In the faded splendour of the old Venetian court house on the Grand Canal in Venice, the powerfully built figure of Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring stood ready to open his defence against accusations of committing war crimes. On this, the twelfth day of a trial that was to drag on for fifty-nine days (with Kesselring in the witness stand for twelve of them), the British major-general and five lieutenant-colonels who comprised the court were to hear, for the first time, from the formidable fighting man who was before them on trial for his life, accused of responsibility for the death of some 1,400 Italians. His defence lawyer, Dr Hans Laternser, a veteran of many War Tribunals who had but recently defended the German General Staff in the Nürnberg Trials, rose to begin the examination of the famous German soldier who, deprived of his martial dignity by the obligation to wear civilian dress, could call now on force of character and clear expression alone to make an impression.

'When were you born?'

'On 30th November, 1885,' came the reply in the crisp, rapid-fire German that was, at certain periods in the trial, to cause difficulties for court and interpreters who found it hard to keep pace with a man whose speed of thought was quicker than his interlocutors'.

'Would you give us a short description of your career?'

A slight pause for translation and then the court heard a record of service such as no other commander in the Second World War had surpassed or equalled.

Kesselring: 'Leutnant in the Artillery, 1904; in the First World War at troop service and General Staff. After the World War 1918/1919 first General Staff Officer at the HQ at Nürnberg and fighting against the revolution ...' The staccato relation of his achievements hushed the court room. Interspersed with the interpreters' explanations they moved to a culminating announcement, '1940 promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall. From my position at Moscow [sic] where I had my last position I was transferred to the South of Italy.'

The President: 'What year was that?'

Kesselring: 'November 1941.'

Dr Laternser: 'What are your decorations?'

Kesselring: 'Ritterkreuz with swords and brilliants and diamonds and verdienst kreuz for personal services, for merit as an officer and also personal courage. Flugzeng führer pilot decoration as an officer serving as a pilot; class 4 front fighting for front flying and for 200 operations.' (He did not bother to mention the four awards he had won between 1914 and 1918.)

Dr Laternser: 'Have you been shot down?'

Kesselring: 'Several times.'

Dr Laternser: 'How often were you shot down?'

Kesselring: 'Five times.'

And now the story behind these achievements unfolded and with it the bizarre reasons for his appearance on a criminal charge arraigned by enemies who had already encompassed his defeat in the field along with that of his country. But if those past enemies were under any illusions that the prisoner at the bar was to plead merely for his personal safety and honour they were sadly mistaken. Albert Kesselring, having lost his last physical battle, was set upon winning a final moral victory for the sake of his country and also for the Wehrmacht he had helped design and which he had served so loyally for so much of his career.

...

Kesselring: Table of Content

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