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Massacre At Malmédy During the Battle of the BulgeWorld War II | 23 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
On the other side of the coin, many Americans subscribe to the theory that orders had been issued at the highest level that no U.S. prisoners were to be taken and that the offensive was to be conducted in a wave of terror. This latter point is correct. Hitler used those words in an address to his senior commanders only four days before the attack. However, the fact that Peiper’s men sent scores of prisoners to the rear in the normal manner during their advance earlier on the 17th belies the no-prisoners theory, and attempts by the Americans to produce written evidence of such an order for use at the Dachau war crimes trial came to nothing. Subscribe Today
It has to be noted that Peiper’s men faced a very real problem in deciding what to do with the large number of prisoners taken in the Baugnez area. According to all German reports, Peiper was in a hurry to get to Ligneuville and capture the U.S. headquarters there, and he ordered the rest of the Kampfgruppe to follow up as quickly as possible. Faced with mounting delays and an irate commander, what were those at the crossroads to do with the prisoners? Armored columns had no spare manpower to look after POWs, and none of the follow-up infantry formations were anywhere near Five Points at the time. More than 100 men, even if they have surrendered and been disarmed, cannot be left to their own devices for long. Nor could they be ordered to start marching to the rear into captivity, as is usual in such circumstances, because there was a simple problem of geography. Peiper had penetrated the American lines on a very narrow front–a single road–and this meant that as far as the Germans were concerned the enemy lay along the N-23 to the northwest in Malmédy, the N-32 to the northeast in Waimes and the N-23 to the south in Ligneuville. There was therefore no road along which they could order the prisoners to set off. And it was more than possible that American combat units would move south out of Malmédy at any moment.
A combination of all these factors–an angry SS lieutenant colonel in a hurry, no spare men to guard the prisoners, no easily available route to the rear and the possibility of American combat troops arriving at any moment–must have created a nightmare scenario for the officer in charge. It is therefore quite possible that he decided to take the simplest and most practical way out of his dilemma by giving an order to shoot the prisoners. And it is certainly possible that Peiper himself gave such an order before he moved on. But if it was not Peiper, who could it have been? Among those present at Baugnez at the relevant time, there are several possibilities: Major Werner Poetschke, commander of Peiper’s 1st SS Panzer Battalion; Lieutenant Erich Rumpf, commander of the 9th SS Panzer Pioneer Company; Lieutenant Franz Sievers, commander of the 3rd SS Pioneer Company; and, in view of his later statements about events at the crossroads, it would be unwise to exclude Peiper’s adjutant, Gruhle. There are even some, such as Lieutenant Friedrich Christ, commander of the 2nd SS Panzer Company, and a Sergeant Beutner of the 3rd SS Pioneers, who were later accused by their own comrades of having given orders to open fire on the prisoners.
But what of the possibility that the Germans opened fire on the prisoners because there was an escape attempt? It is after all legal to shoot at escaping POWs, and there is evidence to support this theory. In October 1945 one of the American survivors, in a sworn statement countersigned by one of the chief prosecuting officers, Lieutenant Raphael Schumacker, and witnessed by Sergeant Frank Holtham, said: I decided to try to get away and walked slowly northwardly, but upon reaching a little dirt road or lane decided not to cross the lane or go around it. Sergeant Stabulis, Flack and I were together on this proposition. We turned around, slowly retraced our steps….The group of soldiers in front of me were standing still and I walked slowly southwardly towards the fence at the south end of the field, more or less using the men in front as concealment. I know that Sergeant Stabulis and Pfc Flack were behind me. About two-thirds of the way towards the fence there were no more men to provide concealment so when I reached this point I ran towards the fence as hard as I could, crawled through it and turned to my right and headed for the woods west of the field as fast as I could. Machine gun fire was opened up at me but I was lucky enough to make it to the woods without getting hit and was picked up by the 30th Division a couple of days later….I would like to add that as I came out from behind the crowd into the clear and headed for the south fence, two single shots were fired, which were either pistol or rifle in my opinion. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Historical Conflicts, World War II
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23 Comments to “Massacre At Malmédy During the Battle of the Bulge”
Can anyone supply a link to actor Charles Durnings relationship to this event. He was describedby CNN as a a survivor.
By Thomas R Miller on Aug 1, 2008 at 10:58 am
Please ignore previous request, I have found an abundance.
By Thomas R Miller on Aug 1, 2008 at 11:33 am
This is a very interesting, thought provoking account. The author’s final conclusions seem unbiased and well supported by the (known) facts.
Sgt, USMC 68-71
By Will S on Aug 3, 2008 at 11:15 am
Different estimates of casualties are reported on different pages. How many were killed, wounded?
