Heinrich Seywald

[Franek Grabowski]

Gents
Does anyone have any details about Heinrich Seywald? He was a WWI fighter ace with 6 kills with Jasta 23 and commander of the unit. In 1939 he commanded KG 77 but he was relieved from his duties due to unclear reasons. Later in the war he appeared in training command.
Does anyone have anything to fill major gaps in his biography?

[Doug Stankey]

We have a more than average amount on this guy:


SEYWALD, Heinrich.
(DOB: 23.12.94 in Regensburg).
01.09.33 trf to the Luftwaffe from the Heer with a rank of Hptm. and appt Referent LP I/RLM.
01.09.34 promo to Maj.
23.09.35 ordered to Fliegergruppe Tutow.
10.11.35 (or 10.02.36?) ordered to Flug-Kdo. Berlin.
12.03.36 appt Kdr. III./KG 152 and concurrently appt Kdt. Fl.H. Barth.
01.10.36 promo to Obstlt.
01.04.38 appt Kdr. FFS C 8 Fürth and concurrently Kdt. Fl.H. Fürth.
01.08.38 appt Kdr. FFS Nürnberg and Fl.Ers.Abt. 13, Nürnberg.
01.01.39 promo to Oberst. 01.02.39 appt Kommodore KG 153.
01.04.39 appt Kommodore KG 77.
14.09.39 appt Offizier z.b.V. des RLM u. Ob.d.L. (pending assignment).
15.10.39 ordered to Vorkommando der Grossen Kampffliegerschule Thorn.
15.11.39 appt Kdr. Grossen KFS 4, Thorn and concurrently Kdt. Fl.H. Thorn.
01.11.41 promo to Gen.Maj.
16.06.42 appt Inspekteur of Flugzeugführer-Ausb. (pilot training) (RLM /L In. 9).
08.03.43 appt Kdr. Waffentechnischen Schulen d.Lw.
16.09.44 appt Gen.z.b.V./Lfl. Reich.
01.10.44 appt Kdr. of the Auffang-Organisation d.Lw. in der Slowakei, Malaky (a.k.a. Lw.-Auffangstab Ost) (to 01.45).
25.01.45 appt Kdr. Leitstelle d. Lw., Olmütz (to mid-Feb 45).
02 45 appt Kdr. Hauptleitstelle Süd d.Lw. in Pardubitz.
28.02.45 retired.
01.03.45 recalled to service.
01.04.45 appt Höherer Kdr. der Wehrmacht-Ordnungstruppen im Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren.
08.05.45 into American captivity.
1945 released.
†15.09.73 in Regensberg.

Does this satisfy your curiosity?

Thanks for the WWI info, we didn’t have any of that. We’ll look at that more closely.

LdZ
DGS

[Franek Grabowski]

Thanks Doug and Larry
According to www.theaerodrome.com site Seywald served with FA 18, FA 274 and Jasta 23. He commanded the latter on 2 Jun 1918 - 29 Jun 1918 (wounded) and again 19 Jul 1918 - 11 Nov 1918. With the unit he achieved the following victories.
23 May 1918 A.W.F.K.8 NW of La Bassée
28 Jul 1918 D.H.9 Thelus
30 Jul 1918 R.E.8 Engelbelmer
27 Aug 1918 R.E.8 Mercatel
15 Sep 1918 Sopwith Camel Marquette
16 Sep 1918 D.H.4 W of Cantin
His photo.
http://books.google.pl/books?id=5qt5...m=10&ct=result
It is interesting to note two interesting events in his career. The first is his removal of command of KG 77. No doubt he was relieved of his duty due to some reason, as it happened in the middle of the Polish Campaign, and he spend the following month pending an assignment. According to Spick, this was due to his refusal of attacks on civilian targets, but I have also seen suggestions it was due to his incompetent command. The second is when he was retired, and then recalled back to the service in 1945. Rather weird, is not it?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Franek

You are pointing at a highly interesting judgement of an individual!Depending on what kind of person you are and under what jurisdiction you serve the human consideration and national demand just might come out to judge a man in two opposite directions...

To show humanity in war is always considered rather suspect at the time but highly human after a conflict has ended. It is so today and was so yesterday and will probably be so tomorrow as well....

B Rgds
Stig

[Franek Grabowski]

Well, I am not judging anything, I am trying to verify the story. You are right that chivalry becomes valuable in the peacetime, and usually the people honoured are not the ones, who deserved. I would say that refusal of orders and selecting targets on his own were quite unusual actions to be taken by a rather high ranked commander (if true). Hence my interest.
It seems Mike Spick had a detailed source of information, anybody is in touch with him?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Well Franek

I am not implying that you are judging anything. I am just saying you are pointing at or put the finger on, if you prefer that, an interesting subject and how one fact under a specific jurisdiction can be classified as one thing and under a totally different set of rules basically be seen as a complete opposite...

Cheers
Stig

[Franek Grabowski]

No, it is just your overinterpretation in an attempt to nit-pick. I am not deviating from my opinions. Actually, if the story is true, it would be exceptional. Spick, who described the story in some detail, noted that it was quite unusual. It is important to note that the story seems not to originate from Seywald himself, quite contrary to several ridiculous ones that appeared in post-war years thanks to reputed participants. Thus said, I stand by my comments on 'chivalry in the air' or some other notable Luftwaffe figures.