Would-be Hitler assassin dies

[Gunny]

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager, believed to be the last surviving member of the inner circle of plotters who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler in 1944 with a briefcase bomb, has died. He was 90.

The German military said in a statement Friday that the former army major died Thursday night. It did not give a cause of death.

Von Boeselager was part of a group of officers who tried to kill Hitler on July 20, 1944, supplying explosives for the operation led by Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg.

Von Stauffenberg placed the bomb in a conference room where Hitler was meeting with his aides and military advisers. Hitler escaped harm when someone moved the briefcase next to a table leg, deflecting much of the bomb's explosive force.

Almost immediately afterward, von Stauffenberg and many of his cohorts were arrested and executed in an orgy of revenge killings that saw some hanged by the neck with piano wire.

Though many of those rounded up by Nazi officials were tortured in the hopes they would give up other conspirators, von Boeselager's name was never divulged and he was never found out.

Still, he carried a cyanide capsule with him until the end of the war in case his secret was revealed.

more ... http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/03/hitler.assassin.ap/index.html

Interesting. I was unaware anyone that participated in the plot had survived.

 

[BrianH]

Interesting. I was unaware anyone that participated in the plot had survived.

That's awesome (not that he's dead, but that he lived to be 90). I'd heard stories about it and that some had lived, but I had never heard of a specific person that was involved.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

That's awesome (not that he's dead, but that he lived to be 90). I'd heard stories about it and that some had lived, but I had never heard of a specific person that was involved.

The question becomes how do we know he was really in on it if everyone else was dead?

 

[Anguille]

Interesting. I was unaware anyone that participated in the plot had survived.

I had thought they were all executed. RetiredGySgt has a good point. LOL!

On a related topic, did anyone see Escape from Auschwitz on PBS this week? I thought it was a very well made documentary and recommend it.
You can watch online at:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/

 

[Gungnir]

Stauffenberg was freaking awesome. He had like two fingers and one eye left and he still almost took over Germany. If he had two eyes he may have had better depth perception and put the bomb in a better place.

I heard Stauffenberg got that way because he actually survived a kick to the face by Chuck Norris.

On a related topic, did anyone see Escape from Auschwitz on PBS this week? I thought it was a very well made documentary and recommend it.

Huh, I didn't know they made documentaries on fiction.


ooohh just joking, but not really

I'm going to Hell either way.

 

[BrianH]

Stauffenberg put the bomb in the perfect place, unfortunately, someone moved it and put it on the floor before Hitler got there. I'm not sure his depth-perception was an issue, but instead just a bit of bad luck. (Good Luck for Hitler)

As far as proving Von Boeselager was apart, I think the German military has records of the incident and officers involved. Probably not enough proof for you, but he was believed to have provided the explosives.

 

[Gunny]

Stauffenberg was freaking awesome. He had like two fingers and one eye left and he still almost took over Germany. If he had two eyes he may have had better depth perception and put the bomb in a better place.

I heard Stauffenberg got that way because he actually survived a kick to the face by Chuck Norris.




Huh, I didn't know they made documentaries on fiction.


ooohh just joking, but not really

I'm going to Hell either way.

von Stauffenberg's depth perception had nothing to do with it. He placed the brief case in a good place. It was moved behind a heavy table leg (one of those old-timey wide kind).

 

[Gungnir]

I completely forgot about that part. I thought he put under the table.

 

[Gunny]

I completely forgot about that part. I thought he put under the table.

He did. He originally placed it where the blast would be directed at Hitler with nothing to obstruct it. Someone moved it to the other side of the table leg.