Photos of Allied War Crimes????

Marcus_Sweden · Post by **Marcus_Sweden** » 19 Jan 2003 01:20

anyone have pictures of Allied Crimes against axis service men and civilians? tyey seem to be rather scarce??

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 19 Jan 2003 17:20

There is a series by a US War Correspondent showing a group of SS men (40 or more) being machine gunned at or near Dachau and there are some of the Webling incident, I'll try to find the details for you. Try back here in ab out 24 hours.

cheers
Pete

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 19 Jan 2003 19:43

Well, there was the machinegunning of some concentration Camp guardsand personnel in Dachau by U.S. troops. I think the official figure was 17 killed, and in another incident perhaps 11 more.

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 19 Jan 2003 20:15

Thats one of the series Dan, as it turned out the Camp guards had run and the men shot were Waffen SS recruits from the base at Dachau, not the camp.

I have the name of the officer and details somewhere, I'll post them tomorrow.
cheers
Pete

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 19 Jan 2003 20:39

Photos of that incident can be found at http://www.ushmm.org

On April 29, 1945 members of the 1st Company, 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry, under the command of Lt. Col. Felix L. Sparks, entered Dachau. There they discovered a train of 36 boxcars bearing the corpses of prisoners who had been transferred to Dachau from other camps in the last weeks of the war. As the soldiers advanced, they found stacks of bodies in other parts of the camp and thousands of emaciated survivors. They rounded-up the remaining camp guards as they found them. At some point, it was reported, one of the Gis blurted out, "No prisoners!" Approximately 60 guards were then lined up against a wall and gunned down by members of the 1st Company. Others were shot in one of the boxcars or beaten to death outside with the participation of a few survivors. Pfc. John Lee and others from the unit were later summoned by military investigators to give testimony about the killings and to supply photographs. A report was written and submitted to General George Patton, commander of the 3rd Army, who chose not to take any action. The report, a copy of which was deposited in the National Archives, remained secret until 1991, when it was quietly declassified.

/Marcus

Marcus_Sweden · Post by **Marcus_Sweden** » 19 Jan 2003 23:49

Thanks for you help guys!

I'm checking out that link now

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 20 Jan 2003 00:35

Here is yet another link to Dachau specifically:

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/pack ... ideo.shtml

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 20 Jan 2003 16:42

The series of US Official photos showing this incident below (at Webling, April 1945) centre around picture SC271391 (US Official) by T/5 JW Bowen USArmy and SC207127 (the latter clearly showing the body of von Truchsess.

First to surrender was a former cavalry officer, SS-Hstuf Veit Heinrich Freiherr von Truchsess, (born 6 Apl 1902 in Saarburg) of SS-Flak Abt 9 heading a detachment of seventeen men.The officer was immediately struck with a trenching tool splitting his head open. The other seventeen were lined up in the farmyard and shot. On a slight rise behind the hamlet, another group of eight SS were shot.

cheers
Pete

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 20 Jan 2003 17:48

The Dachau incident was perpetrated by soldiers of 157 Infantry and it is supported by Official US photos in the sequence around SC208765 (taken on 29.4.45 by T/4 Arland B Musser). Apparently the SS soldiers under SS-Ostuf Heinrich Skodensky surrendered and were lined up against a wall and shot. A witness was Colonel Howard A Buechner the MO of 3rd Battalion of 157th. He wrote about it in his book – Dachau the hour of the Avenger (Thunderbird Press, Metairie, Louisiana). He confirms the incident, provides a plan of the massacre (with 59 dead indicated by X marks) and names the killer as Lieut. Jack Busheyhead (Exec Officer, 3rd Bn). Apparently charges were made by the Divisional Commander but Patton had them suppressed and relevant records destroyed). The number reported killed does vary, Buechner was there though. A memorial now on the spot states 43 were shot after laying down their arms.

Pete

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 20 Jan 2003 23:20

Iltis wrote:The Dachau incident was perpetrated by soldiers of 157 Infantry and it is supported by Official US photos in the sequence around SC208765 (taken on 29.4.45 by T/4 Arland B Musser). Apparently the SS soldiers under SS-Ostuf Heinrich Skodensky surrendered and were lined up against a wall and shot. A witness was Colonel Howard A Buechner the MO of 3rd Battalion of 157th. He wrote about it in his book – Dachau the hour of the Avenger (Thunderbird Press, Metairie, Louisiana). He confirms the incident, provides a plan of the massacre (with 59 dead indicated by X marks) and names the killer as Lieut. Jack Busheyhead (Exec Officer, 3rd Bn). Apparently charges were made by the Divisional Commander but Patton had them suppressed and relevant records destroyed). The number reported killed does vary, Buechner was there though. A memorial now on the spot states 43 were shot after laying down their arms.

Pete

It is important to know that Howard A. Buechner has been discredited by most everyone who was there, and many state that his claims are an exaggeration.

"Dachau, Hour of the Avenger" has been called historical fiction

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 20 Jan 2003 23:25

Dan -- Can you give us any links or sources on the Buechner controversy?

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 21 Jan 2003 00:44

David Thompson wrote:Dan -- Can you give us any links or sources on the Buechner controversy?

Yes, I'll try to find the same information I read a year or so ago.

Regards
--D.W.

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 21 Jan 2003 01:01

Dan -- Thanks! I know (from first hand experience) that it's a pain to keep track of that stuff, but everybody benefits.

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 21 Jan 2003 01:08

Here is why Buechner's retelling of the Dachau war crime is doubted. From what I previouslyt read about his book "Hour of the Avenger" is that he made the following claims:

I STRONGLY recommend that you read "Dachau: The Hour of the Avenger" by Col. Howard A. Buechner Medical Corps A.U.S. Ret. on this topic.

According to that volume, "12 or 15 SS guards ... had been lined up and shot in front of a large machine shop." This account sounds close to the one that you quote above. However, there were numerous additional shootings of Dachau guards. Buechner documents 122 Killed on the spot, 40 Killed by camp inmates, 12 Machine gunned by "Birdeye", 346 Machine-gunned by Lt. Bushyhead. 520 is the total thus executed.

Note that this volume was written as a first hand account. In addition there was a television documentary detailing similar figures presented in this book. I think the suggestion that the German soldiers merely dropped to the ground is both false and naive. There is a later photograph of two inmates preparing to kill a fallen SS guard with a shovel. In the background one can see the rows of machine gunned guards. This is reproduced on p.114 of Buechner's book.

That is what I had read about Buechners claims in his book, and why many doubt it. 520 executed is a greatly exaggerated figure.

If anyone is interested, here is a link to the official U.S. Army investigation into this incident. It is 120 pages.

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/pack ... ideo.shtml

(Click on the left column "Transcript of Army investigation")

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 21 Jan 2003 01:11

Excellent! Thanks, Dan!