By mitchell kaidy on Aug 22, 2008 at 1:55 pm
My father 84 year old father, John L. Harnack, a sergeant with the 285th Observation Battalion Battery B, was driving vehicle B1. He had a lieutenant with him. The way he describes the incident, they arrived at a crossroads, and were directed down the road ahead. As they started down the road, the lieutenant kind of “went berserk” and demanded that they turn around. AT that point, my father turned the car around and went against traffic and the two serials following him, to transport the officer to a hospital in St. Vith. When he returned to the crossroads, the MPs told him he could not go on, that there was some small arms fire heard ahead. From this point he cannot remember how he heard what happened, though he thinks he might have gone back to the Hercken Forest to wait for further instructions. I realize this was a traumatic experience for him as he had been with the battalion of men since training at Fort Sills, OK, and at Hendrix College in Arkansas before shipping overseas. I believe the loss of memory of the details may have been a strategy of his subconcious to keep him from despair or PTSD. We are trying to confirm the rest of the story for him.
By Lauren Rafael on Sep 15, 2008 at 2:58 pm
although i agree that in this instance, the charge that eyes of the soldiers being cut out was probably unfounded, it is not at all past comprehension knowing the crimes against soldiers in the Pacific by the Japanese. The statement in the article that no soldier, however depraved or crazed would have done such a thing does not reflect the horrors inflicted by the Japanese, even to the extent of much worse than those mentioned here.
By Heidi Peaster on Sep 22, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I have just recieved over 60 pictures of the men of the 285th battery B FAOB and the Christmas dinner menu from 1943( which is signed by about 60+ persons from the company). These items belonged to my great-uncle, Lee Lucas, who was captured and later died in stalag 4b, I believe. I also have his “diary” from the stalag. IF ANYONE can help me identify the persons in the pictures or give me additional info in reference to my great uncle I would certainly appreciate it. Please contact me at Athos0620@hotmail.com or call me at (215) 676-3098. Please ask for Lonnie Clausson. Also I have done a little leg work and identified several names on the photos and the menu as persons who were murdered at Malmedy.
By Lonnie Clausson ` on Oct 1, 2008 at 10:17 pm
IN ref.to my previous post I have just discovered that my great-uncle was known to us in his family as “Lee” Lucas, But in fact he was Cpl. David Lucas who is listed as allegedly dying in stalag 4b on march 3rd 1945 from wounds sustained at the Malmedy massacre…..however in his diary he has a self made calender, which for some reason has a notation that he was ” wounded and captured the 7th of jan. 1945″ and has X’s covering the calender up to the date of march 30th. I could really use some help figuring this out. Please help me clear up this historical abnormality.
By Lonnie Clausson ` on Oct 1, 2008 at 10:54 pm
My uncle Thomas Frederic Watt was among the victims. I could probably identify him in pictures if not previously located.
By Thomas Novak on Dec 20, 2008 at 8:35 am
Contact information: humbug@wizard-deluxe.com
By Thomas Novak on Dec 20, 2008 at 8:38 am
You may be interested in hearing Frank Zingers account of walking back to his company from the hospital near Malmedy days before the massacre. I have posted it as a podcast at http://www.AudioMemories.org.
By David Boeve on Jan 21, 2009 at 8:25 pm
My Dad has told the story of the only surviver that showed up at his camp. What is his name and is he still alive . My Dad is 90 and he was Cpt. Knox
By rknox2@tx.rr.com on May 26, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Just talked to my Dad he said this scared kid 18 or 19 came into their camp 1st Army 32nd Field Artellerie . Said it was the start o f the Bulge “My Dad Said” He said he thiught he was the only survivor
By rknox2@tx.rr.com on May 26, 2009 at 9:22 pm
My dad fought with the 2nd division from Omaha and through to Elsenborn Ridge and the Rhine, etc. He met a Belgian girl in Burg-Reuland before the Bulge. She later married him and came to the US. As my mother, she provided an insight into The War that I have not gotten from any history books. One of her many ’stories’ was about the extremely young German soldiers whom her family encountered shortly before the Americans retook the area for the final time. They had little to no food rations, and although it was the dead of winter with thick snow on the ground and temperatures well below freezing, some of the German soldiers had no boots, only newspaper and cardboard, wrapped with burlap and tied with cord. Her non-military thoughts regarding the massacre were that if the German army could not feed its own, it certainly couldn’t feed its prisoners. Another cruel reality of war.
My dad, on the other hand, told few ‘war stories,’ only tales of some of his fellow soldiers. I saw my dad cry three times in my life. The first was when President Reagan commemorated the 40th anniversary of the D-Day invasions at Normandy. He did not cry for long, but clearly his pain was deep. The second was when his mother died. The third time he cried was when I had finally convinced him–at the age of 70–that he and my mom needed to ‘go back.’ He resisted long and hard. Then, suddenly he said, “I just want to see where those boys are buried” and choked back a ragged sob. Both my mother and I knew what he meant.
