Kurt Arthur Benno Student(12 May 1890 – 1 July 1978) was a German general in theLuftwaffeduringWorld War II.An early pioneer ofairborne forces,Student was in overall command of developing a paratrooper force to be known as theFallschirmjäger,and as the most senior member of theFallschirmjäger,commanded it throughout the war. Student led the first major airborne attack in history, theBattle for The Hague,in May 1940. He also commanded theFallschirmjägerin its last major airborne operation,the invasion of Cretein May 1941. The operation was a success despite German losses, and led the Allies to hasten the training and development of their own airborne units.
Kurt Student | |
|---|---|
 Student in 1941 | |
| Born | 12 May 1890 Birkholz,German Empire (nowBorów,Poland) |
| Died | 1 July 1978 (aged 88) Lemgo,West Germany |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service |  Prussian Army ReichsheerLuftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1910–1945 |
| Rank |  Generaloberst |
| Commands | 7th Air Division XI Fliegerkorps 1st Parachute Army |
| Battles / wars | World War I
World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
| Criminal status | Released in 1948 |
| Criminal charge | War crimes |
| Penalty | 5 years imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | Cretancivilians Allied prisoners of war |
| Date | May 1941 |
| Country | Greece |
| Location(s) | Crete |
In 1947, Student was tried and convicted ofwar crimesfor the mistreatment and murder of prisoners of war by his men in Crete. Student was also responsible for awave of reprisal massacrescommitted against Cretan civilians in 1941 but avoided harsh punishment.
Early life and career
editStudent entered thePrussian Armyas aFähnrichin 1910 and was commissioned alieutenantin March 1911. He qualified as a pilot in 1913 and served duringWorld War I.
World War I
editIn July 1916, Student became a charter member of theFokker Scourge,when he scored his first confirmed victory, forcingNieuport 11no. 1324 to land behind German lines.[1]He then served in aerial units of theThird Armyon the Western Front, includingJagdstaffel 9(Jasta 9), which he commanded from 5 October 1916 to 2 May 1917, when he was wounded. He achievedflying acestatus and scored six air-to-air victories over French aircraft between 1916 and 1917, with two coming after his wound. He leftJasta 9on 14 March 1918.[2]
Interwar period
editIn the immediate postwar years, Student was assigned to military research and development. He became involved inmilitary gliderssince gliding was not forbidden by theTreaty of Versailles.He also attended theRed Army Air Force's maneuvers inLipetsk fighter-pilot schooland first came in contact with the idea ofairborne operations.AfterAdolf Hitlercame to power in Germany, theLuftwaffewas secretly re-established. Student transferred from the Army to the Air Force and was appointed byHermann Göringto be the head of its training schools. In July 1938, he was named commander of airborne and air-landing troops and, in September, commanding general of the7th Air Division,Germany's first paratroop division.
World War II
editAfter theinvasion of Polandin September 1939, which marked the beginning of the Second World War in Europe, theFallschirmjägerwere first deployed during the invasions of Norway and Denmark inOperation Weserübungin April 1940. In this operation theFallschirmjägerwere deployed on several locations. In Denmark, a small unit dropped onMasnedøisland to seize theStorstrøm BridgelinkingFalsterandZealand.A paratroop detachment also dropped atAalborg Airfield,which was crucial for Luftwaffe operations over Norway. In Norway, a company of paratroopers dropped atOslo's undefended airstrip. Over the course of the morning and early afternoon of April 9, 1940, the Germans flew in sufficient reinforcements to seize the capital, but by that time the Norwegian government had fled.
The paratroopers' first major action (and the first large-scale airborne operation in history) was thebattle for The Hagueon 10 May 1940. German paratroopers landed at three airfields near The Hague. From one of these airfields, they were driven out after the first wave of reinforcements, brought in byJu 52s,was annihilated by anti-aircraft fire and fierce resistance by some remaining Dutch defenders. The other two airfields were recaptured as well. Simultaneously, small packets of paratroopers seized the crucial bridges that led directly across the Netherlands and into the heart of the country. They opened the way for the9th Panzer Division.Within a day, the Dutch position became indefensible. Nevertheless, Dutch forces inflicted high losses on German transportation aircraft. Moreover, 1200 German élite troops from theLuftlandekorps,taken prisoner around The Hague, were shipped to England just before the capitulation of the Dutch armed forces.[3][4][5][6][7]
During airborne operations in theBattle of Rotterdamof 10 to 14 May 1940, Student was almost taken prisoner, and was shot in the head – by what was later determined to be a stray German round. His capture was halted by theRotterdam Blitzon 14 May and by the subsequent capitulation of the Netherlands.
On 10 May 1940, theFallschirmjägerperformed asuccessful raidon the largest fort in the world at the time,Eben-Emael,manned by 1,200 Belgian troops.[8]The raid was accomplished by an assault group which consisted of only 85 soldiers.[8]It took theFallschirmjägeronly hours to take control of the fort.[8]The fall of Eben-Emael opened up Belgium for invasion byArmy Group B.For his role in the raid, Student was decorated with theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
In January 1941, Student was named commanding general of theXI. Fliegerkorps,the newly formed command for the expanding German airborne forces. He was ordered to prepare a plan to use airborne forces for the capture ofGibraltar.In May 1941, Student directed Operation Mercury (Unternehmen Merkur), theairborne invasion of Crete,which was defended by British, Greek and Commonwealth forces. Crete was taken, in what became the greatest victory of theFallschirmjäger,but the high casualties caused Hitler to forbid future major airborne operations.
