Helmuth Raithel
| Years of service | 1926–45 |
|---|---|
| Rank | SS-Standartenführer |
| Unit |
|
| Commands held | 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian) |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards |  Blood Order German Cross in Gold Iron Cross 1st Class |
| Other work | Agriculture Mountaineering |
Helmuth Raithel (9 April 1907 – 12 September 1990) was a
before transferring to the Waffen-SS in 1943.Raithel subsequently commanded a regiment of the newly formed
Raithel recovered from his wounds and had a career in agriculture after the war, working in South Africa for many years. He returned to Bavaria when he retired and earned a doctorate of history from the University of Munich. His interest in mountaineering continued and he regularly climbed in the Alps into his seventies. He maintained contact with his former comrades from the 6th SS Division, attending many reunions. On 12 September 1990 at the age of 83, he was returning home from the Semmering Pass in eastern Austria when he was killed in a traffic accident.
Early life
Born Helmuth Hans Walter Paul Raithel in Ingolstadt, Kingdom of Bavaria, a federated state of the German Empire, on 9 April 1907, he was the second son of a Bavarian Army officer. Raithel attended primary school then the Wittelsbacher-Gymnasium München (secondary school) until 1926. On 9 November 1923 at the age of 16, Raithel was walking his bicycle in Munich when he stumbled across the Beer Hall Putsch being led by Adolf Hitler. Swept up in the excitement, he fell in with a group led by Freikorps veteran Gerhard Roßbach. After shots were fired, he took cover with some of the group in an alley, one of whom wrote down Raithel's name as one of the "party faithful" present that day. He was subsequently awarded the highly prized Nazi Party Blood Order, although he apparently did not have any political beliefs and was not a member of the Party at the time.[1][2]
After he successfully completed secondary school in early 1926, he joined the Reichswehr as an offizieranwärter (officer cadet) on 1 April 1926. He was posted to the 19th Infantry Regiment during which he spent four years commanding a Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry) platoon. While he was with the regiment, the Reichswehr was absorbed by the Wehrmacht. Now part of the Gebirgs Brigade, Raithel gained experience as a signals officer and company commander, and was promoted to Hauptmann (captain). With the creation of the 1st Gebirgs Division in April 1938 he was appointed as the adjutant of the 99th Gebirgsjäger Regiment. At the outbreak of war in September 1939 he was an instructor at the mountain infantry school at Fulpmes in the Stubai Alps.[1][2] He was married and he and his wife had two daughters.[2]
World War II
Greece and Finland
In August 1940, Raithel was transferred from instructional duties to command a battalion of the newly formed
Raithel was awarded the
Yugoslavia
In 1943, his mentor Schörner, now a
Between March and June 1944 Raithel commanded his regiment during several major operations, including what may have been the largest anti-Partisan sweep of the war, Operation Maibaum (Maypole).[6] He was promoted to SS-Standartenführer (colonel) on 1 April 1944.[2] Raithel led his regiment well, resulting in a serious wound in June 1944.[3] On 11 June 1944, he was recommended for an award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross citing his leadership and courage while commanding the regiment, but it was not approved.[2] While it achieved successes and proved itself competent in counter-insurgency operations against the Partisans in eastern Bosnia between March and August 1944,[7] the 13th SS Division earned a reputation for brutality and savagery, not only during combat operations,[8] but also through atrocities committed against Serb civilians in the security zone.[9][10]
When a second Bosnian Muslim Waffen-SS division was to be raised in June 1944, the
Germany
After a short time convalescing as part of the
After a quiet period in February 1945 absorbing replacements, the division was withdrawn from the defensive line and ordered to recapture Trier from the US Army. This attack started on 7 March in freezing conditions but after limited success a fresh US offensive struck the division and forced them back north of Mainz. By 19 March, Raithel's regiment had been converted into a kampfgruppe (battlegroup) consisting of two gebirgsjäger battalions, a mountain artillery battalion, a pioneer company and eight anti-tank guns.[15] Two weeks later they were fighting their way out of encirclement near Limburg.[16] On 1 April 1945, Kampfgruppe Raithel and the rest of what remained of the division drove east. Shortly afterwards, Raithel received a serious head wound and was captured.[17] The remnants of the division disintegrated over the next few days and weeks and were captured by the Americans.[18]
Personal life
Raithel recovered from his wounds and had a career in agriculture after the war, working in South Africa for many years. He returned to Bavaria when he retired and earned a doctorate of history from the University of Munich. He continued with mountaineering and regularly climbed in the Alps into his seventies. He maintained contact with his former comrades from the 6th SS Division Nord and attended many reunions. On 12 September 1990 at the age of 82, he was returning home from the Semmering Pass in eastern Austria when he was killed in a traffic accident.[19]
Career
Raithel received the following promotions during his career, after joining the Reichswehr as an officer cadet on 1 April 1926:[2]
Reichswehr
- Leutnant - 1 June 1930
- Oberleutnant - 1 July 1932
Wehrmacht
- Hauptmann - 1 April 1937
- Major - 1 November 1941
- Oberstleutnant - 1 October 1943
Waffen-SS
- SS-Obersturmbannführer - 1 December 1943
- SS-Standartenführer - 2 April 1944
Awards
Raithel received the following awards during his service:[2]
- German Cross in Gold[20]
- Iron Cross, First and Second class
- Infantry Assault Badge
- Eastern Front Medal
- Order of Bravery (Fourth Grade, First Class) (Kingdom of Bulgaria)
Footnotes
- ^ a b Rusiecki 2011, p. 38.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Yerger 1999, p. 37.
- ^ a b c d e Rusiecki 2011, p. 39.
- ^ Blau 1986, p. 88.
- ^ a b Lepre 1997, pp. 143–145.
- ^ Lepre 1997, p. 187.
- ^ Bishop 2007, pp. 137–138.
- ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 499.
- ^ Williamson 2004, p. 123.
- ^ Keegan 1970, p. 105.
- ^ Lepre 1997, p. 228.
- ^ Lepre 1997, p. 263.
- ^ Lepre 1997, p. 266.
- ^ Rusiecki 2011, pp. 39–42.
- ^ Rusiecki 2011, p. 71.
- ^ Rusiecki 2011, p. 85.
- ^ Rusiecki 2011, p. 301.
- ^ Rusiecki 2011, p. 339.
- ^ Rusiecki 2011, p. 340.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 365.
References
- Bishop, Chris (2007). Waffen-SS Divisions, 1939–45. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-905704-55-2.
- Blau, George E. (1986) [1953]. The German Campaigns in the Balkans (Spring 1941) (Reissue ed.). Washington, DC: United States Army Center of Military History. OCLC 16940402. CMH Pub 104-4.
- ISBN 978-0-345-09768-2.
- Lepre, George (1997). Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943–1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-0134-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- Rusiecki, Stephen (2011). In Final Defense of the Reich: The Destruction of the 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord". Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-744-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8047-3615-2.
- Yerger, Mark C. (1999). Waffen-SS Commanders: The Army, Corps and Divisional Leaders of a Legend : Kruger to Zimmermann. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-0769-0.
- Williamson, Gordon (2004). The SS: Hitler's Instrument Of Terror. St Paul: Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-1933-8.