NMT Case 7
The Hostage Case
Summary
Case 7: The “Hostage Case,” US v. List et al. 6 boxes of trial documents; transcript 10,544 pages. Green Set vol. 11. Covers war crimes committed in the Balkans and Norway, including hostage-taking, execution of civilians and POWs, destruction of villages, and scorched-earth tactics. July 1947 – Feb 1948. Exhibits: 678 prosecution; 1025 defense.
Chronology Overview
10 May 1947 | Indictment filed |
8 July | Arraignment |
15 July | Prosecution opening statement |
16 July – 28 Aug | Prosecution case (documents and witnesses) |
15-16 Sep | Defense opening statements |
16 Sep – 13 Jan 1948 | Defendants’ cases |
14-22 Jan | Rebuttal and final evidence (prosecution and defense) |
3 Feb | Prosecution closing statement |
4-9 Feb | Defense closing statements |
19 Feb | Judgment and sentences |
18 Jan 1949 | Sentences affirmed by Military Commander, US Zone |
2 May | Ruling by US Supreme Court, denying writs of habeas corpus |
Persons Involved
Tribunal (Military Tribunal V)
- Charles F. Wennerstrum, presiding judge; Iowa Supreme Court
- Edward F. Carter, member; Nebraska Supreme Court
- George J. Burke, member; adviser to US district courts on criminal procedure
Defendants:
- Franz Boehme, general and commander, mountain corps, 1941-45 (committed suicide
- before trial)
- Ernst Dehner, lt. general, infantry, commander, reserve corps, 1943-44
- Hellmuth Felmy, lt. general, air force; commander, Greece, 68th Army Corps, 1943-44
- Hermann Foertsch, lt. general, chief of staff, Southeast, 1941-44
- Kurt von Geitner, brig. general, chief of staff, Serbia, 1942-44
- Walter Kuntze, lt. general, acting commander, 12th Army, 1941-42
- Hubert Lanz, lt. general and commander, mountain troops, 1940-44
- Ernst von Leyser, lt. general and commander, infantry and mountain corps, 1943-45
- Wilhelm List, general and commander in southeast, 1941
- Lothar Rendulic, general and commander, Croatia and Norway, 1943-45
- Wilhelm Speidel, lt. general, air force, commander, Greece, 1942-44
- Maximilian von Weichs, general and commander, 1941-45 (case severed from trial due to illness)
Prosecution:
- Telford Taylor, chief of counsel, NMT
- James M. McHaney, deputy chief counsel
- Clark Denney, chief prosecutor
- Theodore F. Fenstermacher, chief prosecutor for Case 7
- George Fulkerson, associate counsel
- Walter Rapp, associate counsel
Defense counsel:
- Friedrich Bergold, for Boehme
- Stefan Fritsch, for Rendulic
- Hans Gawlick, for Dehner
- Hans Laternser, for List and von Weichs
- Georg Menzel, for Kuntze
- Heinz Mueller-Torgow, for Felmy
- Gerhard Rauschenbach, for Foertsch
- Fritz Sauter, for von Geitner and Lanz
- Edmund Tipp, for von Leyser
- Joseph Weisgerber, for Speidel
Indictments (four counts, 10 May 1947)
Introductory paragraph: War crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, ill treatment, and use as slave labor of POWs and civilian populations; plunder of public and private property; destruction of cities, towns, and villages; and other crimes against civilian populations.
Count One: Hostages. 1. 1939-1945, murder of hundreds of thousands of civilians of Greece, Yugoslavia, and Albania, as reprisal for attacks on Germans. 2. Torture and murder of partisans as punishment for attacks on Germans. 3. Collective punishment (points 1 and 2) used to terrorize, intimidate, weaken, and decimate occupied populations. 4. Ratio of punishment of hostages: up to 100 killed for each German soldier killed; down to 5 for lesser acts. 5. Twenty-three examples from April 1941 to August 1944, in Serbia, Croatia, and Greece. 6. Relevant laws cited.
Count Two: Plunder. 7. 1939-1945, plundering and looting of public and private property; destruction of cities, towns, and villages and murder of inhabitants, in Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Albania. 8. Tactics used to pacify-by-terrorism and to degrade the economic potential of the occupied lands. 9. Sixteen examples from 1941 to 1944, in Norway, Serbia, Croatia, Greece. 10. Relevant laws cited.
Count Three: POWs. 11. 1939-1945, enemy troops from Greece, Yugoslavia, and Italy refused quarter, denied status as POWs, and summarily executed. 12. Twelve examples from 1941 to 1943, in Yugoslavia, Italy, and Croatia. 13. Relevant laws cited.
