NMT Case 9

Summary

The United States prosecuted Otto Ohlendorf and twenty-three other officers of the SS Einsatzgruppen (Task Forces) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by mobile extermination units in eastern Europe. The Einsatz forces were organized by the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA, Reichssicherheitshauptamt) of the SS to maintain security, gather intelligence, and to exterminate Jews, Gypsies (Romani), Soviet officials, and others in occupied territories. The prosecution estimated that more than one million persons were killed by firing squads and mobile gas vans. Specific crimes charged included: the persecution, murder, and extermination of civilian populations (count one, crimes against humanity); the mistreatment and murder of prisoners of war and civilians under military rule (count two, war crimes); and membership in criminal organizations, the SS, SD, and the Gestapo (count three).

The trial lasted seven months, and the evidence included 253 prosecution exhibits, 731 defense exhibits, and the testimony of 19 witnesses and 22 defendants. The trial of one defendant was halted due to illness, and another defendant committed suicide. Twenty defendants were convicted under counts one and two, while twenty-two were convicted under count three. Ohlendorf and three other defendants were executed in 1951.

The law school’s set of trial documents is substantial (four boxes with ca. 6000 pages), but not entirely complete. The trial documents are linked to the trial transcript by citations to the transcript in one field of the document analysis.

Indictments

The indictment filed on 29 July 1947 replaced that of 3 July 1947, having been amended to add defendants Braune, Haensch, Klingelhoefer, Radetzky, Steimle, and Strauch.

Three counts:

1. Crimes against Humanity: All defendants, from May 1941 to July 1943, participated in crimes including persecution (on political, racial, and religious grounds), murder, extermination, imprisonment and other crimes against civilian populations, including Germans and others. Systematic program of genocide, under orders of Himmler, carried out by Einsatzgruppen (formed from SS, SD, and Gestapo) to operate in eastern Europe and exterminate Jews, gypsies, Soviet officials, and others considered inferior or undesirable. Einsatzgruppe A in Baltic region; B near Moscow, C near Kiev, and D in southern Russia. Subordinate units included Einsatzkommandos or Sonderkommandos.
2. War Crimes: All defendants, from June 1941 to July 1943, participated in crimes including the murder and mistreatment of POWs and civilians under German occupation, and destruction of property. (Particular events listed under count 1.)
3. Membership in Criminal Organizations: All defendants were members of the SS. Ohlendorf, Jost, Naumann, Rasch, Six, Blobel, Blume, Sandberger, Seibert, Steimle, Biberstein, Braune, Haensch, Ott, Strauch, Haussmann, Klingelhoefer, Fendler, Radetzky, Schubert, and Graf belonged to the Security Service (SD) of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA). Rasch, Schulz, Blume, Braune, Biberstein, Nosske, and Ruehl belonged to the Gestapo (Secret State Police).

Persons Involved

Tribunal II (initially II-A)

Musmanno, Michael A., presiding judge (US Navy; Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny, PA)
Speight, John J. (attorney, Alabama)
Dixon, Richard D. (Superior Court, North Carolina)
Prosecutors
Ferencz, Benjaim B., chief prosecutor
Heath, James E., consultant
Glancy, John E., associate counsel
Horlik-Hochwald, Arnost, associate counsel
Walton, Peter W., associate counsel
Taylor, Telford, chief of counsel
McHaney, James M., deputy chief counsel

Defendants

Biberstein, Ernst, commander of Einsatzkommando 6 in Gruppe C, SS, SD
Blobel, Paul, commander of Sonderkommando 4a in Gruppe C, SS, SD
Blume, Walter, commander of Sonderkommando 7a in Gruppe B, SS, SD, Gestapo
Braune, Werner, commander of Einsatzkommando 11b in Gruppe D, SS, SD, Gestapo
Fendler, Lothar, officer in Einsatzkommando 4b in Gruppe C, SS, SD
Graf, Matthias, staff member in Einsatzkommando 6 in Gruppe C, SD
Haensch, Walter, commander of Sonderkommando 4b in Gruppe C, SS, SD
Haussman, Emil, officer in Einsatzkommando 12 in Gruppe D, SS, SD (died before trial)
Jost, Heinz, commander of Einsatzgruppe A, SS, SD
Klingelhoefer, Waldemar, commander of Vorkommando Moscow, member of Sonderkommando 7b in Gruppe B, SS, SD
Naumann, Erich, commander of Einsatzgruppe B; SS, SD
Nosske, Gustav, commander of Einsatzkommando 12 in Gruppe D, SS, Gestapo
Ohlendorf, Otto (lead defendant), commander of Einsatzgruppe D, SS, SD
Ott, Adolf, commander of Sonderkommando 7b in Gruppe B, SS, SD
Radetzky, Waldemar von, officer in Sonderkommando 4a in Gruppe C, SS, SD
Rasch, Otto, commander of Einsatzgruppe C, SS, SD, Gestapo (case severed due to illness; no verdict reached)
Ruehl, Felix, officer in Sonderkommando 10b in Gruppe D, SS, Gestapo
Sandberger, Martin, commander of Sonderkommando 1a in Gruppe A, SS, SD
Schubert, Heinz, officer in Einsatzgruppe D, SS, SD
Schulz, Erwin, commander of Einsatzkommando 5 in Gruppe C, SS, Gestapo
Seibert, Willy, staff officer in Einsatzgruppe D, SS, SD
Six, Franz, commander of Vorkommando Moscow in Gruppe B, SS, SD
Steimle, Eugen, commander of Sonderkommando 7a in Gruppe B and Sonderkommando 4a in Gruppe C, SS, SD
Strauch, Eduard, commander of Einsatzkommando 2 in Gruppe A, SS, SD

