“Fegelein! Fegelein!” – The Mysterious Demise of Hitler’s SS Liaison -ZZ

Those of you who have been following my work will know that I have a reputation for presenting new or forgotten aspects to historical subjects, particularly those of the Third Reich.

From the death of Hitler to the disappearance of Martin Borman, or the mysterious deaths of Hinrich Himmler and Rudolph Hess, I have found that much that appears in history books and documentaries is wrong or deeply flawed and in need of fresh perspectives or theories.

I don’t claim to be right about these subjects, but I do try to look aresh at such subjects to see what’s missing or even if an established historical narrative makes any sense.

The subject of this video is a prime example of this.

The death of Herman Fagerline, which is recorded in most history books and in films and documentaries.

Thus, Fagerline, Himmler’s SS liaison at Fura headquarters, was a vain and corrupt careerist who, fearful of falling into Soviet hands or being killed from the battle of Berlin in April 1945, decided to desert his post at the Furbunker.

Found drunk and in the company of one of his mistresses, Fagerine was arrested and dragged back to the bunker where after some debate, this SS general married to Ava Brown’s sister was sumearily shot on Hitler’s order in the garden of the Reich Chancellory and his body never found.

However, almost none of the accepted story of Fageline’s demise is correct.

The truth was much more complex and interesting.

Fageline has become a meme for those who obtained their history from movies.

Hitler ranting and raving screams Faggeline’s name at his underlings over and over as he demands the errant general be found and brought before him.

So what was Fageline up to and why was he executed? Fageline was a difficult man to sympathize with.

He was indeed a vain and arrogant womanizer.

He was also a favorite of Reichfura SS Himmler, explaining his overpromotion and his chest full of medals.

These factors made him an unpopular figure in some quarters, but a protected unpopular figure nonetheless.

Himmler saw in Fagerline something that others evidently didn’t see.

Whatever that was, Himmler never said.

So most people interested in World War II have heard the name Faggerion.

Perhaps they’ve seen the movie adaptations.

But who was he? Born in October 1906 in Ansbach in Bavaria, the son of a retired cavalry officer and riding school owner, Hamman was basically able to ride before he could walk.

In the 1920s, he became friends with Christian Vber, one of the founders of the NSDAP.

And this contact was due to his father creating the Fageline Riding Institute and loaning horses to the equestrian branch of the SA, the Abtailong or Brown Shirts, and training riders for this organization and later the Fledgling SS.

After dropping out of Munich University, Fageline enlisted in the Reichfair’s 17th Cavalry Regiment in 1925 and two years later joined the Bavarian State Police as an officer cadet.

However, he was dismissed from the force in 1929 after being caught stealing examination answers from an instructor’s office.

An early example of Fageline’s sociopathic tendencies.

Sponsored by Christian Vber in 1930.

He joined the Nazi party, joining the SS in April 1933 and being employed at his father’s riding school, being leader of the SS branch.

This was despite never having received any officer training.

Fageline later took over management of the school from his father.

By November 1934, Fageline held the rank of SS Hopdom Fura or captain in the Algamina SS.

He rose to prominence in 1935, overseeing the jumping courses and equestrian facilities for the events at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Fageline however was very keen on gaining a place on the German equestrian team but in this he failed but he was nonetheless promoted toanfura or major.

He did win other international riding events and continue to be rapidly promoted.

In 1937, Himmler had created the SS main riding school out of the Fagerline school with Fageline appointed its commander with the rank of Standaten Fura or colonel.

Fageline continued to win riding events and was working hard to qualify for the 1940 Tokyo Olympics which was interrupted by the outbreak of war.

In 1939, horse cavalry still existed in many armies, mainly for reconnaissance work, and Fagerline was appointed commanding officer of the SS Torton Cop Cavalry Regiment.

Though Fageline was not a trained officer, he did succeed in molding an efficient unit out of the men and horses, which found itself used to help exterminate Hitler’s enemies.

On the 7th of December 1939, Fageline’s unit shot 1,700 Polish elite in the Campino forest.

