Reinhard Heydrich

Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (March 7, 1904 – June 4, 1942) was an SS-Obergruppenführer, chief of the Reich Main Security Office, and Reich governor of Bohemia and Moravia. He was nicknamed The Butcher of Prague, The Blond Beast and Der Henker (German for the hangman).

Summary of SS Career

Dates of Rank

• SS-Mann: 14 July 1931
• SS-Sturmführer: 10 August 1931
• SS-Sturmhauptführer: 1 December 1931
• SS-Sturmbannführer: 25 December 1931
• SS-Standartenführer: 29 July 1932
• SS-Oberführer: 21 March 1933
• SS-Brigadeführer: 9 November 1933
• SS-Gruppenführer: 30 June 1934
• SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei: 27 September 1941

Service History

• July 1931: Appointed as an SS member under SS Number 10120
• August 1931: Appointed as SS officer and tasked with forming the SS Security Service
• July 1932: Founds the Sicherheitsdienst
• June 1934: Appointed Commander of the Sicherheitspolizei
• September 1939: Founder and first Commander of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt
• September 1941: Appointed as Deputy Reichsprotector of Bohemia and Moravia
• January 1942: Chairman of the Wannsee Conference
• May 1942: Attacked by British supported Czech partisans in Prague
• June 1942: Dies from wounds received in partisan attack

Notable decorations

• German Order (Posthumous)
• Blood Order (Posthumous)
• Golden Nazi Party Badge
• Iron Cross First (1941) and Second (1940) Classes
• Luftwaffe Pilot's Badge
• Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Flying Clasp
• Danzig Cross (First Class)
• Anschluss Medal
• Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
• Memel Medal
• Olympic Games Decoration (First Class)
• Social Welfare Decoration (First Class)
• NSDAP Long Service Ribbon for 10 years service
• Police Service Ribbon for 18 years service

Additional service

Reinhard Heydrich also served as Reserve Hauptmann, then Major in the Luftwaffe. Some sources claim, that he served in the Polish September Campaign as a bomber gunner, but it is not confirmed. Then, despite his advanced age, he completed a fighter pilot course in 1940, probably due to ambitious reasons. In April 1940 he flew on the Bf 109 in the combat unit II/JG 77 in Norway. On May 13, 1940 he crashed his plane during take-off and was injured. For a short time in May he served in the Netherlands, then returned to Berlin. In mid-July 1941, after a German attack on the USSR, he resumed flying planes, ignoring Himmler's ban. He flew his personal plane Bf 109E-7 with the II/JG 77 from Balti on a southern Eastern Front, which put the unit commander under pressure due to Heydrich's position and lack of experience. On July 22, 1941, his plane was damaged by the AA artillery. Heydrich managed to land in no-man's land, and managed to run back to German lines. He was forbidden to fly once again, as it was realized that Heydrich's capture as a POW would be a major security breach to Germany.

Related Topics:
Hauptmann - Major - Luftwaffe - Polish September Campaign - Bf 109 - Eastern Front

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However, several months later he flew once more with the II/JG 52. He was too old and unexperienced for a fighter pilot, and kept out of action as much as possible. Despite his lack of combat success, he was awarded with the Iron Cross First (1941) and Second (1940) Classes.

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