Defense attorneys

Aschenauer, Rudolf (Ohlendorf)
Belzer, Eduard (Graf)
Bergold, Friedrich (Biberstein)
Durchholz, Ernst (Schulz)
Fritz, Heinz (Fendler)
Gawlik, Hans (Naumann)
Gick, Karl (Strauch)
Heim, Willi (Blobel)
Hoffmann, Karl (Nosske)
Klinnert, Gerhard (Seibert)
Koessl, Josef (Ott and Schubert)
Link, Heinrich (Ruehl)
Lummert, Guenther (Blume)
Mandry, Kurt (Sandberger)
Mayer, Erich (Steimle, Braune, and Klingelhoefer)
Ratz, Paul (Radetzky)
Riediger, Fritz (Haensch)
Schwarz, Alfred (Jost)
Stein, Bolko von (Sandberger)
Surholt, Hans (Rasch)
Ulmer, Hermann (Six)

Witnesses (in addition to defendants)

Alander, Ursula, 22 Jan 1948
Bayle, Francois, 11 Feb 1948
Bedwill, Lt. William, 2 Feb 1948
Burkhoff, Paul, 20 Jan 1948
Carpenter, George, 12 Jan 1948
Grahmann, Herbert, 12 Jan 1948
Harsch, Erwin, 20 Dec 1947
Hartel, Albert, 24 Nov 1947
Jauer, Herta, 11-12 Feb 1948
Kraege, Gustav, 17 Dec 1947
Laue, Wolfgang, 5 Nov 1947
Mae, Hjalmar, 7, 17 Nov 1947
Maennel, Hans, 2 Feb 1948
Maurach, Reinhard, 15 Oct 1947
Reich, Friedel, 19 Dec 1947
Reimers, Franziska, 8 Jan 1948
Schaller, Heinz, 7 Jan 1948
Schreyer, Gertrud, 3 Dec 1947
Spengler, Wilhelm, 16 Oct 1947
Vetter, Veronika, 16 Jan 1948
Wartenberg, Rolf, 6-7 Oct 1947
Weinmann, Elisabeth, 26 Nov 1947

General Chronology

(For a detailed chronology, see the table of contents for the trial transcript)

Einsatzgruppen organization

Formed in mid-1941, on Hitler’s orders, for operations in the eastern front in coordination with the military. Directed by Heydrich. Each Gruppe had 500 to 800 persons.

Supervisory organizations: All the groups were supervised by RSHA (Reich Main Security Office), which received information from them and prepared the reports. In addition, each group conducted operations with one of the military commands on the Soviet front.

Einsatzgruppe A: Attached to Army Group North. Baltic region.
Jost, commander (succeeding Stahlecker)
Sandberger, commander of Sonderkommando 1a
Strauch, commander of Einsatzkommando 2

Einsatzgruppe B: Attached to Army Group Center. Moscow region.
Naumann, commander
Blume, Sonderkommando 7a
Steimle, Sonderkommando 7a
Ott, commander of Sonderkommando 7b
Klingelhoefer, member of Sonderkommando 7b, commander of Vorkommando Moscow
Six, commander of Vorkommando Moscow

Einsatzgruppe C: Attached to Army Group South. Belorussia/Ukraine region.
Rasch, commander.
Blobel, commander of Sonderkommando 4a
Steimle, commander of Sonderkommando 4a
Radetzky, officer in of Sonderkommando 4a
Haensch, commander of Sonderkommando 4b
Fendler, officer in of Sonderkommando 4b
Schulz, commander of Einsatzkommando 5
Biberstein, commander of Einsatzkommando 6
Graf, staff member in Einsatzkommando 6

Einsatzgruppe D: Attached to 11th Army. Southern Russia.
Ohlendorf, commander
Schubert, deputy to Ohlendorf
Seibert, deputy chief of Gruppe D
Ruehl, deputy commander of Sonderkommando 10b
Braune, commander of Sonderkommando 11b
Nosske, commander of Einsatzkommando 12
Haussmann, officer in Einsatzkommando 12

Verdicts and sentences (April 1948)

Biberstein: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Blobel: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Blume: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Braune: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Fendler: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; 10 years imprisonment
Graf: not guilty, counts 1 and 2; guilty, count 3; released based on time served in prison
Haensch: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Jost: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; life imprisonment
Klingelhoefer: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Naumann: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Nosske: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; life imprisonment
Ohlendorf: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Ott: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Radetzky: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; 20 years imprisonment
Rasch: no verdict since his case was severed due to illness; died in 1948
Ruehl: not guilty, counts 1 and 2; guilty, count 3; 10 years imprisonment
Sandberger: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Schubert: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Schulz: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; 20 years imprisonment
Seibert: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Six: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; 20 years imprisonment
Steimle: guilty, counts, 1, 2, 3; death penalty
Strauch: guilty, counts 1, 2, 3; death penalty