Count Four: Civilians. 14. 1939-1945, murder, torture, imprisonment in concentration camps, forced labor, deportation for slave labor of civilians (including communists, democrats, nationalists, Jews, and gypsies) of Greece, Yugoslavia, and Albania. 15. Seven examples from 1941 to 1943, in Serbia, Greece, and Croatia. 16. Relevant laws cited.
Judgment and sentences
- Dehner: guilty, count 1; 7 year sentence
- Felmy: guilty, counts 1, 2; 15 year sentence
- Foertsch: acquitted
- Geitner: acquitted
- Kuntze: guilty, counts 1, 3, 4; life sentence
- Lanz: guilty, counts 1, 3; 12 year sentence
- Leyser: guilty, counts 3, 4; 10 year sentence
- List: guilty, counts 1, 3; life sentence
- Rendulic: guilty, counts 1, 3, 4; 20 year sentence
- Speidel: guilty, count 1; 20 year sentence
- Weichs: case severed due to his illness
- Most of those sentenced to prison were released in 1951-52.
Key persons and places
Southeast region:
- Wehrmacht commander, southeast: Wilhelm List, 6 Apr–15 Oct 1941;
- Felmy deputy for List, 23 July 23–August 1941;
- Kuntze acting commander, 17 Oct 1941–8 Aug 1942;
- Alexander Loehr commander, 8 Aug 1942–Aug 1943;
- von Weichs, commander in chief southeast (and of Army F), 26 Aug 1943–March 1945;
- Foertsch, chief of staff to March 1944
Serbia:
- first commanders, 1941: Helmuth Foerster (Apr-May); Ludwig von Schroeder
- (June-July); Heinrich Danckelmann (July-Aug)
- Commanding general and plenipotentiary, Serbia: Lt. General Franz Boehme,
- Sep-Dec 1941;
- Lt. General Paul Bader, 6 Dec 1941- 25 Aug 1943 (previously commander of 65th Corps,
- 1941);
- military commander southeast (based in Serbia): General Hans Felber, 26 Aug 1943–26
- Sep 1994, then Army Group Serbia, Oct 1944
- von Geitner, chief of staff (for Bader and Felber), July 1942-1944
- Administrator (govt.): Dr. Harald Turner (1941-)
Croatia:
- Commanding general in Croatia, Major general Rudolf Lueters, to Aug 1943;
- General Lothar Rendulic, commander (2nd Panzer Army), Aug 1943- June 1944
- plenipotentiary in Croatia: Major General von Glaise-Horstenau
- von Leyser, commander, 15th Mountain Corps, Nov 1943- July 1944 (then Albania, 21st
- Mtn. Corps, 1944-45)
- Lt. General Dehner, commander, 69th special reserve group, 1943-44
- General Fehn, 21st Mountain Corps, Oct 1943- June 1944 (replacing Bader), then
- commander of 15th Mtn. Corps
Greece:
- Felmy, commander, southern Greece, 1941-42(?), commander of 68th Army Corps,
- 6 June 1943-Oct 1944;
- Lanz, commander of 22nd Mountain Corps, 9 Sep 1943-Oct 1944;
- Wilhelm Speidel, commander, southern Greece, Oct 1942-Sep 1943; commander of
- Greece, Sep 1943-July 1944, followed by Gen. Scheurlen;
- General Loehr, commander, Army Group E (based at Saloniki), Aug 1943-44;
- Bruno Braeuer, commander in Crete, Nov 1942–June 1944, followed by
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Mueller, July 1944-
Norway:
- Rendulic, 20th Mountain Army, June 1944–1945
Other
- Nationalist/Chetnik leader: Draza Mihailovic (DM)
- Nationalist Greek partisan: Gen. Zervas
Detailed Chronology
Date | General Content (pros=prosecution; doc=document) | Pages |
08 Jul 1947 | Defendants' pleas (not guilty) | 1-9 |
15 Jul | Prosecution opening statement; defense motions | 10-135 |
16 Jul | Preliminaries on evidence, exhibit 1; pros doc book1 | 136-228 |
17 Jul | pros doc books 1-2 | 229-323 |
18 Jul | pros doc books 2-3 | 324-413 |
