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Thursday, November 30, 2023

Heinrich von Vietinghoff and Karl-Walter Lapp


Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff (wearing ledermantel) in a picture supposedly taken on late 1944 or early 1945 in Tirol, Austria. From 24 October 1944 - 16 January 1945, he was "mit der stellvertretenden Wahrnehmung der Geschäfte als Oberbefehlshaber Südwest beauftragt" (stood in for Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring who was recovering from head injuries sustained in an automobile accident). The Ritterkreuzträger at left is Major Karl-Walter Lapp (Kommandeur Tiroler Standschützen), who received the Ritterkreuz on 14 August 1944 as Kommandeur Ski-Bataillon 82. There's a very interesting and detailed chapter on the Tiroler Standschützen in Roland Kaltenegger's "Spezialverbände der Gebirgstruppe 1939-1945" (2004), a highly recommended book with many photographs of both the Standschützen and on Karl-Walter Lapp. Many high dignitaries visited Major Lapp and his Tiroler at the training grounds by the Alpini Barracks in Gossensaß. Among others were Generals like Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff, General der Gebirgstruppe Valentin Feuerstein as well as the Gauleiter of Tirol-Vorarlberg Franz Hofer. SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler (as Chef of the Ersatzheer) and SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff were also among the visitors as well as Reichsjugendführer Baldur von Schirach.

Source :
https://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6404&start=60
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2503323#p2503323

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