During the invasion of Crete, the German forces encountered unexpectedmass resistancefrom the civilian population and several German parachutists were killed by civilians armed only with knives and clubs.[9]The German troops were initially surprised and later outraged.[10]German military intelligence, theAbwehr,had predicted that the Cretan population would welcome the Germans as liberators, due to Cretans' strongrepublicanand anti-monarchistfeelings and that they would want to receive the "... favourable terms which had been arranged on the mainland...".[11]Student was made the temporary commander of Crete immediately after the island's surrender on 31 May 1941. OnHermann Göring's orders, Student launched a wave of brutalreprisalsagainst the local population[12]with themassacre of Kondomari,theAlikianos executions,and therazing of Kandanosbeing well-known examples.
In 1943, Student ordered MajorHarald Morsto planOperation Oak(Unternehmen Eiche), the successful raid conducted by a specialFallschirmjägerunit to free Italian dictatorBenito Mussolini.They landed withglidersandSTOLaircraft on a hilltop. Student received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his role in this operation.
Student was transferred toItalyand later toFrance,where he was involved in the battles ofNormandyin 1944. He was put in charge of theFirst Paratroop Armyand took part in countering the AlliedOperation Market Garden,nearArnhem.After a brief time at theEastern FrontinMecklenburgin 1945, he was captured byBritishforces inSchleswig-Holsteinin April of that same year before he could take command ofArmy Group Vistula.
War crimes conviction
edit
In May 1947, Student was put on trial on eight charges of mistreatment and murder of prisoners of war by his men in Crete, and crimes against the civilian population of Crete, like those atKondomari,AlikianosandKandanos.He was found guilty of three charges relating to prisoners of war, but acquitted of crimes against civilians owing to the testimony of BrigadierLindsay Inglis,commander of the4th New Zealand Brigade.[13]Student was sentenced to five years of imprisonment but was given an early discharge in 1948 for medical reasons.[14]He died in 1978, the last survivingLuftwaffe Generaloberst.[citation needed]
Promotions
edit- Fähnrich (3 March 1910)
- Leutnant (20 March 1911)
- Oberleutnant (18 June 1915)
- Hauptmann (20 June 1918)
- Major (1 January 1930)
- Oberstleutnant (1 January 1934)
- Oberst (1 October 1935)
- Generalmajor (1 April 1938)
- Generalleutnant (1 January 1940)
- General der Flieger (29 May 1940)
- Generaloberst (13 July 1944)
Awards
edit- Iron Cross(1914)
- Clasp to the Iron Cross(1939)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 12 May 1940 asGeneralleutnantand commander of the 7. Flieger-Division (Fallschirmjäger).[16]
- 305th Oak Leaves on 27 September 1943 asGeneral der Fliegerand commander of XI. Flieger-Korps (Luft-lande-Korps)[16]
- Pilot/Observer Badgein Gold with Diamonds (2 September 1941)
References
editCitations
edit- ^Early German Aces of World War I.p. 64.
- ^Franks et al 1993, pp. 213-214.
- ^Dr L. de Jong, 'Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog', (Dutch language) part 3, RIOD, Amsterdam, 1969
- ^Brongers, Lieutenant colonel ret. E.H.,De Nederlandse Cavalerie in de Meidagen van 1940.Publisher: Stichting Museum Nederlandse Cavalerie, Amersfoort, 1998.ISBN90-76428-01-8
- ^Portengen, Jan,Herleefd verleden: Strijd om Valkenburg ZH in mei 1940.Academic Publishers Eburon, Delft. 1995.ISBN90-5166-436-2
- ^Jong, dr. Loe de,Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, Deel 3: Mei '40.Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague, 1970
- ^Source of statistics:Netherlands Institute for Military History,Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)
- ^abcMcNab P.4
- ^Beevor 1991,pp. 116–117.
- ^Beevor 1991,pp. 342, 235–248.
- ^Buckley P.163
- ^Stroud 2015, p. 48.
- ^Antill 2013, pp. 20-21
- ^Carruthers 2013, pp. 105–107
- ^abcdThomas 1998, p. 366.
- ^abScherzer 2007, p. 732.
Bibliography
edit- Antill, Peter D. (2005).Crete 1941: Germany's lightning airborne assault.Campaign series. Oxford; New York: Osprey Publishing.ISBN1-84176-844-8.
- McNab, Chris (2013).The Fall of Eben-Emael.Osprey Publishing.ISBN978-1780962610.
- Beevor, Antony(1991).Crete: The Battle And The Resistance.London: Penguin Books.ISBN0-14-016787-0.
- Buckley, Christopher (1952).Greece and Crete 1941.London: HMSO.
- Carruthers, Bob(2013).German Paratroopers 1939-45 - The Fallschirmjäger.Pen & Sword Aviation Ltd.ISBN9781781591123.
- Farrar-Hockley, General Sir Anthony.Student, Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II / the Violent Century: War Leader #15.Ballantine's, 1973.ISBN9780345026996.
- Franks, Norman;Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell.Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918.Grub Street, 1993.ISBN0-948817-73-9,ISBN978-0-948817-73-1.
- Infield, Glenn B. (1981).Skorzeny, Hitler's Commando.New York: Military Heritage Press.ISBN0-88029-212-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007).Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives[The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag.ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
- Stroud, Rick (2015).Kidnap in Crete: The True Story of the Abduction of a Nazi General.Bloomsbury USA.ISBN978-1632861931.
- Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1986).Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil II: Fallschirmjäger[The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part II: Paratroopers] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.ISBN978-3-7648-1461-8.
- Thomas, Franz (1998).Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z[The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.ISBN978-3-7648-2300-9.
- Whiting, Charles(1974).Hunters From the Sky - The German Parachute Corps 1940-45.Leo Cooper, London Ltd.