It was just the beginning of his murderous career.

Fagerline’s unit became notorious for corruption and in 1940, Fageline was investigated for stealing cash and other goods, including cars, in Poland, and sending them back to Germany.

However, Himmler stepped in and stopped the court marshal against Fageline.

Reinhardt Hydrickch, Himmler’s powerful second in command, tried several times to investigate Fageline, but on each occasion, Himmler stepped in to protect him.

Fagerline’s regiment was used to fight partisans in Poland, and Fagerine’s unit was also notorious for shooting and robbing civilians.

Transferred west, Fagerline took part in the invasions of Belgium and France, receiving the Iron Cross Second Class on the 15th of December 1940.

In March 1941, his unit was renamed the first SS Cavalry Regiment.

During the invasion of the Soviet Union in summer 1941, Fageline saw extensive service, his horse cavalry acting as reconnaissance troops, for which Fageline received the Iron Cross first class.

Himmler placed Vageline in charge of a brigade of two SS cavalry regiments and it was sent to assist in murderous behind the lines operations in the Pryyat marshes.

Fageline reported to Himmler on the 18th of September 1941 that his units had killed 14,178 Jews, 1,01 partisans, 699 Soviet soldiers, and taken 830 prisoner.

Fageline received the assault badge but was again investigated for stealing captured property but again Himmler stopped the proceedings.

Joining Army Group Center, Fagerline reported on the 18th of November 1941 that his brigade had killed 3,18 partisans and Soviet troops and taken 122 prisoners.

Next, Fagerine’s brigade deployed from the advance on Moscow, helping defend the rear areas of a German infantry division and suffering heavy losses in combat.

The 1st of February 1942, Fageline received promotion to Standarten Fura of the Vafaness.

On the 5th of February, without orders, he led an attack on a large Red Army position northwest of Chelino, surrounding and destroying the enemy force, receiving the Knight’s Cross on the 2nd of March, 1942.

Sent back to Germany as Inspector of Cavalry and Transportation of the SS.

He also received the Eastern Front Medal and the War Merit Cross, Second Class.

Fageline returned to action on the 1st of December 1942, promoted to Obafura, commanding com grouper Fageline in fighting on the Dawn River and was twice wounded in action, receiving the wound badge in black.

He also received the oak leaves to his knight’s cross.

On the 20th of April, he was given command of the new eighth SS Cavalry Division, Florian Gaire, becoming notorious for antipartisan activities.

During Operation Vikil, his division killed 4,018 people and destroyed 125 villages, deporting a further 18,860.

In the follow-up operation Zidlitz, Fager Lion’s unit destroyed a further 96 villagers, killing 5,016 and deporting 9,166 people.

Deployed into frontline combat, the Florian Gaia division beat back five divisionalsiz Soviet attacks and 85 attacks of battalion size in August to September 1943, suffering heavy casualties, earning Fageline the close combat class.

He was severely wounded in September and received the German cross in gold, an appointment as chief of the SS office for rider and driver training.

Simultaneously assigned as Himmler’s SS liaison to Fura headquarters, being promoted to Grippura on Litnan to the Vafen SS on the 10th of June 1944.

He was slightly wounded in the bomb attack on Hitler at the Wolf’s lair on the 20th of July 1944, receiving the special 20th of July wound badge in silver and also the swords to his knight’s cross for his time as commanding officer the Florian Gaia cavalry division on the Eastern Front.

As I’ve covered in a separate video, link in the end screen, Fagerline had married Ava Brown’s sister, Gretle, on the 3rd of June 1944.

It has been suggested that Fagerline, a noted womanizer, had engineered his relationship with Gretle in order to gain favor for his career, and he simultaneously worked hard to cultivate a good relationship with Martin Borman, Hitler’s all powerful private secretary and head of the Nazi party chancery.

From all of this, you can see that Faggerine was a complex fellow.

His sociopathic tendencies are quite obvious in his constant brushes with SS legal authorities and also, of course, psychopathic tendencies with his murderous sprees behind the lines on the Eastern Front.

