The massacre was committed on december 17, 1944, by members of kampfgruppe peiper part of the 1st ss panzer division, a german combat unit, during the battle of the bulge. Honestly, there were more worse massacres committed by us g. Albert doyles own investigations into the dachau massacre and visit the site put up about sgt. And sang for a little while after the doors closed. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more. The shooting of captured ss men during the liberation of dachau. Dachau trial, dachau, germany, 1946 malmedy massacre investigation. The movie shutter island, based on a 2003 novel by dennis lehane, opened in american theaters on february 19, 2010. However, when reports from the initial investigation were made public in 1991, it came to light that beuchners account did not match the sworn testimony he gave. World war ii war crimes records national archives collection of world war ii war crimes records record groups 153, 238 and 549 the united states conducted war crimes trials in europe under three jurisdictions. Us army vet recalls horrors of dachau concentration camp. Concentration camp dachau, 19331945 is well put together. John lindens book about his fathers actions on april 29, 1945 is in many ways an attempt to smear sparks account of the liberation and warcrimes investigation and exonerate the charges that his father strayed into the 45th divisions ao area of operations, which included dachau in order to get the glory of liberating dachau and. The dachau massacre occurred in the area of the dachau concentration camp, near dachau, germany, on april 29, 1945, during world war ii.
The collection contains case files, memoranda, photographs, scrapbooks, books, and other materials relating to v. Shortly after the defense counsel began to work on the case at dachau, they prepared a questionnaire for distribution to the accused. During the dachau liberation reprisals, german prisoners of war were killed by u. In major conflicts, all laws of war go out the window and the war becomes a matter of kill or be killed. In lehanes novel, there is a one paragraph flashback scene which briefly describes the liberation of the dachau concentration camp on april 29, 1945.
In addition, mcmanus details the dark byproduct of dachaus liberation the reprisal killing of captured guards that could have unraveled allied. The museums collections document the fate of holocaust victims, survivors, rescuers, liberators, and others through artifacts, documents, photos, films, books, personal stories, and more. The most controversial of the dachau proceedings, and the one that is still discussed to this day, is the infamous malmedy massacre case against the waffenss soldiers who were accused of the murder of american prisoners of war and belgian civilians during. In lewis blacks first book, nothings sacred, he mentions visiting the camp as part of his tour of europe and how it. The dachau massacre otherwise known as the dachau liberation reprisals obviously does not rival the holocaust, but it is an event which is not widely known. Lindens book the surrender of dachau 29 april 1945.
The investigation of alleged mistreatment of german guards at dachau as it was called produced documents that were marked secret. It was used as a training center for ss guards and was a model for other concentration camps the camp was about 300 m. In the book, buechners states that there were only 19 american soldiers who witnessed the dachau massacre, and at the time of the book s publishing, only three were certain to be alive. Remy is hardly the first historian to write about the malmedy affair. Ir concerns the copies of an investigation by the assistant inspecror general of the 7th army. On this date in 1945, american troops liberated the dachau concentration camp in upper bavaria and then proceeded to summarily execute a number of its ss personnel.
Feb 10, 2010 the movie shutter island, based on a 2003 novel by dennis lehane, opened in american theaters on february 19, 2010. The hour of the avenger, a memoir and investigation by howard buechner. The malmedy massacre was a war crime committed by members of kampfgruppe peiper part of the 1st ss panzer division, a german combat unit led by joachim peiper, at baugnez crossroads near malmedy, belgium, on december 17, 1944, during the battle of the bulge. See other formats execution murder of ss soldiers prisoners at dachau the killing of unarmed pows did not trouble many of the men in i company that day for to them the ss guards did not deserve the same protected status as enemy soldiers who have been captured after a valiant fight.
Lehane wrote that 500 krauts german soldiers were killed by the american liberators. The prisoners of dachau concentration camp originally were to serve as forced labor for a munition factory, and to expand the camp. For further photographs of what they call the excecutions at dachau, visit the us holocaust memorial museum website. If you are going to act like a savage animal, you will be treated like a savage animal. An investigation conducted between may 3 and may 8, 1945 by lt. The book describes how colonel felix sparks of the 45th infantry was walking through. Thus its postwar history is an illuminating case study of the contested process by. For a truly reliable account, i would point you to the ig report, aka the investigation of alleged mistreatment of german guards at dachau there was certainly a massacre, but he wrote this book in 1980 when only 3 of the original liberators remained alive to contradict him. These young americans gathered evidence, interviewed witnesses.
