Heydrich Was Murdered by Karl Gebhard

On May 27, 1942, Heydrich planned to meet Hitler in Berlin for reasons yet unknown (transfer to France seems unlikely). To get from his home to the air field, Heydrich would have to pass a section which was well suited for the attack because motorists have to slow for a hairpin bend.

As Heydrich’s convertible car slowed (the top was lowered due to warm weather), one of the British assassins took aim with a Sten submachine gun, but it jammed and failed to fire. Heydrich ordered his driver, Klein, to halt and attempted to confront the killer rather than speed away.

The second assassin, who had not been spotted by Heydrich or Klein, threw a converted anti-tank mine at the car as it stopped. It landed against the rear wheel. The explosion ripped through the rear fender and wounded Heydrich causing serious damage to his left side: he suffered major injuries to his diaphragm, spleen, and one lung, as well as a broken rib.

A Czech woman went to Heydrich’s aid and flagged down a delivery van. He was placed on his stomach in the back of the van and taken to the emergency room at Bulovka Hospital.

A splenectomy was performed and the chest wound, left lung, and diaphragm were all debrided. Himmler ordered his physician Karl Gebhardt to fly to Prague to assume care. Despite a fever, Heydrich’s recovery appeared to progress well.

Hitler’s personal doctor Theodor Morell suggested the use of the new antibacterial drug sulfonamide, but Gebhardt thought that Heydrich would recover and declined the suggestion. It was a deadly mistake. On June 3, Heydrich fell into a coma; he died the following day. An autopsy concluded that he died of sepsis. He was just 38.

Gebhardt served as Chief Surgeon of the Staff of the Reich during World War II; consequently, it is highly unlikely that this decision was a “honest mistake” due to incompetence (besides, every doctor always chooses the “side of caution”).

Hence, it is practically certain that Gebhardt murdered Heydrich on Himmler’s orders. The existential question is: what was Himmler’s motive? It appears that Himmler wanted to do away with Hitler (using German Resistance as pawns), take over Germany and transform it into SS-Staat… and Heydrich stood in the way.

This theory is supported by the fact that Gebhardt was not punished for his deadly error: he continued to serve in all his positions and was even promoted to SS- Gruppenf;hrer. He was executed for war crimes by the Allies on August 20, 1947.