Army Plot Against Hitler Remembered

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 18

Army Plot Against Hitler Remembered

(N.ZJ’.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BONN, July 20. Official ceremonies will be held in West Germany this week to honour the conspirators who died after the failure of their plot against Adolf Hitler’s life 20 years ago. . It was on July 20, 1944, that a young army officer, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, planted a time bomb in a briefcase in the conference room of Hitler’s east Prussian command post.

The explosion injured Hitler only slightly but killed three others and badly wounded many of his companions.

Stauffenberg was already flying back to Berlin. Other, plotters there took over an army headquarters and issued proclamations announcing the overthrow of the dictator. ••

The coup was bungled. Troops and S.S. men loyal to Hitler recaptured the headquarters.

The Gestapo arrested and tortured thousands of innocent and guilty alike. Those who did not And death by suicide or firing squad were subjected to mockeries of trials and finally strangled by piano wire strung from meathooks.

Their last agonies were filmed by the Nazis.

The conspirators, acting from a variety .of motives, came from many sections of society, and represented different resistance groups, including- soldiers, politicians, trade unionists, students and churchmen. .

Symbolic figures from each group are’ represented on a

set of eight stamps which will go on sale on July 20 to commemorate their attempt.