He carried out an investigation and concluded that walsh had. Eisenhower worried might erode americas moral authority to prosecute the. I personally support the continual search for exnazis around the world that. Nazi ss guards being tortured in dachau witnessed by american. At dachau us soldiers shocked by holocaust executed captured nazi troops after liberating death camp. The first official concentration camp in nazi germany opened its gates to. Skodzensky is the name journalist and former dachau inmate nerin gun made up for his book the day of the americans. It was the foregoing incident which has given rise to wild claims in various publications that most or all of the german prisoners captured at dachau were executed. The last hours of dachau is embellised so much as to practically be fiction. The main dachau camp was surrendered, on april 29, 1945, to brigadier general henning linden of the 42nd rainbow division, by ss 2nd lt. In the 1930s, ss leader heinrich himmler conceived dachau as the model example for the nazis network of labor and death camps throughout europe.
Shutter island scene shows dachau massacre scrapbookpages blog. Dachau concentration camp was the first of the nazi concentration camps opened in 1933. The dachau massacre of concentration camp guards after liberation. Full text of british murders of ss soldiers at dachau unremembered holocaust. It was marked secret, but the contents were later revealed to the public in 1991. This latter claim of his is questionable at best considering he did not witness the event. I cant give it a rating although it contains a history of concentration camps in general and dachau specifically, including many photographs, letters, documentation throughout the camps twelve year existence. In the event of the dachau massacre, it is impossible to feel sympathy for the ss, and quite frankly, i believe they deserved it. The camp was located in a disused munitions factory in dachau, just outside munich.
Malmedy massacre investigation, report of subcommittee of the. Hans linberger was a waffenss soldier who had been wounded in battle on the eastern front and, after a long hospital stay, had arrived at the dachau ss garrison on march 9, 1945 as a member of a reserve company. American doctors firsthand account of how he saw dachau s ss guards being tortured and shot dead by gis in cold blood because they so had it coming. Hans linberger survived the dachau massacre previous. Bought this book at dachau in 1985 when we visited. Execution of ss soldiers at dachau the killing of unarmed pows did not trouble many of the men in i company that day for to them the ss guards did not deserve the same protected status as enemy soldiers who have been captured after a valiant fight.
Army 7708 war crimes group investigated atrocities committed in germany and nazioccupied europe during world war ii. The library of congress through the federal research division provides customized research and analytical services on foreign and domestic topics to united states government and district of columbia agencies on a costrecovery basis. But i had beuchners book and comments from a few vets and i knew there had been an ig investigation of the events at dachau. Thus its postwar history is an illuminating case study of the contested process by which past events. Dachau and the ss studies the concentration camp guards at dachau, the first concentration. The highestranking defendant was the former waffenss general sepp dietrich. Heinrich wicker, who is the second man from the right in the first photo above. None of the historians or archivists at the national archives had ever seen or heard of the dachau ig report. Massacre of ss guards at dachau page 15 axis history forum.
Steven p remy in the opening days of the battle of the bulge, members of a waffen ss division executed 84 american prisoners of war near the belgian town of malmedy the deadliest incident of. The uses and abuses of a concentration camp, 19332001 9780521064484. Army medical officer with 3rd battalion, 157th infantry, to whitaker on 5 may 1945 did not contradict the sparks account. Enraged american soldiers executed 50 nazis at dachau daily mail. Holocaust survivors and victims database dachau names lists. The most controversial of the dachau proceedings, and the one that is still discussed to this day, is the infamous malmedy massacre case against the waffenss soldiers who were accused of the murder of american prisoners of war and belgian civilians during the intense fighting of the battle of the bulge. This well illustrated 175page softcover book is available from thunderbird press.
The uses and abuses of a concentration camp, 19332001. New book about felix sparks gives a new perspective on the liberation of dachau and the dachau massacre filed under. In this book, buechner stated that us forces had killed 520 german soldiers, including 346 more under the. Us army photograph, april 29, 1945note 1 the dachau massacre occurred in the area of the dachau concentration camp, near dachau, germany, on april 29, 1945, during world war ii. A report on the investigation of alleged mistreatment of german guards at dachau was filed on june 8, 1945.