21 Jul | pros doc books 3-4 | 414-514 |
22 Jul | pros doc books 4, additions to 3, 5-6 | 515-609 |
23 Jul | pros doc books 6-7 | 610-703 |
24 Jul | pros doc books 8-9 | 704-808 |
25 Jul | pros doc book 9, supplementary documents | 809-912 |
28 Jul | pros doc books 10-11 | 913-1018 |
29 Jul | pros doc books 11-12-13 | 1019-1117 |
30 Jul | pros doc book 13, Z. Iovanovitch testimony | 1118-1201 |
31 Jul | Iovanovitch; pros doc books 13-14 | 1202-1308 |
01 Aug | pros doc books 14-15 | 1309-1416 |
04 Aug | pros doc book 15 | 1417-1435 |
05 Aug | misc trial issues | 1436-1444 |
06 Aug | pros doc book 16 | 1445-1545 |
07 Aug | pros doc books 16, 17, 18 | 1546-1640 |
11 Aug | pros doc book 18, Hans Felber testimony | 1641-1736 |
12 Aug | Felber testimony | 1737-1810 |
13 Aug | Felber testimony; photos (exhibit 441); pros doc book 19 | 1811-1905 |
14 Aug | pros doc book 19; Coogan affidavit; Nicolas Neris testimony | 1906-2010 |
15 Aug | Neris and Costas Triandafilidis testimony | 2011-2082 |
16 Aug | Triandafilidis testimony | 2083-2151 |
18 Aug | Triandafilidis and Stephanos Pappas testimony; doc book 20 | 2152-2235 |
19 Aug | pros doc book 20; Takis Spiliopolous testimony | 2236-2317 |
20 Aug | Spiliopolous, Triandafilidis (photos, ex 481) testimony; pros doc book 21 | 2318-2415 |
21 Aug | proc doc book 21; Johannes Sontis testimony; Greek War Crimes Office docs | 2416-2506 |
22 Aug | Greek War Crimes Office docs; pros doc book 22; Ferdinand Jodl testimony; movies on Greece and Norway (ex 509-510) | 2507-2592 |
25 Aug | Jodl testimony; pros doc book 23; Arne Dahl testimony | 2593-2680 |
26 Aug | Trygve Schance and Ivar Follestad testimony; doc book 23 | 2681-2750 |
27 Aug | pros doc books 23-25; Yugoslav photos and docs (ex 551-52) | 2751-2864 |
28 Aug | Yugoslav docs (ex 552-53); US-Italy docs; doc books 24-25 ; prosecution rests | 2865-2960 |
15 Sep | Defense opening statements: List and von Weichs, Kuntze, Lanz, | 2961-3070 |
16 Sep | Defense opening statements: Foertsch, von Leyser, Speidel, Rendulic, Dehner, Felmy. List case: List testimony | 3071-3176 |
17 Sep | List testimony | 3177-3250 |
18 Sep | List testimony | 3251-3284 |
19 Sep | List testimony | 3285-3339 |
22 Sep | List testimony | 3340-3423 |
23 Sep | testimony: List, Gert Feine, D. von Winning | 3424-3504 |
24 Sep | Winning testimony; Kuntze case begins | 3505-3567 |
25 Sep | Kuntze | 3568-3603 |
26 Sep | Kuntze | 3604-3693 |
06 Oct | Kuntze; List witness: Rudolf Ibbeken | 3694-3780 |
07 Oct | List witnesses: Ibbeken, F. von Sydow, H. Krage | 3781-3865 |
08 Oct | List witnesses: Krage, K. Kraeutler, H. von Greiffenberg | 3866-3959 |
09 Oct | Greiffenberg testimony; Foertsch case begins | 3960-4053 |
10 Oct | Foertsch, doc book 1 | 4054-4139 |
13 Oct | Foertsch | 4140-4228 |
14 Oct | Foertsch | 4229-4314 |
15 Oct | Foertsch | 4315-4399 |
16 Oct | Foertsch, doc book 2, 3 | 4400-4500 |
17 Oct | Foertsch, doc book 3 | 4501-4597 |
20 Oct | Foertsch | 4598-4688 |
21 Oct | Foertsch, Mathias Schmettow testimony; Geitner begins, testimony by Gerhard Wollney and Heinrich Bub | 4689-4772 |
22 Oct | Bub testimony, Geitner doc book 1 | 4773-4856 |
23 Oct | Geitner | 4857-4934 |
24 Oct | Geitner, doc books 1, 2 | 4935-5017 |
27 Oct | Geitner doc books 2, 3 | 5018-5102 |
28 Oct | Geitner case ends; Rendulic begins | 5103-5180 |
29 Oct | Rendulic | 5181-5254 |
30 Oct | Rendulic, doc book 1, supplement 1 | 5255-5336 |
