Helmuth Groscurth
Helmuth Groscurth (16 December 1898 – 7 April 1943) was a German staff and Abwehr officer in the Wehrmacht and a member of the German resistance. As an intelligence officer he was an early proponent of the Brandenburgers, commanded unconventional warfare operations in the Sudetenland, and was an active conspirator against Hitler's agenda. He was later reassigned to the regular army following his criticism of war crimes committed by German forces in Poland. After commanding an infantry battalion in the invasion of France he assumed a variety of staff roles. He was involved in the events of the Bila Tserkva massacre where he attempted to avert the killing of Jewish children.
Helmuth Groscurth | |
|---|---|
Groscurth as an Oberstleutnant, 1941 | |
| Born | 16 December 1898 Lüdenscheid, Germany |
| Died | 7 April 1943 (aged 44) Frolovo, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Service/ | Heer |
| Years of service | 1916–1920 1924-1943 |
| Rank | Oberst |
| Unit | Abwehr 11th Army Corps |
| Commands held | Abwehr-Abteilung II Abteilung Heerwesen zbV (Abwehr) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | German Cross in Gold |
He ended his active service as Karl Strecker's Chief of Staff in the 11th Army Corps. He participated in the Battle of Stalingrad and helped draft the final message from the German forces trapped there. After the surrender he contracted typhus and died while in Soviet captivity. The recovery of his diaries and papers provided a significant source for historians researching the early resistance to Hitler within the German military.