#14
Post
by Juha Hujanen » 26 Oct 2003, 18:01
Warcrime against 116.Panzer Division by US 95.Infantry Division in Budberg 8th April 45.Story told by 17-year old Friedrich Schmidthausen from 116.Panzer:
In early morning hours on 8 April,during an American surprise attack,we were taken prisoner.Besides me,there were 7 members of the 116th Panzer Division,including the already severy wounted Hauptmann Gerling (CO of I/156 Pz.Gren.Rgt).
A few minutes after we were captured,additional American soldiers brought another 6 prisoners from a street not far away from the Borg house.Shortly after the arrival of this group,we had to stand against a wall,facing it.At almost the same moment,shots were fired out of some windows of the Borg house.
Shots by the Americans and the screams of woman and children now intermingled in the ensuing chaos.I could not observe exactly what was happening,since we were hindered by the American MP's.
After the skirmish was over,we were taken into the house and kept under heavy guard.In the meantime,the American soldiers killed in the early morning battle were placed under our window.We were then forced to look at the dead.After an infantry Liutenant from our group had been interrogated,we were informed at 1030 hours that we would be shot towards 1830 hours in the evening.
In the course of the afternoon,the 7 youngest of us were picked out to be shot ahead of the others.However this plan was dropped after the insistance of the infantry Liutenant and our protests.Towards 1800 hours,the Americans took us to their command post.We carried the seriously wounted Hauptmann Gerling on an unhinged door.
At command post,a few American officers questioned us again about the events.The correct response to questions was in part impossible,because we did not understand them.During the march through Budberg,the commanding officer gave orders to line us up and to fire.
From 14 of us,3 were wounded but stayed alive.These were an elderly Volksturm man,an officer caded and me.I would also like to mention that the Americans used explosive ammunition for the executions.2 comrades who fled into nearby barn were recaptured the following day.I cannot give any information about their wherebouts.
At the dusk on the same day,the fallen comrades were taken away by truck.I myself was hit 7 times and with the help of a Russian and a German girl,i got to a field hospital in the afternoon of 10 April.
Source:Heinz Günther Guderian-From Normandy to the Ruhr.With the 116th Panzer Division in World War II. Pages452-453