The happy ending to this posting is that dad came back from his trip, a different man, a man far more at peace with himself. One of his photos from the trip showed him standing in front of the memorial at Malmedy with his arm around another man about his age, both of them smiling broadly. I asked who this gentleman was. He declared that it was Helmut (or someone) who was the curator (?) of the place. They had conversed and determined that they had actually fought against each other.
The commanders who gave the orders tend to make the history books. But, as these postings attest, the ones who carried out those orders, who actually made the history, are/were our dads and uncles, grandfathers, brothers, and husbands. Just Dads and Helmuts. God bless them all.
By Kathy H on Jun 11, 2009 at 6:40 pm
My mother Lois Detwiler(now deceased) was to marry one of the
victims killed at Malmedy.His name was Don from Altoona,PA.
I have a few pictures.I can find his last name if I dig.He was a
field surveyor .My mother never really got over over it.She was
only 18 at the time.There was always a sadness about her.When
she passed I was glad she could finally be with Don, the love of her
life.Does anyone out there have any knowledge of him?
By Judi Governale on Jun 16, 2009 at 5:23 pm
How would you find a casualty list from the Malmedy massacre? I have been told that my great uncle was one of the victims.
By James Tidwell on Jun 17, 2009 at 9:51 am
I have a casualty list from the Malmedy massacre.Also have
a group pictures with the mens names and a big list of names
and addresses last updated in 1971.Found in my moms things.
She was engaged to Sgt.Donald Geisler.He was in the front row
of the massacre.By the way the history cannel has a video of
the Malmedy Massacre.If you contact them you probably can
get a copy.My mother had sent for one and I may still have it.
My home phone is (928)758-5274.Need to know James
uncle’s name.Will look for him on the group picture also
casualty list.
By Judi Governale on Jun 18, 2009 at 12:15 am
Charles Whiting wrote a book called “Massacre at Malmedy. In
the book he examines the events through eyewitnesses including
two who never appeared at the Dachau Trial.Paul Pfeiffer, a 15
year-old school boy at the time and Henry Le Joly now in his
70’s and living across the street from the massacre site at the time
The enemy troops involved in the attack massacre of battery
B were believed to have been from 12th SS Panzer Division.Col.
joachim Peiper who led the SS Troopers into Belgium served
only 14 yrs in prison for the massacre.He was convicted on such questionable evidence.
I wonder how many of those SS are still living?
By Judi Governale on Jun 18, 2009 at 12:40 am
David Lucas and Thomas Watt are both in the Group picture I
have.The casuality list I have is only partial.According to the
paperwork I have, approx 150 americans were involved,43 escaped of which three-quarters of these had been wounded.
Only 25 men of Battery B roster of 138 reported safe after the
event.The report says:others may come in later but unlikely
as the area was still in German hands.Iam reading from
classified copies that somehow mom got.
By Judi Governale on Jun 18, 2009 at 11:14 am
Hello
My name is Mike Smeets.
I am a 38 year old historical researcher from Landgraaf, The Netherlands. For many, many years now I have been studying the exploits of the German Battlegroup Peiper and its US adversaries during the Battle of the Bulge 1944. Over the years I have been able to contact many German and US veterans – incl. Malmedy survivors – who helped me reconstruct the events as they happened so many years ago. I am also in contact with several wellknown authors. As I am living very near to the beautiful Ardennes, I have visited the actual battlefields numerous times already.
I am reading all of the very interesting messages and would be interested in correspondence with all of you concerning the crossroads, Dec.17 1944. Like I already mentioned I am in contact with/corresponded with serveral Malmedy survivors and even German eye.witnesses, so please do contact me so we can share information.
If you are interested contact me at: mwhp.smeets@hotmail.com.
With very best regards from The Netherlands,
Mike Smeets
Akkerwinde 27
6374 RD Landgraaf
THE NETHERLANDS
By Mike Smeets on Jun 19, 2009 at 8:48 am
To Judi:
I would like to add that I also interviewed every still living Belgian who witnessed the events at the crossroads incl. Robert Pfeiffer. Together with him I visited the new ‘Baugnez-museum’ and I can tell you, he was very disappointed.
I would love to hear from you.
Mike Smeets
By Mike Smeets on Jun 19, 2009 at 8:55 am
To: James Tidwell,There is a casualty list on this web site.Go to
Malmedy Massacre.US Army personnel involved in it.
Judi
By Judi Governale on Jun 19, 2009 at 5:34 pm