Rudolf Aziones

Rudolf Aziones
Born	(1910-03-14)14 March 1910 Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina
Died	27 June 1963(1963-06-27) (aged 53) Luganville, Tanoa
Era	Vader Era Middenvader Era Vriend Era
Known for	Nakoriva massacre
Commander of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa
In office 3 August 1958 – 27 June 1963
Preceded by	Héctor Germán Reinoso
Succeeded by	Federico Augusto Villalba
Military career
Allegiance	Tanoa Einsatzgruppen
Branch	Allgemeine SS
Service years	1944–1963
Rank	SS-Gruppenführer
Commands	SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa

Rudolf Aziones (14 March 1910 – 27 June 1963) was an Argentine Allgemeine SS officer and mass murderer who commanded SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa from 3 August 1958 until his assassination in 1963. A member of Jan Paap's original 1944 expedition from Argentina, Aziones spent his SS career in eastern Tanoa. On 17 April 1955, he ordered the Nakoriva massacre, in which all 162 inhabitants of the village were killed. He personally participated in the execution of survivors, including women and children.

Allgemeine SS career

Aziones was born on 14 March 1910 in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. In 1944, he worked in Jan Paap's personal security while Paap recruited followers in Rada Tilly. He joined the approximately 3,400-member expedition organized in Argentina and reached Tanoa with the expedition on 9 August 1944.

After the Allgemeine SS was established during the consolidation of Tanoan control, Aziones entered the organization with the rank of SS-Obersturmführer. He was posted to eastern Tanoa as SS-Sicherheitsführer Osttanoa, where he directed armed searches and arrests against resistance groups. When SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa was formally established on 1 November 1944 under Héctor Germán Reinoso, Aziones remained within its territorial command and later moved into regional administration.

On 17 April 1955, Aziones ordered SS forces to surround the ancient village of Nakoriva after its inhabitants refused to recognize the authority of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen. He ordered the village burned and prevented its inhabitants from leaving. Aziones remained at the site and personally participated in the execution of inhabitants who survived the fires. All 162 inhabitants were killed.

On 1 July 1955, Aziones was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer and appointed deputy commander of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa under Reinoso. On 3 August 1958, Reinoso left the eastern command after being promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer and appointed Chef des Stabes der Reichsführung-SS in Georgetown. Aziones was promoted to SS-Gruppenführer on the same date and succeeded Reinoso as commander of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa. The rank of SS-Gruppenführer was used for senior officers responsible for regional commands.

Aziones commanded the eastern SS district for the next five years. His authority covered the Allgemeine SS territorial structure in eastern Tanoa, including the subordinate SS district commands and their security forces.

Assassination

On 27 June 1963, Aziones was returning from an inspection at Luganville when eastern Tanoan resistance fighters ambushed his convoy on the east coast road west of the village. An explosive destroyed the lead vehicle before resistance fighters opened fire on the remaining convoy. Aziones was killed inside his staff car at the age of 53.

His assassination occurred during the native resistance campaign in eastern Tanoa. His death prompted Jan Paap to expand the deployment of the Dinosaurier-Truppen against the resistance. SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa remained without a permanent commander for one week. On 4 July 1963, Federico Augusto Villalba succeeded Aziones as commander.

See also

• Nakoriva massacre
• SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa
• Resistance against the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen
• Ranks of the Allgemeine SS of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen