Hubert Lanz Breakthrough Insider’s Perspective!
In the nascent phase of his professional journey, Lanz enlisted in the military on June 20, 1914, just preceding the outbreak of World War I. Serving diligently on the Western Front, he concluded his tenure adorned with the rank of lieutenant (Oberleutnant). Post the war’s culmination, he persisted within the contracted post-conflict Reichswehr, securing a promotion to the position of captain on February 1, 1928. The interlude spanning 1932 to 1934 witnessed his command over a company within an infantry regiment stationed at Gumbinnen. Subsequently, he undertook staff responsibilities, ascending to the position of lieutenant-colonel and eventually assuming the mantle of Chief of Staff for IX Army Corps on March 1, 1937. Following a stint commanding the 100th Gebirgsjäger Regiment from November 1937 to August 1938, he transitioned into the role of Chief of Staff for Military District V.
Amidst the historical tapestry of World War II, the narrative of General Lanz unfolds in the occupied territories of Celje, Yugoslavia, as he assumed control of the city magistrate in April 1941, marking a pivotal ascent into a position of authority. His trajectory leading to this juncture includes his role as Chief of Staff for the XVIII Corps since February 15, 1940. A noteworthy accolade came on October 1 when he was bestowed with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his commendable prowess exhibited during the Battle of France. Shortly thereafter, on October 26, he assumed leadership of the 1st Mountain Division, originally slated for Operation Felix, a strategic endeavor aimed at Gibraltar. However, due to the cancellation of Operation Felix, the division underwent a repositioning to the East and played a significant role in the Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 under the banner of the 2nd Army.
The Eastern Front became the stage for Lanz’s leadership in June 1941, as he spearheaded his division into the invasion of the Soviet Union. The campaign’s early successes included the conquest of Lvov by June 30, revealing the somber aftermath of NKVD executions. This discovery triggered a widespread anti-Jewish pogrom, with the town’s Ukrainian population, influenced in part by German and OUN propaganda, actively participating.
Lanz retained command of the division during its expansive progress in the Soviet Union, contributing to the breach of the Stalin Line and the advancement towards the Dnjepr and the Mius River. Notably, in May 1942, Lanz’s division played a pivotal role in the Second Battle of Kharkov and was instrumental in the Fall Blau offensive through southern Russia and into the Caucasus (Operation Edelweiss). A symbolic but contentious move occurred on August 21 when Lanz dispatched a detachment to raise the German flag on Mount Elbrus. Despite Goebbels’ efforts to publicize the event, Hitler expressed displeasure with the action.
Relieved of his command on December 17, 1942, Lanz received the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross on the 23rd. In response to the destabilization of the German front post the Battle of Stalingrad, Lanz ascended to the rank of general on January 26, 1943. Tasked with overseeing Army Detachment Lanz (Armeeabteilung Lanz), a coalition of diverse German forces, including the elite troops of the II SS Panzer Corps under General Paul Hausser, he faced the challenge of holding the Kharkov area despite numerical disadvantages. However, following the city’s loss to the advancing Red Army and in defiance of Lanz’s directives, he faced dismissal on February 20. A brief interlude saw him assume the role of provisional commander of XXXXIX Mountain Corps in the Crimea on June 25, holding the position for a month.
During Lanz’s stewardship as the defending commander in Kharkov, he collaborated with his Chief of Staff, Hans Speidel (later implicated in the 20 July plot alongside Erwin Rommel), and Colonel von Strachwitz to formulate a strategy to apprehend Hitler during the scheduled visit to Lanz’s headquarters in Poltava. Dubbed “Plan Lanz,” the plot involved leveraging von Strachwitz’s Großdeutschland Panzer regiment to overcome Hitler’s SS bodyguard. This plan gained recognition in specific military circles, including Army Group B leadership, and was even conveyed to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. However, on February 17, when Hitler visited the front, he chose Manstein’s headquarters in Zaporozhye over Poltava.
Greece became the next theater of operations for Lanz. On September 9, 1943, he assumed command of the recently established XXII Mountain Corps in Epirus, Greece, amidst apprehensions of a potential Allied landing fueled by disinformation campaigns like Operation Mincemeat. Continuous anti-partisan sweeps by the Germans led to the depopulation and incineration of several hundred villages. Collective punishment, with directives to execute hostages for German casualties, became a common practice. Just before Lanz assumed command, the 98th Regiment of the 1st Mountain Division, under Lieutenant-Colonel Josef Salminger, carried out the execution of 317 civilians in Kommeno.
Lanz, a conservative officer and staunch Catholic, frequently found himself at odds with his subordinate officers, particularly the zealous Salminger. Despite Lanz’s reservations about Nazi ideology, reprisals, including the execution of civilians, persisted as a standard tactic. Large-scale operations had minimal lasting impact on guerrilla groups, but the reprisals instilled enough terror to discourage local cooperation with the resistance. In late 1943, pressured by Germans and rival guerrillas, General Napoleon Zervas, leader of EDES, reached a tacit agreement with Lanz, limiting operations against the Germans.
The surrender of Italy to the Allies on September 8 initiated a race to disarm and intern Italian garrisons in the Balkans. Lanz was entrusted with subduing Italian forces in Epirus and the Ionian Islands. In Cephalonia and Corfu, Italian resistance compelled Lanz to launch assaults on the islands. Following the surrender in Cephalonia, over 5,000 Italians were executed, adhering to Hitler’s directive. Lanz bore witness to the conflict and the ensuing massacre. In Corfu, despite the resistance lasting only a day, all 280 Italian officers were shot and disposed of at sea under Lanz’s orders.
As the war approached its conclusion, after the German retreat from Greece in October 1944, Lanz and his troops traversed the Balkans towards Hungary, participating in Operation Margarethe. Ultimately, in the Austrian Alps, Lanz surrendered to the US Army on May 8, 1945.
In 1947, General Lanz found himself at the center of the “Southeast Case” during the Nuremberg Trials, focusing on the actions of Wehrmacht generals in the Balkans, particularly the perpetration of atrocities against civilians and prisoners of war. The pivotal point in Lanz’s trial was the Cephalonia massacre. His defense team scrutinized the allegations, and with the Italians failing to present evidence, Lanz adeptly persuaded the court that he had resisted Hitler’s orders, disputing the veracity of the massacre.
Lanz contended that the report detailing the execution of 5,000 soldiers was a ruse, concealing his defiance of Hitler’s directives. He asserted that only a handful of officers met their demise, and the remainder of the Acqui Division was transported to Piraeus via Patras. His defense further argued that the Italians, not under orders to engage from the War Office in Brindisi, could be classified as mutineers or franc-tireurs, thus not entitled to POW status under the Geneva Conventions.
In the end, Lanz received a relatively lenient sentence of 12 years in prison, particularly in contrast to other commanders involved in Balkan operations, such as Lothar Rendulic. The “Peck Panel” reviewed his sentence, leading to his release on February 1, 1951, after it was commuted to time served. Notably, Lanz stands as the sole individual to have served a prison term for the atrocities committed in Epirus or the Ionian Islands.
Post-release, Lanz actively engaged in the FDP party, assuming an advisory role on military and security matters. In 1954, he penned a book chronicling the history of the 1st Mountain Division. He breathed his last in Munich in 1982.
