Héctor Germán Reinoso

Héctor Germán Reinoso
Born	(1902-09-09)9 September 1902 Rosario, Argentina
Died	21 November 2008(2008-11-21) (aged 106) Georgetown, Tanoa
Allegiance	Argentina  Tanoa Einsatzgruppen
Branch	Argentine Army Allgemeine SS
Rank	Lieutenant colonel (Argentine Army) SS-Obergruppenführer
Commands	SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa (1944–1958)

Héctor Germán Reinoso (9 September 1902 – 21 November 2008) was an Argentine military officer and senior Allgemeine SS commander. A member of Jan Paap's original 1944 expedition from Argentina, he became the founding commander of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa on 1 November 1944 and remained in command until 3 August 1958. He then transferred to Georgetown as Chef des Stabes der Reichsführung-SS, serving as Chief of Staff until his retirement on 18 December 1973.

Reinoso directed forced removals and detention of Indigenous Tanoans while commanding Osttanoa. In 1948, he issued standing regional orders that authorized organized executions of selected Indigenous communities. As Chief of Staff, he coordinated the regional SS commands and later proposed a coordinated extermination programme targeting Indigenous Tanoans and Black Africans.

Early life and Argentine Army service

Reinoso was born on 9 September 1902 in Rosario, Argentina. He entered the Argentine Army and served as a career infantry officer. By 1944, he held the rank of lieutenant colonel.

During Jan Paap's recruitment campaign in Argentina, Reinoso joined the approximately 3,400-member expedition assembled for the voyage to Tanoa. The expedition reached Tanoa on 9 August 1944.

Allgemeine SS career

After the establishment of the Allgemeine SS in Tanoa, Reinoso entered the organization with the rank of SS-Standartenführer. His previous military service and senior rank in the Argentine Army preceded his immediate appointment to regional command.

SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa

SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa was formally established on 1 November 1944 with its headquarters at Luganville. Reinoso became its first commander and held authority over the Allgemeine SS territorial structure in eastern Tanoa.

During his command, Reinoso established the regional administrative structure while directing increasingly severe policies against Indigenous communities. Forced removals and detention were carried out under his authority. In 1948, he issued standing orders authorizing organized executions of selected communities. Local SS commanders could carry out executions under these rules without obtaining Reinoso's approval for each individual action.

Reinoso was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer in 1953. On 1 July 1955, Rudolf Aziones was appointed his deputy commander. Aziones remained Reinoso's deputy until 3 August 1958, when Reinoso left Osttanoa. Reinoso was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer and transferred to Georgetown as Chef des Stabes der Reichsführung-SS. Aziones succeeded him as commander of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa.

Chief of Staff

Reinoso succeeded Carlos Federico Almirón as Chef des Stabes der Reichsführung-SS on 3 August 1958. His principal responsibility was coordination between the central Allgemeine SS headquarters in Georgetown and the regional SS commands. Reports from the SS-Oberabschnitte passed through the central hierarchy, while Reinoso prepared and transmitted directives to their commanders.

Reinoso held racist views toward Indigenous Tanoans and Black Africans. He initially continued the removal and detention policies that he had used in Osttanoa. In 1968, he presented a coordinated extermination programme at a Reichsführung-SS staff conference in Georgetown. The proposal called for broader killing operations against Indigenous Tanoans and Black Africans. Jose Alem, then Reichsführer-SS, formally approved the programme, after which Reinoso prepared directives for transmission to the regional SS commands.

Reinoso continued directing the programme for the remainder of his tenure. Former SS personnel later testified during proceedings of the Georgetown Tribunal that he frequently became enraged when Indigenous Tanoans were discussed during staff meetings. Witnesses described him raising his voice and entering prolonged angry outbursts during such discussions.

In 1968, Reinoso selected Miguel Federico Hartmann, a young Georgetown-born SS officer, for service on the central staff. Hartmann advanced rapidly under Reinoso and became Deputy Chief of Staff in 1971. Reinoso remained Chief of Staff until 18 December 1973, when he retired. Hartmann succeeded him on the same date.

Later life and death

After leaving the Reichsführung-SS, Reinoso remained in Georgetown and lived there in retirement. He died in Georgetown on 21 November 2008 at the age of 106.

Reinoso's command record was examined after the collapse of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen. During Georgetown Tribunal proceedings in 2025, testimony by former SS personnel described his conduct in senior staff meetings and his role in the racial policies administered through the Reichsführung-SS.

See also

• SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa
• Rudolf Aziones
• Allgemeine SS
• Georgetown Tribunal
• Ranks of the Allgemeine SS of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen