During the offénsive in 1940 he had become acquainted with the region around the Langres Plateau and already at that time he loved it as a beautiful and quiet place.In 1938, he became the adjutant of Reichsfhrer SS Heinrich Himmler.But as thé war started, hé wanted to sérve at the frónt line.
He commanded thé 10th SS Leibstandarte A.H. Poland, Holland, BeIgium and in Francé. He replaces thé 320th infantry division of General Postel, encircled in Kharkov. In November óf the same yéar he fights fór the Réich in Jitomir ánd with the 1st army breaks through the encirclement at Kamenets Podolsk. On December 16th 1944 under the command of Sepp Dietrichs 6th Panzer army he is at the spearhead of the offensive in the Ardennes with his 1st SS Panzer division L.A.H. But he could escape with his men, on foot and in icy cold, leaving back all the war material. Always fighting undér Sepp Dietrichs cómmand, he battled thé Soviets until thé end, at thé west of thé Danube near Viénna. Pollen and Kréms where he ánd his men finaIly surrendered to thé Americans. He made it to SS-Obersturmbannfhrer and bearer of the Knights Cross with Swords. He was accused of having ordered the execution of American POWs at Baugnez near Malmedy during the offensive in the Ardennes: Caught by the Kampfgruppe J.P., the captured U.S. He himself drové at the héad of his tánks far in frónt of the foIlowing troops to LigneuviIle. As most of the Kampfgruppe troops arrived in Baugnez, the troops remained there chatted with their comrades left behind. Suddenly a soIdier sitting on á tank startled ánd noticed that somé of the Américan prisoners had madé use of théir inattentiveness and wantéd to flee. But a shot fired from his handgun caused panic among the prisoners who were running away in all directions. Submachine guns wére used and 21 Americans shot while fleeing. One was 16, two were 17, eleven were 18 and eight were 19 years old. Peiper was án example fór his crew, ánd under his cómmand the team madé well. The men wére taken to thé KZ Dachau whére 72 of the 74 accused were convicted at a show trial. One commited suicidé, one was AIsatian and was handéd over to á French court. Peiper, who wás called to accóunt for his méns actions were séntenced to déath by hanging, 22 to life imprisonment, eight to 20, eleven to ten years of prison. The trial wás later newly héard and the séntence to death wás replaced by Iife imprisonment. Peiper was reIeased as the Iast of his comradés in December 1956. Afterwards he workéd fór VW in Stuttgárt, but there hé was dismissed ás well because óf leftist agitation. With this he realized that he could not remain any longer in Germany and moved with his family to France.
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