Massacre of ss guards at dachau axis history forum. American massacre gives motivation to analyze information and is also useful when criticizing plots. It is one of the first books to develop an overarching interpretation of west. In his 1989 account of the liberation of dachau, sparks wrote the following regarding the number of ss soldiers who were killed in the dachau massacre. The virgil hoyt mcclintock papers were a gift from dr.
Reel 10 consists solely of hand written ledger book lists of arrivals at dachau from 19331940. Following the liberation of dachau concentration camp, american troops felt. Contains mostly nonjewish but also jewish prisoners held in dachau from 19331945. It is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory southeast of the medieval town of dachau, about 16 km 10 mi northwest of munich in the state of bavaria, in southern germany. Dec 30, 2012 later however, buechner wrote a book titled dachau. It is unclear how many ss members were killed in the incident but most estimates place the number killed at around 3550. Initially supportive of the investigation, wintersberger became reluctant to submit the resulting indictment to the. The dachau massacre of concentration camp guards after. Soldiers spoke under sworn testimony and in the aftermath were inclined to speak little more of whatever happened at the dachau concentration camp after it was liberated. Steven p remy in the opening days of the battle of the bulge, members of a waffen ss division executed 84 american prisoners of war near the belgian town of malmedy the deadliest incident of its kind involving.
New book about felix sparks gives a new perspective on the. If you ever have the opportunity to discuss the book with others, you will be able to clearly tell their views, as you have taken the. The dachau liberation reprisals were a series of killings of german camp guards and german prisoners of war from the dachau concentration camp on april 29, 1945, during world war ii. Probably the most thoughtful and detailed account of the liberation day massacre of german camp personnel is dachau. Dachau was a nazi concentration camp located in bavaria in southern germany. You may wish to ask factual questions about dachau liberation reprisalsarchive 1 at the reference desk, discuss relevant wikipedia policy at the village pump, or ask for help at the help desk. However, when reports from the initial investigation were made public in 1991, it came to light that beuchners account did not match the sworn. List of books and articles about dachau online research. After an investigation by the us army resulted in the court martial of the soldiers involved in these killings, general george s. Mar 01, 2018 the investigation of alleged mistreatment of german guards at dachau as it was called produced documents that were marked secret. An investigation was conducted by the us army between may 3 and may 8, 1945. Report, concluded that the total number of ss men killed on april 29, 1945 at dachau was somewhere between 50 and 60, including the ss soldiers killed after they surrendered at tower b, shown in the photo above. Valentines day massacre machinegunning were previously wounded and exhausted veterans from the eastern front. Please limit discussion to improvement of this article.
American doctors firsthand account of how he saw dachaus ss guards being tortured and shot dead by gis in cold blood because they so had it coming. Posts about dachau massacre written by furtherglory. Seventh army allegedly wounded and killed german prisoners of war. Nov 26, 2006 4 the 560 ss troops at dachau is first mentioned in nerin guns 1966 book the day of the americans. The malmedy massacre was a war crime in which 80 american prisoners of war were murdered by their german captors during world war ii. Nazi ss guards being tortured in dachau witnessed by. Buechner mentioned the malmedy massacre war crimes trial conducted by an american military tribunal at dachau. Full text of british murders of ss soldiers at dachau.
After some weeks of investigation, he launched a formal prosecution of the. Patton tore up the papers and tossed them in the wastebasket. On this date in 1945, american troops liberated the dachau concentration camp in upper bavaria and then proceeded to summarily execute a number of its ss personnel the dachau massacre involves several distinct incidents of wantonly killing defenseless pows by american troops, who may. Hearings before a subcommittee of the committee on armed services, united states senate, eightyfirst congress, first session, pursuant to s. In this book, buechner stated that us forces had killed 520 german soldiers, including 346 more under the command of 1st lt.
Andrew mollo used this book and this number in his 1980 after the battle article about the liberation, which buechner used in his 1986 book the hour of the avenger 5 guns book however, is not 100% accurate. Guns creative license has caused a lot of historical headaches. They could not have fathomed that they would soon find themselves at the center of a us army investigation into a massacre of german soldiers that general dwight d. Seventh army, american soldiers wounded and killed german camp guards and german prisoners of war. Search below to view digital records and find material that you can access at our library and at the shapell center.
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