31 Oct | Rendulic | 5337-5411 |
03 Nov | Rendulic, Ulrich von Varnbuehler testimony | 5412-5495 |
04 Nov | Varnbuehler testimony, Rendulic docs, H. Hoelter testimony | 5496-5577 |
05 Nov | Rendulic doc book 2, case ends; von Leyser case begins | 5578-5668 |
06 Nov | von Leyser, doc books 1-3 (begin) | 5669-5753 |
07 Nov | von Leyser | 5754-5843 |
12 Nov | von Leyser | 5844-5940 |
13 Nov | von Leyser | 5941-6034 |
14 Nov | von Leyser | 6035-6130 |
17 Nov | von Leyser; H.J. von Besser testimony | 6131-6226 |
18 Nov | Besser and G. Kobe testimony | 6227-616 |
19 Nov | von Leyser case ends; Lanz case begins | 6316a-6399 |
20 Nov | Lanz | 6400-6484a |
21 Nov | Lanz | 6485-6566 |
24 Nov | Lanz | 6567-6639 |
25 Nov | Lanz | 6640-6726 |
26 Nov | Lanz; Georg Lipp testimony | 6727-6820 |
01 Dec | Lanz case ends; Felmy case begins | 6821-6898 |
02 Dec | Felmy | 6899-6978 |
03 Dec | Felmy | 6979-7065 |
04 Dec | Felmy | 7066-7141 |
05 Dec | Felmy | 7142-7238 |
08 Dec | Felmy, G. Altenburg testimony | 7239-7335 |
09 Dec | Altenburg, R. Berghofer, J. Lange, Georg Stadtmueller testimony | 7336-7426 |
10 Dec | Stadtmueller testimony, Felmy case ends; Speidel case begins | 7427-7507 |
11 Dec | Speidel | 7508-7589 |
12 Dec | Speidel | 7590-vvvv |
15 Dec | Speidel | 7669-7754 |
16 Dec | Speidel | 7755-7858 |
17 Dec | Speidel case ends; Dehner case begins (7866) | 7859-7932 |
18 Dec | Dehner case | 7933-8005 |
19 Dec | Dehner docs, main case ends (8086); Geitner docs | 8006-8093 |
22 Dec | Geitner docs | 8094-8172 |
23 Dec | Geitner docs; Foertsch docs; Felmy docs | 8173-8262 |
05 Jan | Felmy docs; List docs | 8263-8370 |
06 Jan | List docs | 8371-8470 |
07 Jan | List docs; Weichs case severed; Kuntze docs | 8471-8565 |
08 Jan | Kuntze docs; Lanz docs | 8566-8669 |
09 Jan | Georg Scheller testimony; docs for Speidel, Dehner, and Rendulic; Julius Ruehm testimony, List docs | 8670-8735 |
12 Jan | docs for Speidel, von Leyser, Dehner, Geitner, Felmy; testimony by Xaver Hirschmann and Joseph Kaiser, Foertsch docs | 8736-8815 |
13 Jan | Lanz docs, List testimony, docs for Kuntze and Dehner | 8816-8886 |
14 Jan | pros rebuttal docs, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski testimony | 8887-9005 |
15 Jan | pros rebuttal docs | 9006-9090 |
16 Jan | Hermann Hoth testimony, pros rebuttal docs, Franz von Harling testimony, Hans Reinhardt testimony | 9091-9185 |
19 Jan | testimony by A. Winter, E. Lattmann, H. Raymann; pros rebuttal docs; F. Prinz von Schleswig-Holstein-Gluecksberg testimony | 9186-9286 |
20 Jan | von Schleswig testimony cont., testimony by Willy Zorn, Ernst Korn, David Bernstein, Willy Finger | 9287-9381 |
21 Jan | testimony by W. Finger, Paul Kahlman, Max Pemsel, Heinric von Behr, Hans von Selchow | 9382-9475 |
22 Jan | Defense response to rebuttal: List testimony, Rendulic docs and testimony, Leyser and Felmy testimony, Speidel docs, Hans Felber testimony, Dehner docs | 9476-9556 |
03 Feb | Pros closing argument | 9557-9718 |
04 Feb | Defense final arguments: List | 9719-9874 |
05 Feb | Defense: Kuntze, von Leyser, Speidel | 9875-10032 |
06 Feb | Defense: Rendulic, Geitner and Lanz | 10033-10193 |
07 Feb | Defense: Foertsch, Dehner, Felmy | 10194-10355 |
09 Feb | Defense response to pros rebuttal: List, Kuntze, Rendulic, Dehner, Speidel, Lanz and Geitner; pros reply; List statement | 10356-10418 |
19 Feb | Tribunal opinion, judgment, and sentences | 10419-10544 |