He also knew how to advance his career through close relationships with certain leaders, Himmler being the most obvious.

So let us now address the events of April 1945 that led to his downfall and disgrace and execution.

At dawn on the 25th of April 1945 with Soviet forces slowly encircling Berlin, Fageline left the capital by car on official business.

He left in a Mercedes staff vehicle with his agitant SS Hopstam Fura board halt part of the SS Belight Commando bodyguard unit and an enlisted SS driver.

He was going to meet Himmler.

At that time Himmler had just moved his headquarters from Vustro to Hoen Licken as Vustro had been threatened by the advancing Red Army.

Himmler had a special area of the Ho and Leakan sanatorium which he used as a headquarters and also a treatment center for himself suffering as he did from various health issues notably stomach cramps caused probably by nervous tension.

On the night of the 24th of April, Himmler arranged a meeting with Fageline to take place the next morning 25th.

The reason for this meeting had to do with Himmler dispatching Dr.

Gart, an SS general and his chief doctor to Berlin early on the 25th of April.

Gart was sent to try to persuade Hitler one final time to leave the capital.

Himmler also wanted to send his personal escort battalion, several hundred heavily armed troops into Berlin to help with the defense and also obviously to escort Hitler out of the capital if he chose to leave.

And it seems that he wanted Fageline to command that unit and take it back into the capital.

However, events would overtake this decision.

Following the meeting at Hen Licken with Himmler, who had been conducting illicit surrender negotiations with the Western Allies through Swedish aristocrat Count Fulkar Bernardot and also a meeting with the World Jewish Congress representative, all aimed at securing for himself a role in the post-Hitler Germany.

Fagerline left Himmler’s headquarters, undoubtedly fully aware of what his boss had been up to behind Hitler’s back and attended other meetings before a final meeting at the SS headquarters at Ferenburg.

Here, Fagerline had a meeting with SSUA Hansner, chief of the SS leadership main office, the operational headquarters of the entire SS organization.

We don’t quite know what they discussed, but we do know from Utner’s testimony that Fageline made some interesting comments about what was going on in the fur bunker.

In reply to inquiries about what was happening in the fur bunker, Fageline told him that Hitler and his staff were planning to take their own lives.

Quote, “The Valhalla stuff is for the Birut Festival, but not for me,” said Fageline, referring to the annual Vagna Opera Festival, much beloved by the Furer.

He added, “The place has become a lunatic asylum.

” End quote.

Fageline clearly had no intention of dying in the bunker if he could help it.

However, still under orders from Himmler, Fageline found he could not return to Berlin by car as the Soviets had cut the road on the morning of the 25th, leaving him stranded.

At this point, Fagelion could have escaped his fate in a number of ways.

Events beyond his control meant that he could not return to Berlin to resume his duties, SS liaison at the bunker.

If he was so intent on saving his own skin, as most histories tell us, could he not just have joined Himmler at Henikin and gone with his boss to his new headquarters at Sharhin, close to Grand Admiral K Dernitz, who had set up a military headquarters in the north to control all forces in northern Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.

Or Fageline could have taken this opportunity to go completely off reservation and using his authority as an SS general removed himself to some safe place, Sweden or Switzerland for example.

But Fageline did neither.

He reported his predicament to Himmler who promptly dispatched a Junker’s Ju52 transport plane to Recklin air base to fly Faggerine back into central Berlin to Gatau.

At this point, we have to ask ourselves why Himmler did this.

Officially, Himmler wanted Fageline to take over command of his escort battalion.

Also, I suspect he wanted Fageline in close proximity to Hitler for a few more days yet so he could get constant reports on Hitler as he continued his secret scheming in the crumbling Reich and importantly have a good idea of when Hitler would die.

Due to enemy air activity over Berlin, Fagelion’s plane was delayed for many hours until eventually at 900 p.

m.

it took off.

He arrived in the late evening of the 25th of April, but chose not to attend the midnight situation conference in the furbunker.

The next day, 26th of April, Fagerine missed two situation conferences, which was very unusual.

