16-312 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

1. A German Wehrmacht POW points out an SS trooper to members of the 3rd US Army as one who shot and killed American POWs at the Malmedy massacre in Belgium on 17 December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. Near Passau, Lower Bavaria, Germany. 7 May 1945.



aerial photo of the Baugnez, Belgium crossroads with some labels. The blue line shows the route of the U.S. convoy. The green lines show the attack route of the German’s Kampfgruppe Peiper (part of the 1st SS Panzer Division). The red rectangle is field where United States’ Prisoners of War were assembled and executed.

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[Mark in Rochester]

[Paul S.]

From what little I've read of the German side of the war, the Wehrmacht had no love for anybody or anything SS. Is that correct?

[matthanne1]

Mixed bag. From those WH vets I had the chance to talk to when I was stationed in Berlin in mid 80s, one revered them as heroic, willing to lose their lives for Germany, a few thought that they were crazy enough to get you killed (rule 10 of combat, never share a foxhole with someone braver than yourself), ie too young and idealistic (one said if they ahd a girl or wife at home they would be a lot calmer), and two more wished that a few more of them had given their lives for Germany. Guy Sajer (The Forgotten Soldier author) did not seem to think badly of them. All the vets said that they were treated as lesser people by SS members.

[CINDERS]

In the book Devils Guard By Robert Elford the SS gave the VC a dose of their own tactics and then some...... coming straight from the Russian front they signed up in the legion and were shipped there to sort them out and by all accounts did very well including a swaray into Cambodia. The French had tried and failed miserably with their conventional warfare tactics.

[Bob Seijas]

Guy Sajer (The Forgotten Soldier author) I loved that book.