his retreat from Vilna and the command of the garrison of Warsaw during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Arrested by the NKVD in Romania, he spent the rest of his life in Soviet captivity.
Stahel was born in Bielefeld. On 1 April 1911, he joined the 1. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130 of the Prussian Army.
He fought with the German Army during World War I. By the end of the war, he had moved to Finland and joined the Finnish Army participating in the Finnish Civil War.
In 1933 he went to Nazi Germany where he worked at the Ministry of Aviation.
Stahel participated in the German invasion of the Soviet Union as commander of Flakregiments 34 (June 1941), Flakregiment 99 (April 1942) and 4th Luftwaffe Field Division (September 1942). During the Battle of Stalingrad, Stahel conducted defensive actions at the head of Kampfgruppe Stahel. On 21 January 1943, he was promoted to major general and then transferred to Air Fleet 4.
At the end of May 1943, he was appointed commander of the new 22nd Flak Brigade in Italy and entrusted with protecting the Strait of Messina. Following the German retreat from Sicily and Italy's surrender, Stahel was made the military commander of Rome in September 1943.
In July 1944, he commanded the Vilnius garrison in the Vilnius offensive and was able to postpone the seizure of that city by the Red Army. For his efforts, on 28 July 1944, he was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross and promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
Stahel was transferred to Warsaw, where he was to defend the city against the advancing Red Army. However, the Soviet offensive was halted. Instead, on August 1, the Warsaw Uprising was started by the Polish Home Army. On the uprising's first day, Stahel was surrounded in his headquarters in the Saxon Palace, and he lost control of the situation. On August 4, command over Nazi forces in Warsaw was given to Waffen-SS commander Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski and Stahel's pocket was subordinated to the new commander. By August 7, the Kampfgruppe Meyer, which was part of SS-Sonderregiment Dirlewanger reached Stahel's positions in the city centre, although he did not resume his command over the city's garrison.