Then on the 27th of April, Hitler asked for Fagerline only to be told that he was nowhere to be found.

Hitler became suspicious, noting that Fagerline had missed six situation conferences without explanation.

The Furer phoned the head of his RSD bodyguard unit, Grippen Fura Hunts Ratenhuber, and demanded that he find Fagerline at once.

Raten Huber and ex- policeman had no clear idea of Fagelion’s whereabouts.

Fagelion’s Berlin apartment had been destroyed by Allied bombing some weeks previously, and Fagerion officially lived in quarters at the Reich Chancellery.

However, Fagelion had set up one of his long-term mistresses in an apartment leased under the name of a friend of his at 10 to 11 Bib Toy Strasa off the fashionable Kafernam in Shalottenburg some 4 miles from the Furabunker.

He had told no one of this secret bolt hole except one confidant, Hitler’s agitant, SS Schlumban Furro Otto Guner, and only because he had been extremely drunk when he told him.

Fagelion giving Gunshe a telephone number for this apartment for emergency use only.

Wink wink.

Gunshe now informed Raten Huber of this information.

Raten Huber ordered the bunker switchboard operator SS Sergeant Roous Mish to find out the address for the phone number which he did at once.

Raten Huber called the number and to his great surprise Fagerline answered.

Fageline sounded surprised as well to receive a call from the bunker, but quickly regained his composure.

He told Ratton Huber that he had been drinking and had a very bad hangover.

He promised on his honor as an officer to report to the bunker in 2 hours time.

This exchange is very interesting, as if Fageline assumed that no one knew about his secret love nest.

Why did he answer the telephone? Why not his mistress? It suggests that the mistress wasn’t home or that Fageline was expecting a telephone call but not from the bunker.

Historian James P.

O’Donnell, the first Western intelligence officer into the Fura bunker after the fall of Berlin and the author of a famous book on the subject of Hitler’s demise, summised that Fageline’s behavior was related to another mystery of the fall of Berlin.

A Junker’s 52 plane seen by several well-known witnesses at the tear garden emergency airirstrip near the Brandenb gate on the 28th of April 1945.

One witness who saw this plane waiting in the shadows was Nazi test pilot Hannah Reich who had famously flown Ganal orast Robert Rita von Grime into central Berlin to meet Hitler.

She noted the Junkers 52 as she and Grime were departing the airirstrip on the 28th of April in one of the last serviceable planes to leave Berlin.

She also noted that the JU52’s pilot was standing beside the plane.

As I said, this erroneous plane was seen and noted by several qualified witnesses, but its presence has never been satisfactorily explained by any historians.

It has been assumed that it was in fact some way connected to Hitler himself escaping from Berlin, but that is fantasy for a wide variety of reasons outside the scope of this video.

O’Donnell believed that the JU52 in the Tier Garden on the 28th of April was the same one that had flown Fager Lion to Gatau on the 25th of April before returning to Recklin.

He summized that it had flown in again under orders on the 28th to collect Fagerline.

Was this rescue flight made on Himmler’s order to save his loyal Fageline from the Soviets and bring him to his headquarters in the north? Perhaps.

Could it have been ordered back in by Fageline himself so that he could affect his escape from the burning city? There are other possibilities as well.

It is interesting also that once Fageline returned to Berlin on the 25th of April, he effectively had gone to ground at his mistress’s secret apartment.

Why did he have something that he had to do, some task that had to be performed? Further evidence of a possible reason will be presented shortly.

Returning to the events of the 27th of April, by 5:00 p.

m.

Fageline had failed to show up at the Fura Bunker as promised.

General Raten Huber was now forced to dispatch the first of several detachments to Fagerline’s mistress’s apartment, not to arrest Fagerline, as reported in most history books, but to try and persuade him to come back voluntarily to the Fura bunker.

And as we shall see in episode two, the men he sends to this apartment also encounter Fageline’s deeply mysterious mistress who has been largely written out of accounts of this matter.

But she is the key to Fagerline’s downfall and death and as you will see provides a very surprising twist in the story of Herman Fageline.

Thanks for watching.

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