__NOTOC__ Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen (18 March 1895 – 18 October 1944) was a German general in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

. In October 1944 he went

missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...

on Mount

Avala Avala ( sr-cyr, Авала, ) is a mountain in Serbia, overlooking Belgrade. It is situated in the south-eastern corner of the city and provides a great panoramic view of Belgrade, Vojvodina and Šumadija, as the surrounding area on all sides is ...

, near Belgrade in Serbia.

Biography

General von Stettner came from a well-respected military family. He fought in World War I, serving with the Bavarian Leib Regiment throughout. He started World War II as commander of a Gebirgsjäger-Regiment and fought in Poland, Norway, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union, where his unit advanced into the Caucasus. On 17 December 1942, he replaced

Hubert Lanz Karl Hubert Lanz (22 May 1896 – 15 August 1982) was a German general during the Second World War, in which he led units in the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. After the war, he was tried for war crimes and convicted in the Southeast Case, sp ...

as commander of the 1st Mountain Division, when the Division was retreating to the

Kuban Bridgehead The Kuban Bridgehead (german: Kuban-Brückenkopf), also known as the "Goth's head position" (), was a German military position on the Taman Peninsula, Russia, between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Existing from January to October 1943, the b ...

, and in April 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his contribution to the defence of the Bridgehead. In April 1943, the 1st Mountain Division was transferred to Yugoslavia for anti-partisan operations. Still under Stettner's command, the division committed several war crimes in Yugoslavia and Greece, including the Massacres of Kommeno,

Mousiotitsa Mousiotitsa ( el, Μουσιωτίτσα) or Kato Mousiotitsa ( el, Κάτω Μουσιωτίτσα, ) is a village located in the Ioannina regional unit in the Epirus region ( el, Ήπειρος) of western Greece. Situated 33 km south of ...

, Lyngiades and the Massacre of the Italian Acqui Division.

Disappearance and aftermath

In October 1944, during the Soviet Belgrade Offensive, his unit was cut off and Stettner went

, presumed killed on Mount

, near Belgrade. He was described as a "small, meticulous man, who suffered a complex of inferiority and was driven by a tremendous sense of pride that led him to keep political opinions to himself. From his soldiers, he expected unwavering obedience to Hitler's orders. He dismissed the role of the military chaplaincy in the 1st Mountain Division. In the guidelines released for Operation "Augustus", Stettner required his soldiers to shoot on the spot any suspect who could potentially be connected to or suspected of partisan activities and to destroy all houses in their vicinity. This way of treating civilians in Epirus led to frequent frictions with his immediate superior, the devout Catholic General

References

Sources

* This article is based on the one in

German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia (german: Deutschsprachige Wikipedia) is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on March 16, 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia (after the English Wikipedia), ...

Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen __NOTOC__ Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen (18 March 1895 – 18 October 1944) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In October 1944 he went missing in action on Mo ...

.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen, Walter 1895 births 1940s missing person cases 1944 deaths Gebirgsjäger of World War II German mass murderers German Army personnel killed in World War II Lieutenant generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) Military personnel from Munich Missing in action of World War II Missing person cases in Europe Nazi war criminals Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Biography

Disappearance and aftermath

See also

References

Sources