A Horrible Death!

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Edward L. Hsiao
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A Horrible Death!

#1

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 15 Dec 2006, 07:59

Dear Fellows,

I was looking at a couple of photos of a German paratrooper named Andreas Hagl. He was a Knight's Cross winner. The following words about his death was to me unbelievable and terrible. Hauptmann Hagl was captured by Italian partisans in July of 1944. He was stripped naked,covered in honey,tied up and hung over an and ant hill. The ants had ate alive! 8O What do you think of that horrible ending? True or False? The source was from "Tyler's Military Site Photo Gallery."

Edward :x

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Fallschirmjäger
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#2

Post by Fallschirmjäger » 15 Dec 2006, 09:09

I saw this on another forum im in this year,it sounds hard to believe realy,but if or it was true,a terrible way to die,where was the rest of the FJ soldiers when this happened,they where killed,as he should have fought to the death if he could and maybe knowing what partisans might do.
And his knights cross,i wonder if they stole that if he was wearing it,which i think he might have been, and what divison was he in,the 4th FJ div or 1st FJ div if you know?.


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Doktor Krollspell
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#3

Post by Doktor Krollspell » 15 Dec 2006, 09:19

Hello Gentlemen!

Andreas Hagl belonged to the 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division when he was killed. Here's a link to a short bio on Hagl:

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... /HaglA.htm


Regards,

Krollspell

michael mills
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#4

Post by michael mills » 16 Dec 2006, 05:10

Obviously untrue.

Some ant species, particularly the more primitive varieties that preserve some of the characteristics of their wasp ancestors, have a poisonous sting in their abdomen, and there are documented cases of small children who have died after falling onto ant-hills of such species and receiving many thousands of stings.

But I would doubt that if every ant in an ant-hill stung an adult human it would be sufficient to kill him.

In the scenario described above, things would no doubt get rather ticklish as the ants nibbled away at the honey. But I do not think that there is any ant species in Europe with a mandible powerful enough to bite through living human skin and tear off a piece of flesh.

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Peter H
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#5

Post by Peter H » 16 Dec 2006, 05:24


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Peter H
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#6

Post by Peter H » 16 Dec 2006, 05:35

Photo of Hagl from Eric Queen's Red Shines The Sun
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David Thompson
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#7

Post by David Thompson » 16 Dec 2006, 06:51

What is/are the original source(s) for this lurid horror story?

For interested readers, the internet link to Tyler's photo gallery site and this claim is: http://www.tylersmilitarysite.com/photogall.htm

None of the links nor a Google search for the officer's name turned up anything of substance on the allegation.

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Penn44
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#8

Post by Penn44 » 16 Dec 2006, 09:57

Although I hate to respond to highly implausible and lurid stories, I will state that I concur with others - the allegation that ants ate Hagl alive is rather implausible. If Hagl was stripped naked and left bound is true, he more likely died from dehydration and/or exposure if left in this situation for a few days.

Penn44

.

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Peter H
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#9

Post by Peter H » 17 Dec 2006, 02:37

Eric Queen was nice enough to supply me with some details on the claim.

Eric,being a good historian,does not mention the episode in his book because it remains unsubstaniated.

However he has spent nearly 20 years interviewing FJ veterans,and the claim comes from two veterans who served with Hagl in Italy.

Whether it is true,or Hagl's remains were found in such a state,cannot be confirmed by any documents.

michael mills
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#10

Post by michael mills » 17 Dec 2006, 07:09

Even in the absence of documents, it is possible to conclude what happened on the balance of probabilities.

Italian partisans killed Hagl, stripped his corpse and left it lying out in the open. In the hot July sun, it quickly began to decompose.

Ants were attracted by the smell of rotting flesh, found the corpse and began to swarm over it. If composition were far advanced, it would be possible for the ants to nip off small bits of skin loosened by the process of decomposition.

Eventually, presumably after several days had passed, Hagl's corpse was located by other German soldiers. They noticed the ants swarming over the body, and possibly also damage done to the skin, most probably as a result of the decomposition process. On the basis of the description given by them, this lurid rumour arose.

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Martin S
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#11

Post by Martin S » 17 Dec 2006, 13:00

Driver ants, native to Africa and not found in Europe, will overwhelm tethered animals like cows by swarming in through the ears mouth and nose. Death is by asphxia, internal bleeding and I imagine shock. There are supposed to be cases where unconscious people have suffered the same fate.

The problem with the Hagl story is that it takes place on the wrong continent. As has been suggested his decomposing body may have attracted ants, or perhaps he died near to an ant hill. Either way the ants did not kill him as he was not in the African jungle.

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